Eheim vs. Fluval showdown

Originally posted by GulfCstAquarian
...fill the container partway and hold it sideways for 20 minutes
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No, no, no.... Please make it easy on yourself.. Fill it to the top. Then put the lid in place. Use the prime 'pump' after it is running. You WILL need to shake the Fluval from side to side - not violently - but just enough to get the air that's inside the canister to the top and out into the tank. It's easy, it's just air that is also causing the noise. It needs some mild shaking.... Let it sit for a few minutes, shake again. (no this is not part of a Shake-N-Bake recipe, just tips Fluval decided not to tell us..) :)
 
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Originally posted by Mr. Pez
I must agree with GulfCstAquarian. The Fluval 403 is a poorly designed canister filter.
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Whew.... Glad I didn't get a Fluval x03 series, but the 404 is a good canister filter. I Do Not like the corrugated hoses! :mad:
 
I guess eveybody has there own trials and tribulations with filters. Personally, I have nine fluvals. 7 of them are 404's. Not one problem with them other than a broken latch when i first put one of them together. I just cant see spending 250.00 for an eheim pro that filters the same gallonage as a fluval that i can get for 100.00, minor problems notwithstanding. To each they're own as long as the water is clear and the fish are happy and healthy. That's the whole point of the filters anyway. The bonus comes when you're happy with the price you paid and the results you get IMHO.
 
Just chiming in...

I've got a Fluval 104 running on my 20L. The filter is what I would call silent. Put your finger on it, and there's barely a vibration.
My one complaint (and what makes me want to investigate other brands sometimes) is their water shut-off system on the hoses!
They have a spring-loaded stopper valve that is supposed to close when you take the hoses off. Well, let's just say my trumpet snails have other plans! Their shells jam up in there, and I have to fuss with it to get the water to stop when I do a water change.
I must say, aside from that, it is a wonderful filter. I could probably rip out their water stop system, and put in ball valves, and I'd still be $$$ ahead against an Eheim (nothing against them)
 
With regards to the comparison between the Fluval *03 series and the *04 series, the *04 is not simply an alternate choice to the *03, it's the replacement for it. Because of the design flaws so many of you have pointed out, the *03 has been discontinued. Any that you might still see on LFS shelves are just leftovers from warehouses. As I understand it, the *04 was specifically designed to compete with the Ehiem Pro's. (and the comparison between the Ehiem Pro's and the older Fluval *03's isn't really a fair one. If you go back and look at the Ehiems from the era when the *03's were designed, you'll find that they too have many of the same faults; in fact, they're almost identical)
 
The aquastop clogging feature has been fixed on the newer Fluvals. They don't use the spring loaded gubbins - (yep, mine does the same - clogs and leaks), but instead have a lever that you lift up to stop the flow. It's designed so that you can only have the lever in the open position when the aquastop is connected to the filter head - you have to close the aquastop water valve lever to lift the aquastop release lever.
 
My biggest comment on the idea of a "showdown" between Eheim and Fluval is that you are going to have to run it for decades. Eheims last indefinitely. I have Eheim canisters in daily operation that are older than the company producing Fluvals.
 
Originally posted by hatton3
I just bought an Eheim 2224 for my 55 planted tank that already has a Fluval 304 as the primary filter. .... It will be interesting to see how efficient that each one is on filtering fine particulate matter ...
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Yes, it would be...

I compared the Fluval and Filstar, and I found the Filstar to filter better..
 
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