# Is Fluval the "Cadillac"?



## ahem (Dec 27, 2014)

Just started in the hobby in December. In shopping around I noticed that Fluval equipment, from appearances, seems a bit more "upscale" than other manufacturers. On Amazon their reviews are mixed. Are they like the "Cadillac" of aquarium equipment such as filters, heaters, and other systems they make?


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## Okedokey (Sep 2, 2014)

I wouldn't say they are. I think eheim are the top of the range imo. Fluval make good stuff but some garbage too.


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## Tylermn93 (May 25, 2013)

in my opinion eheim tops fluval in performance. Fluval may look somewhat more stylish but i believe from my experience using both brands the eheim performs better.


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## kep (Feb 3, 2015)

I think the majority would agree Eheim. 


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## aznartist34 (Nov 19, 2010)

Fluval is like the Acura of the hobby. They're good and look nice but just doesn't stack up against bmw/mercedes ( eheim products ).


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## chocological (Nov 13, 2012)

Eheim products are often plastic and kiiinda ugly looking. That said, the performance is like no other on the market. They definitely go for function over form.
I would say Fluvals are the Buicks, and Eheim are the Cadillacs. BMW/Mercedes are like the ADA Super Jets.


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## kep (Feb 3, 2015)

chocological said:


> Eheim products are often plastic and kiiinda ugly looking. That said, the performance is unlike no other on the market. They definitely go for function over form.



Agreed! Why do they insist on the ugly green tubes and in/out flow??



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## Matsnork (Jun 3, 2013)

Nothing beats the the eheim classic style of filters in the "external closed filter" category imho. Upgrade with some nicer looking tubing and glassware/steelware and you´ve got an awesome setup. Only upgrade would be an ADA superjet (or knockoff) but they are overpriced.


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## Vancat2 (Jun 23, 2010)

True story: 25 years ago I was shopping for filters in a LFS and the salesperson pointed out the Eheims as "The Cadillac of filters" to me. Been using them ever since, and couldn't agree more, except that I have doubts Cadillacs are the best cars out there today.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

More like a ford:
Fix Or Repair Daily
but the parts are not interchangeable.


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## aquarist (Aug 29, 2012)

Are you still looking for a HOB filter, like in your previous thread? If so I would suggest Fluval over Eheim, the main reason of this is the ease of use. Fluval has a large basket design and it is easy to make your own filter media from some quilt batting from Wal-Mart and just wrap which ever chemical media you want in it. I have been using the same two Fluval C4 filters for almost five years and have never had a single issue from them.

Eheim does make better canister filters, and I think that is why most people have suggested them in this thread. Personally I don't like Eheim or Fluval for canister filters, I go with SunSun. SunSun is an Asian company and they get a lot of flack of being "that cheap Chinese filter" but you cannot really judge a product on their price unless you've actually used one, they are some of the best performing filters I have ever used, a lot of my fish buddies also use them for their un-drilled FOWLR and Reef tanks and have had no complaints. I have been running a SunSun filter on my 75g display tank for almost 2 years now and have never had a single issue, they run so well I have actually thrown away my old Eheim and Fluval canisters and have replaced them all with SunSun. The only problem I have seen with them is when you get the canister with the UV filter, the glass outer shell to protect the UV bulb is often damaged, but this is from shipping. I personally wouldn't suggest getting the UV model, because it is a small UV lamp and the filters do have a high GPH flow. If you think about it the fish keeping and planted aquarium hobby is HUGE in Asia to where it is just a small niche market here in America and most of Europe, so it would be safe to assume that they do in fact produce good products, just look at all the ADA fan boys and all the shrimpers that love the Asian foods.


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## ahem (Dec 27, 2014)

Going to check out the eheims! 

It sounds like Fluval might be a little better on some equipment than say the brands you find at petsmart or in the Amazon "best seller" lists but that there is some "sleekness factor" that may cause them to be perceived better than they are. Probably bad terminology, when I said "Cadillac" I didn't necessarily mean the very best brand out there just one that was a cut ahead of say Aquaclear, Aqueon, Tetra, etc... It sounds like they are a little better in some categories and not in others, which might explain the mixed reviews on Amazon.

That said, after watching some vids, I am liking the Fluval C4 from reviews that Aquarist and a poster on a another thread recommended. It looks like a beefy well thought out filter.


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## Beefy (Mar 6, 2015)

ahem said:


> It looks like a beefy


Eh?

*

The whole debate really is akin to Ford vs GM - everyone has their favourites based on experience and biases. I'm an Eheim man, I will buy Eheim for my next tank, and I will recommend Eheim to others. Some Eheim models might be duds, I avoid those.

None of this means Fluval is bad.


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## Lowe (Nov 11, 2011)

I love all these analogies! I suppose Finnex would be the Honda Civic going off of what has been said. I'm not sure if that's good or bad.


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## ahem (Dec 27, 2014)

Lowe said:


> I love all these analogies! I suppose Finnex would be the Honda Civic going off of what has been said. I'm not sure if that's good or bad.


Hmm, I really like my Finnex but I am partial to German cars ;-)

It was probably a bad analogy. What I was trying to understand is when I look broadly at Fluval products should I assume a better build, lifespan, reliability, etc... It sounds like the answer is no that some of their products are a cut above and others are no better than competitors that don't use the pretty red colors. Their little tanks are also very pretty (was thinking of the 5G for a betta tank), that was leading me to believe them some kind of slightly upscale manufacturer.

Their 4C HOB does look a cut above other HOBs in category so am looking at that.


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## DevilDogDoc (Dec 12, 2014)

I have at the moment a Jebo, two Rena's and a Marine-land running. I had two Fluval 405's that were replaced by the Ml and a Rena. Nothing really wrong with them but I liked the other two much better. Fluvals tended to not always restart when unplugged and were picky about priming sometimes. Of all of the the Jebo and the C360 are my favorites. Easy to prime, easy to clean and dead silent. If I could get another Jebo I would replace my Rena L right now, good filter but a little loud since its out in the open on my 100. My other Rena is in a stand and is dead silent.


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## aquarist (Aug 29, 2012)

*Is Fluval the &quot;Cadillac&quot;?*

Jebo is SunSun just under a different name.


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## Lowe (Nov 11, 2011)

ahem said:


> Hmm, I really like my Finnex but I am partial to German cars ;-)


You and me both


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## Vancat2 (Jun 23, 2010)

I can tell you this, the Eheims run 24/7 for YEARS and YEARS.


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## DevilDogDoc (Dec 12, 2014)

aquarist said:


> Jebo is SunSun just under a different name.


I really don't think that's right. My Jebo looks nothing like the Sunsun, my understanding is the Aquatop and the Sunsun are the same but the Jebo is its own animal.


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## aquarist (Aug 29, 2012)

DevilDogDoc said:


> I really don't think that's right. My Jebo looks nothing like the Sunsun, my understanding is the Aquatop and the Sunsun are the same but the Jebo is its own animal.


I could be mistaken, I thought they shared some circulation pumps.


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## lksdrinker (Feb 12, 2014)

There really arent even as many brands out there as most might think. Hagen pretty much owns everything except for Eheim and SunSun!

Hagen now technically owns Fluval, aquaclear, and Marina not to mention a bunch of other pet brands that dont offer much to aquarists. Every wonder why the Fluval c4 HOB filters look so similar to the aquaclear? They're the same thing just with different colors basically. To go a bit further with that I'm sure there's not too many different suppliers that the main companies get their parts from anyway making them even more similar to one another. 

Dont worry too much about brand loyalty so much as getting a decent product at a good value. Just because an Eheim canister filter is considered "the best" by someone doesn't man a SunSun canister wont do as good of a job for you (at a fraction of the cost!). None of this equipment is going to be 100% fail proof and none of it will last for decades. Since its likely going to need to be replaced at some point (be it due to a failure or some new product that makes the old one obsolete....remember undergravel filters?) I'd rather save some $$ now with a less respected name if it'll do the same job. 

Of course there are certain circumstances where only the best will do and other circumstances where only the nicest looking product will do. But sometimes something that just works is all you need! Make those choices wisely; even if you do happen to have unlimited funds to work with!


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## klibs (May 1, 2014)

lksdrinker said:


> There really arent even as many brands out there as most might think. Hagen pretty much owns everything except for Eheim and SunSun!
> 
> Hagen now technically owns Fluval, aquaclear, and Marina not to mention a bunch of other pet brands that dont offer much to aquarists. Every wonder why the Fluval c4 HOB filters look so similar to the aquaclear? They're the same thing just with different colors basically. To go a bit further with that I'm sure there's not too many different suppliers that the main companies get their parts from anyway making them even more similar to one another.
> 
> ...


+1 excellent post


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## ahem (Dec 27, 2014)

klibs said:


> +1 excellent post


I second that!

Bump:


Lowe said:


> You and me both


Nice, the best of all worlds.


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## limz_777 (Jun 29, 2005)

go for any brand that has spare parts sold , if a particular brand doesnt have spare parts for their canister , to me its a buy and throw away canister


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## mattinmd (Aug 16, 2014)

lksdrinker said:


> Hagen now technically owns Fluval, aquaclear, and Marina not to mention a bunch of other pet brands that dont offer much to aquarists. Every wonder why the Fluval c4 HOB filters look so similar to the aquaclear? They're the same thing just with different colors basically.


While Hagan clearly owns aquaclear, and the C4 is very clearly based on the aquaclear, it is certainly more different than just colors. 

The way they're running water around inside the body is quite different, and the little wet/dry box is kinda cute...

(I have a C4, an AC20 and an AC70)

Otherwise 100% agree and excellent post..


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## goodbytes (Aug 18, 2014)

I just started using canisters last year after a over a decade of using HOBs purely based on cost. I now own three of the common larger canisters--a SunSun, a Fluval, and an Eheim Classic. I wanted an assortment of brands so I could judge them for myself based on the merits. The only one I don't own yet is a Rena FilStar. I can tell you this, the only one I probably wouldn't buy again is the Fluval and the only reason I own this one is because it was $70.00 off. I suppose I might get another one if they were having a crazy sale but even at $70.00 off the 306 is still slightly more expensive than the equivalent Eheim and doesn't come with or have the option to add a spray bar. My SunSun HW-302 does the job just fine as it is always filthy when I clean it every other month despite the marginal bypass between baskets. The Eheim has a better design permitting no bypass and consumes notably less electricity but it takes an additional 10 minutes to clean because it has no media baskets which is no skin off my nose. As far as I can tell, there is absolutely no reason for the Fluval to cost what it does relative to the other options. Its always more difficult to get the top off which makes me nervous and the media options are a bit less customizable in terms of first stage coarse sponges. Plus there are any number of reviews for the Fluval as well as the much cheaper SunSun that tell of a failure of the canister body itself resulting in an entire aquarium on the floor. You won't find any reviews like this for the Eheim which is why I lean towards buying Eheims exclusively in the future. 

So sure, Fluvals are the Cadillac of canister filters--flashy and overpriced. 
I'd much rather own a Subaru, to which Eheims are aptly comparable.


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## Twistofer (Mar 22, 2015)

I'm partial to Fluval and have run 202's (tells you how old I am) up through the new 406's. I've just purchased the Fluval FX6 canister as a supplement/backup for my 120 gal "soon to build" Amazonian Basin tank. I also have the new Eheim 1200 Pro, which is outstanding, but a bit more labor intensive with respect to maintenance.


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## Georgeh (Mar 23, 2015)

*Fluval*

Fluval is tops in my book. Been fishkeeping for 20 plus years and Fluval hasnt let me down (filters)


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## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

I've used both eheim and fluval, and I absolutely hated the fluval corrugated tubing. You can't easily plumb any inline stuff like co2 diffusers, heaters, uv, co2 reactors, prefilters etc. It becomes a huge PITA. The tubing also becomes a haven for detritus. I also found the trays lead to huge bypass of the water compared to the eheim classic line that forces 100% of the water through the media. That said, I love their HOB aqualcears, and I would be temped to try their fx6.


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## Twistofer (Mar 22, 2015)

exv152 said:


> I've used both eheim and fluval, and I absolutely hated the fluval corrugated tubing. You can't easily plumb any inline stuff like co2 diffusers, heaters, uv, co2 reactors, prefilters etc. It becomes a huge PITA. The tubing also becomes a haven for detritus. I also found the trays lead to huge bypass of the water compared to the eheim classic line that forces 100% of the water through the media. That said, I love their HOB aqualcears, and I would be temped to try their fx6.


That's why I re plumb the tubing. The ribbed tubing is good for hooking up the filter as an auxiliary filter. But, if you use it as a primary, you need to go to your local hardware store and get vinyl tubing. Except for the FX6, I'd be careful about using inline accessories. They might burn out the pump.


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## sumer (Feb 6, 2010)

Here, look at the Porsche 
http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?..._26_43&zenid=7f1c873022980e6e201a78f53936f52b


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## Okedokey (Sep 2, 2014)

some serious bollocks in the claims for those filters


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## vasol (Jan 22, 2013)

every brand has its strengths depending on the component. This is from my own experience:

Glass aquariums - ADA / Mr Aqua 

LED lighting - Finnex 

Filter - Eheim/Fluval 

All in ones - Fluval


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## TINNGG (Mar 9, 2005)

Hazarding a guess but the GREEN tubing is probably in futile hopes that it'll disappear into the jungle you're growing. But everything that goes in the tank is green - surface extractor, pre filter, spray bar. I object less to the fact that it's green than I do to the multiple shades of green. The transparent green is colorfast. The opaque fades.

Eh, my fluval is so old it came with normal vinyl tubing. Of course, it's my emergency back-up filter in the event the Eheim fails. It's on its second pump, you see. I can only speculate as to why the first one failed. I know it overheated and warped, but have no idea why. Not knowing the why of it makes me unenthusiastic about depending on it.

BTW, my "designer Honda" with nearly 300k resents being likened to a Fluval. It thinks itself more of an Aquaking.


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## Westone (Feb 23, 2012)

Recently I have made a couple of posts in other threads regarding my experience with Fluval. I bought a 406 last weekend to replace a Magnum 350 that I have been running for 19 years. $239US. Many people have had positive experiences with the 406 and Fluval in general. I read many reviews of the available brands before making a decision. The 04 and 05 series seem to have been of better quality as many posters like those units more than the 06.

I am returning it today and re-installing the Magnum. The Fluval apparently has a great deal of bypass as it is not filtering the visible particles from the water. And yes, I installed it according to the instructions using the Fluval recommended basic filtration setup that is included in the canister. It ships with the media baskets and foam already installed in the positions Fluval recommends, and that's how I installed it, after removing the media from it's plastic bags as directed by the instructions. (In case it's not clear, I did read and follow the instructions) The flow is good, just like the 350.

Frankly, moving from a decades old design to a brand new design, for the amount of money it cost, I was expecting more in terms of performance, improvements and build quality. Like some others I was a little taken aback at the cheap hosing provided and did not use it. The ribbed design, while quite flexible and easy to install, would inhibit flow (compared to a smooth wall hose) and it is brittle hard plastic. I would not trust it over the long haul to move hundreds of gallons per hour of water outside of my aquarium. I used a thick walled aquarium hose of the same ID.

One thing is certain, every brand has its followers and detractors. I just want something that works well for the money, is dependable and has spare parts available at a reasonable cost. The Magnum has spoiled me in those terms. It is a basic, simple design that works, requires no priming, and just keeps going. It's easy to maintain. And while the quick disconnect valves are an old design and not as convenient as the Fluval Aquastop valve, they are still convenient, and I bet will prove to be less likely to break than the Aquastop valve because of their simple design.

The bottom line in my experience is this: If the Fuval were filtering my water, I wouldn't be returning it and going back to the Magnum.


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## Aplomado (Feb 20, 2013)

Our Fluval LEAKED!!!

Bump:


TINNGG said:


> Hazarding a guess but the GREEN tubing is probably in futile hopes that it'll disappear into the jungle you're growing. But everything that goes in the tank is green - surface extractor, pre filter, spray bar. I object less to the fact that it's green than I do to the multiple shades of green. The transparent green is colorfast. The opaque fades.
> 
> Eh, my fluval is so old it came with normal vinyl tubing. Of course, it's my emergency back-up filter in the event the Eheim fails. It's on its second pump, you see. I can only speculate as to why the first one failed. I know it overheated and warped, but have no idea why. Not knowing the why of it makes me unenthusiastic about depending on it.
> 
> BTW, my "designer Honda" with nearly 300k resents being likened to a Fluval. It thinks itself more of an Aquaking.


The green tubing is to reduce algae growth, while still letting the tube stay clear.


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## TINNGG (Mar 9, 2005)

That makes sense actually. The old Fluval tubing I had was grey vinyl.

It never leaked, but it was only in use 6 months or so. I know we'd had a power outage a day or two before I noticed it wasn't working. I assumed it had lost its prime and since the tank was unoccupied (danged african cat killed everything I tried to put in with it before expiring itself), I just unplugged it. I discovered the damage when I got over my funk and decided to try again. If it was a case where it didn't restart properly after an outage, why?!

Noticed Penn Plax has a canister too. Wonder how long before they decide it's not selling and abandon it? I guess at least with a canister, you can get creative a lot easier with media.


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## Paul1792 (Aug 30, 2013)

mattinmd said:


> While Hagan clearly owns aquaclear, and the C4 is very clearly based on the aquaclear, it is certainly more different than just colors.
> 
> The way they're running water around inside the body is quite different, and the little wet/dry box is kinda cute...
> 
> ...


 *********
Out of the box, the fluval C series is the only HOB filter that will give you canister quality water.  I have one C4, two C3's and an AC50. There is no comparison in terms of filtering ability.

According to the manufacturer, an the A/C 70 is rated at 300 gph while the C4 is rated at 254 gph of flow. However, the AquaClear suffers from severe bypass issues due to holes on the side of the media basket so only about half your water is being filtered by mechanical filtration while the C4 filters close to 100%. :

The AquaClear will not give you crystal clear and polished water because the mechanical sponge is too coarse. About the only way to get the AquaClear to give you crystal clear water is to add tightly packed filter floss in lieu of carbon.

I use custom cut mechanical media including 50 micron polishing pads in my C's. I use Seachem Purigen in lieu of carbon in the chemical chamber and my water is crystal clear, sparkling, and polished. Here's some pictures with captions of what I use:

 http://s948.photobucket.com/user/Paul1792/library/HOB Filtration?sort=6&page=1


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## Ketaki (Mar 30, 2013)

I have a 1975 Eheim 388. It's still running just fine. Originally, I used it on a FW tank for several years, then later on my 55 gal. SW for at least 25 years. It sat, not running, for about 10 years, didn't clean it (thought I had). I plugged it in after washing out the canister, and it ran, quietly and smoothly! 

I did take it apart a month ago to thoroughly clean it, opened the motor cover, used a q-tip and alcohol, cleaned out the dust (had never been done). Then used sewing machine oil to lube the motor shaft (has ports to fill) and a few drops on the motor shaft itself. Opened the magnet housing, replaced O-ring. Cut off the dried hose from the connectors and replaced the 9/12 green hose (no algae in the hose, just a little in the connectors to the canister). Replaced the O-ring in the canister. All the hard plastic parts are still good (elbows, spray bar...). I'm putting it on the FW nano Bio-Cube 14. The Eheim 150 (2211) is going on a FW pico 4.5 gal hex.

I can get most parts from Eheim, USA, (and some on Amazon.com) and if they don't have it, straight from Eheim, Germany. I now own the Eheim 150 (2211) and a Fluval 206. I just bought the Eheim 150 for $65 on Amazon.com. I've recently noticed the Fluval doesn't keep my 20 gal turtle's tank as clean as I would like it to. Every time I open it to clean it, there is some gunk that bypasses the media. I may give up on the Fluval and get another Eheim.

I love my Eheim filters. Yes, the 40 year old 388 isn't as easy to clean, but it's not bad either. Let it drain out. Unsnap the 3 metal latches and gently pry apart the motor housing from the canister body. Just make sure on re-assembly that the O-ring is properly set. Snap it closed. It's never leaked; motor and magnetic bearing is so quiet, I have to check that it's still running. LOL!

Bottom Line: Buy Eheim, you are paying for German engineering. It is, IMO, the best there is!


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## TINNGG (Mar 9, 2005)

...wow. I know some think the pros have a lot of fiddly stuff to go wrong but other than the flow meter disintegrating, I've had no issues with mine.

The surface extractor is a PITA though. It does not like to be messed with, like, you know, when you steal the eggs laid on it by swapping it out with a standard intake. When I replaced it with the next water change, I woke up in the middle of the night to a strange noise - danged thing fell off and the filter was sucking air. Apparently I hadn't gotten it on good, but it's not an easy task - the thing comes apart with v. little effort.

Big Al's has a lot of parts but their shopping cart sucks.


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## Jcstank (Jan 3, 2015)

Eheim is so good that once you have one (except the Ecco model) you'll have no reason the buy anything else. I have the 2075 Professional 3 G160 and its dead silent, super efficient, and so far rock solid reliable. 

I would say its like a Toyota Avalon; luxurious, quiet, powerful, and reliable yet kind of ugly looking. 

Fluval is like Hyundai to me. Initial quality seems good and it seems like you get a lot for your money but in the end you get what you pay for and reliability is spotty.


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