3gallon Bow Front eclipse filter

[Tazzy_toon]

So I bought a 3 gal bow front off craiglist yesterday, but when i set it up, the filter wouldn't start.

The person I got it from said it worked when they took it down. Tried filling it with water before and after plugging it in. Any suggestions???

It's a got a filter pad and bio wheel.

[Morainy]

Oh, sorry to hear this, Tazzy toon.

First, check the impeller. You can try cleaning it and then putting it in again. If it's gummed up, it won't work.

Second, as I recall with the Eclipse 6, if water gets into the filter through a little opening in the top, it sometimes doesn"t work until it dries out. The other owner may have got water into it while taking the tank down. So, try again tomorrow -- it might be working.

Third (or maybe first, lol) make sure that you have enough water in the tank. I gave a new Eclipse 6 to a friend as a gift and he couldn't get the filter to run. It turned out that he was only filling the tank up part way and there was air getting in the joint on the shaft. As soon as the tank was filled up properly, it worked.

Might as well make sure that the outlet you've plugged into is working, too.

If you can't get it to work, you can buy another filter online or through a local pet store like Aquariums West. But the filter is quite expensive.

I could give you an Eclipse corner 5 gallon tank. It is a little bigger than the Eclipse 3 but looks very similar. I've never used the filter and it works great. I've got a betta in it but was planning to take this tank down and move the betta anyway.

If you're only using your Eclipse 3 for a betta, you probably don't need the filter anyway. Just change the water. Some long-finned bettas find the fast flow of a small Eclipse stressful.

[Tazzy_toon]

Thanks for the reply Morainy. I tried all the things you meantioned, but it still isn't working, so I suppose I could put my beta in it. Although I'd miss seeing him swimming above me when i'm at my desk.

Thanks for the offer of the tank, I would take you up on that in a second if you where so far away. I get lost super easy and avoid bridges at all costs. lol But I really do appreciate the offer.

[Morainy]

Have you contacted Marineland? They might have some tips for you. You can reach customer service on the Marineland website (Ask Marineland) or phone them:800-322-1266.

Can you reach the Craigslist person? Maybe you can return the tank.

And just a reminder -- don't forget to actually pull the impeller out and clean it. Clean around the inside, too, with a Q-tip or aquarium brush or whatever you have. If there's a bit of something in there the impeller won't turn. If the impeller doesn't turn, then water won't flow. You can try loosening the plastic impeller cover a bit, too. I had one that used to stop the impeller if it was pushed in too far. (That doesn't usually happen, though).

Good luck!

[InfraredDream]

Mine broke last year and I was not able to find any suitable solution. To get a new one is very expensive, I tried lots of ideas, so came from Morainy again. I have a betta in there, but was not able to keep it without a filter, I am not sure how this works for other people, it never does for me So I got a small RedSea filter and it works well. I am not very happy with the solution though, it is noisier and doen't allow the tank to close as before. It is my son's fish and he keeps him right beside his bed. So I am actually thinking of moving the betta in a 5 g in the next couple of weeks when I have the time.
Anyway, sorry for the long message, I just wanted to tell that I've been through that and wasn't able to find a good solution

[Sliver]

if you don't get it working you could always try to find one of these at your LFS.
Elite Stingray Filter

[Tazzy_toon]

I'm really disappointed, I don't have a ton of money to spend so I guess I'll just keep checking craiglist and hope I don't get burned again.

Thanks everyone for your help and comments.

[Morainy]

Hi, Milena?

Do you want my 5 gallon betta tank? It's a corner Eclipse 5 gallon. The filter works well but I don't use it. This tank has developed a great biological cycle (for a betta) without running the filter. It's very heavily planted and has a piece of porous lava rock and gravel. Over time and with careful water changes, beneficial bacteria built up and it's a very stable tank. If you're interested, just send me a PM.

Also, it may be that you can cut the filter off the tank rim and install it in your Eclipse 3 gallon. It looks like it would fit. It may even be the same filter. This tank is about 1.5 years old but the filter is like new.

Maureen

Mine broke last year and I was not able to find any suitable solution. To get a new one is very expensive, I tried lots of ideas, so came from Morainy again. I have a betta in there, but was not able to keep it without a filter, I am not sure how this works for other people, it never does for me So I got a small RedSea filter and it works well. I am not very happy with the solution though, it is noisier and doen't allow the tank to close as before. It is my son's fish and he keeps him right beside his bed. So I am actually thinking of moving the betta in a 5 g in the next couple of weeks when I have the time.
Anyway, sorry for the long message, I just wanted to tell that I've been through that and wasn't able to find a good solution

[Tazzy_toon]

I'm really thinking this is bigger then a 3 gallon, seems to big, but at the same time, too small for a 5 gallon.

I ended up buying a Marina i25 Internal Filter - Online Only Sale - Holiday Sales - PetSmart

It was actually a dollar more then listed, but fits perfectly

[InfraredDream]

Hi Morainy,

WOW, that's very kind of you, I'll PM you.

P.M. That looks like a good one for the 3 g. I am a bit sceptic as I've tried these small ones before for one of my bettas and I was not happy, it was slow and hardly was able to move the water. But it should be more than enough for a betta. Keep us posted in a few weeks if that is a good solution, I think we're not the only ones having this issue. I LOVE the close system that Eclipse is, but when something breaks... It is a good time to say that the light stopped working this morning. It is smaller than the usual ones, that means I have to spent more to replace it. So the very kind offer of Morainy is coming in the right moment. I was thinking of switching some other tanks to have a 5 g free...
Good luck!