If you look at the specs on a Fluval 307 it has the pump performance listed at 303 gph. Many manufacturers list the max gph which could be at 0 ft head loss. The listed tank circulation is listed at 206 gph which is still lower than your results but closer. All three of the filters performed similarly and it's been known in the industry for years that manufacturers over state their gph and recommended tank max tank size. If your aquarium is thriving I don't see any reason to worry about gph too much. Look at what type if filtration you see with many breeders and its a simple sponge filter
Oh totally agree, I’ve always understood that the manufacturer rating was just the pump and actuals is more like half. I just wanted to test that myself to see how true that is. And yes I agree if the tanks doing good there’s no worries with the flow-rate. The only concern I have is when the planted tank grows in and bushy (which is the look I like), there will a lot of dead spots. The resolve for me is a powerhead or keep the tank trimmed. 😁
General rule of thumb for canister filters is take the manufacture rating and cut it in half once you have media sponges ect. I like to be generous to the manufacturers I have a 307 and my best estimate is it will do about 60% of the rating, therefore in the case we of the 307 I estimate it will pump about 690 litres per hour give or take. I like you want my tank turned over 5 times per hour so I would say a 307 is good for a tank of around 140l or approx 40 G. I liked your test though it’s good to see what these filters can do in real world situations.
Dear mate, next time when you clean your filters, take the head only and put them in your bath tub. Fill with water to the rubber gasket and turn them on. You will have a water fountain which will have the stated flow. (If you can catch it😉). After that if you add your hose (one side because you take water from the bathtub) you will see that you will have a big flow drop. (1/3 drop in flow my guess). Then you will change your rule to 10 times stated flow because you will know that it will be half, which in turn will respect the 5 times rule which is still desirable 😉👍. I wish you all the best and keep it up👍💪
I agree, the way people want to setup their filter, you should go 10x based on manufacturer rating and just like my test, the actuals will be approximately half. So yea, good lesson to learn first hand.
Yea I've noticed the always drop off but thr tanks do stay healthy. For extra flow I use a wave maker. I let the filter be a filter and produce the bacteria the system needs, and use the wave water to add the extra flow. Otherwise such large canister filters would need to be used to no real gain in end results. That's my thoughts anyway. I don't keep heavily stocked tanks it must be added.
Hello, I came across your test video, while I was researching an issue I have been having with a recently purchased Fluval 407 canister filter. Since you found the 307 you have was well below spec, I decided to test the GPH of the Fluval 407 filter, just to rule out any possibility of an issue with the filter media set-up. First I installed new filter sponges to ensure an accurate tested. Then after purging all air from the canister and filter and removing the outlet diffuser from the outlet hose in the tank, I performed a GPH test, three (3) times. Each time I filled a one gallon container right from the Fluval outlet hose, inside the tank. This would give me exactly how the unit is performing with the Fluval recommended set up, in my tank. I also decided to remove the media, just like you did to see how much my current media slows the GPH. Needless to say the results were quite disappointing. The first test results were: Test #1: one gallon in 26.030 seconds. Test #2: one gallon in 27.201 seconds. Test #3: one gallon in 26.981 seconds. This averages to 26.737 sec. p/gallon or 2.244 gallons p/min. or 134.64 GPH. That is way below the manufactures spec of a Max water circulation of 383GPH pump output and 245GPH water circulation (with media). So I completely removed the entire media from the canister. Reconnected to the hoses and performed the exact same test. Here are the results: Test #1 (No media-empty canister) one gallon in 23.867 seconds Test #2 (No media-empty canister) one gallon in 22.911 seconds Test #3 (No media-empty canister) one gallon in 24.002 seconds This averages to 23.593 sec. p/gallon or 2.543 gallons p/min. or 152.58 GPH. This is quite disappointing. As you can see, the media did not slow the flow very much at all. This unit just does not have the GPH it is specified by the manufacture. I recently purchased this canister, to replace my Rena XL 4 which died after 15 years. After installing the Fluval 407 canister filter on my 20 year established turtle aquarium, I have had a biological bloom I cannot resolve. I believe this is due to the lack of GPH needed to turn over my water a min. of 4 times per hour, which is quite important in a turtle aquarium. I have been in contact with Fluval customer support in hopes that this is possibly a defective unit (although I personally feel they just over rated) and that Fluval will replace the unit or refund my money. I will keep you posted. Thanks for your video. It inspired me to test mine that way as well. Great Job!
I don’t think gph matters-question is does the filter perform enough particle/bio/chemical filtration to give you clean water for the tank inhabitants. Many reefers used to obsess over gph through filters as some indicator of adequate filtration, but ended up pushing water through filters so fast that there wasn’t enough time for the filters to do the job. Test the water for pollutant levels ie nitrates, ammonia, etc., to see if your filtration is adequate for the bioload of your tank. And for your planted tanks the plants do much of the biofiltration needed to clean the water of pollutants. Don’t chase numbers but chase clean water safe enough for your tank. Our job as aquarists is to learn how to clean the water so our wet pets won’t die.
Oh I absolutely agree, but I like a higher flow because my planted tank gets filled and parts of the tank just becomes dead zones. Of course everyone is different, and obviously I been running things on this lower setup for a while and tanks doing good. But if I can get a higher flow, without sacrificing the integrity, then I’m going to give that a try.
Been keeping fish for 20 years and still can't understand why the flow rate has to be so much more in a tank compared to a pond, I get the volume per fish is huge when compared between the two but the fundamentals are still the same with regard to contact time with the media. The method I use in my pond is having roughly a 4 minute retention time in the filter so the water has a good contact time with the media, so basically my pump can empty my filter in 4 minutes but with a fish tank the pump can empty the filter in 20 seconds and that's considered perfect, I'm always amazed that any biological can take place given the extremely short contact time in aquarium filters.
I believe the commonly sought after turnover rate of 5x is based on gph listings from manufacturers so it’s still fine touse the ratings to get that number. Also, the 5x is a general rule of thumb that doesn’t take into consideration the type of filtration or head height. (Length of hoses and stand height) HOB’s tend to have numbers closer to the mfg rating but canisters are more efficient as far as being under pressure and tend to have much less bypass so the lower flow is negligible. My personal opinion is to use media like Matrix or Biohome so you can capitalize on the lower flow to gain anaerobic bacteria for nitrate reduction. Also……it’s “impeller” not “propeller”…….lol
OMG half them rating for the filter I have an ehiem 3e pro xxxl and the bio master 850 the flow seems good but if I apply your findings that makes a big difference but saying that they both are working really well just full of seacam matrix and medium pad or sponges. Also your water quality is dependent on your water changes ? But we are just taking flow 👍
Is cyclicng more than 5 times too much? Just ordered a 33 gal waterbox clear so I'm looking at needing 165 minimum. The 307=150ish and the 407= 190ish. Im figuring its better to have that extra headroom for when the filters are not 100% optimal which is generally on the ladder half of the cleaning intervals. Thx for any input.
5x is not a must, I like to aim for that for when the tank is fully grown with plants. The 5x will have enough power to circulate the co2 and remove any deadzones. If your tank is not fully planted and theres space available, I personally dont think 5x is necessary. I like to think of it as, future proofing.
Yea drop off is terrible. The aruba scape got some crazy jello like bacteria that I never seen before. I moved the platinum to my farming tank, working on that video as I go. I think I messed up and should of baked the rocks.
You done the test wrong the outputs higher going to ur tank then in ur vid so it'll be less I got my eheim classic filter with media ad got 444lph it meant to do 440lph but my canister is higher to top of tank
@@TankTastic It has been my experience that clean media type (within reason) makes little difference in flow rate, most of the loss is attributable to head pressure (height of output hose). Then, as the media gets dirty and the hoses become coated in muck it get worse. One advantage HOB filters have is that they can have high flow rates and maintain them, but you pay the price of them being loud and ugly.
I tried optimizing the flow rate by changing the media, didn't work too well: czcams.com/video/mh7opinWJR4/video.html
120L is like 32 gallons? The oase 350 works for that or fluval 307
The oase 350 should be fine for your tank
If you look at the specs on a Fluval 307 it has the pump performance listed at 303 gph. Many manufacturers list the max gph which could be at 0 ft head loss. The listed tank circulation is listed at 206 gph which is still lower than your results but closer. All three of the filters performed similarly and it's been known in the industry for years that manufacturers over state their gph and recommended tank max tank size. If your aquarium is thriving I don't see any reason to worry about gph too much. Look at what type if filtration you see with many breeders and its a simple sponge filter
Oh totally agree, I’ve always understood that the manufacturer rating was just the pump and actuals is more like half. I just wanted to test that myself to see how true that is. And yes I agree if the tanks doing good there’s no worries with the flow-rate. The only concern I have is when the planted tank grows in and bushy (which is the look I like), there will a lot of dead spots. The resolve for me is a powerhead or keep the tank trimmed. 😁
General rule of thumb for canister filters is take the manufacture rating and cut it in half once you have media sponges ect. I like to be generous to the manufacturers I have a 307 and my best estimate is it will do about 60% of the rating, therefore in the case we of the 307 I estimate it will pump about 690 litres per hour give or take. I like you want my tank turned over 5 times per hour so I would say a 307 is good for a tank of around 140l or approx 40 G. I liked your test though it’s good to see what these filters can do in real world situations.
Agreed, I thought it was like those things that your parents tell you. But yea, parents usually right 😂😂😂
Dear mate, next time when you clean your filters, take the head only and put them in your bath tub. Fill with water to the rubber gasket and turn them on. You will have a water fountain which will have the stated flow. (If you can catch it😉). After that if you add your hose (one side because you take water from the bathtub) you will see that you will have a big flow drop. (1/3 drop in flow my guess). Then you will change your rule to 10 times stated flow because you will know that it will be half, which in turn will respect the 5 times rule which is still desirable 😉👍.
I wish you all the best and keep it up👍💪
I agree, the way people want to setup their filter, you should go 10x based on manufacturer rating and just like my test, the actuals will be approximately half. So yea, good lesson to learn first hand.
Great video! Just what I was looking for!
I love the topic and the positive attitude. Happy plants....
Absolutely, its all part of the fun figuring things out and learning. 😃 like those Jamaican tourist ads...dont worry, be happy lollll
Yea I've noticed the always drop off but thr tanks do stay healthy. For extra flow I use a wave maker. I let the filter be a filter and produce the bacteria the system needs, and use the wave water to add the extra flow. Otherwise such large canister filters would need to be used to no real gain in end results. That's my thoughts anyway. I don't keep heavily stocked tanks it must be added.
Hello, I came across your test video, while I was researching an issue I have been having with a recently purchased Fluval 407 canister filter. Since you found the 307 you have was well below spec, I decided to test the GPH of the Fluval 407 filter, just to rule out any possibility of an issue with the filter media set-up. First I installed new filter sponges to ensure an accurate tested. Then after purging all air from the canister and filter and removing the outlet diffuser from the outlet hose in the tank, I performed a GPH test, three (3) times. Each time I filled a one gallon container right from the Fluval outlet hose, inside the tank. This would give me exactly how the unit is performing with the Fluval recommended set up, in my tank. I also decided to remove the media, just like you did to see how much my current media slows the GPH. Needless to say the results were quite disappointing. The first test results were:
Test #1: one gallon in 26.030 seconds.
Test #2: one gallon in 27.201 seconds.
Test #3: one gallon in 26.981 seconds.
This averages to 26.737 sec. p/gallon or 2.244 gallons p/min. or 134.64 GPH.
That is way below the manufactures spec of a Max water circulation of 383GPH pump output and 245GPH water circulation (with media). So I completely removed the entire media from the canister. Reconnected to the hoses and performed the exact same test. Here are the results:
Test #1 (No media-empty canister) one gallon in 23.867 seconds
Test #2 (No media-empty canister) one gallon in 22.911 seconds
Test #3 (No media-empty canister) one gallon in 24.002 seconds
This averages to 23.593 sec. p/gallon or 2.543 gallons p/min. or 152.58 GPH.
This is quite disappointing. As you can see, the media did not slow the flow very much at all. This unit just does not have the GPH it is specified by the manufacture. I recently purchased this canister, to replace my Rena XL 4 which died after 15 years. After installing the Fluval 407 canister filter on my 20 year established turtle aquarium, I have had a biological bloom I cannot resolve. I believe this is due to the lack of GPH needed to turn over my water a min. of 4 times per hour, which is quite important in a turtle aquarium.
I have been in contact with Fluval customer support in hopes that this is possibly a defective unit (although I personally feel they just over rated) and that Fluval will replace the unit or refund my money. I will keep you posted.
Thanks for your video. It inspired me to test mine that way as well. Great Job!
I don’t think gph matters-question is does the filter perform enough particle/bio/chemical filtration to give you clean water for the tank inhabitants. Many reefers used to obsess over gph through filters as some indicator of adequate filtration, but ended up pushing water through filters so fast that there wasn’t enough time for the filters to do the job. Test the water for pollutant levels ie nitrates, ammonia, etc., to see if your filtration is adequate for the bioload of your tank. And for your planted tanks the plants do much of the biofiltration needed to clean the water of pollutants. Don’t chase numbers but chase clean water safe enough for your tank. Our job as aquarists is to learn how to clean the water so our wet pets won’t die.
Oh I absolutely agree, but I like a higher flow because my planted tank gets filled and parts of the tank just becomes dead zones. Of course everyone is different, and obviously I been running things on this lower setup for a while and tanks doing good. But if I can get a higher flow, without sacrificing the integrity, then I’m going to give that a try.
@@TankTastic get a tiny pump for that dead zone. Clean your filter regularly.
Yup thats the plan
Thanks, good research!
Thank you!
Been keeping fish for 20 years and still can't understand why the flow rate has to be so much more in a tank compared to a pond, I get the volume per fish is huge when compared between the two but the fundamentals are still the same with regard to contact time with the media.
The method I use in my pond is having roughly a 4 minute retention time in the filter so the water has a good contact time with the media, so basically my pump can empty my filter in 4 minutes but with a fish tank the pump can empty the filter in 20 seconds and that's considered perfect, I'm always amazed that any biological can take place given the extremely short contact time in aquarium filters.
Its for heavily planted tanks. Otherwise you wont need it, unless the fish requires (the ones that love current)
Cool video man! Always so informative! Dang so what power filter would you need for 5-10 times flow rate haha?
Man, like a Fluval 407, Oase 600. It’s ok if the tank isnt getting overgrown, but it worried me when it get dense.
Incredibile
I believe the commonly sought after turnover rate of 5x is based on gph listings from manufacturers so it’s still fine touse the ratings to get that number. Also, the 5x is a general rule of thumb that doesn’t take into consideration the type of filtration or head height. (Length of hoses and stand height) HOB’s tend to have numbers closer to the mfg rating but canisters are more efficient as far as being under pressure and tend to have much less bypass so the lower flow is negligible. My personal opinion is to use media like Matrix or Biohome so you can capitalize on the lower flow to gain anaerobic bacteria for nitrate reduction. Also……it’s “impeller” not “propeller”…….lol
Good video
🙏🙏🙏 thank you!
OMG half them rating for the filter I have an ehiem 3e pro xxxl and the bio master 850 the flow seems good but if I apply your findings that makes a big difference but saying that they both are working really well just full of seacam matrix and medium pad or sponges.
Also your water quality is dependent on your water changes ? But we are just taking flow 👍
Flow rate is 40-50% less then claimed that’s because the filters are tested with 0 media and no pipes attached
Hey, which filter would you recommend for 40g cichlids tank that needs heavy filtration??? Also, easy to clean and prime and less noise 😇
Oase Biomaster 600 maybe but I feel the 350 can handle it too depending on how much you stocked
What brand inlet/outlet you have on the fluval 307 (the gray ones)?
Fzone stainless steel pipes
Is cyclicng more than 5 times too much? Just ordered a 33 gal waterbox clear so I'm looking at needing 165 minimum. The 307=150ish and the 407= 190ish. Im figuring its better to have that extra headroom for when the filters are not 100% optimal which is generally on the ladder half of the cleaning intervals. Thx for any input.
5x is not a must, I like to aim for that for when the tank is fully grown with plants. The 5x will have enough power to circulate the co2 and remove any deadzones. If your tank is not fully planted and theres space available, I personally dont think 5x is necessary. I like to think of it as, future proofing.
Also, you can always turn down the flow. You can’t turn up the flow.
@@TankTastic ok awesome thanks for the clarification. I'm going to have heavy amount of plants so I'm going to go for the bigger one.
wow didnt think the drop off would be that much. how's that aruba stone scape going man? did the platinum glosso grow?
Yea drop off is terrible. The aruba scape got some crazy jello like bacteria that I never seen before. I moved the platinum to my farming tank, working on that video as I go. I think I messed up and should of baked the rocks.
My tank can fit approx 50.02 Gal. I am thinking to go with Fluval 307. Please share your observations.
My tank can git approx 50.02 Gal. I am thinking to go with Fluval 307. Please share your observations.
bought a filter to turn over my aquarium 10X per hr, looks like your results say im getting more around 4X / 5X...
Yea cutting it in half is more realistic.
I’m actually working on reviewing a canister right now that got crazy gph.
You done the test wrong the outputs higher going to ur tank then in ur vid so it'll be less I got my eheim classic filter with media ad got 444lph it meant to do 440lph but my canister is higher to top of tank
Wait what? How did you do the test?
Posted same result, czcams.com/video/_BIsErcfw_8/video.html, for Oase 350 a few months back. Good to see confirmation, nicely done.
Wait, what are you running inside? And what ppi is ur prefilter?
@@TankTastic I'm running the stock media Oase sponges inside and the orange 30 ppi pre filters.
Good to know, so you running those blue sponges in the canister right? I wonder what your rating would be is you swap those with mateix or ceramics.
@@TankTastic It has been my experience that clean media type (within reason) makes little difference in flow rate, most of the loss is attributable to head pressure (height of output hose). Then, as the media gets dirty and the hoses become coated in muck it get worse. One advantage HOB filters have is that they can have high flow rates and maintain them, but you pay the price of them being loud and ugly.
Too much math. 😂😂
Haha yea, it confused me at first too.