What if you can't buy a new part right away

[Litespeed]

Let's say your filter gives out and you can't run to your local fish store and pick up the needed part or a new filter. What would you do?

My husband is a worry wart and our local fish store doesn't carry the Eheim 2028 or any parts for it. He is afraid if the filter broke down, it would take to long to order the needed part on-line, which could take several days. Since our Eheim filter has so many little parts to it, it would be too expensive to buy all the necessary little parts to have on hand in case one broke. It would actually cost less to buy a whole new filter, so we did. This way he figures if the filter broke down, we would just swap the cannister's into the new filter and plug it in and worry about the broken part later. Does this sound weird???

[cocoa_pleco]

i have dozens of spare filters, and when the old one on my 90g gave out i bought a cheap temporary corner filter for $60, but if all else fails and its only overnight do water changes every hour

[Adrian]

I have several filter, and filter parts laying around the house, thanks to MTS, but I have found that if one of my filters does go down, and parts are not readily available, I ended up buying a new one.

Using hindsight, since some of these filters are not cheap, I made sure when I bought my new filter, that the stores actually carry the parts that I would need in case it ever happened again. Unfortunately, that is what I should have done in the first place.

Do your homework. Anytime you buy equipment for your aquarium, make sure that you can find parts for the equipment you buy.

[Adrian]

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[Adrian]

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[Dsoto87]

You shouldnt have to worry about your eheim breaking down....but if for some crazy reason it did...order it online, try to get some type of expedited shipping and just run an air stone in the tank and do a water change every day while your waiting for it

[sailor]

It is for reasons such as this is one of the reasons I run 2 filters on my tanks. I haven't had 1 break down yet knock on wood but I'm ready if one does.

[doug z]

Yeah, I'm probably going to end up buying 2 filters myself..

That way you're covered if one breaks down, AND you can change the media out in one every 6 months, and run the other as usual, then change the media out in the other one a month or 2 later..

No hiccups (mini cycles, etc) that way..

[jbeining75]

I do the same as Sailor I always run two smaller filters on my tanks versus one big one....

[NickFish]

lol, I'm with cocoa on this one, I have a spare AC50, 2 AC20s, and internal filter and a fluval 405 in storage.

Plus I almost always run two filters in my tank (except in my reef tank, there I run 1 filter+2 powerheads) so if one broke it wouldn't be that big of a deal.

[Lady Hobbs]

One of the reasons it's nice to have a secondary filter on your tank. At least to have an AC100 kept as a back up until parts for your canisters can be purchased.

[Rue]

I think that's a fine backup solution.

I know have a couple of spares laying around, so if if something happens, I'd be fine for a day or so...

You could do garage sales too...and see if you can find a couple of used, but working, HOBs for emergencies too...

Cheaper option!

[RainMan]

I could probably build a few filters with spare parts alone... I never throw anything out. that has saved my butt or fish's butt many times.

I always have a few extra airpumps, HOB filters, and usually a power head for this reason. Just keeping the water circulating can get you by for awhile.