If you are looking for a canister filter for your fish tank, then you will most likely run into the Fluval brand of products. Although the company has newer models available in the 07 Series, the 06 Series is still perfectly viable in the aquarium hobby.
Below you can find Aquarium Blueprints’ review of the Fluval 06 Series Canister Filters.
Size and Price Options
The Fluval 06 Series Canister Filters come in four different sizes: 106, 206, 306 and 406. You can check out what model number is suitable for the size of your tank below:
- Fluval 106: up to 25 Gallons
- Fluval 206:up to 45 Gallons
- Fluval 306: up to 70 Gallons
- Fluval 406: up to 100 gallons
Each model also have different pump output and filter circulation ratings. You can find the stats provided by the official website below:
- Fluval 106: 145 Gallons Per Hour in Pump Output and 95 Gallons Per Hour in Filter Circulation
- Fluval 206: 206 Gallons Per Hour in Pump Output and 121 Gallons Per Hour in Filter Circulation
- Fluval 306:303 Gallons Per Hour in Pump Output and 206 Gallons Per Hour in Filter Circulation
- Fluval 406: 383 Gallons Per Hour in Pump Output and 245 Gallons Per Hour in Filter Circulation
There’s also a difference in the filter media included in each model:
- Fluval 106: 1 Biomax Filter Media, 1 Water Polishing Pad, 1 Bio Foam and 0 Carbon Bag
- Fluval 206: 1 Biomax Filter Media, 1 Water Polishing Pad, 1 Bio Foam and 1 Carbon Bag
- Fluval 306: 2 Biomax Filter Medias, 2 Water Polishing Pads, 2 Bio Foams and 2 Carbon Bags
- Fluval 406: 2 Biomax Filter Medias, 2 Water Polishing Pads, 4 Bio Foam and 2 Carbon Bags
You can check out the price tags for the Fluval 06 Series Canister Filters on Amazon with this link. (#CommissionsEarned).
Assembly Process
When we got our Fluval 360, we were a bit overwhelmed trying to assemble the canister cause it has a lot of parts and steps. So we recommend reading through the instructions and taking one step at a time. Since you are dealing with water and electricity, make sure that you thoroughly read the safety instructions as well.
One additional advice we can give is that, when cutting the ribbed hosing, you are better off leaving some extra room on the end as opposed to cutting it short. While Fluval did provide a pretty long hosing in the package, you should still be a little careful.
If you are missing the instructions to set up the Fluval 106, 206, 206 or 406 Canister Filter, then you can find the PDF version on Chewy.
Features
Water Flow
Fortunately, the complicated setup is well worth your patience as the 06 Series canister filters are excellent when it comes to water movement. We installed the 306 model onto our 55 gallon and was able to get a pretty strong flow from one side of our four foot wide tank to the other even though we only used around 1/4 of the pressure from the water flow valve.
We also loved the output nozzle as it help disperse the outgoing water evenly across the surface of our fish tank. Because of that, we haven’t found the need to use an air stone as the filter does a great job at moving water and agitating the surface to promote gas exchange.
Media Baskets
Another great thing about the 06 Series is the use of media baskets. The use of containers make it easy to keep the filter media in place. As a result, all the different media types are neatly lined up in orderly fashion.
Our 306 filter came with 2 Biomax filter medias, 2 water polishing pads, 2 bio foams and 2 carbon bags. We personally got rid of the polishing pads and carbon bags as both needed to be regularly replaced in order to maintain their effectiveness. Instead, we used bio balls to add more surface area to our filter.
If you have a dirty tank with a lot of small particles, then you might want to keep using new polishing pads. Activated carbons are also good at removing medicine, discoloration and odor for your tank. So you might want to continue using new carbon bags if you are suffering from any of the aforementioned issues in your tank. You can check out our Fluval 06 filter media guide for more information.
Intake Strainer
One issue we have with the intake strainer is that it gets pretty dirty often. Not to mention that it wasn’t able to keep our Red Cherry Shrimp from getting sucked into the canister. So, if you have a lot of fish fry and/or shrimp, then we recommend getting a pre-filter sponge as a replacement for the default intake. The Zanyzap Pre-Filter Sponge we used fit our intake tubing perfectly. If you are interested, you can purchase a 3-pack of the sponge with this link on Amazon. (#CommissionsEarned).
Noise Level
Aside from the water splashes made from the output nozzle, which you can easily muzzle by putting it underwater, the 306 filter we have is normally whisper quiet. The only time we hear something is when it starts marking a flushing noise. This typically mean that the filter is strained due to the lack of water flow. As a result, you have to open up the canister in order to clean it.
Cleaning
The worst part of the Fluval 06 Series is having to clean it. To prevent any leakage, the canister is airtight, which require a lot of force to open. If you don’t drain out your filter beforehand, all of the dirty water and detritus will end up on you and the ground. When removing the hosing from your canister, you may also have to worry about water leaking out.
After you are done with maintenance, you then have to re-prime the canister to fill it back up with water. As you may have learn when setting up the filter for the first time, priming will get tedious quickly.
Since it is so hard to clean the inside of the filter, we avoid having to do so as much as possible. The pre-filter sponge we used does a great job at preventing debris from getting in our canister. We also have lots of live plants that help with our water quality. As a result, we only have to clean the filter every 3 to 4 months.
Longevity
Based on our experience, the Fluval 06 Series has amazing longevity. Our 306 canister is still going strong after running non-stop for around eight years. During that time, it had to deal with power surges, sand getting sucked into the filter and water flow being blocked by a dirty pre-filter sponge. So the build quality seems to be excellent for this product.
Warranty
Although we never used it, Fluval does have a 3 year warranty for the 06 Series.
Recap
The Fluval 06 series is great at providing water flow as well as having excellent filtration through its orderly media baskets. Its build quality is also excellent as our 306 canister is still alive and kicking after 8 years of non-stop usage.
It does have some flaws, however, as the intake strainer get dirty easily and won’t stop shrimp and fish fry of similar size from getting sucked into the filter. Fortunately, getting a pre-filter sponge will easily solve this problem.
The other issue we have is that this filter is hard to open, and may cause a big mess, in order to perform maintenance. With that said, you only have to deal with maintenance a few times a year as long as you don’t overstock your tank , use a pre-filter and have live plants.
Overall, we find the Fluval 06 series to be an excellent high-performance and long-lasting filter. With that said, the 07 Series has several minor advantages over the older models.
You can take a look at the differences in our Fluval 06 vs. 07 Canister Filters Comparison Guide. You might also want to check out our comparison between the 06 Series with the G Series.