# Fluval 4 Internal Filter?



## Philip.Chan.92 (Apr 25, 2010)

First is Fluval 4 Internal Filter any good? Is $20 a good deal for a used one? Comes with media and perfect working condition.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

It's an internal filter. They're all pretty similar in terms of what you can get them to do if you Macgyver their insides. I don't imagine it's terrible. I also don't imagine it's particularly good. I say go for it, if it suits the needs of the tank you're setting up.


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## arc (Mar 11, 2010)

I've had a fluval 2 that works well but stopped using it a while ago. I imagine it would be great for shrimps but unless you have a fairly large tank, it takes up a lot of room in there and is quite an eye sore


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Internal filters are kind of a bleh thing... The main advantage of them is the absolute silence (for those who claim HOB's make noise... which I don't get) and the fact that you can put a tank right up against the wall. I have one tank like that, and it definitely looks like it 'blends into the room' a lot more than others. You also have other advantages, like it'll never spring a leak on your floor.

I've never met an internal filter that looked good in the tank. JBL makes a filter called the CrystalProfi which I don't believe is available in Canada but it's the most intelligent internal design I've ever seen.






Anyways, the bottom line is, is it a good deal for 20 bucks. Probably. My personal favourite internals are the tetra i range, but these suffer from a very badly designed pump that has a very small in aperature, and very very very tight spacing between the impeller and impeller wall as well as the impeller and shaft. This means it is much more prone to jamming than most, and a prefilter of some sort is wise if you're using the filter with sand. The advantage of the design of the filter is the bottom to top flow pattern and the large cavernous media cavity that you can fill with anything you want. Mine is filled with chopped aquaclear sponge cubes.


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## Philip.Chan.92 (Apr 25, 2010)

Is it ok to use in a tank with sand substrate?


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Philip.Chan.92 said:


> Is it ok to use in a tank with sand substrate?


I guess you'll have to find out


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## dl88dl (Mar 8, 2010)

Philip.Chan.92 said:


> Is it ok to use in a tank with sand substrate?


Depends on the high of your tank. Is the filter an older model? The older model's water intake is at the bottom with 260gph and the lastest model's water intake is at the sides and both models are 13" high. Anyway, $20 for the Fluval 4 Internal filter is great deal and a new one will cost you about $70. 
I am using one with a bare bottom.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

If you use it with sand just unplug it when you do a water change. Sucking up sand sucks. I've done it on a Whisper i and an aquaclear, and it's not fun in either case.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

If in doubt, I always go with an Aquaclear HOB. It hides behind your background plants and your background-plastic-thing and is out of sight. The only reason I can see for an in-tank filter is when you really have NO room outside the tank for a filter. 

I was tempted to go in-tank, but the tiny tiny biomedia chambers in these filters put me off of it. It wouldn't take much to block up the intake on this, and when you can't see the return water flow at all, how do you know it's working?

W


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