I purchased the Fluval C4 about 3 months ago. Thus far it has kept my water absolutely crystal clear.
Overall: I'm very impressed and very pleased with this HOB filter. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a nice all-in-one filter with easy maintenance.
Here's a list of some nice features:
-Better use of the space available in the filter box compared to other HOBs Many other HOBs have dead space where there isn't any type of filtration happening. This filter has been effectively designed to allow maximum filtration in the space provided.
-Very nice all-in-one filter Mechanical, chemical, and biological filtration all efficiently incorporated into the filter box. The trickle chamber with ceramic media makes this one of the best biological HOBs out there.
-Still customizable Many people don't use carbon in their filters. The carbon slot is large and can be replaced with just about anything (e.g. more mechanical filter pads or extra biological media).
-Quality design & Easy maintenance All of the components fit snugly together, and it is very easy to remove and replace different compartments of the filter for cleaning.
-Cleaning indicator The filter has a built in cleaning indicator that pops up when the filter pads have become clogged causing the water level in front of the filter pads to raise.
-Flow regulator The flow regulator actually works! I've had many HOBs where the flow regulator is very crude and imprecise. The flow regulator on the C4 is VERY precise and easy to adjust.
-Extremely quiet
-Intake tube height is very easy to adjust Simply push up or pull down to get the intake exactly where you want it. No more adding or removing intake tube segments.
-The intake tube is black, and the filter is dark grey, which is much more aesthetically pleasing
Leave about 4" between the back of your aquarium and the wall to fit this filter on the back.
Hope this helped!
***UPDATE: 1/2/13***
I've had this filter running for 2 years now 24/7 and my above comments still hold true. I would buy this filter again if I was in the market for one.
It appears that there are several 1 star reviews on this filter now, the majority of which are due to the filter being broken upon arrival. Apparently the poor packaging makes these filters prone to breaking during delivery. It seems that most people get a product they are happy with, and an unfortunate few get a broken/defective product. Amazon has a great return policy and this should hopefully be resolved for any of those who receive a defective product.
the fluval c3 is a nice filter, as mentioned by many others, but i have a few issues with mine that i would like to point out. I had currently been using a whisper 20-40 on a 29 gallon, which was doing the trick, but wanted better filtration. the 5 stage c3 caught my eye, and it definitely is a unique filter all its own. here is a list of pros and cons i have made from my observations. please take note that these are based off of the filter i received:
first the pros.
5 stage filtration. 2 mechanical, i chemcial, 2 biological.
impressive design for a hob style filter.
filter rinse indicator on top of filter (mechanical section) which tells you when its time to rinse/change.
pulls apart easily for cleaning.
motor comes off for replacement(if you ever need to.)
in opposition to many other reviews, it is very quiet.
good craftsmanship, constructed nicely.
the concept of not changing all filter media at once is beneficial, and allows a more stable colonization on filter media.
then the cons.
maintenance. i seem to have to rinse the filter pad every 4 days or so. since so much is packed into such a tight space, be prepared to clean this one quite frequently.
the motor sometimes will not start up. i did however find a fix for this. stick a q-tip into the impeller to "jump start" it. not too big of a deal, but i would like it to start when i plug it in.
none of my local fish shops sell replacement filters for this model. i have to purchase them online, which is not a big deal if i order them ahead of time.
i started the whisper back up to over filter my 29, because i keep it busy (well stocked.) using the whisper has reduced time between maintenance on the c3, but it still likes to get dirty fast. the filter is nice, but im not sure i would buy another one due to the issues i have with mine.
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I really love this HOB filter. Some may argue but I think this is the upgraded Aquaclear. They use the same motors as the Aquaclears and have redesigned the internals as well as the external look of the filter. They really thought this HOB filter design thorougly. It is much sleeker and attractive than the older Aquaclears as you can obviously see, but works as well or better in my opinion.
Everything is designed with ease of maintenance and performance in mind. To clean it is incredibly easy. Each compartment of filtration is seperate and can be taken out easily as needed for maintenace. You don't even have to turn off the filter to maintain it. If you want to clean the mechanical sponge (the only thing I clean really) it's as simple as pulling up the back compartment which is seperate from the other compartments. Unlike the Aquaclear which you have to take out everything on top of the sponge first to get to the sponge which needs the most frequent rinsings. This makes for much easier regular maintenance than the Aquaclear.
The mechanical filtration on this filter is also upgraded from the Aquaclears. The sponge has a material similar to the Aquaclear's sponge but now also has a tweak/improvment made to catch the tiny particles that float around in your tank. It is a two part sponge fused together which is a coarse sponge with a material similar to polyfil batting attached into one. The mechanical filtration even has a indicator that pops up when the sponge needs rinsing.
If you choose to use carbon (I don't I filled that compartment with more biomedia) you just lift out the integrated wet dry and pull out the basket that holds the carbon and replace. Drop the basket that holds the carbon back in and put the wet/dry system back on top it's super easy.
Now we get to the integrated wet dry system. The wet dry system needs the least cleaning and no replacement. The only part that could use a rinse once in a while is the pad on top that keeps detrius out. Maybe once every six months to a year you could lighly rinse the biomedia in the integrated wet dry. This is what makes the system AWESOME. It is the first true integrated wet dry system on a HOB filter! It works amazingly for biological filtration and can even be used effectively to reduce nitrates with Seachems denitrate! To me this is the best and most ingenious part of this filter.
The Fluval C series also has an adjustable intake tube that adjusts to any height you want without having to deal with extensions that you may have to cut to the right length or add on in specific increments. I have to add how QUIET it is. It is SILENT. Well... at first it was a little noisy. Nothing unbearable or out of the ordinary with Hagen HOB's. Though after lubing up the shaft of the impeller with a little fish safe silicone lubricant or even vaseline it is incredibly quiet.
I would not consider the dependability a factor/problem as they use the same motors as Aquaclears which have a reputation for reliablility. The only complaint I have is that they don't make it in a larger size that could be comparable to the Aquaclear 110. If they made a Fluval C5 model I would be all over it! I definitely recommend this filter for all of you looking for a great (the best) smaller HOB filter on the market today. For larger tanks though I would still have to go with the Aquaclear 110 for its power. Buy it, set it up, lube the shaft (for quietness), and let it do its job. You won't regret it. There is a great and complete review on Youtube for those who need a little more convincing and are seriously looking to buy one of these awesome filters.
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I've used many power filters and canister filters in the past and was really looking forward to adding the Fluval C2 to my small 10.5 gallon heavily planted aquarium. I've tried many AC (AquaClear) power filters in the past and they were my go-to, but after discovering Fluval had their own offering I had to try it.
Since my tank is heavily planted, I did not use the carbon filter. Why? Because plants need carbon dioxide. With that said, if you don't use the carbon filter you basically have one step before you're ready to put it on your tank. Just rinse the whole thing and put the biological things into its basket. It's really a piece of cake. I added one extra step a few days after installing it and that was since I wasn't using the carbon filter I decide to open that bag up, dump the black stuff in the trash, heavily rinse it, and then put in my own biological substrates into it. I used my Eheim substrate and plopped it into the bag and voila, even more biological filtration!
Pros of the Fluval C2:
1. Awesome design with the water trickle and the whole removable cartridges for quick cleaning. The telescope design for the intake is really neat and something I've never seen before. This way you can get the exact height you want. The plastic parts of the filter also seem durable and strong unlike others I've tried.
2. Very flexible. As I mentioned, there's a whole extra compartment (if you're using the carbon filter which I recommend against... sure it makes things pretty but I recommend growing plants in your tank because they add a whole new element and are great for the fish and water quality) and you can add in your own substrate into that area. You can even opt to use your own substrate in the little biological basket instead of the ones they give you. If you want, you can use your own sponges and stuff for the mechanical filtration but I think the one they give will last a long time if you just rinse it. I also use a pre-filter (Fluval's own pre-filter sponge they sell for their Edge lineup) because I have Red Crystal shrimp and I don't want any babies to get sucked into the filter. The pre-filter I recommend because it'll prevent the gross things to go in the filter, but will also be trapped to the side of the pre-filter (giving fish and shrimp something to nibble at).
3. The water flow is very good and you can control it. I am using the C2 on a small 10.5 gallon tank filled with glowlight tetras and red crystal shrimps and I like to put the water flow to max during the day, then move it over to lowest when their lights go off. The extra flow I noticed make the fish more active (possibly more oxygen going through their gills?)
Cons of the Fluval C2 (the one caveat; read this if you get a noisy one!)
1. When I first got the filter I was pissed because it was indeed noisy. You could hear the movements of the spinning motor and I thought this thing was a piece of garbage. After 2 days of running it and listening to it (I keep my tank on my desk at my work so I sit next to it) I figured it would never be quieter and did some research online. Turns out this has happened to others. The solution? Lube up the motor parts! How? I used regular Vaseline (bought the travel size at my grocery store). Unplug and take apart the filter at a sink and have a bucket/large-cup handy. When you separate the motor from the rest of the filter you can remove the metal spinning thing. I went ahead and put a thin layer of Vaseline on the surface of that, but it was probably not necessary. The main culprit you want to lube up is the thin metal needle it attaches to. You could use a Q-Tip or thinly rolled up paper towel to get Vaseline around it. I also put Vaseline at the hole of the larger metal thing (the one you took off) and so when it was inserted into the needle the extra Vaseline would go over the needle. From there you could try out the filter at your sink (this is where you can put the intake into the large cup or bucket) and see if it's quieter. If it's still noisy, try again and maybe use more Vaseline. You can of course use better lubrication for water/aquariums but I read Vaseline is safe to use.
After doing this the Fluval C2 was really quiet and perfect! Hopefully you won't have to do the above fix, but given the pros of the filter I wouldn't let that you sway from owning this gem. It's a quick fix and afterwards you have a great silent filter!
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I have the c4.
It's great and I have been in the hobby for over 30 years.
I am using it on a 20 gallon tank.
You can never have too much flow rate.
To slow the turbulence I use a Fluval Edge prefilter, the flow adjuster and an aquaclear 50 foam sponge at the water output.
Let me comment on a few negatives people have written about this filter.
1) The water in my tank is crystal clear and as Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise said in "A Few Good Men" ...."It's that simple." "Are we clear?" "Yes, sir." "ARE WE CLEAR!?" "Crystal" ..... LOL,love that movie.
To those who said the water is cloudy, yes, it was at first. I think it was because of the C nodes. You need to either rinse it clear for hours before using it or just let the filter do it in the tank. It took about 2-3 days to clear up but once it did, the water in my tank is crystal clear. I have been running it for 2 weeks and without the charcoal. I replace it with the aquaclear Biomax to increase the biological media. The Biomax and C nodes' fine powder dust clouded the water but like I said, it's clear crystal clear now. Just let the filter do it's job and the water will be crystal clear in a couple of days.
2) My filter is so quiet that you don't know it's on. What I did was apply some vaseline onto the impeller shaft and into the hole of the impeller. I did this without hearing if it needed to or not. I just applied it before I used it. The motor has NO noise at all and the lid does not rattle. The only thing you hear is the water cascading out of the filter.
3) The self priming issue is that you need to have water in the filter box before you start it. Once there is water, it will self primes. It will take about a minute to self prime as it sucks up the water through the tube. To help the self prime and make it more efficient, I clogged the hole on top of the U intake tube. Now when you unplug the filter and replug it it starts right up without it needing to refill (self prime) the intake tube. If you do a water change and the water in the tank falls just above the bottom of the U intake tube inside the filter box you will need to refill the filter box otherwise it won't self prime. So add water into the box when you refill your tank and when you replug your filter, it will self prime.
4) Try to buy the larger filter (C4) if you can. You can always change the impeller to the smaller impeller if you feel the flow it too much or modify it like I did with prefilter sponge and aquaclear 50 foam. With the bigger filter, it'll clean more and hold more beneficial bateria. And if and when you upgrade your tank, you won't need to buy a new filter. The impellers for the fluval C series and aquaclear are the same. Matter of fact, the motors are the same for all fluval C series and aquaclear except for the 110 model. It's the impeller that determines the flow rate and they are interchangeable between models and sizes except the 110.
All the positives you've read about this filter is true.
It's easy to clean, the red tab that notifies you that your filter foam needs cleaning is great; you are not stuck with any proprietary media which usually cost a lot more to replace; the foam pad and bio media DO NOT need to be replaced just rinse the foam pad or bio media in used or dechlorinated water. They should last for several years. If you use activated carbon/charcoal which I don't, you'll need to replace them every so often depending on your tank load. You can buy any brand of activated carbon and put it into a nylon bag and it's save you money.
Try to use a prefilter. It's attached to the bottom of the intake tube. It helps to catch the debris and uneaten food before it goes to the foam pad keeping it cleaner. It'll also increase your beneficial bacteria load and your fish will love to peck on it for the uneaten food. The only thing is that you'll need to rinse it once in a while or it will clog up completely and slow the filter down to a trickle. Just rinse it when you do your water change.
Hope this helps.....may your fishes be happy and healthy
Update: Feb 22, 2013. The filter is still going strong. The reading of the water has been 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 5 nitrate with weekly water changes. It would probably be the same with a water change every other week. And this is in a very overstocked aquarium. The only thing I need to do is rinsed the prefilter with every water change or it will clog up and restrict the water flow to a trickle and the water to the trickle part of the filter will not get any water. That's how good the prefilter is in catching the debris and keeping the foam and biomax clean. The red tab pop up device has never moved and when I check the foam it is very clean but I do rinsed the foam every 3 months and LIGHTLY rinse/shake the biomax every 6 months in used aquarium water. DO NOT buy NEW foam or biomax. Just rinse them. They will last several years if not forever especially if you use a prefilter and the prefilter does not need to be changed just rinsed also. I had to clean the impeller just recently since it wouldn't start back up/spin. It had a lot of slime. I just rinsed off the slime from the impeller and shaft and reapplied some vaseline and it was of and running like new. The water is crystal clear also.
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I received the unit and plugged everything in and it worked well! For about a month. Then one light appeared to only turn on 1/2 way, then both lights a week or so later. A couple days after that, the light would no longer turn on. When power was cycled, it started to turn on, then went off. I assume that the ballast blew out.
