Two things:

1) Fill filter box until it starts to flow back into tank BEFORE
attempting anything else. Then insert the input tube into position.
(Power to pump should be off during this entire phase). Make sure
that the input tube sits completely down into the input of the motor
housing (if you look down inside the filter top, you will see an open
section just above the filter motor, typically it is sort of oblong
with a slight curve sort of like a letter C turned onto it's side.
One end of this oblong will be copletely open to the filter
(impeller), the other end will be completely blocked. The input tube
should go directly over the completely open section above the
impeller). Now turn power on... you will see the input tube slowly
pulsate with water until it fills completely and the pump starts
running, water now flowing back out into the tank.

or
2) the impeller is magnetically stuck to the side wall of the motor
housing. I typically just stick something thin, straight and long
down into the opening and wiggle until the impeller starts spinning.
Note: you would have to remove whatever you use to start the process
fairly quickly and it should not be something that can break the
impeller. A plastic coffee stirrer or a straw usually works well and
is not strong enough to break the impeller... once the impeller
starts moving, simply slide the adjustable input tube completely over
the impeller opening until the syphon starts.



On Sun, 01 Feb 2004 03:15:47 GMT, pixelmeow
wrote:

I sincerely feel like the biggest idiot. I got a new filter, the
AquaClear 200, for my 10 gallon freshwater tank; it won't start
pumping water through. I followed the directions, nothing; I bent my
arms in all weird directions to get the air out of the tube and the
tube then inserted into the intake side of the part of the filter that
hangs out the back of the tank; all that did was suck all the water
out of the filter back into the tank! I filled enough water into the
tank so that I almost overfilled the tank, thinking that maybe that
would start the water flowing. The little engine that (I assume) runs
the filter is warm, it must be doing *something*, but it is totally
quiet.

What am I doing wrong? I checked out the websites in the FAQs, but
they dont' go into troubleshooting (or filters for dummies, which I
must need).

Sorry if you guys get this all the time...

--
teresa