[cardiacnurse55]

Let me tell you about my recent experience with fluval. I have be buying and using fluval product for 20+ years. I have always been happy with their products up until recently. A few months ago I found a new product at the local pet store, the Fluval Flora. I had to have one to try out. I wasn't very happy with their substrate, too light and fluffy, but I gave it a try anyway. I planted HC, Hairgrass, and a medium anubis in the background. The fluval power compact light that came with the kit seemed ok, not terribly bright though. I found that my plants were not pearling like I thought they should, so I bought another fluval power compact light as I had seen someone else do this from an internet post. Still no pearling after that second light was added. What could be wrong? I had 26 watts for an 8 gallon tank, this should have been enough. Well, the original light quit after just 4 weeks of use; the ballast, "wall wort", had given up. I needed light before my plants started dying. I went to wal-mart of all places; and found a 26 watt compact fluorescent light spiral bulb that was 6500k. Hmmm, would this work? I used a cheap drop light fixture and placed it just above the top of the tank. Within 15 minutes, my plants were pearling with oxygen bubbles. So, if your considering Fluval, you might want to look for another brand, it just isn't up to snuff!

 

[WallaceGrover]

So after 20 years of them working great, then one thing goes wrong and you judge them so quickly?

 

[Jeffww]

Why wouldn't I buy their filters, light fixtures, media if their florescent light isn't good? Condemning an entire line of products because you had a single bad experience with not a single product but a single part of a single product is kinda over reactionary. On top of that...Pearling isn't a sign of healthy plants. It's a sign of photosynthesis...If I were to stop dosing all my fertilizer but cranked up the CO2 on my tank..my plants would be dying but they'd probably pearl down to their very last breath. My second qualm is that you bought the product knowing you'd be disappointed with one aspect of it already so you were going in wanting to dislike it. Oh and fluval has issued some statements regarding their fixtures. They came faulty...and asked for a recall. You could have gotten a bad one left over.

 

[1987]

Let me tell you about my recent experience with fluval. I have be buying and using fluval product for 20+ years. I have always been happy with their products up until recently. A few months ago I found a new product at the local pet store, the Fluval Flora. I had to have one to try out. I wasn't very happy with their substrate, too light and fluffy, but I gave it a try anyway. I planted HC, Hairgrass, and a medium anubis in the background. The fluval power compact light that came with the kit seemed ok, not terribly bright though. I found that my plants were not pearling like I thought they should, so I bought another fluval power compact light as I had seen someone else do this from an internet post. Still no pearling after that second light was added. What could be wrong? I had 26 watts for an 8 gallon tank, this should have been enough. Well, the original light quit after just 4 weeks of use; the ballast, "wall wort", had given up. I needed light before my plants started dying. I went to wal-mart of all places; and found a 26 watt compact fluorescent light spiral bulb that was 6500k. Hmmm, would this work? I used a cheap drop light fixture and placed it just above the top of the tank. Within 15 minutes, my plants were pearling with oxygen bubbles. So, if your considering Fluval, you might want to look for another brand, it just isn't up to snuff!

First post, and they just joined...probably just needed to vent haha...

 

[mistergreen]

Interesting first post in this forum.
As for forum rules, you can critique a product but not a whole company.