Habitat - Indoor :: Fluval 4+ Please HELP

[cindyinmd55]

I bought the Fluval 4+. This is in addtion to ZooMed 501 filter. The bracket doesnt stay attached to the back of the Fluval and the filter floats up to the top of the tank. We wrapped some material around the bracket and filter and attached the suction cups to the bottom of the tank. I am not happy with this set up. Also the water flow seems to strong even after turning down the flow setting. The water is wavy and I dont know how the turtle will like it and if he will use his rock with the wavy water. Can anyone help me?

[sonyj]

How big of a tank do you have and how much water is in it?

[cindyinmd55]

55 gal tank. 30 gal water

[steve]

I'm not familiar with the Fluval 4+, though there a few that use it here. Hopefully they can chime in.

Here is Hagan's help line if you need it:
Toll-Free Number 1-800-724-2436
Between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM Eastern Time.

[cindyinmd55]

HI Steve,
What type of filters do you suggest? I have the ZooMed 501 for up to 30 gal and the Fluval 4+ which is for 57 gallons. I have been watching the turtle and the tank and the filter does a great job. I am just not happy with how we had to attach it.

[Slats]

I just bought a Fluval 4plus as well and have the same problem! The filter always wants to float to the surface when I lay it down flat and if I stand it up, I need to put too much water in my 65 gallon tank. If anyone has a solution, I'd be happy to hear from you...

[cindyinmd55]

we velcroed the bracket to the pump and attached the pump/bracket to the aquarium floor with the suction cups on the bracket. I am calling the company tomorrow

[Jessica313]

i have a fluval 2x and i have the same problems....

this is what i did

instead of standing it up or putting it on the bottom like the instructions tell you to,
i put it sideways in the bottom back left corner of my tank...

this way the angle that its at its not going to slide off of the suction cups because they are against the wall.

do u get what i mean? it would be easier if i could draw you a picture lol let me know if this helps

[cindyinmd55]

understand thanks. the next time I take it out I will try that

[steve]

cindyinmd55, I was going to suggest a velcro strap as well. You could also try a plastic zip tie - I'm guessing that the filter gets attached to a bracket that has suction cups (sort of like a water heater). If anything, the bracket might need to be replaced and they should send you a new one. Good luck!

[Slats]

i have a fluval 2x and i have the same problems....

this is what i did

instead of standing it up or putting it on the bottom like the instructions tell you to,
i put it sideways in the bottom back left corner of my tank...

this way the angle that its at its not going to slide off of the suction cups because they are against the wall.

do u get what i mean? it would be easier if i could draw you a picture lol let me know if this helps

Thanks Jessica313! Putting it on its side against the wall is working perfectly. I am still thinking of standing it up soon as I want to fill my new 65 gallon tank up higher anyway to bring the basking area closer to the light. I think it is too far away (maybe 12 inches) and it is not nearly as hot as it was for them in the old 10 gallon tank when it was much closer. Also, I think I need a heater as the temp is hovering around 70 and I used to keep it up above 75 in the old small tank with just the light.

[marisa]

cindyinmd55, I have the 4+ and it's sitting in a box (I quickly moved on to another type of filter). And the bracket and how it holds the filter (or not) isn't good--I found the vibrations would make it slide off the bracket periodically (I had it suctioned to the bottom). Putting it on it's side on the bottom impedes one of the sides where the water enters the filter, so you're probably taking away some of it's efficiency/power if you're positioning it that way. If your turtles are small/hatchlings, you also should watch out for them getting wedged/trapped under/behind it.

I spoke to the Hagan people shortly after I installed it because it was floating like yours was. I was told that once the media gets saturated, it should stay down. It did eventually, but I actually weighed it down by tieing a very flat rock to the top of it, which worked for me.

I'd consider getting a filter that doesn't take up room in the tank, especially if the 501 takes up room in the tank as well. There are filters, such as the AquaClears, that would a better job of filtering for a 30-gallon tank.

[cindyinmd55]

Marisa, I am happy with the way the filter works. we are using a velcro strap around the filter and bracket. I am using 2 filters. My turtle is 5 inches and the 501 is only for 30 gallons. The 501 is on the outside of the tank. The intake hose doesnt take much room, the return is a bar above the water. the 2 filters together do a great job. I plan on calling the hagan people also. they were closed today. for the amount you pay for the filters, you would think they would design a better bracket set-up, example either the bracket snap onto the filter or 2 brackets one at the top another at the bottom. Thank you for your response.

[marisa]

I'm glad you like it, aside from the floating and bracket, I was pretty happy with it at first as well (I was going from no filter to the 4+ in this particular tank). Perhaps the two filters will do the trick in a smaller tank. But I did find cleaning the 4+ to be a chore compared to the Aquaclear, and with its having no room for biomedia and only those pads, it had to be cleaned rather frequently, at least for me.

[gammeragirl]

I have a Fluval 3, and the suction cups it came with is junk. It stays on the bottom after I make sure it is completely filled with water. Sheba moves it around a little bit, and flutters her paws at it. I have a 55 gal. tank and use it in conjunction with a double power filter, good for 40 - 60 gal. tank. One is at one end, the other is on the bottom at the other end. It works pretty good, I have to say.