Capacity Of Fluval 306

Hey all. I'm buying a second-hand 36 gallon bowfront tomorrow that comes with not one, but two Fluval 306s. At first I thought that two of them was drastic over filtration, but now I'm confused. It looks like Fluval's website says a 306 can handle up to 70 gallons, but when I look it up on Amazon (not the best quality source, I know), their little product comparison chart says the 306 is only for tanks up to 30 gallons. What would you guys say is the real story? Is one going to be sufficient for a 36 gallon with pretty basic fish (nothing crazy wasteful like goldfish), or should I plan on using both? It comes with both, but just trying to plan. Thanks

 

As long as you have about 8x your tank volume you are perfect. So you need about 288 gph (36x8) and the 306 can do 303 gph. Perfect.

 

That's what I thought. I guess I'll just have a back up then. I wonder if he had goldfish or an overstocked tank. Or maybe he believed what Amazon says about capacity, haha.

 

Looks like Amazon is incorrect on the line up of the filters at the bottom as it says 105gph. But in the description it is correct as is the Fluval web site.

The Fluval 306 Canister Filter provides complete, multi-stage filtration for aquariums up to 300 Liters (70 U.S. gallons) Flow Rate: 1150 L/H (303 US GPH).

 

I have a 306 on a 29 gallon turtle tank which is mostly filled and it's the the perfect amount of filtration, if not a little overkill honestly. It's got a heck of a flow rate! So long as it's working at top speed and not plugged, one should be enough.

 

I think I would trust the manufacturer's specs over Amazon's description.

I have a 306 on a 40 gallon breeder for over a year and it does well.

Since they're used, inspect the o-rings carefully and run them in a tub or container in case of leaks for the first week or so. There are a lot of great youtube videos on how to clean and maintain them as well as filling them with filter media.

 

I have a Fluval 306 on my 46 gallon. It seems to do fine. Any more flow and I think the water current would be too much for the fish.

 

I think I would trust the manufacturer's specs over Amazon's description.

I have a 306 on a 40 gallon breeder for over a year and it does well.

Since they're used, inspect the o-rings carefully and run them in a tub or container in case of leaks for the first week or so. There are a lot of great youtube videos on how to clean and maintain them as well as filling them with filter media.

Thanks. Yes I've watched a few of the YouTube videos regarding them. I definitely trust the manufacturer over Amazon, but thought maybe I was missing something or misreading something. It doesn't come with any of the hoses so I will be replacing all of that, plus filter media of course. Definitely a good idea to test for leaks in case I need to replace o-rings. Thanks

 

I would skip buying Fluval fine filter pads and get a roll of bonded filter media and cut your own. The BioFoam is good to have as is the coarse foam (4 pieces) and both will last a long time.

You also want to use 100% silicone grease on the o-rings. Petroleum based grease like vaseline will break down the rubber.

 

BrandedUW , that sounds like a great score! An aquarium + 2 fluval canisters! The 2nd canister can be used for spare parts and for a future tank build.

That 2nd 306 canister plus 2 sponge filters could handle a future 55 gallon tank!

I agree with DarkOne , buying Fluval branded media is not required.

Amazon and Ebay sells the generic foam blocks for the primary red vertical sponge tray.

Amazon sells rolls 12" x 72" and 12' x 120" filter media that can be cut to fit and layered in the trays.

Polyfil from craftstores and Walmart also works well, and comes in both batting and loose fill bags.

Your bio-filtration in the middle and top trays can be either more layers of foam, layers of foam + bio-media, or all bio-media.

Fluval sells their Bio-Max ceramic bio-rings in a 500 gram bulk box.

Fluval 500gram box of Bio-Max and Top Fin Media Bag

• Islandvic
• Dec 24, 2018

Fluval 500gram box of Bio-Max (large ceramic bio-media rings) can be found $6-$8 online and Top...

They can be found online for $5-$7 each.

Or you can look into a 4-liter container of Seachem Pond Matrix. Kensfish.com has it for $26.79.