Fluval 404 noise

[FishLover]

My Fluval 404 is starting to make noise. I tried to shake it and tilt it a bit to get the air out. Nothing helped. It started few days ago after a power outage. I have a UPS connected to it so it was not totally shut down at all. Not sure how long was the outage since I was at work. We had power outage before and it never bothered the filters. Both 304 and 404 are connected to the UPS. Only 404 is making the noise and it is driving me nuts.

I bought the impeller (?) on line and it should be in next few days. I wonder if that's going to fix it or I may have to go for another filter. I had the 404 about 3 years back and that's a short time for a filter to go down in my book.

Right now the Eheim 2028 is going on sale at $218 and I'm thinking of use it to replace both the 304 and 404 since it is rated to 160 g and my tank is 125g. I guess I'm ok.

The Fluval 405 is now going at about $110. Am I better off paying the extra $100? Come to think about it, I paid about $130 for the 404 and $100 for the 304. Now I have to pay another $230? I hate to get rid of the perfect running 304 but I'm worried how long it can last. I got the 304 just about 5 months after the 404. I wonder if they have the same life span, which means if I replace the 404 with 405, I will have to replace the 304 soon. The total cost will almost be the same as Eheim 2028, if not more. :x :x :x :x

Any idea? Anyone has experience with Eheih 2028?

[FishLover]

Well, I replaced the impeller(?) and it worked.

[Merrilyn]

That's good news.

Hopefully it will give you another few years of service.

[fish_r]

my 405 is getting noisy too and only had it for about 8-10 mths, hmmm maybe i'm up for an impeller too :roll:

[JNS]

I find when my 404 gets a bit noisy, I give the impeller housing, impeller, and surrounding parts a good cleaning. I just clean it with a toothbrush and that seems to quiet it down again.

[FishLover]

I just replace the impellet and the noise level went way down. Even better than when I first got the 404. It was kind of noisy when I first got it compare to the 304. I thought it was because of the size difference. It turns out maybe the old impeller was not good to start with anyway. After I replaced it, the noise level is now the same as the 304, wich is very low. I can hardly notice them even if I stand right next to the tank. I'm a very picky person when it comes to noise level. This makes me very happy.

[Hearthemchainsdiscus]

Hey FishLover,

Glad to hear the impeller solved the problem.

I have a 404 too. I use it for my 75 gallon tank, and so far, it hasn't given me any problems. I think Fluval make a great canister filter. Did you think about getting the Fluval FX5? I found one here from FROOGLE

http://www.fantasticaquatic.com/product_info.php?products_id=569

It can be used with tanks up to 400 gallons.

Does anyone on the forum have one of these :?:

[FishLover]

Check the sticker on Articles, DIY & Product Reviews section. There is a good review of FX5 comparing to Ehiem filter.