Pump Problems

[Wolfx]

Amazon.com: Zoo Med Naturalistic Terrarium Waterfall Kit: Kitchen & Dining just use a stocking around the pump a few times to keep out substraight, but if done correct no substraight should be in with the balls hope this helps. Its what i use, have 2 kits in one tank an one in another.

[John]

This is why I don't use flowing water features or recommend them. If you're going to use a pump I suggest you make a custom pump box out of say a tupperware container. Put the pump in there surrounded by a nice thick layer of fine aquarium filter wool.

[LilyPad]

I wrapped a spongey filter around it, but it wasnt thick enough, maybe I'll have to get a different one. They really enjoy this feature, but it's not something that's particularly "easy" to work on and I'm quite ready to ditch it if something doesnt work soon. Thank you John, I will try that. I know a lot of people have had the same issues with the zoo med kit.

[SludgeMunkey]

Unless you use an airstone lift based water feature, there is absolutely nothing you can do to remedy the problem. All you can do is regularly clean the pump and filter. The real issue with these kits is that they are designed for looks, and not functionality. Personally, I feel they were designed with terrestrial, tropical reptiles in mind, as anything aquatic generates far too much mulm.

[LilyPad]

I'm really fed up because I can't get the tupperware/filter idea to work. I think I'm going to remove it and put another bromeliad where it is (takes up a lot of space) and just use their raised lagoon. It'll give me a lot more space and much less of a headache. The filter system worked through vacation and that was the most important part for me.

[IrishRonin]

I have one tank with a flowing stream and one with a waterfall and both work well, I know john doesn't like the water features but I think there awsome, if done right. Well What I did is use a tall plastic container(that I got crickets in), cut notches around the rim then raped the whole thing in screen then put the screen end down into the drainage layer. After I got it secure with substrate I lowered the pump in and haven't had any problems. I then used a coconut to cover us the pump well. Its kinda hard to see in these pics but I hope it helps

[LilyPad]

Thanks for all the tips guys!! What I have going now is a small pond in the corner. I could get the pump to run while it was in the little container (wrapped in filters, covered with mesh screen) but I could not get the waterfall to work, the tubing must be bad. So I put the pump in its little container, directly into the hydroton, put river rocks and a moss ball around it, and let it run. So right now they just have a little filtered pond. I think they'll like that just as much, it's the moving water that draws them to it. We'll see! I've spent the whole day working on this, so hopefully now it works. Thanks for all the ideas, they're very much appreciated.