Fluval C3 Power Filter, Fish Tank Filter for Aquariums up to 50 Gal.

I've used many power filters and canister filters in the past and was really looking forward to adding the Fluval C2 to my small 10.5 gallon heavily planted aquarium. I've tried many AC (AquaClear) power filters in the past and they were my go-to, but after discovering Fluval had their own offering I had to try it.Since my tank is heavily planted, I did not use the carbon filter. Why? Because plants need carbon dioxide. With that said, if you don't use the carbon filter you basically have one step before you're ready to put it on your tank. Just rinse the whole thing and put the biological things into its basket. It's really a piece of cake. I added one extra step a few days after installing it and that was since I wasn't using the carbon filter I decide to open that bag up, dump the black stuff in the trash, heavily rinse it, and then put in my own biological substrates into it. I used my Eheim substrate and plopped it into the bag and voila, even more biological filtration!Pros of the Fluval C2:1. Awesome design with the water trickle and the whole removable cartridges for quick cleaning. The telescope design for the intake is really neat and something I've never seen before. This way you can get the exact height you want. The plastic parts of the filter also seem durable and strong unlike others I've tried.2. Very flexible. As I mentioned, there's a whole extra compartment (if you're using the carbon filter which I recommend against... sure it makes things pretty but I recommend growing plants in your tank because they add a whole new element and are great for the fish and water quality) and you can add in your own substrate into that area. You can even opt to use your own substrate in the little biological basket instead of the ones they give you. If you want, you can use your own sponges and stuff for the mechanical filtration but I think the one they give will last a long time if you just rinse it. I also use a pre-filter (Fluval's own pre-filter sponge they sell for their Edge lineup) because I have Red Crystal shrimp and I don't want any babies to get sucked into the filter. The pre-filter I recommend because it'll prevent the gross things to go in the filter, but will also be trapped to the side of the pre-filter (giving fish and shrimp something to nibble at).3. The water flow is very good and you can control it. I am using the C2 on a small 10.5 gallon tank filled with glowlight tetras and red crystal shrimps and I like to put the water flow to max during the day, then move it over to lowest when their lights go off. The extra flow I noticed make the fish more active (possibly more oxygen going through their gills?)Cons of the Fluval C2 (the one caveat; read this if you get a noisy one!)1. When I first got the filter I was pissed because it was indeed noisy. You could hear the movements of the spinning motor and I thought this thing was a piece of garbage. After 2 days of running it and listening to it (I keep my tank on my desk at my work so I sit next to it) I figured it would never be quieter and did some research online. Turns out this has happened to others. The solution? Lube up the motor parts! How? I used regular Vaseline (bought the travel size at my grocery store). Unplug and take apart the filter at a sink and have a bucket/large-cup handy. When you separate the motor from the rest of the filter you can remove the metal spinning thing. I went ahead and put a thin layer of Vaseline on the surface of that, but it was probably not necessary. The main culprit you want to lube up is the thin metal needle it attaches to. You could use a Q-Tip or thinly rolled up paper towel to get Vaseline around it. I also put Vaseline at the hole of the larger metal thing (the one you took off) and so when it was inserted into the needle the extra Vaseline would go over the needle. From there you could try out the filter at your sink (this is where you can put the intake into the large cup or bucket) and see if it's quieter. If it's still noisy, try again and maybe use more Vaseline. You can of course use better lubrication for water/aquariums but I read Vaseline is safe to use.After doing this the Fluval C2 was really quiet and perfect! Hopefully you won't have to do the above fix, but given the pros of the filter I wouldn't let that you sway from owning this gem. It's a quick fix and afterwards you have a great silent filter!

I have the c4.It's great and I have been in the hobby for over 30 years.I am using it on a 20 gallon tank.You can never have too much flow rate.To slow the turbulence I use a Fluval Edge prefilter, the flow adjuster and an aquaclear 50 foam sponge at the water output.Let me comment on a few negatives people have written about this filter.1) The water in my tank is crystal clear and as Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise said in "A Few Good Men" ...."It's that simple." "Are we clear?" "Yes, sir." "ARE WE CLEAR!?" "Crystal" ..... LOL,love that movie.To those who said the water is cloudy, yes, it was at first. I think it was because of the C nodes. You need to either rinse it clear for hours before using it or just let the filter do it in the tank. It took about 2-3 days to clear up but once it did, the water in my tank is crystal clear. I have been running it for 2 weeks and without the charcoal. I replace it with the aquaclear Biomax to increase the biological media. The Biomax and C nodes' fine powder dust clouded the water but like I said, it's clear crystal clear now. Just let the filter do it's job and the water will be crystal clear in a couple of days.2) My filter is so quiet that you don't know it's on. What I did was apply some vaseline onto the impeller shaft and into the hole of the impeller. I did this without hearing if it needed to or not. I just applied it before I used it. The motor has NO noise at all and the lid does not rattle. The only thing you hear is the water cascading out of the filter.3) The self priming issue is that you need to fill the filter box with water before you start it. Once it is filled with water, it will self primes when you plug it in. It will take about a minute to self prime as it sucks up the water through the siphon tube. To help the self prime and make it more efficient, I clogged the hole on top of the U intake tube. Now when you unplug the filter and replug it it starts right up without it needing to refill (self prime) the intake tube. If you do a water change and the water in the tank falls just above the bottom of the U intake tube inside the filter box you will need to refill the filter box otherwise it won't self prime. So add water into the box when you refill your tank and when you replug your filter, it will self prime.4) Try to buy the larger filter (C4) if you can. You can always change the impeller to the smaller impeller if you feel the flow it too much or modify it like I did with prefilter sponge and aquaclear 50 foam. With the bigger filter, it'll clean more and hold more beneficial bateria. And if and when you upgrade your tank, you won't need to buy a new filter. The impellers for the fluval C series and aquaclear are the same. Matter of fact, the motors are the same for all fluval C series and aquaclear except for the 110 model. It's the impeller that determines the flow rate and they are interchangeable between models and sizes except the 110.All the positives you've read about this filter is true.It's easy to clean, the red tab that notifies you that your filter foam needs cleaning is great; you are not stuck with any proprietary media which usually cost a lot more to replace; the foam pad and bio media DO NOT need to be replaced - just rinse the foam pad or bio media in used or dechlorinated water. They should last for several years. If you use activated carbon/charcoal which I don't, you'll need to replace them every so often depending on your tank load. You can buy any brand of activated carbon and put it into a nylon bag and it's save you money.Try to use a prefilter. It's attached to the bottom of the intake tube. It helps to catch the debris and uneaten food before it goes to the foam pad keeping it cleaner. It'll also increase your beneficial bacteria load and your fish will love to peck on it for the uneaten food. The only thing is that you'll need to rinse it once in a while or it will clog up completely and slow the filter down to a trickle. Just rinse it when you do your water change.Hope this helps.....may your fishes be happy and healthyUpdate: Feb 22, 2013. The filter is still going strong. The reading of the water has been 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 5 nitrate with weekly water changes. It would probably be the same with a water change every other week. And this is in a very overstocked aquarium. The only thing I need to do is rinsed the prefilter with every water change or it will clog up and restrict the water flow to a trickle and the water to the trickle part of the filter will not get any water. That's how good the prefilter is in catching the debris and keeping the foam and biomax clean. The red tab pop up device has never moved and when I check the foam it is very clean but I do rinsed the foam every 3 months and LIGHTLY rinse/shake the biomax every 6 months in used aquarium water. DO NOT buy NEW foam or biomax. Just rinse them. They will last several years if not forever especially if you use a prefilter and the prefilter does not need to be changed just rinsed also. I had to clean the impeller just recently since it wouldn't start back up/spin. It had a lot of slime. I just rinsed off the slime from the impeller and shaft and reapplied some vaseline and it was of and running like new. The water is crystal clear also.Update: Jan 13, 2015. The filter is still going strong. Still quiet as when I first bought it. I have upgraded my tank to 25 gallons and it's still working like a charm. I have not bought any replacements, just rinsed the prefilters, pads, biomax, c nodes and impeller. My readings are still 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and 5 nitrate and I'm changing my water once a month and sometimes once every two months (getting lazy). This is a great filter.Updated.... Feb 22, 2016. The filter is till going strong. Quiet as when it was new. I did replace the form as it was wearing down from squeezing it when I clean it. All the bio medias are still in good and hasn't broken down. M water reading are the same. Changing water less frequent. Getting lazy because of the good water quality from the filter but not good for the fish which needs the minerals from new water and removal of nitrates.Update.....2/6/2019. The filter is still going strong. Have not replaced any parts except for the foam that i mentioned before. The motor is still quiet and pumping like new. The biomedia are still intach and have not broken down. I have not been as diligent in chaging the water as before. Been changing the water about every three months and the numbers still reading 0,0,5. Upgrading the biomedia and using the C4 will do wonders for your aquarium and ease maintenance care.