If you have the Fluval G3 or Fluval G6 canister filter installed in your fish tank, then the LCD screen may show the following alert:
“Low Flow. Refer to instructions manual.”
To see how you can fix this issue, you can take a look at this troubleshooting article from Aquarium Blueprints.
1. The first step you can take is to clean the Mechanical Pre-Filter Cartridge as it may have been clogged.
In order to do so, you can take the following steps:
- Unplug the Fluval G3 or Fluval G6 from the power outlet.
- Move the silver AQUASTOP valve lever completely up and then black AQUASTOP release lever completely down.
- Open the cartridge lid.
- Remove the Mechanical Pre-Filter Cartridge, which should be the cartridge with the black circular handle. In order to remove it, twist the cartridge counter-clockwise.
- Remove the cartridge from the cartridge head and dirt collection cup. To remove the head, twist the cartridge counter-clockwise. To remove the cup, squeeze the ridged areas of the cup.
- Rinse all of the debris off of the Mechanical Pre-Filter Cartridge, cartridge head and dirt collection cup. When rinsing, we recommend using tank water you are planning to remove from your aquarium in order to prevent any harm to your beneficial bacteria living on these parts of the filter.
- Once you are done with cleaning these parts, place them back into your Fluval G3 or Fluval G6. Make sure that the cartridge is fitted properly into the cartridge slot on the canister filter.
2. If your Mechanical Pre-Filter Cartridge still seems to be quite dirty even after a thorough rinsing, then you might want to consider replacing it.
If you are looking for a replacement cartridge, then you can take a look at this article.
3. We also recommend cleaning the other cartridge, as well as the filter media you have in the media baskets of your canister filter, in order to improve water flow.
When cleaning these parts, we also recommend using tank water to prevent harming the beneficial bacteria living on these surfaces.
4. Using cartridges other than the ones that were specifically designed for the Fluval G3 or Fluval G6 may cause water flow issues. Therefore, we recommend only using Fluval-branded cartridges for these filters.
5. Make sure that the hosing isn’t squeezed or pinched in. Otherwise, these deformities will slow down the water flow coming into and out of the G3 or G6.
6. You may also want to consider repositioning your canister filter in relations to your fish tank.
Fluval recommends that you place the G3 or G6 directly underneath the tank. However, you need to make sure that the canister filter is no more than 4.9 feed beneath the bottom of the tank.
When it comes to hosing, make sure you are using the one that came with your filter. Furthermore, the total hosing length should be no more than 9.8 feet.
Finally, make sure that the hosing is as straight as possible when connected to the filter and fish tank as there shouldn’t be any loops and knots.
