Fluval 4 Plus - too strong?

[ajhainey]

I've got a new Hagen 1000 (100cm*45cm*40cm - 180litres) which came with a fluval4 Plus Internal filter....however even with the airflow feature off and on its lowest setting it seems mighty powerful - a raging torrent of bubbles takes up most of the middle of the top of the tank...

Does anyone else have one of these? Is it ok for my fish? (see .sig) They have to make quite an effort to swim against it and the supposed 'top level' guppies are down near the bottom of the tank with the tetras To give you an idea a food flake takes less 3 seconds to circle the top of the tank....

I could just be paranoid as my other tank is a biorb which has a very sedate current for some reason....

Thanks in advance (yes you guessed right I am a newbie)

aj xx

 

[smithrc]

hi... We've got the 1200 version with a 4+ in it...

it should be fine - we done use the air attachment, and the output nozzel is about 3/4 of an inch below the waterline.

Try lowering the filter in the tank. you might like to see what it looks like without the air bit on (the venturi) as just the movement at the surface will add enough oxygen to the water.

 

[Richard]

u could try turning the output nozzel to face the inside of the glass on the back that way it hits that and breaks the power yet still doing its job fully

Richard

 

[ste2k3]

if you turn that air on, that will decrease the flow through the filter, also, angle the flow towards the glass to diffuse it better.

ste

 

[ajhainey]

Cheers all - currently allowing a couple of new fish to setlle but will try pointing my filter at a wall in a couple of days - for some reason I assumed it had to point straight 'along' the tank in order to work properly....

aj xx

 

[ste2k3]

for some reason I assumed it had to point straight 'along' the tank in order to work properly....

as long as you are getting flow at the other end of thetank, then there shouldn't be a problem.

ste

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I have a fluval 4+ in my 160l and it's great. I also have a 4 in my 75l breeding tank and it's not too strong there.

 

[bpb21]

if you turn that air on, that will decrease the flow through the filter, also, angle the flow towards the glass to diffuse it better.

ste

I have a fluval 2 + and have been running it with the air feature on. Could you explain how this reduces the flow through the filter? I didn't realize that...

 

[rvm]

Fluval make a spray bar kit for the + filters as well, I had one on my 4+ until I got rid of it for an external cannister filter. that way you can use the highest setting without creating a huge current, and you can direct the spray upwards to agitate the surface of the water and create more oxygen exchange!

 

[xautomaticflowersx]

This might be a really stupid question, but I don't know all that much about filters! Does the Fluval Plus range need an air pump to work, or does it have an in-built motor thingy that does the job for it without needing a separate pump?

 

[Drill1234]

The Fluval Plus range are all self contained internal filters. They require nothing else to work. I put the spray bar on my Fluval Plus 4 because of the strength of the output and it has help alot

 

[Nidge]

u could try turning the output nozzel to face the inside of the glass on the back that way it hits that and breaks the power yet still doing its job fully

Richard

I totally agree, Thats what i do with one of my tanks. I have fluval 4 plus filters and think they are one of the best filters i have ever had. In another tank i have i point it down the middle and on the other side of the tank i have large build in filter and i basicly point them at each other and it creates a nice whirly kind of effect that looks good with my tall plants.