Fluval Internal filters

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Fluval 2 Plus

I bought this on ebay from the UK and it cost about €30 delivered.
So thats about €20 cheaper than here.

The filter is compact and comes with all the advertised goodies including venturi effect nozzle and optional spray bar.
Nice.

The first thing you notice about these filters is the ease of set up.
The filter cartridge fits into place like a gun magazine with a satisfying click. Plug it in and then you'll not notice how quiet it is.
If the venturi is not on, theres a barely audible hum.
The key to this filter is regular cleaning.
I know folks round these parts say don't clean your filter medium too often, but if you keep anything remotely messy, or feed proper food like peas or cucumber occasionally, then clean the filter sponges at least monthly. Clogging results in severe non performance and water fouling when you do take it apart in the tank.
I clean mine out every 2 weeks, and be sure to take out a clean the impeller unit too, as it gunks up. My water is usually crystal clear and my fish have not died from any disease, more from my own ignorace.
Neons with Catfish my arse.

Cleaning is easy as you take off the entire filter enclosure leaving the impeller unit dangling in the tank. I have the same plastic sponge in it since it was set up, and change the fine filter pads completely every couple of months. (yes I bought a bag of these the size of a pillow off ebay for a tenner).

Fluval 4 Plus

This one cost me €40 deliveryed, again from the same guy on ebay.
€90 in my LFS. Thank you, come again.

Performance and maintenance is exactly as above, as the 4 is just a scaled up version of the 2.
I now have two of these 4's in my Rio 240, which is 1.5 times more filtration than I need. More is never worse eh?

I recommend these filters, but for gawds sake, unless you get a deal from your LFS, buy abroad.[/img]

Hi there,

I also have been using the Fluval 4 Plus (as well as an Eheim external filter) for my 240 litre tank. It's been working really really well, is so simple to connect and set up, and as stated above works silently. It's easy to remove and clean as well, so I was thrilled with it.

However...

In the last few weeks I noticed the flow in my tank had reduced considerably and after checking that the filter sponges weren't \"clogged up\" I noticed that there was a problem with the Impellor. Basically the impellor was no longer sitting on the magnet properly. The plastic pieces at the end of the Impellor seemed to have just worn away. So the impellor wasn't connecting properly with the metal rod connected to the motor.

Just wanted to check with you lot if it is possible to buy an impellor unit only for the 4 Plus instead of having to get a completely new filter? The problems are with the metal rod and how it connects with the plastic impellor via the magnetised rotor. I think this has happened because of my bad habit of leaving the motor running after I removed the sponge carriage for cleaning.... (Mea Culpa... )

If I can't get the Impellor seperately I will probably have to just get a new one and I wouldn't have a problem going back to the Fluval 3 Plus.

As stated above - I will be buying on eBay having checked the prices in some LFS here in Dublin over the weekend. €30 difference between some shops (excluding shipping to be fair!).

Cheers,

Rob

You can get teh impeller separately, see link below, but check shipping to Ireland. Not cheap though! £9.99 plus shipping.

www.fishandfins.co.uk/fluval-spare.htm

Thanks for the really fast responses to you both Daragh and Jill. Much appreciated!

I can get a brand new filter for €40 on ebay (less shipping) or buy the impellor for only €15 (less shipping). Seems very pricey alright, so will check with the local LFS in Dun Laoghaire tomorrow to see if they have it there. If not I'll buy online.

Thanks again for you help.

Rob

PS - Let this be a lesson to the rest of you. Turn off your filter when you are cleaning the sponges!!!

Sorry Rob

I was editing my post and pressed deleat instead

The offer is still there if you have no joy.

Hi Jill,

Thanks alot. Sorry, I've read a number of your posts but I didn't know you had an LFS of your own? Send me on a link or details and I'd be very happy to go with one of the members on here rather than someone else. For the sake of speed I'll check with the LFS tomorrow, but if you want to PM me I'll get back to you and sort out payment and shipping!

Thanks alot!

Rob

LOL Rob I don't have an LFS of my own mate. I just carry spare partsd that might come in handy. All my filters are flu vals so I have plenty of spares.

They are an excellent filter. But as Darragh said you have to clean the media as well as replacing the mechanical white pad.
I never had a problem cleaning the sponges in all my tanks
during each water change.

Hi Jill,

Sorry about the confusion regarding your \"LFS\"!!! You must be a fairly serious fishkeeper to keep all those spare parts. I'm a bare minimum man myself...

Anyway - just a quick question as you might be an authority on this. I noticed yesterday that the little metal rod that comes from the motor to the impellor actually had actually detached itself from the motor. So I think that this is broken completely? In which case buying a new impellor isn't going to work regardless...

Have any of you come across this before?

Thanks,

Rob

Chief Robert wrote:

Hi Jill,

Sorry about the confusion regarding your \"LFS\"!!! You must be a fairly serious fishkeeper to keep all those spare parts. I'm a bare minimum man myself...

Anyway - just a quick question as you might be an authority on this. I noticed yesterday that the little metal rod that comes from the motor to the impellor actually had actually detached itself from the motor. So I think that this is broken completely? In which case buying a new impellor isn't going to work regardless...

Have any of you come across this before?

Thanks,

Rob

Hi Rob

It's ok no worries

The spare parts are kept for the very reason your posting mate. My local LFS has to order the parts in for me so it is handy just to order a couple of bits at a time and keep them till I need them. Then I just replace what I have used.

Yes I have come across this before but with the plastic one that is on my 405. That could be replaced but the metal ones in the smaller fluvals can't be replaced because of the way they are housed at the motor end so I am afraid it's a compleate new filter unit mate.

Any more questions give me a shout.

Jill

Wow this thread took off while I wasn't looking!

To answer an earlier question I actually DO buy the spares from some LFS's, it works out about the same or not much more.
Shop around (by phone will do).
Also shop around on Ebay, and for gawds sake don't use ebay.ie, ever, ever.
It finds nothing that isn't listed for shipping to Ireland, which is about 1% of all goods available.
Use .co.uk or .com and you'll find the full range of stuff, including spares and I also buy my filter wool in bulk from a seller there.