Fluval 405

[vitacrux]

UPS just brought my fluval 405 today. ( only a day late haha) are there any common pitfalls when installing these I should be aware of? I've heard some people don't like carbon, any pros or cons to it?

 

[jcolon]

Good choice ... Most members w/ 305 - 405 don't do carbon at all
Except when they need to remove meds. After a while, the carbon stops chemical filtration and becomes part of biological filtration.

I still have carbon on my 404 before I joined AA, by now its biological filtration.
Some members put pre-filter in the bottom canister, bio- max in the middle and poly-fill / polishing pad in the top chamber.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

That's a great filter (I have the 305) and I'd suggest saving your carbon for when you need to remove meds. If you put poly-fil in the bottom tray, it'll catch all the gunk the sponges can't before it fouls your biomedia in the upper trays.

 

[mfdrookie516]

When you set it up, suck on the intake hose and get it full... that will make priming so much easier. Just make sure to shut the valve off, and have a bucket to catch any water that spills

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Or you could take tank water fill up the tub, seal the top and you'd be 90% primed. That what I do during PWC and can cleanings. Works great for me.

 

[mfdrookie516]

Yeah, that's fine when the hose is full of water... Not much help when it is brand new. That's the only way I do it when I clean mine.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

That's how I started mine up the first time, only took a few primer pumps to get it going. Getting most of the air bubbles out was easier than expected too.

 

[avonsurfernc]

I love my Fluval 405. I do not use carbon in mine either. I have no odors coming from my tank as a result.

 

[jdizzle3id]

I have a 405 and I'd say it takes me about 40 min on average to get the POS primed after i do a water change. I hate this thing. I'm not sure what the "primer pump" does on your 405, but on mine, all it does is start building up air pressure on the supply side. When the air pressure gets high enough it blows off the check valve end cap and scares the sh** out me and the fish.

 

[Fishguy2727]

What check valve end cap?
Are you filling it before you try to start it?

 

[avonsurfernc]

I absolutely love mine. I don't know what you are talking about either. Mine is so simple when I do my clean out. I simply unplug unit lift the shutoff valve, take lid of clean sponge, replace, flip valve open ,prime and plug in ....done.

 

[bif24701]

I have a 405 and I'd say it takes me about 40 min on average to get the POS primed after i do a water change. I hate this thing. I'm not sure what the "primer pump" does on your 405, but on mine, all it does is start building up air pressure on the supply side. When the air pressure gets high enough it blows off the check valve end cap and scares the sh** out me and the fish.

Has to be an older model, I've not had any problem priming my 305.

 

[avonsurfernc]

I am with you Bif....mine is awesome it literally takes seconds. I will never buy anything but a Fluval canister filter. My water parameters are excellent because of it.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

I have a 405 and I'd say it takes me about 40 min on average to get the POS primed after i do a water change. I hate this thing. I'm not sure what the "primer pump" does on your 405, but on mine, all it does is start building up air pressure on the supply side. When the air pressure gets high enough it blows off the check valve end cap and scares the sh** out me and the fish.

Once setup you shouldn't even have to prime it. Fill the tub with cured water reconnect the hoses and it'll prime itself. Where's the check valve? My 305 (smaller version of 405) doesn't have one.

 

[mfdrookie516]

Once setup you shouldn't even have to prime it. Fill the tub with cured water reconnect the hoses and it'll prime itself. Where's the check valve? My 305 (smaller version of 405) doesn't have one.

The check valve is in the intake. Both my 305 and 405 have one. It's right at the strainer. Probably a 3/4" white ball. But, it still dosn't make sense. I've never had any issues like that. My guess is it's the technique, not the canister.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

I didn't see any reference to it when I set it up and even when I was tilting it and kinda banging the can to release the micro bubbles it didn't stop the flow. Guess I'll have to look for it when I do maintenance on it the next time .

I think you're right about "how" you service it.

 

[Gnarls Gnarlington]

That's a great filter (I have the 305) and I'd suggest saving your carbon for when you need to remove meds. If you put poly-fil in the bottom tray, it'll catch all the gunk the sponges can't before it fouls your biomedia in the upper trays.

Poly-fil? What is that? I have the 405 and I don't see that as a Fluval product option.

I am setting up a tank and just started a fishless cycle yesterday.

I have the stock set up (carbon, carbon on the bottom... Biomax, Biomax in the top two trays).

The water is crystal clear!

I have a 500g box of more Biomax (they seem larger than the stock ones).

What should I swap out if anything?

50 gallon, freshwater with plants (one day).

 

[Fishguy2727]

Any 100% polyester floss/filling can work as a fine mechanical media. I use pillow stuffing crammed in as tight as I can get it in the bottom tray. You don't need carbon. I would return the Biomax and fill the third tray with Seachem Matrix, it is a better biomedia than Biomax. So the trays would be: top three: Biomax/Seachem Matrix, bottom: 100% polyester pillow stuffing OR filter floss from the LFS OR Fluval's fine/polishing pads (the most expensive option).

 

[jcolon]

Any 100% polyester floss/filling can work as a fine mechanical media. I use pillow stuffing crammed in as tight as I can get it in the bottom tray. You don't need carbon. I would return the Biomax and fill the third tray with Seachem Matrix, it is a better biomedia than Biomax. So the trays would be: top three: Biomax/Seachem Matrix, bottom: 100% polyester pillow stuffing OR filter floss from the LFS OR Fluval's fine/polishing pads (the most expensive option).

Fishguy2727 set up is the way to go IMO. If your water looks clear now, try some Poly-fill in the bottom tray and then compare. One week after I first used it, I checked and was surprise ... close to shock really at how much gunk it captured. Mind you this is micro stuff that gets by the 4 mechanical filter pads. Overnight I noticed my water looked clearer than usual.

Forget Fluval's polishing pads ... a waste of $$$$ IMO. A bag of 100%
poly-fill can last you months at a fraction of the price.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Yep, they got it right. Poly-fill in the bottom tray is the main point so it catches gunk the sponges can't and keep it from clogging the biomedia. Best part is you can toss/replace poly-fil each time you service the filter and not watch $10 go in the trash can.