External Filters Users Reveiws

FishForums.net Pet of the Month
🐶 POTM Poll is Open! 🦎 Click here to Vote! 🐰
Filter: Fluval 304

Year of first use: 2003/4

Condition purchased in: New

Year use ended and reason/s: 2008, became noisy, aqua-stop broke, started leaking

Likes: Worked quite well for its duration, cheaper then competitors at the time

Dislikes: Priming rod broke after couple of months, flow of water reduced after a while, aquastop function tricky to use


Filter: Fluval 4 (old style)

Year of first use: 2003

Condition purchased in: Used

Year use ended and reason/s: In use/Backup

Likes: Quiet, efficient, quite powerful

Dislikes: Easily blocked, flow of water reduction, v.lil much space for media
 
hydor prime 10

have had this filter for a while and still works well. one problem i have recently encountered is the impeller get stuck in one position and stops turning! this is when i clean it out. i get it working again by shaking the filter or banging on the top, haha, primitive, but it seems to kick it back in again. after that it just runs as normal no real changes in flow intensitity untill it starts to get slowly built up with wastes. in general, a good filter, does what you want it to. priming a tiny bit tedious, but not really anything majorly annoying.
 
hydor prime 10

have had this filter for a while and still works well. one problem i have recently encountered is the impeller get stuck in one position and stops turning! this is when i clean it out. i get it working again by shaking the filter or banging on the top, haha, primitive, but it seems to kick it back in again. after that it just runs as normal no real changes in flow intensitity untill it starts to get slowly built up with wastes. in general, a good filter, does what you want it to. priming a tiny bit tedious, but not really anything majorly annoying.

Filter: Eheim classic 2215

Year of first use: 1998 i think maybe older.

Condition purchased in: New

Year ended and reasons: Still running its still quiet

Likes: simple, quiet, and reliable , long lasting.

Dislikes: seal ring, forgot it once opps.
 
Filter: Eheim Pro2 2026

Year of first use: 2008

Condition purchased in: 2nd'hand

Year use ended and reason/s: Still using

Likes: everything. very good value for money

Dislikes:Nothing
 
Filter: Marineland 350

Year of first use: 7/2008

Condition purchased in: used (one is circa 1988!)

Year use ended and reason/s: Still in use.

Likes: Simple design, self priming, easy to use, well established. Inexpensive and easy to find parts for. Capable of very fine filtration, and can hold a good bit of the media of your choice. good power as it is raising my water just over 6ft as well. Can only imagine a 3 ft rise would be even better. Many options available to customize for your use.

Dislikes: DO NOT BOTHER IF THEY DONT HAVE THE QUICK DISCONNECTS!! Almost launched through wall in frustration first few times cleaning. The quick releases changes that. Without them, almost impossible to open canister without spray bath.

Usage- Currently responsible for mechanical filtration in 77gal. Sump is responsible for primary bio. I am also using it to ease water changes, as I will just disconnect the return line and connect the quick release to a hose, and voila, powered water change. Next connect your return to the water hose and in goes your new water. Pretty much a "dry hands" water change!

Overall, I am pretty satisfied with this guy. I now have three of them, for a total of $80 USD, and look forward to continuing their use.

Oh yeah, another tip. Once the filter is running, it can take a few hours to get the air out. What I do it is undo two of the clips holding the top on and pull open just a bit. This allows the air to bleed out and and get the volume of the canister back up. Cuts the time required for the purge way down. I am thinking about installing a presta tire valve in one of the spare lids to see if it would allow even greater bleed capability without compromising safety/security of the lid.

5 Jan 2009... As another point in favor of the Magnum, it seems to be very friendly towards fry. I re-arrainged the way my sump is fed, and in the 3 months following, I have pulled 7 live platy fry out of the canister, swimming around quite healthy, and feeding off the gunk trapped in the foam.
 
Filter: Fluval 305

Year of first use: 2007 (exact date is 24.05.07)

Condition purchased in: New

Year use ended and reason/s: Still in use

Likes: I've found it very easy to maintain, all I have to do it replace filter wool in it when it gets clogged up, and give everything a quick check over. I'm using it on a heavily planted, heavily stocked Juwel Trigon 190L. It's silent to me, though I do run an air pump next to it. With the air pump off I hear only a faint healthy-sounding hum. Never found it hard to prime at all...

Dislikes: Not found anything yet, the corrugated hose can spit out dirt stuck in the grooves when restarting the filter...but you can just put a net in over the outflow and catch all the dirt. You could also change the hose for regular stuff very cheaply if you feel the disadvantages outweigh any advantages.

In-action shot:
P1030063.jpg


Filter: Fluval 105

Year of first use: 2008 (exact date is 09.10.08)

Condition purchased in: New

Year use ended and reason/s: Still in use

Likes: Provides a fairly strong current in my standard '20 gallon long' tank, more so than I expected. My hillstream loaches and filter shrimp love it. Seems even quieter than my 305.

Dislikes: None yet, I may change the hose to clear hose soon so it's less out-of-place when the tank is an open-top planted tank with luminaire, but first I'd have to get glass intakes/outflows otherwise it would defeat the purpose, and I can't afford that atm.

In-action shot:
P1030062.jpg
 
Filter: Eheim pro 2224

Year of first use: 2008

Condition purchased in: Secondhand

Year use ended and reason/s: Still in use

Likes:
Quality, no noise, really good media sections, flow rate and to be honest, its looks

Dislikes: Priming, an acquired art i am assured!


 
Filter: Fluval 105

Year of first use: 2006

Condition purchased in: New

Year use ended and reason/s: 2008. Switched to a 38 Gallon non-planted (old tank was a 20 Fully Planted)

Likes: Quiet. For being the smallest model it held a good amount of Foam Media and 3 baskets of "your choice" media. Easy priming...I'm surprised other Fluval owners had issues with their filters.

Dislikes: The hoses seem to trap "gunk" and when you turn the filter back on, all that "gunk" shoots into the aquarium.

Comments: I would recommend this filter for tanks 20 gallons and smaller.



Filter: Aquaclear 70 (HOB Filter)

Year of first use: 2008

Condition purchased in: New

Year use ended and reason/s: Still in use

Likes: It's Clear and so is its intake tube which is nice. Its outflow area sits under the water so there is no splashing like with a bio wheel filter. The flow control is pretty cool. The fact that you have options for what media goes in is very nice (custom configurations).

Dislikes: None so far.
 
Filter: Fluval 405.

Year of first use: 2008.

Condition purchased in: new.

Year use ended and reason/s: still using.

Likes: Media trays, Runs quiet, flow is great Priming was easy.

Dislikes: none yet.
 
Filter: Fluval FX5

Year of first use: cannot recall 'when they first came out'

Condition purchased in: new.

Year use ended and reason/s: still using.

Likes: Media trays, Runs quiet, flow is greater than any others, Priming was automatic, Purges air once every 24/hours, massive filter.

Dislikes: crinkly pipes 'no biggy'
 

Most reactions

trending

Members online

Back
Top