Fluval 406 with awful flow...

[sundragon]

Originally Posted by Delexboarfoot

Err. No. The Fluval tubes that I am using are as supplied with the 406, not conventional filter tubing but the ribbed stuff. They are a good but looser fit than the Ehiem tubing as provided by Ehiem. Using the tube clip as provided by Ehiem I am unable to pull them off.

I am not sure that I should recommend this as a course of action as yet as it is early days and problems may still develop.

From one of your earlier posts I see that you do not use the Fluval tubing as it "reduces flow by design". (I feel you my be right).

I would double check your hose sizes if this is likely to cause you an issue.

Sorry, my bad - I'm using 5/8" clear aquarium tubing ~16-17mm equivalent.

I kept the Fluval tubing for the intake because it was an easy fix and disappears on the black background. I used to use the clear tubing with the lily intake till I broke it. The corrugated Fluval tubing is a crap magnet - it's flexible, and necessary if you use their intake plumbing but otherwise not optimal, IMO - smooth tubing is aqua dynamic.

[sundragon]

Just an update.

I serviced the filter today, along with my 50% water change.

A lot of debris in the bottom of the filter. This is a good thing, I want it to capture this stuff.

I noticed something when putting it back together, there isn't really a path for the water to go from the long sponges to the bio sponge at the bottom of the stack. There is a plastic wall that rises from the floor to keep everything stacked but no clear path to allow the water to enter the bio sponge and move up the column of baskets.

Can someone check this on their 405/406? I may have missed holes or something but I think this is why there is bypass, the water just goes where there's least resistance.

I didn't heat and bend the impeller cover back, I just cleaned it - I also cleaned the place it sits in the filter head. It was a little wobbly, but I wanna see how well this works...

2:00 minutes to fill a 5 gallon bucket before cleaning
1:50 seconds to fill a 5 gallon bucket after cleaning

Previously I had: 1:41 seconds - 178 GPH.

I hypothesize the impeller cover warping has something to do with this.

Well - If I can't DIY fix the issues, I'm going to put this on CL and sell it and replace it as soon as I can afford another brand that performs better.

[BoxxerBoyDrew]

Hey Guys,

I just saw and read threw this thread, and I am very surprised to hear about the problems with the 406 filters! I have 1-204 and 2-205, and they are awesome!!! Very quiet, strong flow, easy to clean, so no complaints here!

One thing I see different between the 204/205 and the 406 is the impeller cover! The cover on the ones I have are very hard clear acrylic, and they snap on both sides of the cover. On the first sponges (the tall ones in the plastic tray) the directions show to leave 1 side of the sponges sticking up above the tray. If I remember correctly it is the rear set. That is what keeps the water from bypassing them, because when I leave them sticking up like the directions say, when I go to clean the filter the next month the sponges are smashed down where they have been pressed down by the motor housing. I am not sure if the 406 is designed the same way, so take this with a grain of salt!

I am not trying to start anything here at all, but just trying to see if I can help! I really do hope Fluval isn't going cheap on us, since I have had my 204 for 7+ years now and truly love it! All I have ever had to do other than clean it was to replace the impeller last year, and I replace the tall sponges once a year too! That is it! I would 4 sure email or call Fluval and try to figure out a fix to your solution!!! Most manufactures I have dealt with are more than happy to get things worked out with their customers, because in this day and age a unhappy customer can spread the word to A LOT of people and quickly too!

So anyway BEST OF LUCK in getting this thing fixed!
Drew

[sundragon]

Originally Posted by BoxxerBoyDrew

Hey Guys,

I just saw and read threw this thread, and I am very surprised to hear about the problems with the 406 filters! I have 1-204 and 2-205, and they are awesome!!! Very quiet, strong flow, easy to clean, so no complaints here!

So anyway BEST OF LUCK in getting this thing fixed!
Drew

Hey Drew,

Thanks for the suggestions. I just did the trick with the sponges when I serviced it this time. Let's see how that works between this service and the next one.

Does the impeller cover for the 20x series work with the 406?

Have you taken a look at the bottom of the canister to see if there's a channel for water to flow? It may be different on the 10x/20x series of filters.

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