Question About Fluval 4+ Filter

[simon10]

hi i have recently purchased a Fluval 4+ Filter for a tank which i am going to purchase soon. i plugged it in today and it makes a really loud noise...is this right? also when you put it into the tank do you hae to completely submerge it or leave the top sticking out of the water? i do have more questions but i will wait until i have these questions cleared up, anyone who has a fluval 4+ already in there tank and would be willing to supply me some pictures of how i should put it into my tank when i get it would be great,

cheers

 

[forby3]

if you turned it on without being in the water it will make a noise lol and the filter can be put all the way in or used just on top of the water your choice

 

[hollanda88]

if you turned it on without being in the water it will make a noise lol and the filter can be put all the way in or used just on top of the water your choice

Yeah don't turn internal filters on out of the water, it knackers the impeller with uneven weight distribution. If you have a small part poking out of the water, the bit with the air inlet you will have bubbles, up to you

 

[simon10]

if you turned it on without being in the water it will make a noise lol and the filter can be put all the way in or used just on top of the water your choice

ye i turned it on out of the water but the noise was really loud! so i could put it fully in the water or leave the top out. Also i dont understand what it means about the polyester pads, its saying i can put them in but will have to change them regularly?

sorry i dont know anything as i am new to the hobby, thanks

 

[Bobtastic]

I don't think that you should really run filters without water in/around them, not for more than a minute or so anyway. From doing a search on Google it seems like it is an internal filter (submersible) but I can't seem to find any picture of it in an actual tank... Does it not say in the instructions?

 

[loubega]

dont turn on the filter out of water, but if you have dont worry, unless you keep it running for a long time i doubt you will have any problems.

I have my filter outlet about half-way out of the water so to create bubbles on the surface of the water, however it will work just as well fully submerged.

 

[hollanda88]

I don't think that you should really run filters without water in/around them, not for more than a minute or so anyway. From doing a search on Google it seems like it is an internal filter (submersible) but I can't seem to find any picture of it in an actual tank... Does it not say in the instructions?

I have the fluval 2+ and u3 both similar filters, the 2+ is the same but smaller. What do you want to know?

The pads are the same as any other filter, just polyester pads, the bacteria grow here (if you don't know about cycling its pinned in the new to hobby section). I would have it colse to the surface so that it ripples it, resulting in a better gas exchange at the surface

 

[crazychris]

If it's working okay then I wouldn't worry tbh. Mine sometimes makes a noise after I've cleaned and re-assembled it. Think it's the impeller that can be noisy sometimes. The outlet should be just under the water.

 

[simon10]

I don't think that you should really run filters without water in/around them, not for more than a minute or so anyway. From doing a search on Google it seems like it is an internal filter (submersible) but I can't seem to find any picture of it in an actual tank... Does it not say in the instructions?

I have the fluval 2+ and u3 both similar filters, the 2+ is the same but smaller. What do you want to know?

The pads are the same as any other filter, just polyester pads, the bacteria grow here (if you don't know about cycling its pinned in the new to hobby section). I would have it colse to the surface so that it ripples it, resulting in a better gas exchange at the surface

so have the top bit of the filter (where the water gets filtered out from) in the top of the water, so it riples the water

 

[hollanda88]

I don't think that you should really run filters without water in/around them, not for more than a minute or so anyway. From doing a search on Google it seems like it is an internal filter (submersible) but I can't seem to find any picture of it in an actual tank... Does it not say in the instructions?

I have the fluval 2+ and u3 both similar filters, the 2+ is the same but smaller. What do you want to know?

The pads are the same as any other filter, just polyester pads, the bacteria grow here (if you don't know about cycling its pinned in the new to hobby section). I would have it colse to the surface so that it ripples it, resulting in a better gas exchange at the surface

so have the top bit of the filter (where the water gets filtered out from) in the top of the water, so it riples the water

Yep. Do you know about the nitrogen cycle, or cycling a tank?

If not you can read up about them in the new to the hobby section

 

[simon10]

I don't think that you should really run filters without water in/around them, not for more than a minute or so anyway. From doing a search on Google it seems like it is an internal filter (submersible) but I can't seem to find any picture of it in an actual tank... Does it not say in the instructions?

I have the fluval 2+ and u3 both similar filters, the 2+ is the same but smaller. What do you want to know?

The pads are the same as any other filter, just polyester pads, the bacteria grow here (if you don't know about cycling its pinned in the new to hobby section). I would have it colse to the surface so that it ripples it, resulting in a better gas exchange at the surface

so have the top bit of the filter (where the water gets filtered out from) in the top of the water, so it riples the water

Yep. Do you know about the nitrogen cycle, or cycling a tank?

If not you can read up about them in the new to the hobby section

yes i know about cycling

 

[hollanda88]

yes i know about cycling

Just chacking cos you didn't seem to know what the pads were, thought you were clueless sorry

 

[simon10]

lol ok! no its because i got like 2 white pads in the filter already, but there where 2 other different pads in a seperte packet, one black one white, just dont know what they are!

also it says i should use nitrafin cycle to speed up the process? is this just tap water conditioner? if so is it ok to use tetra tap water conditioner as this is what i have

 

[hollanda88]

lol ok! no its because i got like 2 white pads in the filter already, but there where 2 other different pads in a seperte packet, one black one white, just dont know what they are!

also it says i should use nitrafin cycle to speed up the process? is this just tap water conditioner? if so is it ok to use tetra tap water conditioner as this is what i have

AHHHH them pads lol, the white ones are just for fine filtering to make the water crystal clear they slot into the centre of the filter and the black ones are carbon which you don't want to use unless using meds they last about 3 days

EDIT: don't bother with the cycle stuff its a waste of time, its supposed to add bacteria to the filter but it doesn't, just use your dechlorinator

andrew

 

[loubega]

dont bother with the black and white pads, only need to worry about the spongey..material which is the filter media, this is where the bacteria will grow.

on my sig, in the corner of thetank you can see the filter outlet, i always have mine half in and half out of the water, makes the surface of the water turbulent and encourages o2 exchange.