The 3 that I returned were cracked in shipping. I ordered 2 and both came in cracked so I took them back to Petsmart and got credited and then ordered 2 more and one them came in broke as well.
Yeah, I also have several that have been in use for several years. Only one of them has quit. I believe it was caused by sand getting into the pump and trashing it beyond repair.
I don't see how anything could of gotten stuck in it. The tank has only been setup for a 3 days, no fish and the intake tube is about 8" from the bottom which is gravel.