:headbang2:I'M INTERSETED IN PURCHASING A FLUVAL 405.. I NEED MORE INFO AS HOW THIS SYSTEM WORKS....ANY SPECIAL CARE INSTRUCTIONS... ALSO NEED TO KNOW IF THIS SYSTEM USES FILTERS IF SO ANYONE WITH INFO REGARDING PRICE RANGE ALSO WOULD IT WOULD IT BE A GOOD CHOICE FOR A 55 GAL TANK. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR ANY INFO.....:headbang2:
FLUVAL 405
- Thread starter flexxdasoul
- Start date
The Fluval 405 is a replacement for the 404, which most people have mixed oppinions about. Most of the time, the o-ring that seals the canister fails and starts to leak. A leak in any canister would be a disaster if not caught, you could lose many, many gallons of water onto the floor, possibly damaging the stand, flood, carpet, etc. In worse cases, fish may die from lack of water and/or filtration.
The 405 goes for $200 at Petland, but should be cheaper elsewhere, like on ebay or other large retailers. I would imagine that you can purcahse a new one for $150, or a used one at $75-100.
The "system" does use filters. There's room for 4 foam pads, and 4 compartments for filter media. You can pick and choose the type of media you wish to use. Most would use BioMax, charcoal, Pre-Filter, and BioZorb. Each has it's own abilities and purpose, you should look into those more yourself to see what type of fish you are keeping.
The 405 is rated for 100 gallons, would be sufficient for a 55. You could also get away with a 305, but would require more frequent maintenance.
The 405 goes for $200 at Petland, but should be cheaper elsewhere, like on ebay or other large retailers. I would imagine that you can purcahse a new one for $150, or a used one at $75-100.
The "system" does use filters. There's room for 4 foam pads, and 4 compartments for filter media. You can pick and choose the type of media you wish to use. Most would use BioMax, charcoal, Pre-Filter, and BioZorb. Each has it's own abilities and purpose, you should look into those more yourself to see what type of fish you are keeping.
The 405 is rated for 100 gallons, would be sufficient for a 55. You could also get away with a 305, but would require more frequent maintenance.
You can get the manual from the Hagen site.
http://www.hagen.com/pdf/aquatic/Fluval_series5_manual.pdf
What's in the box
http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/product.cfm?CAT=1&SUBCAT=107&PROD_ID=01002160021501
I've got two. One in service on a 55g full of goldfish and one new in the box.
I lilke mine, I've never had any trouble with it, except when it set dry for a couple of months. Lubed the gaskets and placed back into service, had a bit of water for about a day from the main seal, but the catch pan handled it.
There are two layers of coarse filter before the baskets.
I like the baskets, the 405 has 4, each divided in half. Each basket holds about 0.7 - 0.75 liters. I've got two baskets of media, one basket of filter material, and one empty.
This thread has someone taking a 404 apart for cleaning. Same unit, older model.
http://www.thegab.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6113
http://www.hagen.com/pdf/aquatic/Fluval_series5_manual.pdf
What's in the box
http://www.hagen.com/usa/aquatic/product.cfm?CAT=1&SUBCAT=107&PROD_ID=01002160021501
I've got two. One in service on a 55g full of goldfish and one new in the box.
I lilke mine, I've never had any trouble with it, except when it set dry for a couple of months. Lubed the gaskets and placed back into service, had a bit of water for about a day from the main seal, but the catch pan handled it.
There are two layers of coarse filter before the baskets.
I like the baskets, the 405 has 4, each divided in half. Each basket holds about 0.7 - 0.75 liters. I've got two baskets of media, one basket of filter material, and one empty.
This thread has someone taking a 404 apart for cleaning. Same unit, older model.
http://www.thegab.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6113
I have a 405 on my 75g along with a C-360... nice filter easy to clean... I use bio-rings in 3 of the 4 baskets and filter floss in the 4th one. No need for the carbon except to remove meds...
You can buy them new in a sealed box off ebay for about $100.
You can buy them new in a sealed box off ebay for about $100.
I have two 405 on my 90 gal. They are easy to clean and do a good job of keeping the water crystal clear. I have Biomax in the top two trays and Prefilter ceramics in the two bottom trays.
Most people have 'mixed opinions'? How so, and where are you getting your stats? 'Most people' is a pretty BIG generalization...
My 404 ran for 6-7 years with no problems...still works, but I upgraded to to 405, as I didn't know how much life was left in the 404.
Only gripe I have with the 404/405 is that the clips that hold the impeller cover in place always seem to break and need to be replaced. Good filters, though.
In my trays I have a ceramic pre-filter in the 1st, then floss, third is empty (but sometimes used for carbon) and the top is bio-max.
The biggest thing about the 04 series from the 05 series is the 05 series has MUCH better clips that hold the hoses to the edge of the aquarium. The newer one is a bracket instead of basically rubber bands.
Some people say that Fluvals suck. (Opinions about canister filters are as varied as they come.) My opinion is they are great filters that I have had great luck with.
Some people say that Fluvals suck. (Opinions about canister filters are as varied as they come.) My opinion is they are great filters that I have had great luck with.
