Fluval 406 Magnetic Impeller, Replacement Part for 406 External Canister Filter for Aquariums, A20173

Recommend, shipped promptly

Just as described works perfectly in my filter

The good:When new it works pretty decently.The so-so:It only works for about a year or If you’re lucky two. I’ve owned my Fluval 406 Since 2011. I have to replace this about every year so my filter doesn’t sound like It’s grinding nuts and bolts. No joke and not good when it sits in the living room.Fluval could It have used a stainless steel rod and stainless steel roller bearings instead of a ceramic rod and a rubber bearing for this piece... it may have lasted longer as a result...Please keep this in mind as the impeller, and the motor head also need to be replaced as the impeller cover warps... This is about a $29 expense every year to purchase that kit as I just did. That is part of the cost of ownership for the Fluval x07/x06 filer. You’re going to be doing this regularly.The bad:Packaging: Fluval puts this in a flimsy plastic package that does NOTHING to protect the flimsy plastic blades. Please see my pictures. Amazon then packages this in an envelope and it gets delivered broken and flat....Shocker, I know ¯\_(ツ)_/¯I’ve had to order the more expensive motors maintenance kit that includes a few more pieces to get them to deliver it in a proper box. You may want to do that or you’ll also get a smashed impeller like so many of us have. Just check the reviews. This partially Amazon and Partially Fluval. They could have used no plastic packaging and put it in a paper box that’s more environmentally sound and does a better job of protecting their product.

TLDR: I kept buying them. They kept breaking. Fluval finally revealed why, but they made me grovel for it.If you have noticed that the little ceramic piece keeps snapping, be aware that there is a little black rubber bushing on it that has probably come off deep inside the motor. Get some tweezers, pull that sucker out and the filter will work again...until it doesn't.I learned this from Karen at Fluval's customer shaming department.I've worked in tech support and it's a tricky balance to ask the questions that get to the root of the problem without insulting the intelligence of the person who called in. It requires a certain amount of empathy, a touch of humor, a desire to see things made right. Excellent customer service frames the problem as a puzzle to be solved together. Good customer service sees complaints as raw feedback for the company, or at least lets the customers believe that the company cares about them. Karen sees a power struggle with a naughty teenager and an opportunity to triumph over the idiots who are (were) Fluval customers.It is inconceivable to Karen that there may be a design flaw in the machine, or that including directions in the packaging of the replacement impellers would help customers to be happier with their filters. Apparently, the secret of the impeller is buried somewhere in the multipage manual and calling customer support is evidence that you are the sort of irresponsible savage who didn't read it well enough.From Karen's perspective, we who don't memorize the manual are the enemy. And she made it clear that there are many of us. Apparently, Karen's job, as she sees it, is to trap the consumer into admitting that their equipment problem is character flaw and, in any way, Fluval's fault."Are you using sand or gravel?" she asked."Gravel.""Oh," she replied, disappointed."And how many inches is the intake from the bottom?" She asked, her voice rising like an irritated middle school teacher."It's not sucking up stuff from the bottom." I said"Hmmmm." She tutted, doubting me."How often do you clean the impeller?" She asked.This felt like a trap. Do I say I clean it a lot, perhaps admitting that my cleaning efforts have damaged the delicate mechanisms? Do I say I let it be, and admit that sometimes I also forget to put my laundry in the basket or clean the shower grout? I went with the truth."I don't mess with the inside of the motor." I admitted."Well!" she said with a mix of triumph and disgust, "There you have it! Gunk builds up and that causes the porcelain to break."But I had anticipated that, and after my 3rd impeller shaft in as many months, I had bought an entirely new impeller unit, which worked for about 2 weeks before stalling when the little ceramic popsicle stick fell out of place and broke again."I don't think it's a gunk problem, Karen." I said. She didn't say it, but the "Don't you sass me, young lady!" was implied.Finally Karen revealed the problem, telling me that she had had to argue with the previous caller about it as well until he got tweezers and saw that she was right. I suggested it would be nice to reveal this secret in the packaging of the replacement impellers and she icily informed me that the manual made it clear. She didn't bother to ask if I had read the manual, she knew my kind all too well.In any case, there is a little black piece of rubber, which, in the packaging looks like it is designed to stabilize the shaft during shipping. It is the key to the functioning of the unit. It gets stuck behind way up in the machines innards when you need to replace the shaft. You need to grok that it is up in there, and fish around with tweezer till you find and remove it before you put a new impeller in.Or you can call Karen. But don't say I didn't warn you.

This part brought my 4 year old canister filter back to sounding and working like new again. No complaints.

It’s ok. These things seem to break more than they should in my one filter. I have 3 and there is one on my cichlid tank that’s always breaking. Seems like the other two are always fine. I clean them and take care like the instructions say but one is the three filters just seems to be less reliable than the other 2. Oddly enough I bought that one at the aquarium store by my house and the two that won’t break I bought here for $70 less. It’s not always easy to replace either. Sometimes I really have to work to dig the little rubber bushing out of the hole where the shaft seats. I do like the fluval filters overall. Just seems like this cheap plastic should be a little nicer for the money

Works

Same as original, good fit , only time will tell about longevity

As you would expect from Fluval product, this impeller is well made but is really a bit pricey for all that it actually is

Glad I bought this. I needed a replacement for my 306 ceramic shaft. The ceramic shaft fits my 306 fine. The only difference between the 406 and 306 is the size of the fan head. It fits my 306 I just slowed the flow of water. Cheaper than a new ceramic shaft alone.

Expensive for an impeller. Not the strongest build quality broke with in a month. Have now stopped using the fluval 406 canister and changed to a all pond solutions.

Perfect, fixed the job nicely and still going, prompt delivery too A++

lasted about 2 weeks not a very robust itemNOW USING SMALL WATER PUMP CONNECTED TO INLET INSIDE THE FISH TANK THAT PUMPS WATER THOUGH THE FILTER RESULTS IN BETTER FILTERED WATER MUCH CLEANER AND SUPPER QUIET