My first real emergency. Help! I'm new!

[Smoke Reefer]

I have a cpr backpack on the back of my 15 gallon. It is skimmer/filter. I walked in my room and it was off. The maxijet 900 stopped?! It won't even tick or make noise in another socket. My heater was in it so the water has dropped to maybe 68. I put the heater in the aquarium. What do I do?? The tank is a month old. I have a hydor 240 running for circulation to get it heated. Will my fish survive? What do I do all stores are closed.

 

[Flippers4pups]

You should be fine. How many fish and types do you have in a15 gallon? Running skimmerless for a short time should be okay, if your bio load isn't too heavy. Just find a replacement pump for the back pack and keep up with your water changes.

 

[sepulvd]

It should be ok till tommrrow
When your able to buy a new pump. Always have spare pump

 

[Smoke Reefer]

I have a snowflake clown, a firefish, and I little bitty three stripped damsel. And a trumpet coral two heads and a long tentical anemone. Plus all my cc. Damn, I feel like everything is going to die now without my skimmer and filter.

 

[sc50964]

The best thing to do now is to oxygenate the water as much as you can. If you can get you hands on a battery operated air pump, put that in there and don't stop until you get your skimmer fixed. The tank is only one month old so you need to be careful. Reduce feeding is another thing you must do. BTW, your tank is too small for all those fish. I suggest to rehome the damsel. It will save you a lot of headache down the road. Good luck.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I have a snowflake clown, a firefish, and I little bitty three stripped damsel. And a trumpet coral two heads and a long tentical anemone. Plus all my cc. Damn, I feel like everything is going to die now without my skimmer and filter.

Don't freak out, stay calm. As long as you have water movement breaking the surface to add o2 to the water and the heater, you should be fine.

 

[vair]

Smoke Reefer, maybe disassemble the pump clean it all make sure it not just jammed up and try it again... Smoke reefer then reevaluate pump and your filter.

 

[Smoke Reefer]

Thanks for all the answers everyone. I really appreciate y'all taking time to help me.
Flippers4pups, should I point the powerhead towards the surface to make sure it breaks the surface? Would you suggest I go to walmart now and buy a small filter or is it best to just wait untill tomorrow? Man, maxijet just quit I don't understand.
But I feel a lot better now.

 

[sc50964]

Bang on the Maxijet a couple times at different spots. Sometimes that's all it takes.

 

[Smoke Reefer]

Ha vair I'm already on it.
Yeah I just tried to bang on it a bit... Nothing. I'm going to soak it in vinegar. I did get a shrimp stuck in it a few days ago. I forgot about that but it ran strong for a while after. I don't know...

 

[vair]

A month old, I wouldn't bother with the vinegar soak. Take it apart scrub with a old tooth brush ( or room mates) reassemble, try it, smack it a few times as earlier suggested. If that fails Smoke Reefer and get a new one in the AM.

 

[Smoke Reefer]

I think I figured something out. I have my maxijet sitting in some vinegar and warm water to clean it out. I just tried to plug it in and my left thumb was on the bowl and it shocked me. I did it again just to make sure ha. So what is going on a live wire all of a sudden from my power head?

 

[Saltliquid]

For the future keep some ammo lock and PH buffer handy and use these, more so ammo lock when there are potential issues like this. PH stability is everything and co2 and ammonia are what affects it more then anything else. Power heads are usually just positive and negative, its most likely earthing into your water and is possibly stuffed. Check your plug, make sure all is dry as well. You need to clean your power heads impellor areas each month or so if there is no filter wool barrier before skimmer to protect the impellor.

 

[Sk8r]

Maxijet heads screw off and the impeller is then visible: MaxiJet impellers are lately made of something very fragile, and they keep shedding blades. If a simple twist of the head-cover will solve it, good. If the impeller has gone, just get a new pump.

I'd recommend a Hydor or something more substantial, and always have backup pump, and maybe an air pump, bubbler, just in case. Maxis have just gotten too flimsy for a main pump.