Beatin' A dead horse-> Leaking fluval 404/405- Just want some insight

chronic_

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 8, 2009
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edmonton AB
There are alot of threads on this.. But its so hard to get specific info sometimes!
I've spent some time reading, honestly I've skimmed through probably 15 threads from numerous sites and it normaly ends in "I dumped the filter and got a different/new one".


So how many points can this filter leak from??

I have a 404 that i've been running for a yr and a half. Never had any troubles, until recently.

I just set up my 120g, and while I moved this filter over, it started to leak from the clasps, I had it hooked up to its hoses, but I didn't turn off the valve for the hoses.
So what I figured was the water siphoned into the filter and couldn't go anywhere besides the seals. But since then it wont stop!
I've replaced the main o-ring, and bought a new quick release unit.

What I have come to believe is, this filter has had this issue for a while, there is a calcium stain on the sides of the filter, since I've had it on carpet for the last year i never noticed. Water has pooled up in the head of the filter and drained out the sides..

But progressed into a worse situation, the seals for the inlet/outlet hoses have dried up and started leaking into the head and started draining out the sides.

I have replaced the three main seals, are there any others you know of??


I know there are better filters, and fluvals are infamous for this. It just makes me wonder when so many people dont seem to try and actually fix them.
It works great when it works, just looking for some ideas you know.

Thanks for any help, please dont bash me and tell me to buy an eheim. Its on the list lol, but far down the list...
 

chronic_

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 8, 2009
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edmonton AB
Dude come on... People always say "f%$k it, buy a new filter"

I dont understand how this can be such a ghostly design, it works.. then it doesn't What happened between the working and not working.

I'm in school right now, I'm poor. I Just want some more results than "Buy a new filter ..."

There are three points that it can leak from, where else?

Do you know???
 

erk419

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 21, 2009
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Lima, Ohio
I had this same problem. I had a 404 a couple years ago and one day after cleaning it I couldn't get it to work again so I just set it aside and replaced it with a HOB. A couple months ago I read a post that gave me some ideas with my problem. So I got it back and and got it working again but this time I had a new set of problems. It started leaking around the handles and around the prime pump. I kept the prime pump in the up positions it would stop leaking from there but as soon as I put it back down like it should be it would leak again. No matter what I did it would leak around the handle the seal on the inside still looked brand new. I tried putting some vasoline on it cause I read that could help but it didn't. So now its setting in the basement with the other supplies.

The way I see it is if you have leaking problems and you've tried replacing the seal etc junk it. Its not worth taking the risk. Imagine your at work and it starts leaking you come home to a flooded room all because you tried to save a few bucks now its gonna cost you alot more money to fix the floor.
 

zerojquan85

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Oct 16, 2008
2,325
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So-California, US
i can see your delimma.. and when your in a tight budget.. its tough..

I'm not a big fan of throwing old filters away.. I try to solve the problem.. and if it doesnt work.. i buy replacement parts before i think about throwing it..

I have no own a fluval 404.. or any fluval.. but i would say that if the seals on the filter is malfunctioning.. try to find replacement parts of it.. or if need be use zip-ties to tighten up the filter to prevent leaks..

Second option is try to find another fluval 404 and use replacement parts with it..

I have heard some bad things about 404.. so i can't really help you there.. Fluval design are great.. but their products are not durable... same thing with FX-5.. there are design flaws in the filter parts...

Hope this helps.. :confused:

I agree with erk419.. get filters you can trust and rely on.. Fish aren't cheap.. and neither should the equipment that goes along with it.. I would def save up and purchase high-end filters like EHEIM or AquaClear or Rena.. You'll save yourself the trouble of replacement in the long run..
 

chronic_

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 8, 2009
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edmonton AB
Yeah, thats what the future holds it seems. An Eheim pro 2.

It just blows me away there are no solutions for this thing, I have my 405 working perfectly fine, just makes me wonder how it can go from decent to bad, and not backwards.
 

ballist3k

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 12, 2009
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detroit, MI
you could always put it in a bucket and check on it every week or two? ;)
 

erk419

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 21, 2009
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Lima, Ohio
zerojquan85;3896447; said:
i can see your delimma.. and when your in a tight budget.. its tough..

I'm not a big fan of throwing old filters away.. I try to solve the problem.. and if it doesnt work.. i buy replacement parts before i think about throwing it..

I have no own a fluval 404.. or any fluval.. but i would say that if the seals on the filter is malfunctioning.. try to find replacement parts of it.. or if need be use zip-ties to tighten up the filter to prevent leaks..

Second option is try to find another fluval 404 and use replacement parts with it..

I have heard some bad things about 404.. so i can't really help you there.. Fluval design are great.. but their products are not durable... same thing with FX-5.. there are design flaws in the filter parts...

Hope this helps.. :confused:

I agree with erk419.. get filters you can trust and rely on.. Fish aren't cheap.. and neither should the equipment that goes along with it.. I would def save up and purchase high-end filters like EHEIM or AquaClear or Rena.. You'll save yourself the trouble of replacement in the long run..
If you dig deep enough and really look at all filters and there parts your gonna find parts that have design flaws in all of them, yes even with EHEIMS. Therefore I don't think its fair that you singled out fluval when you mentioned design flaws. I've never owned a Eheim but I've had a couple fluvals and my recent purchase of an fx5 I can gurantee it will hang with any Ehiem that you bring to the table. Yeah Ehiem may be better is some things but fluval will be better in others.
 

zerojquan85

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Oct 16, 2008
2,325
6
68
So-California, US
chronic_;3896475; said:
Yeah, thats what the future holds it seems. An Eheim pro 2.

It just blows me away there are no solutions for this thing, I have my 405 working perfectly fine, just makes me wonder how it can go from decent to bad, and not backwards.
i once read an old post from another forum about the Fluval 404.. theres some issue about the design of the filter and thus people stop buying them because it had a high mortality rate... and its also a reason why it was changed to a 405..

I've once visited a LFS that still had an unwrapped Fluval 404 sitting on the shelf.. dusty and unopen.. price tag is still $200.. but no one seems to buy it..

erk419;3896490; said:
If you dig deep enough and really look at all filters and there parts your gonna find parts that have design flaws in all of them, yes even with EHEIMS. Therefore I don't think its fair that you singled out fluval when you mentioned design flaws. I've never owned a Eheim but I've had a couple fluvals and my recent purchase of an fx5 I can gurantee it will hang with any Ehiem that you bring to the table. Yeah Ehiem may be better is some things but fluval will be better in others.
I agree that EHEIM does have some flaw in certain series of filters.. thats is why there are more than 1 series of EHEIMs.. However.. with that said... The reason why i've single out Fluval is because fluval has the design flaws... even FX5 does have a flaw in the filter.. I recommend visiting the EHEIM pro 3 vs. FX-5 review.. there are some issues with the FX-5 in terms of Long term usage..

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68458&highlight=FX-5

After researching and understanding the burned out motor issue.. i decided to go EHEIM vs. FX-5.. i just didnt want to deal with a motor repalcement.....

I think that, as a consumer and after reading reviews of a troubled brand name.. it has automatically lost my trust in that brand.. with Fluval brands.. no matter how much they "improve" the product.. I do not want to see my hard earn money go to waste simply having to buy replacement parts to make the product work again...
 
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