You life (money) saver! Was about to go down to my local aquarium shop for a new filter because my filter had suddenly stopped working after a water change. Turns out I hadn't been taking the bottom off this past 6 months when cleaning it out and it had clogged! 8 years after originally posted and still going strong!
Thank you I didnt even know the bottom came off ,I keep looking at the fan and wondering how I was going to clean it , you have saved me loads of money buying sponges etc I owe you a pint .
Thank you so much!! I would've likely broken my U3 during disassembly if I didn't watch your video The propeller comes out eazier, when the whole assembly is submerged in water and flipped upside down :) I no longer use the cartilages they come with, I currently run my U3 with its pre-existing sponge pads & a filter floss cut to size, likewise for the carbon, I use a carbon pad cut to size as well
one tip, you can clear the impeler inside with the stick with cotton on the sides which is used to clean your ears, or you can use brush on the wire, the same you use to clean you pipes from extarnal filter
9years later and you just gave me the answer to one of my biggest stresses with the U2! Couldn't for the life of me yank out the impeller unit until now. Thank you 🥂
Thanks for the very helpful video. I watched it just in time. My old u4 just jammed up today and 2minute clean up of the unit, particularly the impeller area got it working again. Thanks. I will now clean all the knooks and crannys in my filter more regularly.
Awww so that's why my filter wont work after 7 months I have to shake it to start the motor , I never new the impeller came out like that mine must be well choked !!!! Thank you
Thank you so much for this amazing video! I have just set up the Fluval U2 and wanted to check out the cleaning and maintenance for future reference. Very informative video, thanks again :D
Excellent video. I cleaned my filter out for the first time and it was easy after watching your instructions. Without them I doubt that I would have figured it out. Thanks.
Thanks Man, I got my Fluval U3 2nd hand and its always been a bit dodgy , But thanks to being able to clean the impeller from watching your video, the filter is back working perfectly.. saved me buying a new one
Excellent video mate ......my wife beens doing it in the past, but now I'm on my own so I needed a decent guide video so I keep my little ones up to the same standard......thank for your guide its been very helpful 😊
I seriously forgot to take the plastic off of the Biomax when I first installed mine ... As you can imagine my green spotted puffer was none-too-pleased
thank you so much for this video. I bought 2 Fluval U2 Series that were on clearance at the local Chattanooga, TN PETCO. Got them for $12 each! and they went right into my goldfish tanks. Well, a good 2 weeks went by and boom the impeller stopped working. I wasn't sure about what to do and was about to curse Petco to bits when I saw your video. LOL! Goldfish are very dirty fish and the gunk that was inside that impeller thingie was ridiculous. Cleaned it all out and the things are working like BRAND NEW!!! You're awesome : )
Amazingly informative video, it helped me discover how to get to the impeller on mine, although I had to prise the holder off, which I didn't see in your video. I never replace the media, carbon or sponge. Most fish keepers don't bother with the carbon as it can do more harm than good, I just rince mine out and replace it back and it acts as a pre filter for the sponge. Thanks again for the video.
thank u for this vid, my u3 stopped working ( only changed biomax and carbon and sponges 2/3 days ago) but didnt know about that bottom bit, ive just totaly cleaned it, like u did, and bingo, works like its brand new, big thanks :-)
i have the Fluval u3 in my 40 g and i never buy pads, i make my own poly refill with carbon! and second of all i never change it that much , i have 4 comets and water is crystal clear, ph level awesome and nitrate level is positive. the sponge is not as good as the quilt batting that i use.
@@EverydayAquarist ty my friend, just cleaned my babies.... couldn't work out after 3 fuse changes why me filter wasn't working.... watched your video......after the motor at the bottom of the so so good filter was cleaned.....it works again..... again, Thank you Thank you Thank you
great video thanks , didn't realise you can take the bottom off ! I was thinking of going from a U4 internal filter to a external filter any good tips on swapping over. do I keep the internal filter going til the external one is ready ? I dunno? help please any advice would be appreciated maybe you can do an instruction video on how to change over! plus I will have fish in the aquarium ??? does that make a difference! U4 is running brilliant at the moment though !! so maybe I should stay as is!! thanks mate!!!
nottsfolyf no it does not kill the good bacteria, just cleans up all the gunk. If you cleaned them in standard tap water none treated that would kill the good bacteria
OK but how do you remove it from the tank? I broke the bracket trying to remove it to clean it. Do I have to unstick the suction cups or does it slide off or? Other filters I've had they slide off the bracket holding it to the tank but with this...
Yeah, you should always have a spare impeller handy for your filters, because they are actually quite fragile, especially as they get older. It's also the only moving part of a filter, and thus the only part that gets worn (apart from the media, obviously), so I'd say having a spare one is not too much to ask.
I have just started noticing a rattling noise coming from my u4 filter could it be the biomax that has destroyed the impeller or not enough bio max the filter has been running since January 2019 would u replace impeller or buy new filter it's for the roma 200 fish tank
I've had one of these filters in the past. Just wondering can fish fry get sucked into this filter? I remember back in the day the original Fuval internal did and the fry use survive or at lest some that got stuck in did.
I currently do a 20% water change every week in my tank with 10 goldfish currently its only an 80 litre tank but I am looking into buying a 200-300 litre tank as an upgrade, but my sponges get very brown and I clean them once a week just so it doesnt cause any issues
HI I've been using Aqueon filters but not cleaned well my water I have a turtle What filter you recommend? I want to buy the filter fluval u4 because Aqueon not let me sleep too loud ... the fluval is noisy?
Hi , i`ve just bought new filter pads to replace the old ones but they are white on both sides, i am a bit worried cause you said there should be a black side to it which should be placed on the inside . Any idea why?
You life (money) saver! Was about to go down to my local aquarium shop for a new filter because my filter had suddenly stopped working after a water change. Turns out I hadn't been taking the bottom off this past 6 months when cleaning it out and it had clogged! 8 years after originally posted and still going strong!
You're welcome
Thank you I didnt even know the bottom came off ,I keep looking at the fan and wondering how I was going to clean it , you have saved me loads of money buying sponges etc I owe you a pint .
Thank you so much!! I would've likely broken my U3 during disassembly if I didn't watch your video
The propeller comes out eazier, when the whole assembly is submerged in water and flipped upside down :)
I no longer use the cartilages they come with, I currently run my U3 with its pre-existing sponge pads & a filter floss cut to size, likewise for the carbon, I use a carbon pad cut to size as well
Thanks, now I'll buy the U3 :)
one tip, you can clear the impeler inside with the stick with cotton on the sides which is used to clean your ears, or you can use brush on the wire, the same you use to clean you pipes from extarnal filter
9years later and you just gave me the answer to one of my biggest stresses with the U2! Couldn't for the life of me yank out the impeller unit until now. Thank you 🥂
Thanks for the very helpful video. I watched it just in time. My old u4 just jammed up today and 2minute clean up of the unit, particularly the impeller area got it working again. Thanks. I will now clean all the knooks and crannys in my filter more regularly.
Awww so that's why my filter wont work after 7 months I have to shake it to start the motor , I never new the impeller came out like that mine must be well choked !!!! Thank you
Thank you so much for this amazing video! I have just set up the Fluval U2 and wanted to check out the cleaning and maintenance for future reference. Very informative video, thanks again :D
Glad it helped! Thanks for watching
This was really helpful, thank you. Went through a few of your until I found this one, you're very easy to follow, thanks
Excellent video. I cleaned my filter out for the first time and it was easy after watching your instructions. Without them I doubt that I would have figured it out. Thanks.
You serious?
I didn't know you could take bottom off thank you
Thanks for sharing. Helped me a lot, as the motorwheel got stuck and couldn't find out how to disassemble.
have you got a video where you clean the whole aquarium, like using the gravel vacuum etc...
something for the beginner doing it for the first time ?
Thanks Man, I got my Fluval U3 2nd hand and its always been a bit dodgy , But thanks to being able to clean the impeller from watching your video, the filter is back working perfectly.. saved me buying a new one
Thanks for this, I couldn't get mine working after a clean cause I couldn't find the impeller! All good after this video 😊
Really clear instructions, many thanks, you've been be really helpful 😀
I know this is an old video, but thank you so much! Always struggle to remember how to get to the impeller!
Excellent video mate ......my wife beens doing it in the past, but now I'm on my own so I needed a decent guide video so I keep my little ones up to the same standard......thank for your guide its been very helpful 😊
I seriously forgot to take the plastic off of the Biomax when I first installed mine ...
As you can imagine my green spotted puffer was none-too-pleased
Lol same
thank you so much for this video. I bought 2 Fluval U2 Series that were on clearance at the local Chattanooga, TN PETCO. Got them for $12 each! and they went right into my goldfish tanks. Well, a good 2 weeks went by and boom the impeller stopped working. I wasn't sure about what to do and was about to curse Petco to bits when I saw your video. LOL! Goldfish are very dirty fish and the gunk that was inside that impeller thingie was ridiculous. Cleaned it all out and the things are working like BRAND NEW!!! You're awesome : )
+Mooshkabug Alvarez Thanks buddy!
Amazingly informative video, it helped me discover how to get to the impeller on mine, although I had to prise the holder off, which I didn't see in your video. I never replace the media, carbon or sponge. Most fish keepers don't bother with the carbon as it can do more harm than good, I just rince mine out and replace it back and it acts as a pre filter for the sponge. Thanks again for the video.
+uknavynige No problem, thanks for watching
Cheers for this, you made a fairly impenetrable manual simple :-)
thank u for this vid, my u3 stopped working ( only changed biomax and carbon and sponges 2/3 days ago) but didnt know about that bottom bit, ive just totaly cleaned it, like u did, and bingo, works like its brand new, big thanks :-)
That was very useful, thank you for sharing!
Quality video mate, sometimes the simplest of things are the hardest to find on TH-cam… cheers
Very helpful, thanks. Clear and concise information and instructions.👌🏾
You can take the white bit out after you take the control selector off and get a pipe cleaner down the centre outlets get blocked
My impeller keeps getting stuck and I couldn't figure out how to clean it. Thanks for the tip.
i have the Fluval u3 in my 40 g and i never buy pads, i make my own poly refill with carbon! and second of all i never change it that much , i have 4 comets and water is crystal clear, ph level awesome and nitrate level is positive. the sponge is not as good as the quilt batting that i use.
nigel mahabir can you please tell how did make ? I lost sponge :(
Thanks for a great video! It helped me to have you demo the cleaning process so I'm about to go clean my u4.
great video.. I can never rememember which way the carbon side faces. lol x
Awesome video man, thanks for the tutorial!
Thank you very much- this helped a lot!
Glad it helped!
This was VERY helpful! Thank you so much!
You can buy special brushes to clean the impeller area.
Thankyou for this usefull tutorial :) !!
Excellent,thank you.
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you
You are welcome
@@EverydayAquarist ty my friend, just cleaned my babies.... couldn't work out after 3 fuse changes why me filter wasn't working.... watched your video......after the motor at the bottom of the so so good filter was cleaned.....it works again..... again,
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you very informative video!
Thank you ,this is so helpful
great video thanks , didn't realise you can take the bottom off ! I was thinking of going from a U4 internal filter to a external filter any good tips on swapping over. do I keep the internal filter going til the external one is ready ? I dunno? help please any advice would be appreciated maybe you can do an instruction video on how to change over! plus I will have fish in the aquarium ??? does that make a difference! U4 is running brilliant at the moment though !! so maybe I should stay as is!! thanks mate!!!
doesnt this get rid of the good bacteria? and are you supposed to clean the filter during the cycle of a new tank?
nottsfolyf no it does not kill the good bacteria, just cleans up all the gunk. If you cleaned them in standard tap water none treated that would kill the good bacteria
nottsfolyf just keep an eye on it, it shouldn’t need cleaning on a new tank first cycle.
This just saved me from buying another on ❤❤🎉🎉
Excellent thank you
Was told if you buy blue pond foam you can use it instead of the sponges
OK but how do you remove it from the tank? I broke the bracket trying to remove it to clean it. Do I have to unstick the suction cups or does it slide off or? Other filters I've had they slide off the bracket holding it to the tank but with this...
Very helpful! Thanks so much
Yeah I broke one of the "fins" on the spinner trying to get it out so I could clean it... nice job fluval.
That's why you have a 3 year warranty on it, just take it back and say you have no idea how it happened :P
Yeah, you should always have a spare impeller handy for your filters, because they are actually quite fragile, especially as they get older. It's also the only moving part of a filter, and thus the only part that gets worn (apart from the media, obviously), so I'd say having a spare one is not too much to ask.
How do I keep the filter from leaning forward
I have just started noticing a rattling noise coming from my u4 filter could it be the biomax that has destroyed the impeller or not enough bio max the filter has been running since January 2019 would u replace impeller or buy new filter it's for the roma 200 fish tank
Thanks 😊
Thank you so very much,it was very helpful to know for latter on
Thanks for watching
I've had one of these filters in the past. Just wondering can fish fry get sucked into this filter? I remember back in the day the original Fuval internal did and the fry use survive or at lest some that got stuck in did.
Possibly
I currently do a 20% water change every week in my tank with 10 goldfish currently its only an 80 litre tank but I am looking into buying a 200-300 litre tank as an upgrade, but my sponges get very brown and I clean them once a week just so it doesnt cause any issues
Thank u soo much soo helpful
How often would you recommend changing de black/white filter pads? And if replace, both sides at the same timr ir spread over some weeks?
I just got one today I find it suck lest dirt I just watch it drift past the holes I used the cheap aqua one and it suck up more dirt
Ty sir
Can you buy replacement carbon filters for this?? I've been looking around, but I cant spot any?
If I buy this filter and I clean it what parts do I buy for cleaning
If I have to replace the impeller, do I have to get an original or I can use any make of the same size
I would buy a genuine impeller
How much are the pads to replace mate as i have one of these and i would reckon over a year thats going to amount up
Fiver ish for two I think
@@EverydayAquarist thanks mate i appriciate ur reply
You could do with more bio in that coffin :)
HI I've been using Aqueon filters but not cleaned well my water I have a turtle What filter you recommend? I want to buy the filter fluval u4 because Aqueon not let me sleep too loud ... the fluval is noisy?
junior ch No its not
junior ch No its not noisy at all its actually the quiet filter ive had
Hi , i`ve just bought new filter pads to replace the old ones but they are white on both sides, i am a bit worried cause you said there should be a black side to it which should be placed on the inside . Any idea why?
just realised i`ve bought poly clearmax and not polycarbon , is there any difference?
Mihai Sukosd Clear max reduces nitrate
Everyday Aquarist thanks, so is it ok not to have the carbon ?
Mihai Sukosd Carbon helps keep water clear, nitrate remover keeps it chemically cleaner. What you prefer is up to you
I know this is an old video. But if anyone has used a U4 in a 55 gallon tank, please share your experience
Old but gold
Whys he rinsing the good bacteria away from the bio max
Wont all that squeezing get rid of the good bacteria from the media or am I being a total idiot asking this question lol:( I am a novice :'(
+RamsayBolton - A little bit just don't squeeze to hard
Thank you. But it wont effect the condition of the water with losing Bacteria?
+RamsayBolton - So long as you don't clean everything it will be fine
Thanks man. Appreciated
+RamsayBolton - No problem, now you can get back to flaying
You are actually removing too much natural bio :(
oh i can fell that smell of fish crap and normal filter smell