# *tosses Fluval 406 out nearest window*



## catchthecarp (Nov 22, 2014)

Not what you want to hear but for every person that gets a lemon there are many more who never have a problem. If it's under warranty contact Fluval and see if they will stand behind their product.


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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

Actually the company you want to contact is Hagen, Fluval is just their product line. In my experience with these filters 6/10 have issues. Out of those 6, 2 are errors based on the user. Be sure to check your piped to make sure they are tight. I HATE the Fluval pipes and tossed them for clear tubing for the purpose of seeing where I'm sucking air from. If the intake line is clear of bubbles but the output is full of them it's either the main o-ring which needs to be relubricated, a loose hose to quick disconnect, or a blown o-ring on the disconnect. Regardless, if you contact Hagen, be prepared for them to offer to send you new parts to fix it for a 'fee'.


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## end3r.P (Aug 31, 2015)

Sorry you're having trouble, and I have no help to offer, but +1 for the thread title


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## Zoomy (Sep 13, 2014)

Tihsho said:


> Actually the company you want to contact is Hagen, Fluval is just their product line. In my experience with these filters 6/10 have issues. Out of those 6, 2 are errors based on the user. Be sure to check your piped to make sure they are tight. I HATE the Fluval pipes and tossed them for clear tubing for the purpose of seeing where I'm sucking air from. If the intake line is clear of bubbles but the output is full of them it's either the main o-ring which needs to be relubricated, a loose hose to quick disconnect, or a blown o-ring on the disconnect. Regardless, if you contact Hagen, be prepared for them to offer to send you new parts to fix it for a 'fee'.


I've already replaced the O-ring once (which did help the air-lock issue), re-lubed it several times with silicone grease. Air-locking isn't the current issue. Now it's just rattling somewhere and the flow isn't what it was out of the box, even after replacing the water polishing filters and rinsing and squeezing the others out with tank water. Given that the impeller seized the other day, I'm guessing that's the issue.

I agree that those opaque and ribbed hoses are not the best design idea, for that very reason -- hard to rule out issues with those. I did recently pull them off and brush them out from both ends, but it didn't make a difference and not a lot of gunk came out of them.

I feel like I keep spending money on parts for a nearly new filter, which is getting old really fast. Especially when I've ended up purchasing parts that are broken in the package.

I am seriously thisclose to bagging the entire shebang and shoving it in a closet until the next neighborhood garage sale day.


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## Argus (May 22, 2013)

Tihsho said:


> I HATE the Fluval pipes and tossed them for clear tubing for the purpose of seeing where I'm sucking air from. If the intake line is clear of bubbles but the output is full of them it's either the main o-ring which needs to be relubricated, a loose hose to quick disconnect, or a blown o-ring on the disconnect. Regardless, if you contact Hagen, be prepared for them to offer to send you new parts to fix it for a 'fee'.


I probably should have gone to clear tubing when I added a diffuser. I put new hoses on so I could move the filter lower. Had a problem getting flow going because I left extra length in the tubes and the input had a loop. Could not get a good flow going. Removed the loop and all is fine.

What do you use to relubricate the main O-ring?


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## Zoomy (Sep 13, 2014)

Argus said:


> What do you use to relubricate the main O-ring?


It's a silicone grease in a tiny little tub in the plumbing aisle at Home Depot.


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## brian3676 (Dec 21, 2014)

I have 2 Fluval 306 filters on my 55g. They both work well, but are noisy. I tried rebuilding them even though they are only a few months old. Didn't help. Oh well, they are in the cabinet anyway. Should have just gone sump :-( from my experience hagen is usually pretty helpful as long as you have the recept.

Bump: Also, for lube I use Super lube. It's a food safe grease. I found others use it too.


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## TINNGG (Mar 9, 2005)

Mmmm... I have a fluval sitting in a cabinet. I mostly kept it as a backup for the eheim. I used the thing 6 months or so, noticed it wasn't pumping after a power outage and shut it off. The tank was unoccupied at the moment. Some time later, I went to set it up only to discover that apparently the impeller seized long enough to cause the motor housing to warp. I bought a replacement motor for it, but I just don't trust it, you know. For several months prior to my acquiring the eheim, it functioned via a power head attached to the outtake. Crude, but it worked...sortof.


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## WaterLife (Jul 1, 2015)

Throw it to me! Haha

Sorry to hear of the troubles. Maybe fix it to working condition or sell it as is. I hear they are powerful (high flow rates) though.
Since you might be taking a loss, it's worth giving a cheap SunSun filter a try. I recommend it. Otherwise get a eheim or go with a sump.


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## co2art (May 28, 2014)

A wise man once typed, "You should have gotten the proper sized Ehiem".

Sound like its sucking air either from around the big black o-ring that seals the top on or at the connection for the intake tubing.


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## Zoomy (Sep 13, 2014)

TINNGG said:


> Mmmm... I have a fluval sitting in a cabinet. I mostly kept it as a backup for the eheim. I used the thing 6 months or so, noticed it wasn't pumping after a power outage and shut it off. The tank was unoccupied at the moment. Some time later, I went to set it up only to discover that apparently the impeller seized long enough to cause the motor housing to warp. I bought a replacement motor for it, but I just don't trust it, you know. For several months prior to my acquiring the eheim, it functioned via a power head attached to the outtake. Crude, but it worked...sortof.


This is kind of where I'm at...thinking I may just cut my losses, pick up an Eheim 2217, and stick the Fluval in a closet in case of emergency. Sounds like your experience is similar to mine.

Bump:


co2art said:


> A wise man once typed, "You should have gotten the proper sized Ehiem".


Right! BTW, I LOVE my Co2Art setup -- that has worked flawlessly since day 1. :grin2:


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## TINNGG (Mar 9, 2005)

I think the fact that they don't seem to restart reliably after an outage is a good reason to be wary of them. Where I live, we don't have them v. frequently due to the main supply lines to the hospital supplying us too, but when they were being upgraded, that was a daily occurrence. I happened to have one of those Whisper wet/dry filters in use at the time. I no longer own it. It wouldn't restart at all.


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## Zoomy (Sep 13, 2014)

TINNGG said:


> I think the fact that they don't seem to restart reliably after an outage is a good reason to be wary of them. Where I live, we don't have them v. frequently due to the main supply lines to the hospital supplying us too, but when they were being upgraded, that was a daily occurrence. I happened to have one of those Whisper wet/dry filters in use at the time. I no longer own it. It wouldn't restart at all.


Hmmm...we have quite a few power outages. We're prone to some serious wind and/or electrical storms just a couple miles inland from Lake MI.


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## captexas (Aug 24, 2015)

I had a Fluval 206 that started leaking, replaced it with a 306 and haven't been all that crazy about either one honestly. I recently bought a large used tank that had two FX5's with it, hoping they are a bit more reliable.


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## brooksie321 (Jul 19, 2014)

Sunsun... mine are rock solid. You can buy 2 and still.have a few bucks for some fish!


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## onedollarinmywallet (Sep 24, 2013)

You're starting to get me worried! I'm in the process of starting/upgrading my 29G to a 75G and I actually just bought a new Fluval 406 that's still in the box unopened.

Should I be looking at something else, like an Eheim, a SunSun/AquaTop?


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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

You should be fine with it, but honestly there is a chance it might give you issues. I've replaced tons of parts on 405's and just found them to be more work then maintaining the tank itself, at times. You just have to get in the routine of lubing the seals each time you open it up, learn how to verify that the impeller shaft is seated correctly (so it doesn't wear down and shatter) and make sure you don't crack the impeller housing cover.

Previously when I was working in the industry for 6 years I could not understand why we only stocked Fluval's. I never got a new Eheim of my own till now (6 years out of the industry) and looking at it I'm happy that I've moved over to them. The FX5's were the only model I'd consider ever getting again because they are a total work horse.


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## ppp (Sep 2, 2015)

In 10 years of fish keeping, I went through two Fluvals, endless rebuilds and hours of frustration trying to prime it after a clean. Finally moved to a DIY sump and absolutely no regrets. Maintenance is a breeze and no equipment in the display tank.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

I gave up on Fluvals several models ago. 
I have a dozen including: 
203 (spills water every time I open it, but otherwise is the most reliable- smooth wall tubing, too)
303 (died, not worth fixing)
2 x 204, 2 x 304 and at least 6 x 404- But they kept changing the model. With a computer program they add some numbers to let you know it is different. But with these filters there is not. It is like I am working with 404.1, 404.2, 404.3.... and none of the parts are interchangeable. When one dies, I hang onto it, thinking to reuse the parts. Nope! Won't fit. 
And that ribbed tubing is pretty bad. Fairly flexible, but not worth storing- it falls apart in storage. 

Rena Filstar seem just a little bit better. At least the parts are interchangeable. 

Eheim are under powered for what the manufacturer claims. Sure they run a long time between cleaning, but they are not picking up the debris.


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## steveo (May 25, 2012)

Check out the reviews of the 306 Fluval canister filters on Amazon. With 675 reviews, they score 4.5 out of 5 stars. I've had success with Fluval canisters for years! Remember, this is the same company that makes the Aquaclear HOB filters that are considered to be the best in the industry. Both Hagen and Eheim are two German companies that make excellent products.


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## brooksie321 (Jul 19, 2014)

steveo said:


> Check out the reviews of the 306 Fluval canister filters on Amazon. With 675 reviews, they score 4.5 out of 5 stars. I've had success with Fluval canisters for years! Remember, this is the same company that makes the Aquaclear HOB filters that are considered to be the best in the industry. Both Hagen and Eheim are two German companies that make excellent products.


Meh.. those reviews arnt that convincing for me... keep in mind hagen bought/aquired aquaclear..


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## Entz (Mar 19, 2015)

FWIW I have had zero issues with my 306. Restarts fine after it is unplugged. Definitely makes more noise then my classic did though. Hate the ribbed tubing with a passion (first thing to change). 

Seemed like a happy medium between a classic and a pro cost wise + has trays, hopefully that decision doesn't come back to bite me ><


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## onedollarinmywallet (Sep 24, 2013)

After going through all the reviews about the SunSun/AquaTop filters and looking at the various YouTube videos, I'm seriously considering returning m unopened Fluval 406 back and going with a SunSun/AT unit. I just hope the SunSun HW-404B model will fit under my tank in the cabinet, as it looks huge from the videos I've seen. Would a 404B be overwhelming for a 75G tank?

Any recommendations for the best place to buy them? From what i see, it's about $89.88 for SunSun HW-404B on Amazon.com and a few cents cheaper by the same seller on their eBay listing. This is without any media (e.g. carbon, bio balls, etc.) but does have all the included filter pads. The AquaTop CF500 is more expensive (about $130( but does include all the media. Would the AquaTop be better even though it's literally the same? Or keep my Fluval which I got for $150 (on sale)?


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## keymastr (May 25, 2015)

My 206 has been flawless for several years. Restarts fine after unplugging, is dead silent and primes easily. I had trouble with an air leak at the main o-ring but it was my own fault for not lubing it when re-assembling and stuffing a little too much media so the baskets did not fit quite right. Other than that it has been flawless.


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## LFM (Sep 18, 2014)

A LCF chain near me is having a going out of business sale and I believe the only canister filters they sell are Fluval x06's. I was thinking if the sale is good enough to try one out to merely to see if it polishes my water up since I noticed the Fluvals contain a really fine polishing floss filtration media. I already have 2 Eheim 2215's going on my 65g. IMO Eheims are the best canisters out there, super quiet and never have issues and indestructible.

My reasoning is why not try another filter to help polish up my water that has biological filtration and add more flow rather than something like an AQ quick filter especially if the sale price will be in the Goldie Locks range. 

These fluvals MUST


be super quiet
be reliable (as in won't leak)
do a great job at polishing water
for me to justify buying one even if it will be a great deal.


So...
I'm looking for final statements from both sides of the aisle before I cast my judgement on these Fluvals.
:smile2:


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## BigHildy53 (Dec 29, 2015)

I have an FX06 on my 75g planted. I can say for certain that the FX06 is not a good water polisher. It's a great water cleaner. When using the Fluval polishing pads in the FX06, I got micro bubbles in the tank from the canister return. I've only used Fluvals and haven't had any problems. I took a 406 I had in storage and added it to the tank specifically for water polishing. I have a tendency to overstock and hence I over filter because I have a sump also. But my water is crystal clear.


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## AndreyT (Apr 28, 2011)

Ranty threads like this are always choke-full of mythical problems, suggesting that the owner of the filter is living from some sort of parallel universe with different laws of physics. Classic examples of such problems include "airlocking" and "sucking in air". A canister filter cannot possibly airlock, unless you expose the intake to open air or forget to properly prime it. Canister filter cannot "suck in air", unless you expose the intake to open air. Basically, the only ways for a canister filter to fail are 1) the motor burning out, 2) seals developing leaks. If you are good on these fronts, any other problem is you doing something wrong. I have been using Fluval 306 since forever. There's never any problem. The impeller can be noisy after cleaning due to remaining air pockets (or some rare piece of debris making its way into the motor cavity), but this quickly clears out.

The only problem with this filter is lack of grip points for opening the canister. When the time to clean comes, it is hard to pull it apart without spilling water.


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## DaveK (Jul 10, 2010)

This post is directed to the op. Of course, others are invited to reply also. 

Once you have had a problem with a major piece of equipment and you can't seem to resolve it, I think your much better off replacing the offending product. This applies even if many other people are using the product with apparent success and have had no issues. You can sell the old one to someone that really likes that product. They may have zero issues with it. 

Yes, it may be because of something your doing wrong, or because there was something wrong in the original product, but even if you find the solution, your never going to be really happy with it. 

Pick the canister filtration system you'd most like to have, and then ask about it here and see what others think. Then make your purchase. As you have seen just about every one has an opinion on which canister filter is "best". Pick the one that is best for what your application is.


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