Equipment Review and Discussion :: Fluval question

[chrisinva]

I am in the process of getting a bigger tank

Right now I have my (2) under 2" hatchlings in a 10 gallon tank..

I can afford a 30 gallon tank and was wondering about a Fluval canister filter

Is this overkill for such a "small" tank??

Which fluval would be good for this size tank?? (30 gallon)

[BullDog]

A canister would be perfect for a 30 gallon. I would go for either a Fluval 405, or similar (like a Rena XP3). With a canister this size, you won't need to upgrade the filter next time you upgrade the tank.

[Bascomb]

Chris-va -- Using a Fluval 405 on a 30 gallon would work great. The water exchange is great and it is very quiet. I also use a Marineland Magnum 350 on a 29 gallon. b.

[Chrisbarnett]

I would go with a Rena...

[Bascomb]

chis-va -- The brand canister you get is your decision. What you want to do is make sure the gph is up there. Make sure you have at least a 5 time turn over in an hour and you have a large biological surface in the unit. I like more that 5 times exchange but that is me. Good Luck b.

[chrisinva]

Are these crappy filters?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Whisper-Power-Filte ... 286.c0.m14

[Daniel3507]

for turtles a canister filter would be the best. they tend to keep the water alot cleaner than the hang on ones

[chrisinva]

What is the main differece between the Fluval 404 and the 405..?? They both seem pretty much the same in specs but the 405 is a lot more expensive...The 405's on ebay were almost as much as the FX5's

[BullDog]

The difference between the 404 and 405 is just age. The 405 is the new generation" of Fluvals.

From Hagen's website:

Question
What is the difference between the 404 and the 405?
Answer
There have been so many design changes to the 404 while it was on the market that it is difficult to compare the various models with the 05 series. For this reason, the differences mentioned are from the latest 04 series versus the new 05 models.

When comparing the 405 to the latest version of the 404, they are very similar.

Aquarium capacity, flow rate and filtration volume are all the same.

The 404 is gray and blue while the 405 is black and silver.

The brackets that are used to hold the hoses over the rim of the aquarium on the 405 are more user friendly. They do not have the rubber bands like on the 404.

The 405 also has a larger, clog-free intake strainer.

Hope that helps

[turtlecrazy]

I use a fluval 405 for a 55 gallon tank with two 4in RES. It works great for me. I would suggest not using rocks. I took mine out about a week ago and the filter seems to work much better.

[chrisinva]

Very very good info...Would a FX5 be way too large for my 30 gallon?

[BullDog]

I would guess it would be too large. I've hard of an FX5 in a 55 gal, but I don't think I've heard of one in a 30 gal. I think even if you pointed both nozzles to the wall, it'd create a pretty good swirl in a small 30 gal.

You can adjust the flow on the FX5 though, and Fluval claims it doesn't affect the motor. Perhaps someone else has some thoughts on this too.

[Daniel3507]

an FX5 would be too strong for a 30 gallon even if you point the outlets at the glass. i dont think you can adjust the flow of the FX5. there is no way to do it on mine unless you partially close the opening of the outlet. i would think that it would harm the motor though even if fluval says it wouldnt.

[chrisinva]

I am gonna just go with the Fluval 405

[chrisinva]

Is the price differece in the 404 and 405 worth it??

It's almost $75 to $100 difference