Customer Reviews

Fluval 305 External Canister Filter - 110V, 260 gallons per hour

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I currently own a 55 gallon tank with a pleco and an oscar, and this filter has kept my tank crystal clear since i got it. If you know oscars then you know how messy they can be. I highly recommend this filter to anyone with a 55 gallon tank. My roommate has a 150 gallon with 7 red devils and two plecos, and has the Fluval 304 (older model to this 305), and even his tank is clear, its not perfect but for being as clear as it is with only a filter made for a 70 gallon tank, i can honestly say that Fluval filters are GREAT products.

I purchased the Fluval 305 filter (from a different vendor) to replace an older Penguin 350. The install was in an established 55 gallon aquarium with two, 5 year old (mated pair) Jack Dempsey cichlids and several small Cory catfish. The set up was fairly easy and the water is now absolutely clear. The fish seem more active now, I'm guessing because of better quality water and the better overall circulation. The Penguin would do a good job of circulating water in one part of my (rather long) tank but the other half never got much flow. With the 305, I am able to angle the filtered water output so that I get total tank circulation. Also, the Fluval has much more filter media space and options, that makes a BIG difference. The price of the two above mentioned filters is way different. The Penguin 350 is a good filter, the Fluval is an excellent filter. The Fluval is truly worth the extra $$ and I would recommend the Fluval 305 to anyone. :)

Ken

Edit 12 Feb 2010 added:

As a FYI. The FLUVAL '3 Plus' filter pads WILL NOT fit this unit (too well, it is a little loose). You will want to purchase filter pads that says '204/304' on the package, and that works fine. The 204/304 media that I bought came in a two pack, four pads are required for a complete replacement. From my limited experience with this media - It is 100% reusable, can be rinsed, and is fairly rugged. You may not need to replace it, I like to have some replacements on hand 'just in case' ;)

ken

We bought the Fluval 305 to replace a Fluval 203 that we'd had for about 11 years. Based on the reviews, I was expecting a 10-minute set up. However, we encountered two unexpected difficulties, one minor and one more significant. The minor: the intake/output hoses are a single hose that users need to measure and cut to fit their own tank setups. Not a big deal for us but not what we were expecting based on our prior Fluval filter and definitely would be a problem for anyone for whom the distance from canister top to aquarium top is more than 3.75-4.0 feet. The more significant: the pump primer is very flimsy and, at least in our case, was not up to the task of creating enough suction to start the gravity-aided flow of water. Because of the large diameter of the intake/output hoses, neither was the suction bulb we used to use with the Fluval 203. However, it took hours of troubleshooting to ID the problem, in part because the hoses are opaque, making it impossible to see how high in the hoses the water is getting with the pump primer. Even then, after phone calls to the vendor and to Fluval, the best solution anyone could offer was to suck on the end of the output hose to get the flow of water started. Yuck. I did it this time, but I hope to find another way of creating sufficient suction by the time of our first filter change. That said, the filter is quiet and nicely engineered despite these problems, which is why I still gave it 4 stars.

I have had canister filters in the past but they have evolved so much since the last one I owned. The best thing this one has is the Aquastop connection that lets you disconnect the filter from the inlet/outlet pipes and holds the flow while you clean the filter. This is huge. It was a major pain with previous filters since you had to juggle the inlet/outlet tubes and usually spilled a lot of water getting it to the sink.
The stacked areas for the media are also nice as well as the easy replaceable but washable pre-filters. The unit is very quiet and the high flow output is also once you have the flow adjusted.
I have a 36G bow-front that has two ever growing Oscars with a couple of other Chiclids and the hang on filter that came with the tank just couldn't keep up. Even replacing the expensive filters twice a week didn't help.
I purchased the Fluval 305 knowing it was overkill for the 36 gal tank but it went from a foggy green mess to a crystal clear tank overnight. A weekly cleaning of the filter is simple thanks to the Aquastop connection and takes a minimal amount of time.

I have had this filter for almost a year and I have yet to find any fault with it. It holds lots of filter media (charcoal, ammo-carb, etc.) which gives it the ability I had hoped for - long intervals between maintenance. I currently have this connected to a 29 gal. tetra tank (the fish, not the brand) and while I know that this filter is over-sized, it provides great filtration and the high rate of water flow (I have it wide open) seems to please my riverine tetras and they will frequently play in the current (a habit that seems to be related to feeding - they grab food as it flows by). If I choose, I can use this for a larger tank in the future. The built-in primer pump is a great feature and makes it very easy to get a flow started. You will only need to use it once, unless you allow air into the intake line.

Setting up the filter will take some time. This is not a "hang on the back and plug it in" filter. You will find it much easier to install in an empty, or nearly so, aquarium. There are hoses to be cut and suction cups to hold them against the back wall of the tank. As you are cutting the hoses to fit, it will be obvious why this moves so much more water than the hanging style, and because you can mount the hoses at opposite ends of the tank, you will get superior filtration across the whole tank. I can easily go 6 weeks without a change - I have 45 tetras and one plecostomus in the tank, so it is not a light load. I check chemical levels every week, and have never had an increase in ammonia, nitrates, or nitrites. The water is crystal clear. If you are adding this to an existing setup, reuse the old water so that there is a good supply of bacteria. The filter media will hang onto some of the bacteria (as it should) leaving a shortage in the tank. All new water would be inviting an ammonia bloom, so pick up some ammonia neutralizer to have on hand just in case (not a bad thing to have in your permanent maintenance kit). Take a few minutes to understand the logic behind the media placement, and you will be able to fine tune this filter to your individual needs. You can have more than one media per chamber, and you have six cambers to work with. Each chamber holds about three times the media present in the bio-bag of a hanging filter, so it is easy to see why it filters so well. I can't imagine ever using a different filter.

I own a 55 gallon tank with 6 angelfish and 7 zebra danios. I have had a problem with green "tinted" water for about 6 months now. I previously ordered a UV Sterilizer hoping that would clear up the algae but it didn't after 2 weeks. I've tried 50% water changes multiple times which would clear up the water dramatically for a few days but then it would just go back to being green. After I had no luck with the above I thought maybe it was my filter. It was! I previously had a Marineland MAGNUM 350 that I bought with my tank (I do not recommend...). After just a day of the Hagen Fluval 305 being up and running the water was crystal clear! This unit is very quiet and I don't hear it even when the aquarium doors open. Some of the other reviews on here state that they had problems with leaks but I had none whatsoever (so far). Setup was a breeze and it took me about 30 minutes to remove the old filter and install this one. I highly recommend this filter to anyone looking for one.

Improvements since the older models have made this even easier to use, while retaining the traditional benefits that this filter offers - consistent performance and great flexibility in selection of filter media. Mine came with a tiny crack in the housing that caused it to slowly leak a gallon or two of water onto the floor before I noticed, and the company promptly sent me a new part without making me take the whole thing apart and send it back. Good product, good service.

A fantastic product. Very quiet. Very powerful as well. Priming takes a while but it's not so bad. The instuctions are conviently on a DVD which I recommend watching several times before trying it for yourself (part of the instructions is cutting a tube to size.

Multiple chambers allow for different filtration choices as well both bilogical and mechanical

I purchased this filter from my local aquarium store when I set up my latest planted tank. I initially wanted a filter for a 40 breeder (36x18 footprint) but upgraded the tank to a 65 gallon with the same footprint. I was unsure at first if this would be enough filtration but I have no doubt now that this is the perfect filter for my tank. I have a heavily planted tank that will have significant bio-load in it when I get as many fish in there as I plan on.

Advantages:
1. Variable Flow
2. Hoses and input/output come with brackets that hold the hoses tight to the lip of the tank
3. Hose can be cut to whatever length you need
4. I would say "Easy Assembly and Start" but my boyfriend put it together while I was messing with the lights. It was a bit difficult to prime but I think that was our user error more than anything else
5. Hose assembly does not have to be removed when cleaning filter. It comes completely apart and does not spill water, drain the tank, etc when you remove the assembly
6. This filter is super quiet! I often have to check the plants waving around in the tank to make sure it is still running.
7. Intake has a one-way valve which will not allow any gunk from inside the canister to leach back into tank, even when messing with the hoses or having the filter off.
8. Rubber O ring/gasket is not flippy and sits nicely in the groove for it.

Drawbacks:
1. No Spray Bar! I have purchased the spray bar attachment that Fluval makes but it sure would have been nice to have it included.
2. No Sponge for water intake

Overall, this is a great filter. I had been an Eheim fan before but this is way better. Fluval has made great advances in canister filter technology and I am a convert.

I have owned my Fluval 305 for about six months and have found it to be reliable and easy to use.

The media trays are convenient, however, when cleaning the media you must make certain to rinse the trays very carefully, since many particles can get trapped and flushed back into your aquarium when you restart the 305.

Aside from this caveat, the Fluval 305 is cleverly designed, runs very quiet and has more than enough flow for tanks up to 70 gallons.

This author uses redundant filtration on my 37 gallon aquarium, because I keep it overstocked.

Using the Fluval 305 in conjuction with an Aquaclear 110 offers more than ample filtration for this tank.

While it appears to be overkill, it is almost impossible to overfilter a tank - especially when it's overstocked.

I paid $119.95 for my 305 including shipping. The retail price is about $250, but the entire line of Fluval filters is heavily discounted on the Internet. Earlier, I saw a new 305 offered on Ebay for $110 plus shipping.

It would appear that the poor economy is responsible for the great deal on these filters, as well as many other aquarium products. Better to lower your prices and stay in business than go bankrupt.

I also own a Fluval E-300 smart series heater which while ideosyncratic (it must be mounted horizontally to function properly), does an excellent job of keeping my aquarium heated.

This continues to be a great hobby.

Jim

Fish are our friends - not food