So why am I showing a photo of my workbench? Hopefully it will serve as some incentive for you to save your hardware when it quits working, specifically any pumps and filters.
Even if you have only one tank, odds are you are going to need to replace some hardware eventually. In fact, it may happen more than once. Having spare parts is a great way to be prepared for emergencies. However, you don’t have to necessarily order spare parts. Save some money by pirating the working parts from hardware that fails.
I maintain multiple tanks, so I have a higher probability of hardware failures at any given time versus someone who has a single tank. Salvaging whatever I can from broken hardware saves me money in the long run.
The photo above shows a Sicce Space Eko 200 canister filter being tested. However, it’s been rebuilt. The filter (shown on the right inside the bucket) contains parts from two different pumpheads – one that had a broken quick disconnect base and the other with a faulty pump motor. Since both bad pumpheads still had working and salvageable components, I just stripped them both of the working parts and built a working pumphead.
Now, I even have an extra canister body as well as impeller, o-rings, media trays, pumphead screws, etc. Replacing a whole new Eko canister would cost me about $130. Next time your pump or filter breaks, salvage whatever you can. You never know when you might need the parts. And who doesn’t want to save some money?