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Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

URGENT -TETRATEC EX700 PROBLEM WITH HOSE VALVE

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18 Aug 2011 19:24 #1 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Ok I was cleaning my tetratec ex700 filter tonight as the flow has reduced lately,most likely due to duckweed and mulm in the system. When I was turning off the flow from hose value (the green tap),it snapped off and the water started flying out. I managed to put the green tap back in and the o ring is still in place,however the flow is reduced right now still and Im slow to do anything with the filter now cos Im afraid the value will pop back out again from the hose adapter.

Anyone able to help. When I turn it now it just spins around.It doesnt seem to stop. I dont think the water is leaking but Im afraid to turn the thing on now at this stage in case it starts leaking.Anyone able to help out ?
Really could do without this problem as Im going to be away for a few days soon as well.

Gavin

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18 Aug 2011 22:29 #2 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Ive tried starting the filter again and its just not working....it takes in some water but not enough to get it flowing through the canister...Im now without a filter and deep shit...some help me out here please.
Airlock could be the problem due to the broken valve but Im in need of a filter ASAP or my tank is in deep trouble?

PLEASE HELP OUT LADS!
Gavin

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18 Aug 2011 22:35 #3 by JohnH (John)
Gavin,
I'm not totally au fait with the Tetra-tec filter, but is it one where the whole tap block is replaceable?
If so you can buy a replacement quite easily.
It's a pity you're so far south of me, I could let you have the loan of an external until you get yours sorted - anyone in Cork able to help Gavin out of a jam?

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


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18 Aug 2011 22:37 #4 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
John,
The tap may be the problem...but right now Im without a filter for the night..and wont get one into this tank until 7pm tomorrow night...what do u suggest?
Im going through the roof here trying to get it to work but its just not working.
Gavin

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18 Aug 2011 22:44 - 18 Aug 2011 23:01 #5 by Jim (Jim Lawlor)
Gavin- pity you are in cork, I have a spare matured 700 I could have lent you.

Can you try taking the inlet out of the tank so it doesn't syphon and completely disassemble the tap unit to see if you can reassemble it properly? If the tap is turning all the way round, its probably not connected to the valve any more - which may be half open / closed since you started.

In case it is an airlock, could you manually fill the canister with tank water, then reattach the hoses & restart? Its not perfect, but it will solve some airlocking.
Last edit: 18 Aug 2011 23:01 by Jim (Jim Lawlor).

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18 Aug 2011 22:47 #6 by JohnH (John)
I'm very sorry I cannot be more helpful Gavin.

I was hoping someone who knows more about your particular model could be of better help with advice, but none is forthcoming so far.

I have one out in my shed, I'll go out and see if I can better understand the problem by investigating it.
Back presently.

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


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18 Aug 2011 22:52 #7 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Right I cant fix it. What options do I now have lads in relation to running the tank without a filter for the night,or effectively 24 hours.

Gavin

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18 Aug 2011 23:02 #8 by JohnH (John)
OK,
I've just brought in my tap unit from the 1200.
If you unhitch this can you blow through the hose or is it blocked - it sounds a little to me as though the tap has become detatched from the valve inside.
If this is the case then it might be a case of taking the green tap off and physically moving the valve, but if it doesn't budge the best suggestion I could make would be to drill through the inside to allow water to pass through again then reassemble it.

In case of a minor leak (which there shouldn't be) you could tape it over and put the whole filter canister into a large bucket.

Sorry I can't be more helpful than that.

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


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18 Aug 2011 23:08 #9 by JohnH (John)
If this doesn't work - or you feel disinclined to attempt it do you have an air pump with any sort of filter?
If you have, thoroughly impregnate it with the mulm inside your 700 and run it, obviously don't feed the fish tonight or in the morning then when you get your filter back running squeeze as much from the 'air' filter back into it and start it up - hopefully there will have been enough bacteria saved alive to quickly re-seed the 700 without it going back to 'new tank' syndrome.

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


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18 Aug 2011 23:21 #10 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
John you couldnt write this for a disaster.
Ive already cleaned the filter,mulm included. Just went to plug in my airstone and its not working either ? I cant believe this night.
Im just going to have to take a chance on it. Ive already changed a good 40% of the tank water tonight and this is the last thing I need.
I'll have to do without the filter tonight and until 7pm tomorrow,I'll just have to buy a new external,seed the new external with whatever filter material I have and hope it works.
This night has been the pits...Its just soooo annoying.

The problem right now is the inlet pipe is only sucking as far as the s bend and its not getting over that part to actually get the flow going. I think the tap might just be a side issue but I dont think its causing the problem,although it may indeed be an airlock from the airvalve that is causing it.
Tearing my hair out here over this.
Gavin

Gavin

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18 Aug 2011 23:25 #11 by JohnH (John)
Oh dear...

Just a thought - have you tried putting the inlet pipe into the water and sucking the outlet to try to get it going, rather than just using the plunger button?
Sometimes that can work.
John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


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18 Aug 2011 23:27 #12 by Jim (Jim Lawlor)
Gavin,
as per JohnH's experiment and especially if you are going away soon - perhaps buy some Organic aqua tomorrow as well, to stop your tank cycling!

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18 Aug 2011 23:29 #13 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)

Oh dear...

Just a thought - have you tried putting the inlet pipe into the water and sucking the outlet to try to get it going, rather than just using the plunger button?
Sometimes that can work.
John


Yup tried it, also tried a spare impellor I had but no use. Must be the motorhead is gone. There is some flow but not enough to get the water over the U tube part. Im just going to have to do without the filter all day tomorrow,but a new external (god only knows the cost) and take my chances.
Gutted isnt the word.
Gavin

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18 Aug 2011 23:41 #14 by JohnH (John)
I just wish we could have been able to help you better.
I sincerely hope it all works out for you.
Please let us know how it goes.

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


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18 Aug 2011 23:48 #15 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Thanks John,
Its frustrating alright.
Ive tried everything with it, Ive reassmebled it, I thought it was cos the cases werent stacked even...not the problem..there is air getting in somewhere and I suspects its actually a leak...but the o rings seem fine too...there is a certain intake but not enough to get it past the U tube.
Ive turned the filter off for the night now...Its staying off until I buy a new one tomorrow from Petstop in Cork..I hope they stock something good..I need to check to see if the tetratec is still inside warranty..(think they do a 3 year warranty.).
Im hoping the fish survive,I'll try to get someone to get a squeeze of their filter if possible.

Gavin

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18 Aug 2011 23:57 #16 by JohnH (John)
You should be able to blag some from Petstop?

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


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19 Aug 2011 00:06 #17 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Might say it to Simon in the morning.
Gavin

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19 Aug 2011 00:08 #18 by JohnH (John)
Don't forget to ask him about the guarantee period too.

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


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20 Aug 2011 23:44 #19 by louis (David Knowles)
Just a thought the inlet pipe in the tank has little rubber type washers on one section of the pipe. If u have taken this pipe apart to clean it the washer seal may have pinched on reassembly I'm not explaining it too well but it has happened to me and couldn't get the flow going as it was suckin in air because of the damaged seal

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21 Aug 2011 00:48 #20 by dar (darren curry)
probably a bit late but can the taps be by passed at all? a bit of hose and some jubilee clips? (there he is again off with the lump of hose. simple filter, lump of hose. broken filter, lump of hose. if you find yourself faced with any dilema in life, first things first, grab yourself a good lump of hose and you wont go wrong) but seriously i cant see a good pic of one but in an emergency i would try by pass the tap

Check out the angling section, it is fantastic

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21 Aug 2011 07:58 #21 by Fishowner (Gavin fishowner)
Thanks lads,I got sorted,have a external from someone nearby thankfully and my external is fixed,I gather there was something stuck in the motorhead but Im not sure,I must collect it off him one of these days.
I must also get a new value on the outlet as the green valves are made of sh(^&*& plastic!!!

Gavin

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21 Aug 2011 08:26 #22 by dar (darren curry)
good stuff, glad things worked out, ive had nothing but heart ache with mine. leaking, propeller shaft snapping, rings leaking, primer jacking in, motor losing power. awe man just about everything that can go wrong does go wrong. just always have a back up plan, whether it be a back up filter or the means of making a filter. if it came to it i'd bang the external casing up on the tank and have a pump, pumping water up into it and let gravity do the rest.all a canister is, is a pump and a bucket. i suppose all the problems opened my eyes to how it all works which is very handy

Check out the angling section, it is fantastic

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