FluvalC2 Power Filter, Fish Tank Filter for Aquariums up to 30 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 really love this HOB filter. Some may argue but I think this is the upgraded Aquaclear. They use the same motors as the Aquaclears and have redesigned the internals as well as the external look of the filter. They really thought this HOB filter design thorougly. It is much sleeker and attractive than the older Aquaclears as you can obviously see, but works as well or better in my opinion.Everything is designed with ease of maintenance and performance in mind. To clean it is incredibly easy. Each compartment of filtration is seperate and can be taken out easily as needed for maintenace. You don't even have to turn off the filter to maintain it. If you want to clean the mechanical sponge (the only thing I clean really) it's as simple as pulling up the back compartment which is seperate from the other compartments. Unlike the Aquaclear which you have to take out everything on top of the sponge first to get to the sponge which needs the most frequent rinsings. This makes for much easier regular maintenance than the Aquaclear.The mechanical filtration on this filter is also upgraded from the Aquaclears. The sponge has a material similar to the Aquaclear's sponge but now also has a tweak/improvment made to catch the tiny particles that float around in your tank. It is a two part sponge fused together which is a coarse sponge with a material similar to polyfil batting attached into one. The mechanical filtration even has a indicator that pops up when the sponge needs rinsing.If you choose to use carbon (I don't I filled that compartment with more biomedia) you just lift out the integrated wet dry and pull out the basket that holds the carbon and replace. Drop the basket that holds the carbon back in and put the wet/dry system back on top it's super easy.Now we get to the integrated wet dry system. The wet dry system needs the least cleaning and no replacement. The only part that could use a rinse once in a while is the pad on top that keeps detrius out. Maybe once every six months to a year you could lighly rinse the biomedia in the integrated wet dry. This is what makes the system AWESOME. It is the first true integrated wet dry system on a HOB filter! It works amazingly for biological filtration and can even be used effectively to reduce nitrates with Seachems denitrate! To me this is the best and most ingenious part of this filter.The Fluval C series also has an adjustable intake tube that adjusts to any height you want without having to deal with extensions that you may have to cut to the right length or add on in specific increments. I have to add how QUIET it is. It is SILENT. Well... at first it was a little noisy. Nothing unbearable or out of the ordinary with Hagen HOB's. Though after lubing up the shaft of the impeller with a little fish safe silicone lubricant or even vaseline it is incredibly quiet.I would not consider the dependability a factor/problem as they use the same motors as Aquaclears which have a reputation for reliablility. The only complaint I have is that they don't make it in a larger size that could be comparable to the Aquaclear 110. If they made a Fluval C5 model I would be all over it! I definitely recommend this filter for all of you looking for a great (the best) smaller HOB filter on the market today. For larger tanks though I would still have to go with the Aquaclear 110 for its power. Buy it, set it up, lube the shaft (for quietness), and let it do its job. You won't regret it. There is a great and complete review on Youtube for those who need a little more convincing and are seriously looking to buy one of these awesome filters.