Caryl Posted March 7, 2004 Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 I have had a gutsful of my canister filters. :evil: "Buy quality!" everyone says. "Eheim and Fluval are best" they say. The Fluval 404 has a broken impeller - AGAIN. This is the 3rd one in as many years. The impellor seems to come away from the magnet. When it is going the water flow leaves a lot to be desired. It pumps well for 2 or 3 days then drops to half what it should. The Eheim wet/dry 2229 went well for 6 months and now won't pump the water in wet/dry mode. You can stop it then start it again and it will go for an hour or so then stops again. The motor doesn't stop, just the water flow. Grant is searching the Eheim site trying to find an answer. It is not covered by warranty because it was loaned to us by someone who had bought it 3 or 4 years ago and had it sitting unused in his wardrobe ever since. We are in a quandry because he will want us to pay for it but we don't want to buy it when it doesn't go properly but can't give it back because it is now faulty At the same time, my good old AquaClear 500 has been working away steadily for 8 or 9 years now and never missed a beat! The only problem I have with them is the noise of water falling back into the tank from the overflow. I dislike filling the tanks too close to the top as they make an awful mess during earthquakes. Will have to get onto building some sump filters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish_Tank Posted March 7, 2004 Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 the only external cannister filter i have used is the fluval 203 and i think it goes great soooooo simple to use...even i can get it to go :lol: sorry to hear about your bad experiances with the external cannisters. hope you get the eheim going again. good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted March 7, 2004 Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 It's too bad I can't get a stack of 403s. The 404s are a LOT worse to clean, but the 403s seem to run forever. I've been considering buying a couple more VA1300 powerheads to put inline with my 404s that aren't pumping well. That way it doesn't really matter how much water they pump. Though, I THINK, if I were to replace the impeller, shaft and impeller cover that should fix all the problems. Seems to me most of the problems are caused by the little black nipple on the top of the shaft wearing out so everything wobbles. Cause of some of the problems anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northland chic Posted March 7, 2004 Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 I got a fluval 103 with a tank I bought, liked it so much I bought a 403 off trade me got a bargain too $100 with shipping. I have never had problems and would reccommend them but I have only had them about 6-9 months so they could still break! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Posted March 7, 2004 Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 As money is a small problem I've got the cheepest cannester filters Viaqua and have had very little trouble with them. One or two of them the flow is not to good but i have put them on the smaller tanks. Cliff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wok Posted March 7, 2004 Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 Sorry Caryl about your problems I have to agree with Northland Chic in saying that Fluvals are great. I have the 203, 303 and 403 all of which are working fine. I have had the 403 working for the past 3 years without any problems. I clean it once every 6 months. as to fixes for your problem sorry can't help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted March 7, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2004 We have an older model Fluval 404 as well but had great difficulty getting the top off to maintain it. It took two of us to do it. This was why we bought the newer version (but not the latest one now out with the ribbed hoses). We got it at trade price at the time and it is easier to pull to bits than the earlier model but still a real hassle compared to the HOBs. It hasn't the flow rate of the older 404. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo Posted March 8, 2004 Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 We always use the eheim classics. They take about 10mins to clean which we only have to do every 10-12 weeks and impellors last years. We found the baskets in the 2213 a problem so ditched them and put the grills back in. No problem since. The wholesale price on eheim and fluval is very similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted March 8, 2004 Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 Little vaseline on the O-rings does wonders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted March 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 Thanks for the tip Ira but been there, done that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish_Tank Posted March 8, 2004 Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 I wish my powerhead would work as well as my fluval :evil: I think it has been taking lessons from your filers caryl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted March 8, 2004 Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 its always the way someone complains about their filter then mine plays up. My 304's flow rate has decreased now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted March 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 Now hang on guys, you can't blame me! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGilchrist Posted March 8, 2004 Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 you guys worry me, i have a new fluval 404 still sitting in box waiting for me to get act together and varnish stand for new tank let not caryl jinx it :evil: :evil: sorry caryl, had to :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kim Posted March 8, 2004 Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 look at the fluval head and take the impellor cover off if you see a light bolb shape indent in your filter where your impellor sits and water flow goes you have the updated modle if you dont all i can say is junk junk junk, i dont like fluvals but thats my opinion, as for your eheim just phone warren from brooklands and ask him how to fix it he should help you. vai aqua's are great about the best out there at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted March 8, 2004 Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 Via Aquas the best out there? NO. Experance from person to person is often different but Ehiem have it, easily. I doubt you would find a person with a Ehiem filter that would trade it for a Via Aqua, but how many with Via Aqua would trade for an Ehiem... My 404 has been running for over 18 months without problem and I would consider buying one again but I would probably get the Ehiem and be done with it. Pies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midas Posted March 8, 2004 Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 ...but is the price difference between a VA and an Ehiem really worth it? Not in my books. I'd swap my VA for an Ehiem only if I didn't have to pay the price difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pies Posted March 9, 2004 Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 I don't dissagree, Ehiem stuff is VERY expensive. The problem is one of durability and longlevity. I know someone with Ehiem pumps running submerged in saltwater for over 7 years and run 24/7. Still going as well as the day he brought them. Other brands don't have those claims (or no were near as regulary) like Ehiem does. Sure you can get 2 via aqua for 1 Ehiem, but over 10 years you may need 6 via auqa to do the same as the 2 Ehiem, this the Ehiem does work out cheaper. It is a gamble though. I brought ALL ehiem for my marine setyup, 7 pumps in all, 12 months not a single problem so far (fingers crossed). Pieman. PS: Anyone willing to swap a via aqua filter for a ehiem PM me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeCee Posted March 9, 2004 Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 So I'll count myself lucky that my tank came with an eheim - not out of guarantee yet so I'll stay quiet on performance until then - in my experience most electrical appliances seem to have an in built breakdown mechanism timed to go off the day after the guarantee runs out. :evil: Pies - your site is just tanfastic - full of the WOW factor IMHO - I just loved the facial expression (do they really have them?) on the first bicolour blennie picture. He looks like he needs a hug. A first time viewing for me on many of your fish - what an awesome line up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kim Posted March 9, 2004 Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 they have had a few problems with them, yes ehiems are great i have one that is 30yrs old and still goes, but i think the older modles of the ehiem are better than the newer ones, as for the v/a well i have had one for 6yrs now and i have put them on most my tanks and even my dad who was a true ehiem lover uses them he has over 30 of them the only problem we have come across is the taps and they are $6.90-$8.9 pair, every few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted March 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 Interestingly enough since posting we have actually managed to get the Eheim going properly and it has continued to do so (so far). Still have to get another impeller for the Fluval though. It is an older model as it was bought about 4 - 5 years ago. They had just bought that model out and we got it because it was easier to remove the top when cleaning. They have since bought a newer one out with the ribbed hoses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joze Posted March 9, 2004 Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 only positive thing I can say about the fluval is that it runs slow enough in the small guppy growout tank to keep the water warm without a heater and not suck up the fry. Tech specs fluval 404 $400 original cost, $600 parts credit card? over the limit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aqua Posted March 30, 2004 Report Share Posted March 30, 2004 Caryl - I had the same problem with my Fluval 304 (back when I had a tank *sniff sniff*)... The little white boot on the impeller shaft thingee that sits in the magnet thingee had fallen off (sorry to be so vague, but it's been a while since I thought about it! I can't even remember how it was fixed! I think my partner at the time managed to fix it somehow... he banished me from the kitchen while he was fiddling with the filter, so I had NO idea what he did! I think it had something to do with the little boot... :-? Anyway, I'm Back!! muwaahha, I'll put a post in the welcome forum, just as soon as I get home, I'm at my boyfriends' house listening to his jazz band practice at the moment! 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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