• Five-stage media bed — poly/foam pad and dense polyester for mechanical polishing, BIOMAX and a Bio-Screen pad for biological filtration, and activated carbon for the chemical stage.
• Clogging indicator — a visual flag on the housing shows when flow has dropped enough to need a clean, instead of guessing on a calendar.
• Trickle-chamber wet/dry design — water is aerated as it re-enters the tank, adding oxygen exchange the media stage alone doesn't provide.
• Adjustable flow control — throttle output for smaller or more delicate setups without buying a smaller filter.
• Rim-hang fit — clips onto glass up to 2.5 cm thick, no drilling or gluing.

All three share the same 5 W motor class and five-stage media bed. The difference is pump output and housing size — a C3 pushes noticeably more water through the same style of media stack than a C2, which matters more on a heavily stocked tank than on a lightly stocked one at the same litreage.

480 L/h is the rated flow through a clean, freshly loaded filter. Fluval does not publish a separate "with media loaded" figure for the C-Series the way it does for its canister ranges, so treat the rated number as a best case rather than what you will see once the poly/foam pad has a few weeks of debris in it.

Both figures fall as the poly/foam pad loads with debris between cleans — expect actual turnover to run below the table, more so just before a service.

• 1 x C3 filter housing and pump unit
• 1 x poly/foam pad
• 1 x Bio-Screen pad
• BIOMAX biological media
• Activated carbon
• Intake strainer and spray bar

Suitable for freshwater and marine aquariums up to 190 L, including moderately stocked community and reef tanks. Not suitable as the sole filtration on a heavily stocked or heavily fed tank at the top of its rated range — step up to the C4 for extra headroom, or run two smaller units.

Mains-powered — 230-240 V / 50 Hz, AU plug. Keep the power cord's drip loop below the outlet so water can't track down the cable into the socket. Unplug before removing the media basket or clearing the intake.

Rinse the poly/foam pad in removed tank water whenever the clogging indicator shows red, and replace it in full at least twice a year. Change the activated carbon monthly, or once it has done its job on a specific problem such as clearing medication or odour. Biological media (BIOMAX, Bio-Screen) should only be part-replaced every 3 to 6 months, never all at once, so the bacterial colony isn't wiped out in one service.

• C3 Poly/Foam Pad — the mechanical stage replacement
• C3 Zeo-Carb — combined carbon and ammonia-removal cartridge for the chemical stage
• C-Series Bio-Screen pad — biological stage replacement

Your rights under the Australian Consumer Law apply in full and nothing here limits them, in addition to any manufacturer warranty registered with Fluval. Ships as a standard small parcel anywhere in Australia.

What size tank does the Fluval C3 suit?

Fluval rates it for aquariums up to 190 L. For a heavily stocked tank near that limit, sizing up to the C4 (265 L) gives more filtration headroom on the same footprint.

Does the C3 come with all its filter media?

Yes. A new C3 ships with the poly/foam pad, BIOMAX, Bio-Screen pad and activated carbon already fitted — all four are also sold separately as replacements.

Is the C3 suitable for a marine or reef tank?

Yes, it runs in freshwater or marine setups. On a reef tank it's typically used as supplementary mechanical and chemical filtration alongside protein skimming rather than as the sole filter.

How is the C3 different from the C2 and C4?

All three share the same five-stage design; the difference is scale. The C2 suits tanks to 115 L, the C3 to 190 L, and the C4 to 265 L, with flow rate stepping up to match.