Filter keeps stoping.

[itrebebag99]

I have a TopFin power filter 40 in a 40 gallon aquarium with sand on the bottom. The intake is a few inches above the sand to reduce the amount of sand going in there. The filter keeps stopping up every few days. As it says to do in the instruction manual, I take the filter apart, and spin the impeller around, even though there is nothing blocking it. When I reassemble it, it starts back up again. I was worried that the sand would affect the filter, but there is no warning or anything in the manual about not using the filter on sand.

Is this due to the filter being faulty, or me using it on sand?

 

[duanes]

One grain of sand lodged in the right (unseen) spot, can stop an impeller from turning.
My suggestion would be to raise the filter intake to the next level and see if the problem persists.
If you're using play sand, this could be the problem, play sand is very light and easily stirred up by something as innocent by the flick of a tail of a fish.

 

[itrebebag99]

I am using pool filtration sand, and I have a bullhead in the aquarium that definitely stirs up some sand.