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fluval 406 or fx4

soggybongo

soggybongo

Member
Joined
5 Aug 2018
Messages
243
Location
Bradford
hi guys, im hoping someone can point me in the right direction here.

dilema is the two filters i have narrowed it down to is either 2x fluval 406 or 1x fluval fx4.

i want to use 2x sets of glass lilly pipes along with an inline defuser and an inline heater.

with the 2x 406 i can directly replace the pipe with clear hose without any additional connections also have the co2 defuser attatched to one filter and the heater to the other filter.

with the fx4 i would have to source pipe connection reducers also splitter for both inlet and outlet as not to restrict the flow. however the fx4 also comes with a drain and refill connection for effortless water changes.

lighting is 2x kesell a360we

the reason for fluval is simple really my lfs stocks them both and have spares readily available.

the tank will be situated in my living room so quietness is a must to keep the wife happy.

price wise the fx4 is around £60 cheaper than 2x 406 but after buying connections/ reducers will be roughly the same price

the other option is going for a single oase biomaster thermo 600 as this has the internal heater, easy prefilter cleaning and attatch a inline co2 defuser. my only gripe with this is obtaining spares quickly. again this filter with additional heater will cost around £260 and is slightly down on flow compaired to the other filters.

which one or two do i go for???
 
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dont know if the flow will be overkill though having 2 x 1450lph filters, i know the flow will be reduced going through external heater and lilly pipes but still unsure.
 
I have never worried too much about spares... just get the product you want. If the filter fails then you can rig something up to keep plants and fish happy for a bit I'm sure. That said, having 2 filters surely gives you the best scenario as if one fails you shouldn't need to panic as the other will keep things going for you... I personally would put ease of tank maintenance first as this will encourage me to maintain the best water quality long term. Not sure if that helps, sorry!
 
You might get better advice if you link to a journal or summarise the setup you have or plan to have - it’s difficult to comment on flow unless we know the capacity of the tank but the rule of thumb here is to go for 10x capacity per hour e.g. for a 200L tank aim for 2000L/h flow but again it depends on how much planting you have and the type of fish you plan to keep.

With a pair of filters you could have high flow during the photo period and stop one of them during lights off. I have no idea if there is any scientific benefit in doing this but I have read in a thread somewhere that it might be a good thing. If you have the necessary plumbing in place it shouldn’t be too much trouble or cost to setup a drain and refil mechanism if that’s something you really need (anything to reduce maintenance time, especiallly on a large tank, has got to be a good thing in my book!)
 
I would maybe go for the 07 range. I've owned a 306 for a couple of years and would not recommend the 06 range. The filter in general is great for flow, but theres a couple of annoying things about it:
1) the ribbed hoses trap loads of dirt over time and release back into tank after doing maintenance etc.
2) not being able to see inside the pipes means you don't know when you should clean them, also trapping dirt means they will gunk up quicker.
3) the impeller cover is terrible, it keeps popping off if you don't wrap some plumbers tape around it.
4) it can be noisy when the impeller cover pops off which means the ceramic rod isn't being supported.
5) the aquastop valve seals on the sides will fail with use if you don't grease them up. They will end up dripping/leaking.
 
Have you considered an Aquael Ultramax 2000? You could maybe get away with one and all the pipework will fit as standard.

Fluval filters are great but the hoses are a major downside (and added expense in replacing them).
 
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