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Top-rated products
Customer reviews for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
The multi-stage filtration system utilizes the entire canister volume for radically increased water flow efficiency.
Overall rating:
(54 reviews) 51
46 of 54(85%)customers recommend this product.
Reviews for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Review 1 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
Highly satisfied
May 22, 2013
by davidgloworm
fromBeaumont, Texas
What is your gender?M
How many pets do you have?5 or more
How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly
Performance
Quality
Ease of Use
Reviewer Images
I have the 106 on my 20gal tank and a306 on my 50 gal.the water stays crystal clear and. What I enjoy most is the fact I don't have to buy chemicals for my tanks. My fish are healthy and my tanks are beautiful. You can't go wrong with a purchase of Fluval filters.
Pros: works great, easy to install, easy to clean
Review 2 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
January 25, 2013
by SuperBoss
fromNY
What is your gender?M
How many pets do you have?5 or more
How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly
Performance
Quality
Ease of Use
I have had the fluval 405 for about a year and love it! It is very well built and will keep your water clear and very healthy.
Pros: easy to clean, works great, easy to install
Review 3 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
Great product, mostly great instructions
January 20, 2013
by DustBoogie
fromLong Island, NY
What is your gender?M
How many pets do you have?5 or more
How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly
Performance
Quality
Ease of Use
I purchased this filter on Black Friday 2012. It was my first ever canister filter after running HOB filters for the previous year. Since then, I've bought another 306 and a 206 as well. I absolutely love these canister filters.
The instructions made it very simple for me to set up. The only part I missed was at the end before priming the filter. There is a red plastic piece on the aquastop valve along with a gray plastic piece. The red plastic piece snaps into place easily, but the gray plastic piece was very resistant to moving, to the point where I did not think I needed to do anything with it. The instructions did not say anything specifically about moving it.
I struggled with getting the filter started for half an hour before I threw caution to the wind and tried to bend the gray piece down. After a bit more pressure than I would have normally given, it moved down into place. This is very important - I believe this is the flow control for the filter. If it is not down, the water will not flow between the filter and the tank.
Other than this issue, I have had no problems with the filter, and once I knew about the lever it was no problem setting up the second filter. The whole package is very comprehensive overall and does its job extremely well.
Pros: works great
Review 4 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
Long time fan of Fluval!
January 7, 2013
by nursemom76
fromPA
What is your gender?F
How many pets do you have?5 or more
How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly
Performance
Quality
Ease of Use
I've been a fan of canister filters for some time. I have both a Marineland (for a 20 gallong) and a Fluval (for a 55 gallon) and I have to say I prefer the Fluval. They both work fine and filter water pretty much the same but the Fluval has much better water movement from the outlet hose. There's a nice current made in the tank that my oscars enjoy swimming through.
It's easy to set up and maintain, the compartments allow for lots of filter media. I can change out the filter media in maybe ten minutes and hook tubing back up and it's ready to go again. My water is crystal clear and there's very little debris in the tank.
Great product overall!!
It's easy to set up and maintain, the compartments allow for lots of filter media. I can change out the filter media in maybe ten minutes and hook tubing back up and it's ready to go again. My water is crystal clear and there's very little debris in the tank.
Great product overall!!
Pros: works great, easy to install, easy to clean
Review 5 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
Fluval 406
December 5, 2012
by jodiodo
fromNE
What is your gender?F
How many pets do you have?5 or more
How often do you shop at PetSmart?A few times a year
Performance
Quality
Ease of Use
Easy to set up, looks good in the tank, VERY QUIET...I got a Fluval 406, and I have it on a 55 gallon tank. I probably would have gone for the 306 if they would have had one in stock...this might be a bit of an over kill, but I would rather have too much than too little I guess. I can't hardly belive how quite this filter is! Outstanding. I have a little 10 gallon tank with one of those over the side filter systems and it is WAY loud, this canister is so quite, I find myself watching for water movement to see if it is running! It was very easy to set up, I like that you can have the aquaruim really close to the wall with this filter set up...Had a Rena Filstar and the rigid pipe set up made the space between the tank and wall quite a bit larger, so I am really pleased how slim and trim everything is. The parts that are in the tank are really easy to hide too. I am very pleased with the ease of set up, took about a half hour or so from unpacking the box to finish. So far very pleased!
Pros: works great, easy to install
Review 6 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
December 4, 2012
by fishman45
fromvictoria
Performance
Quality
Ease of Use
so ya, nice quiet, worked well till the seal stopped sealing the water in the filter and it ruined my 5 thousand dollar hardwood floors
Cons: didn't work
Review 7 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
Horrible Filter
October 31, 2012
by wayne64
fromlong island
Performance
Ease of Use
Im on my 2nd Fluval 205 in 2 years.. Everytime i open it I have to spend an hour trying to seat the top right so it doesnt leak.. Then if you lose power, the filter loses suction and it leaks.. Hurricane sandy just struck my area which we lost power. Again, 10 gal of water leaked out onto my floor.. If it didnt leak it would be a great filter, but thats not the case.. I just cant trust this product.. If you research it you will find im not the only one that has experienced this problem.. It's garbage!!!!
Review 8 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
My Fluval 105 is just the BEST!
September 1, 2012
by radiantsteve
fromApple Valley, MN
What is your gender?M
How many pets do you have?2
How often do you shop at PetSmart?A few times a year
I have been keeping fish - fresh and salt water - for over 30 years. It is amazing that I never tried canister filters til recently. A friend highly recommended Fluval so I installed a 105 on my 30 gallon fresh water tank a couple of months ago, not thinking it would make a lot of difference, but I have never had such sparkling water before. Maintenance is really easy and not nearly the mess I have dealt with using other types of filters. Tank is a well established tank so don't have experience in a new setup, but I would assume it would work well. Really like being able to custom the media easily and having the regularly needing maintenance sections easily accessable without disturbing the biofilter materials was just excellent engineering on Fluval's part. I have also noticed that my water quality stays a lot more constant with the 105. I still employ an undergravel filtration with powerheads, as I am a filtration nut, but I see no reason using just a canister won't work as well. If you are going to use just the canister for filtration, I would just make sure the size canister is a bit oversized for your tank capacity. No way am I going to have a tank without one from now on.
Review 9 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
fluval 406
August 19, 2012
by jasonmn
frommn
What is your gender?M
How many pets do you have?2
How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly
Reviewer Images
I have an African cichlid tank 55 gallon and this filter is awsome! i have 17 fish in my tank ranging from 2 1/2 inches to 6 inches and ive had this filter since march of 2012 and only cleaned it once with awsome water quality since march! i started with the marineland 350 and 400 on my tank and nothing but prob with water quality and changing filters all the time. As you can see had this filter for 5 months now and only one filter clean big differance buy this filter!
Review 10 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
Has power, quiet..... just be SURE you hear 'snap'
August 19, 2012
by TerrieC
fromTX
What is your gender?F
How many pets do you have?5 or more
How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly
I bought the fluval 406 canister based on several good reviews. While moving my 75 gal tank I decided to do away with the filter that hangs and wanted something hidden and more quiet. This one has got the power and it's quiet! I am amazed.... I hope it really does the job as it appears it will.
Just a warning!... it's only been a day and a half of use.. it has shut off on me several times. I keep taking it apart and redoing it... Only problem was that little gadget you snap into the underside of the lid. It said in the instructions you hear it 'snap' into place. I was using all my strength and couldn't hear it snap. The darn filter kept making a noise and would run awhile and shut off. When I opened it that little gadget was always laying there! Finally I got ticked off after the 4th try.. let me tell you YOU MUST HEAR IT SNAP! I put all my strength into it (at this point I had tears and was upset b/c I had lost an expensive/beautiful cichlid by now) I FINALLY HEARD IT SNAP and low and behold... got it back together, plugged it in and the power is great!! The frustration of that one little gadget just about forced me to go buy another filter that hangs (which I don't want!).
Review 11 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
Fluval 306
July 27, 2012
by cbright890
fromNew Orleans, LA
What is your gender?M
How many pets do you have?5 or more
How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly
I bought this filter about two months ago for my 44 gallon hexagon aquarium. For the past 10 years I have only used hang on back (HOB) filters. So I was a little intimidated at first. The setup looked a little difficult, but the included dvd walks you through step by step. I absolutely love that I can customize the filer media in any way that fits my tank best. Everything about the filter is well designed. I have sand as the substrate of my tank, so what I did was get a regular block filter sponge and drill a hole in the middle and out the end of the intake pipe in the sponge. It prevents any sand from getting into my filter, and acts as another biological filter. Change the media on a regular basis and this thing will probably outlast the tank.
Here are a few tips I find helps:
Use Vaseline or silicone lubricant on the o-ring to prolong the seal.
Fill the canister with tap water before plugging it in (saves priming time).
Here are a few tips I find helps:
Use Vaseline or silicone lubricant on the o-ring to prolong the seal.
Fill the canister with tap water before plugging it in (saves priming time).
Review 12 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
Amazing!!!
April 22, 2012
by BrandonS88
fromMichigan
What is your gender?M
How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly
Performance
Quality
Ease of Use
Reviewer Images
I recently started a new 55 gallon freshwater and originally started it with 7 fish (pleco, and platy's) with normal top mounted filter system. After awhile added some more fish (bala sharks) it seemed as if the tank was getting over loaded. We read a lot of reviews on the fluval canister's and decided to go with the new 306 series. after about a week the water is crystal clear and all the fish are hardy and happy! getting ready to start a smaller tank with the smaller fluval canister!
Pros: easy to clean, works great, easy to install
Review 13 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
406
April 10, 2012
by hobknobs
fromLakewood NJ
What is your gender?M
How many pets do you have?2
Performance
Quality
Ease of Use
I purchased the 406 model and what a difference, highly reccommend it
Pros: works great, easy to install
Review 14 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
Best Aquarium Investment I've Made!
March 11, 2012
by Fishboy58
fromOviedo, FL
What is your gender?M
How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly
Performance
Quality
Ease of Use
Can't say enough about the Fluval filters. I love the media tray concept and how it allows you to customize how you can setup your filter media. It's pretty quiet and my water clarity and quality have improved so much since I've installed it. Maintaining it is quick and easy. Would definitely recommend this product.
Looking forward to buying and setting up a new larger tank and purchasing the 405!
Pros: works great, easy to install, easy to clean
Review 15 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
Low maintenance
March 1, 2012
by JoshuaG
fromSalem, Oregon
What is your gender?M
How many pets do you have?5 or more
How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly
Performance
Quality
Ease of Use
Once it is set up and installed you rarely have to do anything to it. The multiple media baskets make aquarium keeping all the less stressful. Especially when you combine one of these systems with a power filter. If you can use LEGOs you are more than capable of assembling and disassembling this filter for maintenance. The most difficult part is removing the top.
Pros: easy to clean, works great, easy to install
Review 16 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
Works great
February 11, 2012
by JasonM
fromDover, DE
What is your gender?M
How many pets do you have?1
How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly
Performance
Quality
Ease of Use
I have a semi-aggresive community tank, and most of the fish are messy eaters. I bought this filter as a secondary to my power filter. This filter proved to be far superior to the power filter. Takes a little time to set up, but works great. Crystal clear water, and the fish are loving the "current" that it's producing.
Pros: works great, easy to install, easy to clean
Review 17 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
Great Filter
October 22, 2011
by bruce920
fromRowlett, Texas
What is your gender?M
How many pets do you have?5 or more
Performance
Quality
Ease of Use
I was reluctant to buy another Fluval only because the last one I had was very difficult to get the top off of. In fact, the first time I ever tried I cracked the casing but it worked so I never took it back to the store. That said, they seem to have fixed that problem. I bought a 305 back in July and I really like it. It's easy to clean and easy to prime when I hook it back up and there are lots of different ways to use media. The only caution I would have is to make sure that you use enough tubing. I cut it a little bit short but managed to jerry rig it so that it works. The DVD is kind of useless because most tanks are set up against a wall and you don't have all the room that the DVD suggests you might. Other than that, it was easy to install. I'd buy another one. And by the way, it's really, really quiet.
Pros: easy to clean, works great
Review 18 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
Fuval 305
October 14, 2011
by Tatt
fromRaleigh, Nc
What is your gender?M
How many pets do you have?1
How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly
Performance
Quality
Ease of Use
I have a 60 gallon tank overstocked with Malawi Cichlids and love this filter. Many have complained about the orings failing, but if you put vasoline on the ring everytime you change your filter you will NOT have a problem. The quick release valvue keeps you from having to reprime everytime you open the canister. I do not think that it is too hard to clean. Use the quick release valve and move the canister to the sink and open. After that you just have to slide out the media compartments rinse and refill. I am shocked that so many say it is hard. This canister filter is whisper quiet. Wish it came with longer hoses, but other than that no complaints. I would reccomend this filter to everyone.
As for the install, it took me about 25 min to have it up and running. I suggest filling the canister with water from the sink instead of just priming. Will save you a lot of time.
Pros: easy to clean, easy to install, works great
Review 19 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
Had high hopes
August 14, 2011
by fargo701
fromFargo, ND
What is your gender?M
How many pets do you have?5 or more
How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly
Performance
Quality
Ease of Use
Overall it wasnt a bad filter, it was fairly quiet and did its job, but it was quite difficult to clean and after only 3 months or so the o-rings on the intake and output lines started to leak
For the price I would much rather have the more reliable, more efficient Rena XP series
For the price I would much rather have the more reliable, more efficient Rena XP series
Cons: hard to clean, Hard to Install
Review 20 for Fluval External Canister Aquarium Filters
Overall rating
Poor Quality, Poor Reliability, choose another
July 31, 2011
by boborr7
fromDetroit, MI
What is your gender?M
How many pets do you have?3
How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly
Performance
Quality
Ease of Use
I admit I read the reviews which were marginal and I still bought this filter 2 months ago. I thought if I read the directions throughly and was carefull I would avoid the pitfalls but Nooooooooooooo.
Everything worked at first but it seemed that I had to change the filter components such as; foam filters, carbon, etc... quite often to keep it running effieciently but perhaps having goldfish warrented changing the filter mediums more frequently.
I started noticing intermittent leaks here and there everytime I changed out the filters. Those intermittent leaks turned into failure of the seals for all of places where you have cheap plastic parts and o-rings, pretty much the whole thing.
The last failure resulted in massive leaks and lots of water on the floor. No amount of jiggling or adjustment can fix cracked and fatigued cheap plastic. My advise.... don't buy any Fluval Filter system. They have a poor design that is destined for failure. You may also notice a wide assortment of pricy filter mediums for Fluval, Normally that is a good thing but the operative word of "pricey".
The one "Glorious" aspect of this whole experience was PetsMarts customer service. "Outstanding" is all I can say. The took my Fluval back and allowed me to upgrade to MARINELAND Magnum 350. So far, it has better qualtiy parts and the design seems alot better.
So if you are looking at cannister filters, stay far, far, far away from Fluval, unless you like cheap breakable parts, and expensive replacement filters. Based on my experience the life expectancy of a Fluval is 2 months.
Cons: hard to clean, Hard to Install, didn't work