opinions on Fluval U2 filter?

[Gingimaru]

hi all

i'm thinking of getting a fluval u2 filter for my 35ltr tank. it has a betta fish, some shrimp (red cherry and amano) and a snail (and apprently a lil snail that got in on one of the plants i bought recently sneaky lil bugger lol).

my main question is this: can you adjust the actual flow speed of the water on this filter? with having the betta we dont want the flow too strong as they need/prefer slow flowing water. i was thinking of setting it to the bottom outlet so that the water surface is stable so he can build his bubble nest. hes been trying recently but bless him it keeps breaking up. this could be because he doesnt know how to make them or that the surface is moving too much so i figured if i can get a filter that puts out water underneath the surface then he should be fine for bubble nests

hes been trying to build one for a few days now, attempts it a couple of times a day.

does anyone have this filter and can you let me know your experience with it?

 

[Gingimaru]

Anyone have any ideas at all? just an idea as to what its like would be nice. theres only so much the internet can tell you

 

[Gingimaru]

no one? not one person on these forums has a fluval filter? really??

 

[maestromad]

I have answered on my other thread. I personally find the bottom/top outlet too strong so use the middle one in my tanks. I have a U2 and a u3, I like the filter however the only other one ive tried is an interpret and that was super noisy

 

[Gingimaru]

I have answered on my other thread. I personally find the bottom/top outlet too strong so use the middle one in my tanks. I have a U2 and a u3, I like the filter however the only other one ive tried is an interpret and that was super noisy

cool thanks for replying. you have a betta dont you? hows the current from the middle spray bar for him? i remember you said he was just being sulky lol but does he get blown around at all when your using the spray bar?

i'm thinking of getting a U2 anything bigger and it would be bigger than my tank

 

[maestromad]

No the current doesn't seem to bother him at all he swims all over the tank. But believe me his name of mr grumpy really suits him!

 

[Gingimaru]

cool thanks for that! best info i've had so far!

i may have to get one.

gotta admit our betta can be a bit funny. if theres food in the tank and something else has it (one of the shrimp or the snail) he might bat em with his tail or flair a little lol. and hes still a lil uneasy with us as such. anytime we put our hands on the glass he looks at us real funny and then swims off lol

 

[maestromad]

Mines not interests in the other fish but gives me a funny look and goes to hide if I go near the tank!

 

[jondamon]

I use a fluval U2 in a 35 litre coldwater tank.

I would say that the upper and lower jets are quite powerful.

The spray bar is pretty ingenious as it has 3 positions you can set it too. Straight out or 45angles each side. So depending upon mounting position it could spray straight out or 45 left or 45 right if mounted vertically or of mounted horizontally it would spray upwards or downwards as well as straight.

2 poly pads each side of the biomax cartridge, easy cleaning, just tip remove cartridges rinse and put back.

good filter IMO.


Jon

 

[Gingimaru]

cool thank you you've both helped me decide to get one well that and my boss lol should be picking it up next weekend.

one thing though... would you recommend i put it in my current tank and use it as a secondary until its fully seeded and can handle my bio load? or should i cycle it seperate to the tank? i have a free tank at the mo to do this

 

[jondamon]

You could share the media between both filters to seed the new and then run the 2 together for a month or so.

I wouldn't spend 8 weeks cycling a new tank that nothing's going into just to get the filter and BB working.

Or you could try transferring all your existing media into your new filter, which if you manage to get ALL the media put into the U2 then in theory this should instantly keep cycling as it has been prior to putting the U2 in the tank.

I run both the U2 and an EHEIM AQUABALL in my 35litre. I ran them both for 1month together to mature the U2 biomax media and pads before switching out the sponge from the Aquaball for Phosvec phosphate remover.

It's really up to you how you want to make the change. Just be careful of removing the old filter before the new one is mature enough or your tank will go back into a small re-cycle.


Jon

 

[Gingimaru]

that was my main concern really, removing the old filter before i put the U2 in and the U2 not having a ful compliment of BB. the one i have at the moment is a HOB filter that came with the tank so its ok, but doesnt seem too great, doesnt seem to get much of the suspended detritus out of the tank, most ends up settling on the plants leaves n such.

i dont think i would be able to put my media from my old filter into the new one, i can give it a go but i dont think it will.

my idea overall for this little endevour is to get rid of the HOB filter so i can move my heater closer to the middle of the tank (where my HOB filter is now) which frees up some space so i can put the U2 near the front of the tank as such and this should hopefully do up the circulation of the tank so not as much crap ends up on the gravel, but at the same time wont move the surface too much for my betta

 

[jondamon]

Looks like running both together for a while might be your only option then.


Jon

 

[Gingimaru]

yeah possibly. i reckon i'll try get at least one of the filter pads from my HOB filter into the U2, i reckon i could fit some in, if not i could cut the ceramics out of it and just put the ceramics into the U2 as a bit of a boost of BB then just use an old and new pad in the old filter, whilst running the U2