# Reviews on fluval g3/g6?



## !shadow!

Everytime l look at them at the store it just makes me wanna dish out the money


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## HEINEKEN357

I know Prototyp3 has the G6 check out his post I know he talks about it in there  46bowfront


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## !shadow!

l did that's the only source i've gotten i'm just trying to get more than 1. lf it's not that "great" then i guess imma have to stick with a good eheim. l'm just really excited over getting me a g3 since it's all high tech and more convenient. i'm setting up a 48g rimless and i'd appreciate any other suggestions in case l don't end up getting me a g3. thanks guys


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## HEINEKEN357

Yup tech wise its sweet I would like some comparisons vs Rena, Eheim, Sun so on and so on hehe. Good luck on the search I tryed all the sites I know nothing about it :/.


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## !shadow!

lt would be awesome it they compared it to eheim. That'd be really interesting such as water quality, flow, and so on.


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## crossbow

Well one thing I'd suggest right off the bat, is to avoid the G3. The G6 is only 50 dollars more. If you're already spending 400 dollars, an extra 50 for a significantly larger filter is a no brainer!


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## !shadow!

l gotta agree with you on that, there is only one problem. From what i've heard you can't proggram the flow so a g6 would be insane inside a 48g don't ya think?


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## HEINEKEN357

Why can't you install a ball valve to lower flow? Also I had a xp3 on a 24gal tank for a few weeks flow wasn't to powerful with some diy lily pipes. But If I was you I would go for the G6 send the extra cash its always better to have more flow.


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## !shadow!

l've always used a hang on the back canister filter for my larger tanks such as a magnum HOT 350. l'm just less experienced in dealing with hoses and how to regulate them. i'll have to check that out heineken. l appreciate the info and if i ever decide to get a larger tank, well my g6 would be perfect than my limiting g3.


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## crossbow

If the G6 also comes with a spraybar, you could increase the size of the holes with a drill. Lots of ways to control flow. I just think the G6 is a better buy, even if you don't need that flow. The larger cartridges will increase the time prior to needing to be serviced. as well as maximizing replacement costs.

I'd consider the G3 a viable option if it was a few hundred dollars less...but it's only about 10% cheaper then the G6. The pricing scale of those things is so messed up right now. I don't really see the point of the G3 currently.


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## prototyp3

!shadow! said:


> l gotta agree with you on that, there is only one problem. From what i've heard you can't proggram the flow so a g6 would be insane inside a 48g don't ya think?


It's not insane in my 46g. I would highly recommend the G6 over the G3, More flow, more media room, for maybe $50 more. It's almost a no brainer. Remember that as the plants grow in they're going to block and slow a lot of the flow anyways. 

Also, the outflow is split into two nozzles. That already cuts down on any blow-the-plants-over jet stream factor.


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## !shadow!

Damn well now l feel kinda retarded..... the only reason l didn't get a g6 is if i install a ball valve it would restrict it in a way and since everything is all computerized controlled it would probably tell the filter that it's clogged up or something and bring out some alarm about some restriction thinking it's the cartridges. And about drilling the spraybars, wouldn't that void my warranty if something were to happen and i'd have to return everything back? Also l'm putting ada nile sand and didn't want there to be too much agitation and stir it up. l still haven't used the filter or anything tho... l wonder if i can exchange it for a g6....


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## Craigthor

You can send me the G6 and go buy yourself a G3.  I'll atleast cover the shipping, consider it a RAOK.


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## !shadow!

deal! just throw that 150g riparium


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## crossbow

Spraybar is a piece of plastic. You can make your own, or purchase various kits online to replace or change the way your system deals with flow. You need only match up the hose diameters. Tons of choices and options.

Water movement and flow control are one thing that is not dependent on manufacturer. It's only dependent on your DIY skills, or how much money you're willing to spend to get the result you want.

This page shows you just a few quick examples.
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/fish-supplies/aqquarium-plumbing-supplies/ps/c/3578/10090


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## FSM

!shadow! said:


> l gotta agree with you on that, there is only one problem. From what i've heard you can't proggram the flow so a g6 would be insane inside a 48g don't ya think?


rated flow rate is 265 GPH, definitely not excessive for a tank that size.


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## !shadow!

crossbow said:


> Spraybar is a piece of plastic. You can make your own, or purchase various kits online to replace or change the way your system deals with flow. You need only match up the hose diameters. Tons of choices and options.
> 
> Water movement and flow control are one thing that is not dependent on manufacturer. It's only dependent on your DIY skills, or how much money you're willing to spend to get the result you want.
> 
> 
> This page shows you just a few quick examples.
> http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/fish-supplies/aqquarium-plumbing-supplies/ps/c/3578/10090


wow nice. l never bothered looking into that section of dr foster and smith. i'll have to check it out for my next upcoming projects.



FSM said:


> rated flow rate is 265 GPH, definitely not excessive for a tank that size.


l'm just so used to going by the numbers and well since i'm not a tester at the companies for the rated water flow, l don't have an idea of what's too little or too much for a tank my size. i've read a couple articles about how much turnover you should have and such. Anyways thanks you guys for the advice.


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## markw78

The G3 is $439 and the G6 is what $479 or something? Basically when at that price... it seemed silly to get the G3.

The G6 has a lever on top for shutting off flow. It can be used to reduce flow on the unit as well, I run mine at about 80%. It is also how you shut off flow for maintenance.

Did the first maintenance on it tonight... wow, I want one on every tank, holy crap that was easy.

The pleated filter is a pain to clean because its kind of small. I wish it had a power switch, with all its fancy crap, and no power button...

Its awesome being able to just pop out the cartridges thought, I wish my magnum was that easy to clean. 

Lastly, the filter holds a pretty obscene amount of biological "nodes" as they call them. I was adding them to the filter thinking to myself, this could replace a freaking wet/dry on a fish only saltwater tank...


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## !shadow!

lol yea l could of gotten the g6 maybe it was a stupid decision getting a g3 but hey i'm not too down, i mean it's better than getting a power filter(l have nothing against power filters). How big is your tank by the way? actually i got my g3 for 399 and the g6 is currently 450.


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## Pet_guy

Well I would say this. It kinda like buying a new car model the first year. It's always better to wait for the second year model so they can iron out the bugs. Just a thought. New technology needs to be put to the test first before it is good. As for finding reviews, why don't you type in fluval g3, g6 reviews in a search engine and see what comes up. I'm sure that somebody has put out a review someplace.


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## NJAquaBarren

PFK did a review a coule of issues back. Was mostly positive. Few negatives other than price.


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## ldk59

Just checked out the G6 at my (not so) LFS... looks like a good filter for the $400 asking price.

Really like the idea of the expansion port.. going to be a no-brainer for Fluval to do a heater module in the future.

BTW, for those wondering, the flow can be reduced quite substantially before triggering
the "low flow" alarm.


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## !shadow!

cool now that l did not know. l'm kinda kicking myself for buying the g3 but l don't plan on having any tanks larger than what the g3 can't handle for a while so i'm not that upset. but thanks to all who replied so far.


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## crossbow

I think the G3/G6 got a nice boost once everyone figured out you can ditch the mechanical cartridge innards, and put whatever you want in there. Filter floss + purigen ftw!


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## Craigthor

ldk59 said:


> Just checked out the G6 at my (not so) LFS... looks like a good filter for the $400 asking price.
> 
> Really like the idea of the expansion port.. going to be a no-brainer for Fluval to do a heater module in the future.
> 
> BTW, for those wondering, the flow can be reduced quite substantially before triggering
> the "low flow" alarm.


I just wish it had the stream and flow options of the Eheim Pro 3E series and it would have been perfect!  May end up with a couple of Pro 3E's in the next 6 months though.

Criag


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## !shadow!

ldk59 said:


> Just checked out the G6 at my (not so) LFS... looks like a good filter for the $400 asking price.
> 
> Really like the idea of the expansion port.. going to be a no-brainer for Fluval to do a heater module in the future.
> 
> BTW, for those wondering, the flow can be reduced quite substantially before triggering
> the "low flow" alarm.


yea l heard of the expansion port as well for the heater. l can't wait!



crossbow said:


> I think the G3/G6 got a nice boost once everyone figured out you can ditch the mechanical cartridge innards, and put whatever you want in there. Filter floss + purigen ftw!


+1 that's what l'm using at the moment


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## Landau

Can anyone tell me more about the expansion port? It isn't mentioned on their website or manual? 

Adding a heater would make me much more interested in these filters. A UV module too would seal the deal.


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## !shadow!

oh a uv would just be asking too much  but l would be very happy. l'm read they're doing a expansion port but lost the link. google might be able to help you more than what l could. l'm prob just gonna buy the uv seperated.


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## FSM

Craigthor said:


> I just wish it had the stream and flow options of the Eheim Pro 3E series and it would have been perfect!  May end up with a couple of Pro 3E's in the next 6 months though.
> 
> Criag


What do those do?


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## Craigthor

FSM said:


> What do those do?


http://www.youtube.com/v/ye-ETO5m5NA

Craig


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## Landau

*Ok I found the expansion port quote*

From Practical Fishkeeping interviewing Hagen's category manager Robert Reid.

"Nevertheless, we have already installed a connection point that will enable us to add an external G heater and it is already integrated to the HydroTech software. This will be the next step in the Fluval G Evolution and be one of the first add-ons."

So it sounds like the G's thermometer will control the heater. Hopefully he means external to the tank, not inside the tank but external to the filter with a wire going to the filter.

I like the "one of the first add-ons" bit - more coming.


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## !shadow!

sweet l appreciate the enlightment  can't wait for more gadgets :bounce:


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## Lance Uppercut

Got my G3 about 3 weeks ago and it is sweet. Changing/cleaning filter media has never been easier. I know alot of people seem to be down on the G3 because it costs almost as much as the G6, but I'm glad I went with the G3. I have a 45g cube (24x24x18) and I also have a Fluval U2 running as a backup, and even with the spraybars attached I had to run the G3 at about 70%. 
This past weekend I was playing around with the fittings it came with (modular loc-line style fittings are awesome!) and I ended up popping the solid ends off the spraybars and snapping on the stock return jets to the ends. This allowed me to run the filter at 100% strength and now I have the spraybars in the back corner at a 90 degree angle aimed slightly upwards creating a nice "mini-vortex" to eliminate surface scum, while the ends of the spraybars emit a gentle downward flow throughout the rest of the tank. I'm seriously considering removing the U2, but it's always nice to have a backup just in case. 
The chemical media container on the G3 is just the right size for my system, I have it filled with Fluval peat granules (My previous filter was an AC70 HOB and the peat I had in that filled the G3 media container perfectly). I also just picked up the fine prefilter cartridge last week because I was doing a major "trim/rescape session" and ran it for the next day afterwords and it made the tank super clear. It does clog up quicker obviously, so I'm only gonna use it when I need to and run the stock prefilter the majority of the time.
I might post a pic or two some day if I'm motivated.


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## Lance Uppercut

...another thing I think alot of people don't understand is the flow ratings for the G-series filters are true ratings. For example, the G6 I think is rated at 265gph. This rating is for the filter FULL of media @ 4ft head. Most other canisters' (eheim, marineland, other generation fluvals) flow rates you see on the box are rated empty, and in most instances at much lower head height than most people would use them at. I believe the G6's rating empty @ 1ft is something like 665gph. Pretty big difference, eh?


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## !shadow!

cool thanks for the heads up, i'm still deciding if l should use spraybar or jet ends. l'm going to run mines for the first time tommorow hopefully


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## !shadow!

well so far the filter is running smoothly, l do get the "conductivity is out of range" message a lot which i'm still trying to figure out besides reading the manual.


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## lasutaku

I was interested in getting one of these for a 60P. Is it a little over kill for such a small tank?


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## !shadow!

l think so, don't get me wrong i'd love to put a g3 n a 18g but the jets in my tank are just perfect and gives it the current l want for my fish and it's a 48g can't imagine how much it would do in a 60p unless you were doing salt water . If you don't care then go for it! you can always put the spray bars to lower the flow a bit but even then you got a limited space and you wouldn't want the flow just tossing your fish around especially at night when their asleep and getting their rest


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## Rudy

Landau said:


> From Practical Fishkeeping interviewing Hagen's category manager Robert Reid.
> 
> "Nevertheless, we have already installed a connection point that will enable us to add an external G heater and it is already integrated to the HydroTech software. This will be the next step in the Fluval G Evolution and be one of the first add-ons."
> 
> So it sounds like the G's thermometer will control the heater. Hopefully he means external to the tank, not inside the tank but external to the filter with a wire going to the filter.
> 
> I like the "one of the first add-ons" bit - more coming.


A couple of weeks ago I spoke to Hagen Tech Manger and I asked him about the G6 and Heater add on .... and he told me that there is nothing coming out (add ons for G6) any time soon. So maybe we see something in a couple of years


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## Lance Uppercut

Rudy said:


> A couple of weeks ago I spoke to Hagen Tech Manger and I asked him about the G6 and Heater add on .... and he told me that there is nothing coming out (add ons for G6) any time soon. So maybe we see something in a couple of years


 Not True. 
Coming out this fall @ Backer Show


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## Rudy

Lance Uppercut said:


> Not True.
> Coming out this fall @ Backer Show


How sure are you of this? (I hope you right )


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## Lance Uppercut

Rudy said:


> How sure are you of this? (I hope you right )


 Hagen rep told me. However, I see you are in Canada, so maybe U.S. release before Canada? (That would be kind of silly tho)


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## Rudy

Lance Uppercut said:


> Hagen rep told me. However, I see you are in Canada, so maybe U.S. release before Canada? (That would be kind of silly tho)


I just called Hagen (HQ) (5min ago). Costumer serviced transfered me to the head of Fluval technical design. And again I was told there is nothing coming out any time soon, especially not for the up coming Backer Show. Don't get me wrong I'm not arguing with you as a matter of fact I hope they are lying to me. 

Hagen (HQ) # 1(800) 554-2436


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## !shadow!

keep your fingers crossed


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## Rudy

Backer show = nothing


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## !shadow!

yea l thought so too, i've been expecting a heater all year and nothing so l ran out of patience and got a external hydor heater for my g3 and it's very accurate and reliable the only thing l suggest about the heaters is that it' very easy to dial up or down the temp so you gotta secure it somewhere where nobody will accidentally touch it or have a chance to fall and move the temp dial.


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## Rudy

I did the same thing. I have 2 Hydor 300W in lines. One on my G6 (left side of 130 gal ) and 1 on the right side hocked up to my Eheim Pro II. I have been using hydor Eth heaters for years. They are the most accurate heaters on the market.


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## mostman

Rudy said:


> I did the same thing. I have 2 Hydor 300W in lines. One on my G6 (left side of 130 gal ) and 1 on the right side hocked up to my Eheim Pro II. I have been using hydor Eth heaters for years. They are the most accurate heaters on the market.


Rudy - I have a new G6 on the way and was just about to order an Eth. Problem is - I didn't know the hose diameter. I can't find the specs anywhere. Were you able to use the 5/8 Eth 300W without any special fittings?


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## !shadow!

The hose on my g3 is 5/8ths and lt fits perfectly with no fittings on my hydor eth-300w.


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## mostman

!shadow! said:


> The hose on my g3 is 5/8ths and lt fits perfectly with no fittings on my hydor eth-300w.


Awesome - thanks a bunch.


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## !shadow!

no prob glad l could help


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## mostman

Anyone having issues with microbubbles on their G series filters?

Filter has been up and running on a tank (still cycling) for a couple weeks and it's still burping microbubbles every few seconds. I'm hoping it's a flow rate issue or perhaps just the tank settling in. I checked every connection - the thing is absolutely air tight. The only place I could be leaking air is the filter iself. Which would suck.


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## !shadow!

weird l never got that... did you press the button a couple of times to make sure the air inside filter was completely out?


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## mostman

Yes. And even if I hadn't primed it enough - you would think that eventually the air would work itself out. I'm stumped. It's like every ten seconds or so I get a few hundred microbubbles blown out of the outflow. Really small ones - they almost look like debris.

I did what Lance did upthread removing the ends of the rainbars. I'll let the tank finish it's cycle and see if it works itself out. Not looking forward to a potential RMA on this.


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## !shadow!

weird... did you hook up the hoses right? l know it's a dumb question but l happened to do this because it doesn't really show you on the filter only manual and even then l couldn't find it unless you pay close attention to the diagram or you hook it up and then see if it's actually running fine if not then you know you got them reversed. Other than that l don't know what to tell you besides talking to the dealer who sold you it and if you still have the warranty for it then they should be able to take care of it.


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## NJAquaBarren

No problem with bubbles here. However, I did have some burbling once when the mechanical filter was really dirty and flow had dropped significantly. Cleaned it and all was well.

Regarding a heater. I don't think there will be an internal heater of any kind. There appears to be a port on the back of the unit for connecting an accessory. My guess, and it's just a guess, is that is a port that will provide electronic control of external accessories. So if a heater comes I expect it will be inline, or in tank, connected to the ilter's CPU. Not sure what that would really get us, but I don't see a place to add internal heat, or a way to connect it from inside the canister. Obviously, I could be ver wrong.

Nice would be to see external probes that could monitor additional water parameters and track them within the filter software and view and alert on the display.

Honestly though if I was fluval, I'd be developing a non-electronic version of this filter. The design of the filter, with easy access to mechanical and chemical filter cartridges, is a real step forward. It should be exploited for broad line offerings. The design will surely be cloned by others and possibly "eheim-ized" by EHeim. So I would be spending my capital developing a less expensive version, without the bells and whistles. That filter would I'm sure start taking market share immediately. Then I would use capital form that success to develop more high end products to retain the lead on this innovation.

Maybe there will be a new "F3 and F6" coming out soon and that will drive the next line of advances for the Gs and next-gens. My expectation is no accessories coming for the Gs until a new broad line version comes to market first.

Great, great filters though. I'm very happy with mine. Maybe it's time for a G owner's pimp club


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## !shadow!

"Great, great filters though. I'm very happy with mine. Maybe it's time for a G owner's pimp club"

^^lol, and to comment about the heater, l personally got tired of waiting for it to come out which l doubt it ever will so l just stuck with a reliable hydor and it's honestly the best heater i've ever had. It won't drop more than 1 degree of the temperature it's set to. The only thing l would recommend is that the knob for turning/adjusting the temperature be not so easy to move maybe like a click lock perhaps? Just another safety issue so that way you don't freeze/fry your fish.


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## mostman

!shadow! said:


> weird... did you hook up the hoses right? l know it's a dumb question but l happened to do this


You mean which side the inflow/outflow hoses are on? I have the inflow on the left and the outflow on the right - that's correct - right?

I'm about to add one of those new GLA inline non-glass CO2 diffusers to the outflow anyway. So I should just get used to the bubbles now


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## !shadow!

yes that's correct. let me know how those diffusers turn out i'm thinking of getting one myself.


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## NJAquaBarren

I'd try try to I'd and correct your issue first. Recheck every seal, every joint, clean the impeller and check that it's seated properly, intake is clear, mech and Chem cartridges clean and obstructed.


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## mostman

NJAquaBarren said:


> I'd try try to I'd and correct your issue first. Recheck every seal, every joint, clean the impeller and check that it's seated properly, intake is clear, mech and Chem cartridges clean and obstructed.


Filter is brand new - so it should be clean and unobstructed. All hoses are absolutely air tight. It could be the impeller. My G6 came with an extra washer for the impeller with a piece of paper that said "important" or something. I figured they wanted me to put the washer on. When I took the impeller out - it already had the piece. So maybe I did something to it in the process. Did you guys get that piece of paper with yours?


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## NJAquaBarren

Yes i did. Looked like a spare, So I just ensured it was in the correct position


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## dan woods

mostman said:


> Anyone having issues with microbubbles on their G series filters?
> 
> Filter has been up and running on a tank (still cycling) for a couple weeks and it's still burping microbubbles every few seconds. I'm hoping it's a flow rate issue or perhaps just the tank settling in. I checked every connection - the thing is absolutely air tight. The only place I could be leaking air is the filter iself. Which would suck.


I have purchased 4 G6 filters in the past 2 months and I too have one tank with the micro-bubble issues. The other 3 are fine... It is very annoying, after a few weeks it gets better but each time I clean the mechanical filter, a few weeks of annoying micro-bubbles again. Not sure what to do...


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## Lance Uppercut

NJAquaBarren said:


> Honestly though if I was fluval, I'd be developing a non-electronic version of this filter. The design of the filter, with easy access to mechanical and chemical filter cartridges, is a real step forward. It should be exploited for broad line offerings.


This. When this filter first came out I was thinking they needed a Fluval G "Lite".


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## Rudy

Micro bubbles. (from my experience)

-I only get micro bubbles when I remove the mechanical or chemical media cartridges for cleaning. 
-I "always" get micro bubbles after removing media. 
-I found that when you put a little pressure on the media cartridge when your twisting it into place, it gives it a better seal. And therefore micro bubbles eventually go away.
-I never not had micro bubbles after maintenance.
-Longest micro bubble duration was 10h. Shortest was 5min
- be patient they go away :icon_smil


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## Rudy

!shadow! said:


> The hose on my g3 is 5/8ths and lt fits perfectly with no fittings on my hydor eth-300w.


1+

G6 and G3 have the same hose. The fit is perfect.


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## mostman

Thanks Rudy. 

I'm going to give it a couple weeks to see if eventually stops. I'm also adding Seachem Stability to this tank right now - and that stuff seems to increase the bubbles (interestingly, it also seems to increase the conductivity a LOT according to the filter....). 

So I'll wait until all that is done - then check the impeller one last time - then call for an RMA as the last resort.


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## Darkangelo

How? I know you can fill chemical cart with whatever you want but you acnnot use two chemical carts and mecanical prefilter opens?


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## Darkangelo

Could you have air pockets in your biomedia trays?


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## Darkangelo

Is that all you would need for CO2 for planted ?


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## mostman

I probably confused you by mentioning that I was adding Stability while also discussing my filter problems. I'm just adding the Stability directly to the tank - I don't have it inside the filter. That would be some trick 

My point was that, that stuff (which is used to accelerate a new tank cycle and avoid toxic spikes) seems to be "gassy". Right when you add it to the tank - it creates a ton of micro bubbles. My theory was that it was the source of the issue. The tank is cycled now and I've stopped using it - so I should know soon.

I did shake out my trays thinking I had some trapped air. No difference. This too, however, you would expect to work itself out eventually.


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## dan woods

Just wanted to update on the micro bubbles, I had the filter un-level under the tank. As soon as I leveled the filter the bubbles went away within an hour or so, must have been catching and holding an air pocket some how... I had the back of the filter pushed past the end of the stand and the back feet were lower as a result. Better now...


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## NJAquaBarren

Great Dan. Enjoy.


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## mostman

I too seem to have solved my problem with air bubbles. In my case, I just had to wait it out. I'm pretty sure it was related to me adding the Stability into the tank. So, yeah. Here she is - sans bubbles.


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## mott

Nice! can't even see the pipes...


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## mostman

mott said:


> Nice! can't even see the pipes...


Yeah - they are jet black. Another really cool thing about this filter - the inflow and outflow tubes are black and the pipes are grey. If you have a black backdrop - they really hide well.


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## Rudy

Beautiful set up. Glad you solved the air bubble problem.


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## zenche

G6 - Complete Preparation and Setup.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtIAJRNBW0Q


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## !shadow!

fly like a g6


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## zenche

^^ will when i get mine


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## zenche

hey shadow, how's that hydor keeping up for you? do you have the eth 200 or 300?


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## !shadow!

l have the 300(200 for my 30-c) version and it's perfect, you're gonna be happy with the inline version for sure! Very reliable just keep a tab on the dialing wheel it is very sensitive and can dial up and down the tank.


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## zenche

sweet. yea, prolly picking up the 300 then


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## zenche

ugh. got my "brand new" g6 today. seller was full of [censored][censored][censored][censored]. clearly used. missing important parts like the intake, and the hosing (he put in other hosing, which didn't fit any of the valve heads), etc. so freaking pissed an annoyed. going to have to resolve this ebay and lose precious time...


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## !shadow!

oh wow... that's one of the reasons l don't do ebay for certain things


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## zenche

got a $200 refund to buy the missing components...hopefully this all works out. fingers crossed...put the order in at theaquaticdepot.com - hope it gets here by next wednesday when my seiryu stones are supposed to arrive.


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## mostman

Anyone remove their chemical cartridge and try filling up the container with biological filtration instead? I did this - it didn't seem to reduce flow (according to the filter) - but I'm still wondering. 

Also - I picked up an extra mechanical cartridge about two months ago. What I do is swap them in and out every couple weeks and bleach the removed one for 48 hours. This has allowed me to keep the flow at 100 percent basically non stop. I just do a simple scrub of the one in there on the weeks between the swap outs. If you can afford to pick up another one - do it.


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## !shadow!

l have 2 extra mechanical cartridges,1 fine micron cartridge, and 2 chemical for ease of swapping out. in chemical l use purigen with seachems nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia remover. So far no complaints and does the job.


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## zenche

intake component came in, and i just had to set everything up...tax filing can wait 

thus far, seems like everything is running swell. 

how does the chemical cartridge work exactly? curious.

i'll probably get a 2nd mechanical to do what mostman is suggesting. wanna sell one of your shadow?


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## !shadow!

In my chemical l use a entire bag of purigen(yes l have to stuff it in completely in half of the dividers and then use seachems de-nitrate which also removes ammonia and nitrites. Pretty handy if you keep sensitive shrimp or are going to. l have 2 of everything except mechanical those l have 3 because l change mines every week to prevent build up of junk and to keep the flow steady(another useful thing the g3 tells you). l've noticed a lot of junk coming out of the output when priming the start button a couple of times i'm guessing cause of the build up of junk over time, just my 2 cents tho. Also my cartridges wouldn't work due to size, you have a g6 I got a g3. G6 is much taller. google is your best friend when it comes to shopping.


----------



## zenche

ah, righto re:g3/g6. thanks for the input. your experience is so valuable 

i want shrimp in my tank...so i'll probably do what you do with the chemical too.


----------



## mostman

zenche said:


> how does the chemical cartridge work exactly? curious.


How did we adjust it you mean - or how does it actually do its job? If you are asking the former - I took the carbon filter right out of the canister and instead filled it up with some extra bio ceramics I had kicking around. I poured them right in there. I'm not a fan of carbon filtration myself - I usually stop using it right after the new tank cycle finishes. 

I actually did a test shortly after I made my prior post. What I did was remove the ceramics from the chemical canister and then ran the filter for about a minute - holding a 5 gallon bucket under the outflow. Then I put the ceramics back - and did the same thing. Verdict? No difference in flow. So I'm confident that what I am doing is not impacting flow. And yes, I'm nuts. If I hadn't done this test - I wouldn't have been able to sleep


----------



## zenche

i meant the former - i didn't mess around with the cartridges at all...so i guess they open up pretty easily then 

looks like there are lots of options...i'll prolly skip the carbon too once i'm done cycling. 

what conductivity do you guys have?

i'm around 180ish....i thought it'd go higher to be honest.


----------



## mostman

When I say canisters - I mean the red pieces. So I took the black carbon filter out and filled the then empty red canister with ceramics. 

I'm not sure what to make of the conductivity. Mine was about 150 for the first couple days the filter was running (on a brand new setup). Then it shot up to 750 and stayed there ever since. On this tank I change about 50 percent of the water a week and it only ever goes down to 650. According to the instructions - these numbers are WAY high. My water chemistry is pretty good - and my hardness levels (which I figure impact it the most) - are quite average. So who knows.


----------



## !shadow!

Mines is about 500-600 average when l do water change they drop to maybe 400ish. l do 1/3rd water changes with r/o. l think the highest i've gotten was like 900ish when l was curious to see my 40g breeder plant keeping tank stats. l don't do that many water changes since l house no fish I probably should tho.


----------



## zenche

okay guys, i need more help. my unit is constantly running into "low flow" whenever i do water changes (ie, when i turn off and then turn back on). i've got a brand new canister in there so i know that's not causing the flow issues....i've been priming the unit to no avail....any ideas?


----------



## !shadow!

weird.. is there any junk inside hoses? are all the locking bars placed down instead of raised? No offense but are all the hoses hooked up the right way? Fluval made it kinds of hard to tell where you put em on this canister unless you look at the black piece where the hoses hook up to the canister and has tiny little arrows showing how it goes. What does the manual say about this problem if it even has one?


----------



## zenche

hrm, haven't checked the hoses...but i guess that's a possibility. will try that tomorrow i guess. the hoses are aligned with the arrows and the black piece is securely down, etc.

manual just says to change the cartridges really ><

i do wonder if it's the hoses though...like if my non-fluval home depot hoses are too tight or something.


----------



## zenche

well, took the whole thing apart, re-assembled. same problem, but i just kept up pumping the primer, eventually it got through and it's back up and running like normal again....thumbs are red now though


----------



## Rudy

Priming is kind of a pain ( red thumbs LOL) Here is what I do
1) disconnect the hoses from the unit by pulling the little black switch
2) once the two hoses are out there are two visible holes in the canister. 
3) fill those with water until full. You should see water in holes when fill.
4) plug the hoses back in 
5) turn unit on and wait a little


----------



## zenche

ah, good idea. i'll try that next time. thanks!


----------



## zenche

do any of you keep shrimp in your tank with the G3/G6? how do you cover the intake when your shrimps are berried?


----------



## !shadow!

I don't keep shrimp but will down the road. You could probably use pantyhose.


----------



## g33tar

!shadow! said:


> fly like a g6


Someone had to say it.  Someone needs to upload a video of the filter with that song playing in the background.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvgJEznqtms


----------



## !shadow!

Hmm you gave me a good idea  except mines a g3 : /


----------



## g33tar

Well, the g3 is like a g6, isnt it?


----------



## !shadow!

yes but i'd be false advertising with the song :icon_cool


----------



## zenche

ah! good thinking shadow. I'll have to try that.


----------



## !shadow!

One more thing zenche, about the pantyhose, I haven't really done it so I won't know for sure but it might affect the flow of the g filter and might bring up a alert warning about the decrease in flow since the pantyhose cover is so fine and traps pretty much anything that comes it's way. Just want to look out for that and clean it regularly. Since you're going to probably do that you might want to make it easier for yourself to take it off and on so maybe like a rubber band or something similar would work.


----------



## zenche

yea, I was thinking rubberband too...but i don't have any black rubber bands and i don't want to stick out like a sore thumb, lol. might try twisties...trying to keep it all black. 

will try it tomorrow. got new lights, hosing, and ceramic media coming in tomorrow, so I'll have to take the G6 offline then anyway. replacing the washer hoses i've been using, as i'm pretty sure they're affecting my flow. keep yall posted.


----------



## Lance Uppercut

I adapted a prefilter sponge for my G3 to keep the shrimp out. I removed the stock strainer and used a intake tube from an Aquaclear 70 that I cut down to hook up a pre-filter max III. Its nice because it keeps larger particles out of the filter but doesn't clog up too quick.


----------



## zenche

so i put the panty hose on yesterday. does a good job filtering out larger things i don't want going into the intake.

using real hosing also helped the flow A LOT. so much so that plants were being uprooted.

but here's the bummer..i just got home from work, and as far as i can see, all 25 shrimp + the rainbow shark are dead.

i put in ceramic media into the carbon canister yesterday, did a water change, swapped hoses, and put the pantyhose over the intake.

will test the water this weekend, but man...what a freaking bummer ><

*was the freaking noalgae liquid that did it* learned the hard way to read the fine print.


----------



## zenche

saw 1 shrimp alive...

did a 50% water change. i hope i see him tomorrow ><

oh, and real hosing also now = no difficulties at all priming.


----------



## zenche

soo.....

shadow, and anyone other owners....

i've been thinking, we should have a fluval G series member thingy in our sigs. show them eheim and sunsun gang bangers what's up 

who'd be down with that? i'm gonna make one right now


----------



## !shadow!

lol zenche, I think we are outnumbered. Eheim is like 75% or tpt.net It's kinda of like lybia vs the United nations right now.


----------



## zenche

as we G owners know, it's about quality, not quantity  

like my sig?  you should be #1

and i can't believe you just compared us to Libya. lol, wtf!


----------



## Landau

There is a general Fluval pimp club thread already, but maybe you G3/G6 types don't want to associate with us


----------



## !shadow!

Wow zenche that came out real nice, and not korny looking at all. Pretty impressed I must say. 

Landau that's nonsense, We just don't want to make you look bad . No but in all seriousness i've never been too much of a pimp type of person. The only pimping I do is to the tank or better said I see myself more of a artist/aquascaper. :icon_cool.


----------



## zenche

i do work in the ad biz afterall, albeit not as an art director/designer.

ps. you need a new sig anyway...iwagumicubed is gone. it redirects to a holding page when you click it.


----------



## !shadow!

Yea I noticed that a while ago. Such good memories when I first read the entire thing and fell in admiration for the concept of an iwagumi. Anyways I'm going to cut the holes for the hosed for the g3 through my stand either friday or saturday when I finally plant the thing. i'll post pics here to show you guys.


----------



## zenche

cool. looking forward....you gonna do it on the sides or the back?


----------



## !shadow!

Back most likely to not detract from the look overall and to prevent any kinking I might get from doing it sideways due to how the filter's design is.


----------



## Golightly

Sorry to resurface an old thread. But how are the G3/G6 with noise? Are they silent or are there any vibration noises?


----------



## !shadow!

Hey Golightly, don't worry it's fine that's why I created this thread. The filter is silent and noticeable. As long as you get the air bubbles out of the filter by priming the button and moving from tipping the filter from left to right such as with a eheim it's dead silent


----------



## Golightly

!shadow! said:


> Hey Golightly, don't worry it's fine that's why I created this thread. The filter is silent and noticeable. As long as you get the air bubbles out of the filter by priming the button and moving from tipping the filter from left to right such as with a eheim it's dead silent


I presume you mean "unnoticeable"? 

The reason I ask is I have a Eheim Pro3, which makes a slight humming or vibration noise, not loud but very annoying. I have swapped filter for a different one (same model), but still same noise. My smaller JBL filter with a lower flow is silent.

I know it's quite a personal thing, but does your make any vibration noises or humming at all?


----------



## !shadow!

Yes typo . Nop no humming or vibration (I just checked and nothing). You figure if you shell out a couple hundred you should get what you pay for, most of the time right?


----------



## zenche

^ same. zero noise or vibrations. 

gauny - btw, due to the salt treatment i'm doing, my conductivity thing is messed up now. it's at 20...it had gone up to 2000 where it capped out, but now just reads 20. we'll see if it reverts to normal once i am done with the treatment.


----------



## !shadow!

Water changes should help with the conductivity. Anytime I add anything to the water whether it be prime, or dry ferts/flourish the conductivity rises. I've never gotten up that high. Most was probably 800-900 due to lack of water changes and debris building up. R/o water seems to take it down about to about 300-500ish depending on build-up. My goal is to keep it between 2-300ish. Weekly water changes of 50% seem to help. If that doesn't work unplug filter and restart it. Let me know if that helps.


----------



## Golightly

Great, thanks for checking. Will have to try one out!


----------



## Golightly

Forgot to ask. What size hose does the Fluval G6 use? Need to make sure I have the right Lily Pipes.


----------



## zenche

5/8


----------



## Golightly

zenche said:


> 5/8


ok... so that fits the 13mm Lily Pipes?


----------



## Epitaph

Golightly said:


> ok... so that fits the 13mm Lily Pipes?


No, 1/2" tubing fits 13mm lily pipes.
5/8" tubing normally fits 16/17mm lily pipes, but the Fluval G series tubing doesn't fit any of the 16/17mm lily pipes as far as I know. Despite stating the same size tubing like other 5/8" tubing out there, the Fluval G 5/8" tubing just slides through 16/17mm lily pipes; they have a larger diameter I'm afraid.


----------



## Golightly

Epitaph said:


> No, 1/2" tubing fits 13mm lily pipes.
> 5/8" tubing normally fits 16/17mm lily pipes, but the Fluval G series tubing doesn't fit any of the 16/17mm lily pipes as far as I know. Despite stating the same size tubing like other 5/8" tubing out there, the Fluval G 5/8" tubing just slides through 16/17mm lily pipes; they have a larger diameter I'm afraid.


Oh really? I'm metric so can never figure out inches! I was hoping to use my own clear tubing instead.. bugger. So you're stuck with using their own tubes and pipes then? Can't use your own?


----------



## zenche

not necessarily true..

i'm not using the tubes that are supposed to come with the G3/6 - 

using http://www.bigalsonline.com/Fish_Pl...ement-Parts_Tubing_8802049_82.html?tc=default
(make sure you select 5/8 and not the 1/2 default)
which aren't the same. the G series replacement tubes are like $46 bux...so i tried the above first and they work great.


----------



## !shadow!

I believe 17mm fits the 5/8ths based on the amount of research i've done. You can buy clear tubing like I did from a local fish store or online.


----------



## Epitaph

Golightly said:


> Oh really? I'm metric so can never figure out inches! I was hoping to use my own clear tubing instead.. bugger. So you're stuck with using their own tubes and pipes then? Can't use your own?


Like Zenche and Shadow said, you can use other 5/8" tubing instead. The stock Fluval G tubing have a slightly larger ID size compared to the other 5/8" tubings out there. You were originally planning on not using the stock tubing anyways, so it's not a problem for you.


----------



## Golightly

I got my G6 today, amazing little filter. Very easy to use, the clear tubes I use are exactly the same size as the one they provide. I use a slightly thicker tube than normal which means I didn't have to change anything other than plugging it in.

The filter seems a lot stronger than they say. The old filter I replaced was 1500l/hour and the G6 seems stronger than that.. yet supposed to have 1/3 of the flow! So that's very good.

It is however not silent, there is a low humming noise. Again slightly louder than my 2nd smaller filter that I run side by side. I'm not sure if it's because it's new and it needs to settle in. There are no trapped air, or any other problems.


----------



## Epitaph

The specs for the G6's pump output is:
230-240V/50Hz: 2460 l/h – 650 g/h
120V/60Hz: 2510 l/h -665 g/h
They also listed the approx. filter circulation (1000 l/h -265 g/h), which is what probably misleads hobbyists.


----------



## !shadow!

I got a g3 and it's silent in my stand and outside of it. I can't say for a g6 since it's bigger and I've never had one.


----------



## caall99

Hi guys!

Just picked up a Fluval G6 to replace my Eheim 2226 on my 75 gallon. Flow is atleast twice as strong as the Eheim... then again the G6 is also twice as loud...

Do these things quiet down with age?

I noticed there was something that looked like a small plastic ring intended to go into the impeller assembly. The sticker on it said "Important". I assumed it was something that Fluval provided as a recall item with newly packaged G-series filters. I went ahead and installed. I immediately noticed that it was identical to the ring already installed. Eitherway I left the newly installed replacement ring on the impeller assembly. Could this be a source of my humming noise issue?


----------



## Epitaph

It should be silent. My guess is there's still very tiny bubbles trapped inside the filter which in time the filter will purge them out. 

Concerning the small plastic ring, I believe it is to fix a previous issue with the G6 leading to noise problems. The added ring should only come with the new ones and most likely already have one installed, but you should always check to be sure. The instructions booklet only show 1 plastic ring, so I doubt you need to add it in if there's already an identical one there. 

Those that are not sure whether they have the newer ones with the ring installed can look for whether your G6 came with a setup DVD or not. The old ones came with the DVD, the new ones does not.


----------



## Golightly

caall99 said:


> Hi guys!
> 
> Just picked up a Fluval G6 to replace my Eheim 2226 on my 75 gallon. Flow is atleast twice as strong as the Eheim... then again the G6 is also twice as loud...
> 
> Do these things quiet down with age?
> 
> I noticed there was something that looked like a small plastic ring intended to go into the impeller assembly. The sticker on it said "Important". I assumed it was something that Fluval provided as a recall item with newly packaged G-series filters. I went ahead and installed. I immediately noticed that it was identical to the ring already installed. Eitherway I left the newly installed replacement ring on the impeller assembly. Could this be a source of my humming noise issue?


I have the same, got the "important" sticker but when I checked it's already installed. Looking at the instructions you definitely only need one as already mentioned.

The G6 is not completely silent but personally I prefer the slight noise it makes over the noise other filters have that I tried.

To me it seems all filters I've used that have higher flow than 1000l/hour or uses a the larger size hose have been noiser than every slightly smaller smaller filter. As if there is threshold, once past it becomes much more audible / noisy. For example the filter I replaced was a JBL 1500l/hour which was very noisy, next to it was as smaller but exactly the same type of filter, JBL 900l/hour.. which is completely silent. Same with Eheim's I've tried.

Fluval G6 is also definitely stronger than my old 1500l/hour filter I replaced. Which puts the flow rates advertised by other manufacturers in question, it must be true that those rates are based on empty filters with no media in them.


----------



## caall99

I heard there was a break in period of about a week with these filters after which they become completely silent. Can anyone attest to this?

I have two different noises going on. One is a clankity noise that is rather quiet but still audible. Like the impeller is rattling a bit.

The other noise is the noise i consider unavoidable. It is a humming noise that sounds just like minor motor vibrations. I am worried that this is the noise i won't be able to get rid of and will plague me till the day I or the filter dies.

Finally, my temperature is reading 4 degrees lower than my reefkeeper lite. I have the reefkeeper set at 79.0 degrees and the Fluval G6 is registering 76.6 deg.


----------



## Golightly

caall99 said:


> I heard there was a break in period of about a week with these filters after which they become completely silent. Can anyone attest to this?
> 
> I have two different noises going on. One is a clankity noise that is rather quiet but still audible. Like the impeller is rattling a bit.
> 
> The other noise is the noise i consider unavoidable. It is a humming noise that sounds just like minor motor vibrations. I am worried that this is the noise i won't be able to get rid of and will plague me till the day I or the filter dies.
> 
> Finally, my temperature is reading 4 degrees lower than my reefkeeper lite. I have the reefkeeper set at 79.0 degrees and the Fluval G6 is registering 76.6 deg.


I've had mine on since Thursday/Friday last week, I think the noise had reduced a bit. Still below a week though.. My noise is not vibrations but a low humming noise. No trapped air either. Not bad though, it's a lower noise than my previous 2 filters.

The temperature seems to match more or less my old fashion glass thermometer.. but mine shows temp in Celsius which is less accurate I guess.


----------



## caall99

On another note, how are you guys placing the inlets and outlets of the filter? Both at one back corner? or one at either back corner? Do you really need "cross flow" or does placing them both in the same corner create a rotational flow in the tank. I will be permanently placing inlet and outlet this evening.


----------



## Golightly

caall99 said:


> On another note, how are you guys placing the inlets and outlets of the filter? Both at one back corner? or one at either back corner? Do you really need "cross flow" or does placing them both in the same corner create a rotational flow in the tank. I will be permanently placing inlet and outlet this evening.


I'm using 17mm Glass Lily Pipes. I can't see the Y setup for outflow being any good.


----------



## NJAquaBarren

I have one if the legs of the "y" capped and both spraybar tubes connected to each running across the side with flow directed down about 50 degrees. Makes a nice flow across the bottom and back across the top of the tank.


----------



## caall99

how did you cap it and how did you attach two spray bars to one another?


----------



## Golightly

Epitaph said:


> The specs for the G6's pump output is:
> 230-240V/50Hz: 2460 l/h – 650 g/h
> 120V/60Hz: 2510 l/h -665 g/h
> They also listed the approx. filter circulation (1000 l/h -265 g/h), which is what probably misleads hobbyists.


I missed this one.. are you saying that the G6 has a flow of 2460l/h (650g/h) or what we normally call flow.. and not the 1000l/h?


----------



## Epitaph

Golightly said:


> I missed this one.. are you saying that the G6 has a flow of 2460l/h (650g/h) or what we normally call flow.. and not the 1000l/h?


Filters list their pump output on the box (nothing attached at all), while the G6 lists the circulation rate (everything in the filter like media, baskets, etc). 

Yes, the 2460l/h is what we usually call "flow".
The Eheim 2217 have a "flow" of 264 gph and the G6 have a "flow" of 650 gph.


----------



## Golightly

Thanks! THat explains why the fish are being swirled around in a vortex.


----------



## NJAquaBarren

caall99 said:


> how did you cap it and how did you attach two spray bars to one another?


Just using the stock parts. Pop the end off of one of the tubes and use it to cap one of the Y outlets. The spray bars just pop together using the ball and socket ends.


----------



## zenche

NJAquaBarren said:


> I have one if the legs of the "y" capped and both spraybar tubes connected to each running across the side with flow directed down about 50 degrees. Makes a nice flow across the bottom and back across the top of the tank.


damn, i didn't even think about connecting the two spray bars together to each other. gonna have to try some new arrangements this week.


----------



## Golightly

Seeing the flow is a lot higher than I expected on the G6, what's the best way of reducing it? Or distribute so it's not as strong flow? 

Would lily pipes or spray bar work best? Or something else?

And has anyone tried to use a AquaMedic CO2 reactor on the G6? Is the flow too strong or?


----------



## NJAquaBarren

Golightly,

The lily pipe is designed to reduce velocity and draw in more volume from the surrounding water to create a larger, but less forceful flow. 

Some have tried enlarging the holes in spraybars to reduce velocity. Mixed reports of success, but you never know what exactly was done. It may be worth buying a cheap spraybar and experiment before altering your original


----------



## monkey sausage

hi to you all...

anyway been reading these threads for a while and the info given is fantastic...

i have just recieved my new tank which is a juwel rio240 and i am planning on housing a 2inch oscar by itself and hopefully raise a healthy adult fish..

the juwel comes with built in filtration and heater and i know a oscar are big messy fish so i want more filtration...i was planning to buy a fluval fx5 but realized it wouldnt fit in the cabinet so was going to get a Eheim pro3 2078....

but i saw the g6 and thought wow love the whole design and ease of cleaning...

so my question is this my new tank is about 63gal USA...is the G6 still holding up well for the poeple who have had therm running awhile and do you recommend them still....also is there such a thing has over filltering your tank,what with a G6 doing 260+gals an hour and the juwel doing 160gal per hour...sorry for the long thread and hopefully joining the G fanclub...


----------



## zenche

the only issue i have with my g6, after 2 months of use, is that the velocity of the flow is a bit too strong for my 56G column tank (only 30" long). If I had a wider tank, it probably wouldn't be an issue.


----------



## shrimpnmoss

I want one of these bad boys. Going to wait until the price drops.


----------



## caall99

Mine is noisy, the temperature reading is completely off, and the EC reading is on the order of 900-950 us/cm AFTER a water change. I have owned this filter for about 3 weeks. So far, not too happy. Hagen's customer service has been trashy.


----------



## Golightly

caall99 said:


> Mine is noisy, the temperature reading is completely off, and the EC reading is on the order of 900-950 us/cm AFTER a water change. I have owned this filter for about 3 weeks. So far, not too happy. Hagen's customer service has been trashy.


Mine was noisy too, but I noticed that it was the outflow hose that created a vibration noise.. not the filter. I fixed it by using a slightly longer hose. Problem was that I had a very short piece of hose that went from filter to my AquaMedica Reator, then to the outflow lilypipe. By making the hose slightly longer the noise disappeared.


I do also have a very high EC reading, at 600.. but that because I have very hard water, maybe you do too? You can change the limit before the alert goes off to a higher value in the menu options.


----------



## caall99

Noise is definitely coming from the motor/impeller. It makes my whole living room hum. The EC reading is high for my gH and kH: 

kH (ppm)	36
kH (º)	2
gH (ppm)	179
gH (º)	10

Temperature reading has been checked against lab grade mercury thermometer. Its reading 2-3 degrees lower than my tank really is.


----------



## NJAquaBarren

Mine are not silent, but are a bit quieter than my Eheim pro 3. Still quiet.

Yours is not normal, obviously. Have you tried to work with the dealer? I haven't seem any of the large manufacturers provide great support to consumers.

Also, have you tried doing the maint procedure on the pumphead? Inspect the impeller for proper seating, broken blade....any imbalance can create a disproportionate amount of vibration.


----------



## Epitaph

It's common for digital thermometers to be off a few degrees from mercury thermometers. As long as the water is kept within range and stable there shouldn't be any problems even with the minor discrepancy.

179 ppm gH is moderately hard water and with other factors like fertilizers and water temperature, going over the 500 μS/cm range wouldn't be surprising at all for a planted aquarium. But going over 900 μS/cm after a major water change is odd. You can try testing the filter in a bucket filled with just distilled water or rainwater and see whether the conductivity meter is working properly or not.

You should definitely re-check the filter carefully like the other members advised. That degree of noise shouldn't exist. Hope everything works out for you.


----------



## zenche

when i first got my g6, my conductivity was around 350. then i got plants and added ferts, bumping it to 450ish. when i was dealing with ich, adding salt to my tank jumped the conductivity a fair amount. i want to say 750ish? can't recall for sure. but the salt + higher temps treatment didn't work, so i switched to ich meds. too little too late, lost all my fish then...shrimps were fine though. when i was using the meds, my conductivity went off the charts. 2000 is the cap, and mine just blinked at 2000. 

back down to the 450 range, with new fish who're all doing well


----------



## Uptown193

Looking to get this G series filter for a ADA 60P, is the G3 good enough? I think the G6 is way to big for a 17 gallon tank even thought its only $60 more.


----------



## Epitaph

The G3 is enough for a 17 gallon planted, but for ~$60 more, why not allow yourself to be able to upgrade your tank in the future if desired. You can always control the flow with the valve.


----------



## Golightly

Uptown193 said:


> Looking to get this G series filter for a ADA 60P, is the G3 good enough? I think the G6 is way to big for a 17 gallon tank even thought its only $60 more.


If you use a glass lilypipe on the G6 it makes the current quite gentle and not too strong. Plus if you stick on a Co2 reactor and a inline heater that would reduce it even further. But no doubt, the G6 is very strong.


----------



## Uptown193

Epitaph said:


> The G3 is enough for a 17 gallon planted, but for ~$60 more, why not allow yourself to be able to upgrade your tank in the future if desired. You can always control the flow with the valve.


Well if I buy a G3 I can use that extra $60 towards an inline heater. Plus with technology changing so much, I am not going to want to use a filter I buy in 2011 in 2016, thats just me. I like having the new toys. :biggrin:

I just wanted to know if you guys really like the G series 3 or 6 and if is is a silent reliable filter, because it is really The best looking one out there right now and it does look esthetically pleasing to the eye.


----------



## Uptown193

Do both the G3 and G6 use 5/8 tubing and if so do i order the inline heater that is 5/8?


----------



## Epitaph

Uptown193 said:


> Do both the G3 and G6 use 5/8 tubing and if so do i order the inline heater that is 5/8?


Same hose size and yes.


----------



## Uptown193

Epitaph said:


> Same hose size and yes.


Ok thanks.


----------



## NJAquaBarren

Not sure I'd use the valve to adjust flow. In my G6 that creates a lot of noise and cavitation. A G3 is a LOT of flow for a 17G. I have one running on a tank twice that size. I doubt you could adjust a G6 down that far.


----------



## Uptown193

NJAquaBarren said:


> Not sure I'd use the valve to adjust flow. In my G6 that creates a lot of noise and cavitation. A G3 is a LOT of flow for a 17G. I have one running on a tank twice that size. I doubt you could adjust a G6 down that far.


Yea, thats why I think ima go with the G3. I don't really care if the G6 is only $60 more, I rather get what is sufficient for my tank at present. Like the other guy said adding the inline heater and lily pipes and the other things I can do to help slow down flow should be fine.


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## Razorworm

Seriously considering the G6 for my 75. Anyone using inline heater and CO2 diffuser? do they impact flow a lot? Like this filter but unsure of the water turnover:icon_roll


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## zenche

i use inline heater, but run co2 diffusion separately. flow is still quite strong in my 56G.

but after 6 months of use, my G6 is definitely got that humming noise others have problems with. it doesn't bug me much, as it's in the living room where i've usually got music or the tv on and then it's not noticeable. could never have this in my bedroom though...would drive me insane.


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## Golightly

Razorworm said:


> Seriously considering the G6 for my 75. Anyone using inline heater and CO2 diffuser? do they impact flow a lot? Like this filter but unsure of the water turnover:icon_roll


I run a inline heater + Co2 reactor and lily pipes on my 50g, the flow is still quite strong. The lily pipes makes it slightly weaker than I would have liked but the reactor is what definitely reduces the flow the most. Even so it's enough for me, so you should be fine with a inline diffuser which won't restrict the flow as much as a reactor.

But as mentioned before, these filters are NOT silent. I've got it inside of a cabinet that I've sound-proofed, but when I open the cabinet doors you can hear the filter very clearly. Definitely not a filter you want in your bedroom.


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## Razorworm

I plan on insulating the cabinet which will hold the G6. I also will be using a spray bar, which I will modify to be placed about 5" off the substrate, run from to back and have bigger holes if necessary.


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## Golightly

Razorworm said:


> I plan on insulating the cabinet which will hold the G6. I also will be using a spray bar, which I will modify to be placed about 5" off the substrate, run from to back and have bigger holes if necessary.


You'll be fine then, flow will be more than enough. Other than the noise it's a excellent filter, very very efficient. Once I close the doors to my cabinet I can't hear anything really.


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## Uptown193

I have had my G3 running for 11 days now and so far so good. Very quiet in a stand and when the door it open it is just as quiet. I cannot hear it unless it is silent in my house and standing near it. My conductivity raised when I put aquarium salt in tank but went back to normal when I did a water change. I love to easy maintenance feature.


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## fusiongt

Sorry to bring this thread back to life but I just purchased the Fluval G3. My setup is pretty funny... it's for a 10.5 gallon tank which I know is over kill filtration but I have the filter on my kitchen counter, was tired of constantly cleaning my hang on back filter, and so wanted the best looking canister filter because it would be out in the open.

To reduce the flow I did a few things I saw from Aqua Forest. I wanted to use the ADA output/inputs but the large 17mm 5/8" was way too large for my tank so I put 1/2" tubing on the outside of the large tubes and voila, that worked well (put a rubber band on the outside to help prevent leakage).

Still, that was making the flow way too fast so I lifted up the metal handle (the one in front of the aqua stop) and I reduce the flow to 60% which worked well and my fish weren't being blown in the face anymore heh.


My question: is reducing the flow this much on the Fluval G3 okay for the filter? It's whisper quiet right now, not complaining on the LCD screen, and so I think everything is fine. I saw an earlier post of someone saying not to buy this filter and purposely reduce the flow (I think this way I described) but it seems to work perfectly the way I want it to. Any idea if it's okay?


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## !shadow!

welcome to the family. Never tried reducing flow (my filter is collecting dust at the moment cause i'm gonna move out soon so need to wait off on it). I know the g3 has flow sensors so that's the only thing I can think of that might show on the lcd screen but if it isn't broken don't fix it right?


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## DogFish

So, 17mm 5/8" lilly pipes would fit the hoses supplied with the G3?


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## !shadow!

Well the hoses for g3 are 5/8ths so I would think they would


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## DogFish

Just to be accurate 5/8"_INSIDE DIAMETER_ :icon_ques


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## fusiongt

DogFish said:


> So, 17mm 5/8" lilly pipes would fit the hoses supplied with the G3?


Yes it would fit. I'm sure anytime they say 5/8" diameter it's referring to inside diameter.


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## DogFish

fusiongt said:


> Yes it would fit. I'm sure anytime they say 5/8" diameter it's referring to inside diameter.


Ummm....NOPE!!!....:hihi:

"We thank you for taking the time to contact us. The
inside diameter is 9/16

Thank you,
Elaine Boyce
Cust. Serv. Dept.
Rolf C Hagen (USA) Corp.


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## Jeff5614

DogFish said:


> Ummm....NOPE!!!....:hihi:
> 
> "We thank you for taking the time to contact us. The
> inside diameter is 9/16
> 
> Thank you,
> Elaine Boyce
> Cust. Serv. Dept.
> Rolf C Hagen (USA) Corp.


I've seen a couple of pics of George Farmer's tanks using a G3 and lily pipes but the size and brand of pipes weren't mentioned. He's a regular on UKAPS.org. You might search there or pm him.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/georgefarmer/


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## fusiongt

DogFish said:


> Ummm....NOPE!!!....:hihi:
> 
> "We thank you for taking the time to contact us. The
> inside diameter is 9/16
> 
> Thank you,
> Elaine Boyce
> Cust. Serv. Dept.
> Rolf C Hagen (USA) Corp.


Well regardless, the tubing isn't made out of diamond - it's flexible and I have a 17mm lily pipe and it fits the fluval g3's tubing. It's just a regular 17mm do! aqua pipe.


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## !shadow!

+1^^ today I bought some new clear tubing for the g3, it was 5/8ths by the way but seemed to fit really right. Had to shove it in real hard into intake/outflow. It was actually the same side on the fittings so i'm guessing the stock gray tubing on the g3/g6 was slightly bigger.


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## fusiongt

!shadow! said:


> +1^^ today I bought some new clear tubing for the g3, it was 5/8ths by the way but seemed to fit really right. Had to shove it in real hard into intake/outflow. It was actually the same side on the fittings so i'm guessing the stock gray tubing on the g3/g6 was slightly bigger.


Yea I know what you mean... the 5/8 tubing I got from Home Depot wasn't very flexible and I thought the stock fluval g3/g6 tubing was either larger or just more flexible. It's the best tubing I've used at that size because of the flexibility in it.


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## DogFish

Try sticking the tend of the tubing in a cup of hot water for a few min. I bring water to a boil in a coffee pot, let it cool a min. or two then use it.


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## zenche

anyone using an inline diffuser? thinking bout getting one from GLA...but they don't have a 5/8? or even a 9/16 that i can find?


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## Bettacrazy

I drool over the G6


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## !shadow!

zenche said:


> anyone using an inline diffuser? thinking bout getting one from GLA...but they don't have a 5/8? or even a 9/16 that i can find?


http://greenleafaquariums.com/co2-diffusers/cal-aqua-diffuser-17mm.html


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## zenche

$175


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## !shadow!

yea pricey.. I don't think it's worth it unless you want your aquarium aesthetically perfect. lots of things you can do for your fish better than a inline diffuser with that kind of money.


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## zenche

yea, for sure. though i still want a diffuser. i don't like how it looks in my tank, sticking the co2 line directly into the intake.


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## zenche

nvm - just bought that glass one, used from oldpunk for a very decent price  was gonna go with the atomic 16/22 which is orlando confirmed for me fits 5/8...then randomly checked the SNS and saw the glass one being offered. go figure!


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## !shadow!

grats on the find man.


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## zenche

grrr. my 2nd g6 is acting up....getting the "check impeller rotor" error. got a new impeller and still giving me the same problem. it'll work fine for about 30 mins upon a 'clean' load, but then stop...

EDIT: hrm, it's been running fine for about 1.5 hrs now....go figure.

EDIT2: and now it's bunk again. sigh.


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## DogFish

I wonder how hard it would be to by-pass the whole diagnostic and just have an on/off button?

What I would really like If I owned ones would be on/off and a timer for feeding. They cute little LED found just be a clock and I'l be very happy with it.


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## DogFish

Got my G3 last night. So far I like it. Had an constant Alert on 'conductivity' I just turned the Alert to "off" for now. 


Any suggestions on setting the conductivity high/low points would be appreciated.


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## !shadow!

yea just gotta set your range for it.


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## DogFish

I'm not really seeing how knowing my conductivity level even matter to me.

I plant heavy, I do weekly 50% W/C and never skip, I stock my fish lightly and a feed light. My tank has a dirt floor, I don't dose. It's low light and I'm not about to play science fair with additives to adjust my water.

So I just turned off the alert function.


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## OVT

DogFish said:


> I'm not really seeing how knowing my conductivity level even matter to me.


It probably does not really matter in the end.
But to be a Devil's Advocate, there are number of practical reasons to know what the conductivity (aka TDS) is at a given time. It can be used as an early warning system.

Water changes/filter performance: find the TDS of your tap water (RO should be 0). If your tank TDS starts going up, your filter is slacking or something else (bad) is going on. If TDS crosses a specific to you threshold, time for a water change.

Fish acclimatization: there are arguments that the diff in TDS is more important then PH, temp, hardness, etc. If the source water and your tank water have close TDS - just dump the fish in. If not, time for slowly adding tank water to the fish bag.

Just my $0.02. I would like my change back please


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## DogFish

OVT - Oh, I do understand the concept. I can see the benefit for those that push the limits of proper Aquarium keeping.


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## Green_Flash

Does anyone know if the electronic conductivity monitor is the same as measuring TDS?


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## !shadow!

That's a good question
http://www.eutechinst.com/techtips/tech-tips40.htm

http://www.stevenswater.com/water_quality_sensors/conductivity_info.html

I just googled that for ya. I don't really bother with it as long as I do my water changes every week. It's nice to know if you must tho.


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## sphack

Ran across this old thread and thought to throw in my 3cents...

Just got off the phone with Hagen. My new g6 power head price is in the mail. I was getting impeller problems and errors after less than three months. They're replacing the whole thing. 
Here is a pic of the flow:








It would run to the point of turning off. After a few weeks with my new eheim while the g6 was being shipped and tested, I like it but miss the ease of cleaning the mech filter from the top without opening the main unit.


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## DogFish

I wonder if this is more a G6 problem as other have had the trouble? My G3 has not had this. I'm interested in how this turns out, if I set up a 2nd display tank I might buy a G6.


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## DogFish

Conductivity/TDS ???




OVT said:


> ....Water changes/filter performance: find the TDS of your tap water (RO should be 0). If your tank TDS starts going up, your filter is slacking or something else (bad) is going on. If TDS crosses a specific to you threshold, time for a water change.
> 
> Fish acclimatization: there are arguments that the diff in TDS is more important then PH, temp, hardness, etc. If the source water and your tank water have close TDS - just dump the fish in. If not, time for slowly adding tank water to the fish bag.
> 
> ....





!shadow! said:


> That's a good question
> http://www.eutechinst.com/techtips/tech-tips40.htm
> 
> http://www.stevenswater.com/water_quality_sensors/conductivity_info.html
> 
> I just googled that for ya. I don't really bother with it as long as I do my water changes every week. It's nice to know if you must tho.


Rereading the thread I started to think about this again. I understand the importance of having a baseline on one's tap water. But how does one know what is the optimal number to run ones tank on? 

Range from 570 after large W/C to 750-824. I use the flow screen to keep track of pre filter cleaning and the calendar warning for the bio-media. I think to be more scientic I'd need to cross chart that against temp range or at least be sure I'm looking at conductivity only @ 25C.

Other than declor, I seldom make any adjustments temp wise unless it's a massive W/C. I offer the same inconsistencies nature does. I vary W/C all year. During the heat wave I did Daily water changes, I've gone weeks with only top offs in the winter. I've done 50-75% changes during re-scapes.

What I find is I have much healthier Plants & Fish. Yes there a few losses alone the way just as in nature.


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## sphack

DogFish said:


> Conductivity/TDS ???
> 
> Rereading the thread I started to think about this again. I understand the importance of having a baseline on one's tap water. But how does one know what is the optimal number to run ones tank on?
> 
> Range from 570 after large W/C to 750-824. I use the flow screen to keep track of pre filter cleaning and the calendar warning for the bio-media. I think to be more scientic I'd need to cross chart that against temp range or at least be sure I'm looking at conductivity only @ 25C.


I have very soft water and have seen conductivity (uCS?) <100. My tap's dKH and dGH is nearly unreadable (sometimes 0, sometimes 1). I want my G6 back so I can watch this again. I supplemental with sodium bicarbonate to raise the kH some, usually to 3-4 dkh. Since my last order of ferts, I'm now adding GH booster as part of the EI dosing scheme. 

Anyway, I like to see a fairly constant conductivity over time. Don't know how much impact it would be on the system. Just my 2 cents


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## DogFish

I'm going to take a tap water and a tank water sample to my friendly neighborhood hydroponic shop hand have them test for TDS. That's major for hydroponics. I'll take my Fisher Labs thermometer with and check the temp. Ill post results.


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## Green_Flash

!shadow! said:


> That's a good question
> http://www.eutechinst.com/techtips/tech-tips40.htm
> 
> http://www.stevenswater.com/water_quality_sensors/conductivity_info.html
> 
> I just googled that for ya. I don't really bother with it as long as I do my water changes every week. It's nice to know if you must tho.


Thanks, I also found this calculator to convert it automatically. 
http://www.lenntech.com/calculators/conductivity/tds-engels.htm

The one you select for freshwater is microS/cm I think.


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## MickeyMahwah

*Has Problems*

The Fluval G3 has problems. So does the G6. Many people have reported flow problems with no solution provided by the manufacturer. I had my G3 for less than 6 months, the flow rate is at 70%, I have done everything possible and Customer Service has no good answer. :thumbsdow:thumbsdow:thumbsdow:thumbsdow


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## sphack

After my previous set of posts, customer service wanted to test my filter. They ended up shipping me an entire new g6. As a secondary filter it is working fine. Don't use the fine mesh filter. Don't use purigen in the chem basket. And change the filter every other day if you want full flow rate. 

The no bypass filter design is nice but not very good for a planted tank for it fills up way too fast. 


Would I buy one again? No. Would I toss the whole thing in the trash in frustration? Not anymore.


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## !shadow!

I agree with sphack. I had the flow problem when using the fine micron cartridge. reduced flow to like 1/3 which was waaay too much. Took it off and went back with the reg white threaded one and worked normal. I say change the filter twice a week. Mines lasts about a week to 2. I guess depends on how much junk the filter takes up junk. I have small boraras briggitae so it's obviously going to clog up less than one on a cichlid tank.


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## !shadow!

So I was setting up my tank a few hours ago and notice that I'm only getting about 1/3 flow on the g3. I figured it might be the impeller since I haven't messed with it during the 4 years i've had it and maybe time I replace it. Problem Is how does one know it's time to do so and generally how long does the impellers last?


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## DogFish

MickeyMahwah said:


> The Fluval G3 has problems....


My has been running for over a year with no problems what so ever.

I've double the bio media by using GrowStones a hydroponic media. I've added a sponge to the chemical chamber. I use a sponge on the intake as a pre-filter. 

With those additional restrictions I should have reduced flow but I do not. I would buy another and I would recommend them and I am not a big fan of canister filters.


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## DogFish

!shadow! said:


> ...Problem Is how does one know it's time to do so and generally how long does the impellers last?


Magnet drives get slimy build up that can be cleaned with H2O2 & a paper towel. Not a bad quarterly maintenance idea.


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## !shadow!

Yea I have two choices.. 1. buy the impeller for 30 bucks and have a 50% chance to work or not work or just go ahead and realize it was time for a new filter.


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## Blokie

*How are you guys getting on with the G6?*

Hi All,

Digging up and old (but very interesting!) thread as I'm considering buying a G6 for my new 82g tank.

How are your guys getting on with the G6? Are you all still using it, and if would you still recommend one and also anything to watch out for?


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## Blokie

Nobody?


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## keymastr

I do not think they were a very popular filter. Too many problems.


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## sphack

I still use my g6 in the basement. Too noisy for upstairs. I get pretty low flow on the g7 even after a full cleaning yesterday. It's an expensive filter for a 20gal tank. I have been running it on a tank with a hob to keep it primed to be able to transfer to a emergency tank when needed.


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## zenche

I have my G6 in storage as I moved out of the country and couldn't bring it with me. It was pretty simple to maintain and worked well for me (I had 2 of them, sold one before I left). 

I'm using a Fluval FX6 now on a 75G. I miss how easy my G6 was to keep clean, and the display readings are a feature I miss. The FX6 has much more flow which is good. but the biggest draw back on the FX6 is that the hoses are 1" ID....not a lot of accessories designed for this size and flow. Like, wish I could find lily's or even a spraybar...


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## !shadow!

Wish eheim could design a filter like a g series without all the issues it had. The conductivity was a nice bonus and ease of access for the media was a nice bonus plus who doesn't like a flashy toy for our fish.


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## zenche

good to see you're still active on these boards gauny!


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## !shadow!

Yea i've recently came back man, I actually re-did my 32g about a month ago and it's my fav tank till date. Laziness has gotten the best of me haha. I need to take some nice dslr pics and upload em so I can get some feedback.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/1...passion-update-1-21-its-nice-back-tpt-43.html I only took a pic of the hardscape not of the finished product.


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## zenche

haha, I hear ya. I've not been active on here till just a week ago or so again. i go through periods where i get really back into the hobby and then it fizzes out.


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## supert

Bring this back! Any new gads out there with G3/G6 still running?


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