There's something fishy going on ... (Hagen Fluvial 3 Plus)

Member Name: chrischuff

Product:	Hagen Fluvial 3 Plus
Date:	27/03/09 (82 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, effective, readily available

Disadvantages: Has a tendency to get blocked

I have been keeping tropical fish now for a number of years, and have used many different types of filter including several Fluvals which I still use.

Filtration is essential for keeping tropical fish - It constantly cycles the water removing impurities and fish waste, without which the water would soon become toxic


The FACTS

Hagen Fluval(not Fluvial as spelt above) internal filters are one of the most commonly seen in your local fish shop, and are often bundled in with an aquarium of small to medium size.


They come in several different sizes, as follows:
(*note* LPH denotes Litres Per Hour, the maximum volume of water that the filter can turn over each hour)

Fluval 1 Plus
200 Lph
Suitable for <45 Litres aquarium

Fluval 2 Plus
400 Lph
Suitable for <90 Litres aquarium

Fluval 3 Plus
700 Lph
Suitable for <130 Litres aquarium

Fluval 4 Plus
1000 Lph
Suitable for <215 Litres aquarium


These are internal filters and sit inside your aquarium fully submerged with only the power lead trailing out, I have seen them laid flat along the bottom although their correct position should be against one of the side walls with the water outlet just breaking the waters surface (for increased surface agitation, which helps to oxygenate the water)

The filters come with a small bracket that attaches to your inner aquarium wall with several suction cups, ensuring that it stays where its supposed to, the actual filter unit then slots into the bracket from above enable easy removal for cleaning without unsticking the bracket.

The main filter unit itself is comprised of the top pump section, which has a directional outlet (that you can move from side to side within about a 90 degree angle), and a flow regulator where you can adjust the strength of flow. There is also a small yellow flow indicator that lets you know when the flow is reduced and the filter needs a clean.

The top pump section clips easily atop the media compartment, which is an outer sleeve that slides off to expose the inner trays that hold your foam pads. Additional media can be sandwiched between the two pads such as active carbon or fine filter media.


My Opinion

Cheap to buy - These filters (and the additional media) are inexpensive and readily available from most good fish shops or online.

Simplicity - Very easy to set up and get running, and just as easy to disassemble and clean.

Effective - For most people with a small to medium fish tank this will provide all the filtration that you should ever need.

Longevity - I have several fluval filters, and they are all working as well now as when I first bought them several years ago - there's very little that can go wrong with them.

Issues - The only issue that I have with these filters is that they tend to get blocked fairly often, and you end up with slow water flow but this is easily rectified with a quick clean



Conclusion

You could do a lot worse than a hagen fluval internal filter, they work well and are cheap and very effective.
If you are thinking of buying a new filter for your fish tank my advice would actually be to try to get an eheim aquaball which does everything the fluval does but a bit better.

One tip I will offer, is always overfilter - Most people have more fish in an aquarium than they really should and by overfiltering you ensure that the water is kept fresh even with the additional bioload. eg if you have a 90l fish tank, I'd recommend the 3 plus

Summary: A good buy for any fishkeepers out there