Before you start looking for replacement parts, you need to know what piece of equipment you have. This includes the make, model, and kind of equipment. For example, an Aqua Ultraviolet 57-watt UV Sterilizer or a Reef Octopus VarioS4 Circulation Pump. Without all three of these pieces of information, you won’t be able to locate replacement parts. In the aquarium hobby, nearly every manufacturer has proprietary parts, so you cannot simply switch impellers between pump brands or gaskets between filter brands. You need to know the exact make and model of your equipment. If you have the original receipt, the make and model should be listed there. If not, then you can often find them printed on the equipment itself. If you still don’t know the make and model, you can send us a picture, and we may be able to identify the piece of gear for you.

Impellers

Impellers are the spinning portion inside a utility pump. These are pumps with hose connections on both sides, and the pump is used to pump through a hose or to power equipment.

Volutes

Volute is the technical term for an impeller cover. These cover the pump's impeller and hold it in place.

Rotors/Propellers

Rotors/propellers are the fan-like portion inside of a circulation pump.

Gaskets/O-rings

Gaskets and O-rings are the rubber seals used to keep pumps, filters, UV sterilizers, and other equipment watertight.

Impeller Shafts

Impellers spin around a metal or ceramic shaft inside a water pump. Sometimes this part is included with an impeller, and sometimes it comes separately.

Power Supplies

Power supplies are the bricks in the middle of the cord for equipment such as LED lights and DC water pumps. They convert the AC wall power to DC power for your gear.

Ballasts

Ballasts are similar to power supplies, but they are designed to drive fluorescent lamps, such as T5 lighting or the lamps inside UV sterilizers. The ballast is a small box that may be inline with the power cord or tucked inside a light fixture.

Quartz Sleeves

Quartz Sleeves are the glass tubes inside a UV sterilizer that the UV lamp slides into. Quartz sleeves are easy to damage and often need to be replaced.

Controllers

Controllers are the small boxes connected in line with a pump or light that allow you to control the device.

Bushings

Bushings are small bumpers found inside a water pump or filter on either end of the impeller shaft. Bushings can wear out and are easy to lose.

Once you know which piece of gear you have and what needs to be replaced, you need to decide whether it is worth replacing. It doesn’t make sense to fix an old piece of gear if getting a replacement is only slightly more expensive or if you expect to need to buy a replacement soon. To give you an idea of what lifespan you can expect from common aquarium equipment, we have a list below of lifespans for various gear.

1. 1. Glass Aquariums. 15-20 years, after which the silicone can start to weaken.
2. 2. Acrylic Aquariums. Nearly forever with regular buffing to remove scratches.
3. 3. Filters. With replacement parts, most filters can be run forever. However, most manufacturers do not support replacement parts after 7-10 years.
4. 4. Heaters. 3-5 years. Heaters wear out quickly, and a failing heater is extremely dangerous. Make sure to replace heaters before they fail.
5. 5. Chillers. 10 years or more in most cases. Chillers may need replacement fuses and will need periodic vacuuming of the coils.
6. 6. AC Pumps (On/Off pumps with no power supply). AC pumps can last nearly forever with periodic impeller, impeller shaft, and bushing replacements.
7. 7. DC Pumps (Pumps with an external power supply). DC pumps last 5-7 years. The internal components of a DC pump eventually wear out and die after prolonged use. In most cases, a DC pump will need a replacement power supply before the motor itself fails.
8. 8. LED Lights. 5-7 years. Unfortunately, modern LED lights tend to fail after 5-7 years, even though the diodes themselves last much longer. Generally, a component on the circuit board fails, and these are not user-serviceable. You can also check the light power supply, which is an easy fix. If you have more than one light, try swapping the power supplies to see if one of them won't run either light. This is a sign that the power supply is what has failed.
9. 9. UV Sterilizers. 1 year for lamps, 5-7 years for ballasts, and 10-15 years for the sterilizer body. Once a UV sterilizer body fails, it is typically time to replace it. The UV light slowly degrades the plastic that makes up the sterilizer's body, and eventually, the body will become brittle and leak. When the body fails, it can cause a major leak. Because of this,, we recommend replacing any indoor UV sterilizers that are more than 10 years old.
10. 10. Automatic Top Off Units. Automatic top-off units can last many years if well-maintained. The most common item to fail is the pump. Pumps often last only 2-4 years in an auto-top-off system. This is because auto-top-off pumps often run dry. To make your unit last, fill the top-off container before the pump runs dry or replace the pump periodically.
11. 11. Media Reactors. Media reactors without pumps should last forever. The main component that wears out is the rubber gaskets. It is also common to break small parts by mistake.
12. 12. Dosing Pumps. 10 years with roller and tube replacements. Dosing pump motors last a very long time. However, the rollers and tubes in peristaltic pumps do wear out and will need to be replaced. Lubricating the tubes with silicone lubricant will help reduce wear.