Fluval Canister Filters - Fluval 304

This is my favorite filter to date. I admit, the older models were frustrating, but Hagen has fixed many problems. First, and foremost, the filtration is excellent. The water is directed in an efficient manner throughout the filter, forcing it through a lot of customizable media.

With 4 foam cartridges down one side of the canister to remove large debris, and 3 media baskets with 2 compartments each, this filter is perfect for those who continuously change their filtration methods based on the situation.I cannot overstate the convenience of these baskets...

Second, the ease of cleaning. Lift one lever and the tubes detach and cut off the waterflow with almost no spilling. Lift the large clamps on the sides and the top comes off...rinse the foam, change basket media if necessary, scrub inside and reassemble. It's really designed well for quick cleaning. The whole process only takes a few minutes. And it's convenient enough to do something quick, such as removing a carbon pack, or putting one in...which, for a canister filter, is really nice.

Third, it primes itself easily. Just clamp the tubes with the one lever...and water begins to flow in. Pump the primer thingy, and you can get a lot of air out. Plug in and your in business. I admit, thumping the canister and angling it to get the rest of the air out is annoying, but only takes a minute...seems like forever if you have it placed under your tank, making the whole process awkward. Oh yeah, moving the filter from tank to tank is easy.

Now the cons...whoever designed the output tube should be shot. Mine keeps falling off. It's just not tight enough to stay on...you see, it just slips inside another tube and is held in place by friction. Yes, I could easily fix this, but I figure I'll wait for enough build-up of minerals, or whatever, to increase the friction and let it correct itself. But that's really the only complaint right now.

For a planted, 280 Liter tank with only a few gold tetras, rams, koolies, and a few zebra plecos...it's overkill...but I don't care...I love it...I'll post future problems as they occur...and maybe swindle my friend to buy an Eheim...those seem like quality filters as well...and some day I'd like to check em out.

So if you want that your fish have one of the best filters in the world grab yourself a bargain on eBay by following this link. This filter wont disapoint you!