Please for the sake of your hard earned money... NEVER BUY A FLUVAL MINI!!!
Some reasons:
1. The impeller motor clogs up easily, scrapes against the sides and is a horrible design to try and remove
2. the media bay is so stupidly designed that any other type of filter media apart from theirs will not work effectively and even theirs doesnt work that well - it clogs at the top and leaves the bottom untouched.
3. The impeller magnet and rotor are not joined
4. The flow rate isn't adjustable and is appaling anyway (despite the fact that the box says it is Fully adjustable)
5. The nozzle is fixed in one place - making having twin filters awkward if both filter nozzles cannot be moved
6. it does not ripple the surface at all
7. It is a perfect playground for breeding snails
8. The impeller itself is tiny and the ducting leaks
9. There is no removable impeller duct
10. It is inefficient - 4 or so watts (none less mind you) for a measly 200l/h whereas my Tetra IN300 does 4.8 watts and 300l/h
So basically don't buy it... An excellent alternative is the TETRA IN300 filter
Some reasons:
1. Good effiency - 300l/h at 4.8 watts
2. No hidey holes for snails to breed in
3. Impeller is large and there is no leakage from the ducting
4. Good flow contol rates - 300 (full) to 150 (closed)
5. You can fit more than just the original media in there
6. It ripples the surface of the water like there is no tommorow
7. It has a built in aerator
8. The nozzle twists
9. The Impeller magnet and rotor are joined
10. Good cooling system on it
11. horizontally mounted motor - less depth taken up by pump unit
12. high pump pressure
13. water drawn in through vents at back - through media - up through 2 tubes into a tube on the outside of the filter - goes through the flow control valve - into impeller and then blasted into nozzle.
Just one thing I reserve about it though
It has a relatively small media space - but you can fit a fair amount in there before the flow rate drops too much though
even so - it is a better filter than the FLUVAL MINI by far and away.
Some reasons:
1. The impeller motor clogs up easily, scrapes against the sides and is a horrible design to try and remove
2. the media bay is so stupidly designed that any other type of filter media apart from theirs will not work effectively and even theirs doesnt work that well - it clogs at the top and leaves the bottom untouched.
3. The impeller magnet and rotor are not joined
4. The flow rate isn't adjustable and is appaling anyway (despite the fact that the box says it is Fully adjustable)
5. The nozzle is fixed in one place - making having twin filters awkward if both filter nozzles cannot be moved
6. it does not ripple the surface at all
7. It is a perfect playground for breeding snails
8. The impeller itself is tiny and the ducting leaks
9. There is no removable impeller duct
10. It is inefficient - 4 or so watts (none less mind you) for a measly 200l/h whereas my Tetra IN300 does 4.8 watts and 300l/h
So basically don't buy it... An excellent alternative is the TETRA IN300 filter
Some reasons:
1. Good effiency - 300l/h at 4.8 watts
2. No hidey holes for snails to breed in
3. Impeller is large and there is no leakage from the ducting
4. Good flow contol rates - 300 (full) to 150 (closed)
5. You can fit more than just the original media in there
6. It ripples the surface of the water like there is no tommorow
7. It has a built in aerator
8. The nozzle twists
9. The Impeller magnet and rotor are joined
10. Good cooling system on it
11. horizontally mounted motor - less depth taken up by pump unit
12. high pump pressure
13. water drawn in through vents at back - through media - up through 2 tubes into a tube on the outside of the filter - goes through the flow control valve - into impeller and then blasted into nozzle.
Just one thing I reserve about it though
It has a relatively small media space - but you can fit a fair amount in there before the flow rate drops too much though
even so - it is a better filter than the FLUVAL MINI by far and away.
