Any Fluval 404 owners?

[cometcattle]

I'm getting a 55g in a few weeks and I was thinking of running a Fluval 404 on it.

Are you happy with yours?

Any frequent problems?

Also, since I always like to have my tanks over-filtered, would I need to add a HOB, such as an Emperor 400 or Aquaclear 500, or would the fluval be enough?

I've never owned a cannister filter, so any input would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[breezer40]

I have several of the 404's and for the price I think they are great. The only problems I have are when cleaning is overdue..the flow of water reduces. A quick clean and they are back to normal.


In theory the fluval should be enough for a 55g however I have alot of plecs and they like a bit of a flow going on so I use another filter (another external fluval)along side the fluval. If you can put another filter in there than that would also ensure that if one did fail you are not left in a panic.

I would NEVER go back to using internal filters

 

[smithrc]

we're running a 304 on our 190l.

(its the same impeller etc just a different bucket)

ours does its job well... but i'm not convinced of its efficency.

we're running it alongside an internal Fluval 4+ and there is still a LOT of plec poo and plant debris that dont get removed.

 

[cometcattle]

Thanks for the replies, breezer40 and smithrc.

I think I will look at the Rena xP3.

 

[andyj]

also running a 304 here

vast improvment over the old Biolife filter I was running initially !!

if you're in the UK, the cheapest place I've found for 304's is 'Pets At Home', I got my 304 for £45 in there I've seen them priced upto £125 in LFS's !!!

edit: just seen that you're in the US, so ignore my comment above !!!!

 

[enchanted]

I would not ever recommend a Rena Product due to the lack of customer support and the continued insistance that every problem with any of their products is your fault, not theirs. I'm not the only one who has seen this either.

I own a Fluval 404 and recieved it used. Although recieved used and I told them they sent me out a free replacement clasp because one of mine was broken.

The impellers between the 304 and 404 are different because I had to order one recently and recieved the wrong one from Bigals. It said "304" on the bag and was a different size (slightly smaller) than the 404 one.

Personally I will be purchasing Ehiem in the future do to the track record and the integrated heater, but I will be purchasing a 304 for the tank I am putting together for my sister's family. I think they are a great filter for the price, depending on your needs and wants.

 

[rvm]

I have used Fluvals, Renas, and Eheims, and in order of best to worst, I would place them Eheim, Rena then Fluval. It's not that the fluvals are bad filters, just in the company of the eheims and renas, there is no competition!
Personally, I won't buy another external that isn't an eheim, but I wouldn't complain about the Renas. I am however in the process of slowly replacing my remaining 2 fluval filters with Eheims!!

 

[andyj]

if you're looking to sell your 2 fluvals, let me know, might be interested in acquiring 1 or 2 off you !!

 

[enchanted]

Just a bit of advice, don't guage the product only off the product itself. Base it off the company also. If you do some searching you will find that Aquarium Pharamcuticals seems to have a bad reputation for customer service (they make rena). Hagen and Ehiem both have excellent reputations for customer service.

Look at it from the perspective that sometime during your ownership of the filter something will go wrong, eventually, and you will need to contact the manufacturer. Even Ehiem owners sometimes have to contact Ehiem. Using this method and if you do your research not only will you end up with a good product, but also good support.

 

[cometcattle]

Thanks for the input.

 

[Leslie]

The Eheim price tag is daunting but you definitely get what you pay for.