Ista Hang On Filter 450

The ISTA Hang-On Filter’s bio-sponge intake protects fry while a two-stage filtering cartridge boosts filtration efficiency and quality.

Forced filter system ensures the water is completely filtered through the media. Detachable filter box, easy to clean and to change filter media. Inlet sponge prevents small fish and shrimp from being accidentally sucked in. Powerful but quiet, stable motor. Made in Taiwan.

Suitable for both freshwater & Saltwater.

The Ista Hang On Filter 450 is a hang-on-back filter — see our guide to choosing the right aquarium filtration system for how HOB filters compare to canister and internal options.

Specifications

What ISTA publish for the IF-649 High Performance hang-on filter:

Pump flow rate 450 litres an hour
Power consumption 4.5 W
Dimensions 165 × 115 × 173 mm
Rated voltage AC 110–120 V / 60 Hz, or AC 220–240 V / 50 Hz
Made in Taiwan

The larger IF-650 gives 600 l/h at 6 W in a 200 × 115 × 178 mm body.

What ISTA do not publish for this model:

• A recommended aquarium volume
• Maximum head
• Filter box capacity
• A freshwater or marine rating

Those rows are simply not on ISTA's specification sheet or in their catalogue, and we would rather leave them blank than print a number we cannot source. If one of them decides your purchase, ask us and we will measure the stock item before you order.

Compatibility

This is a different filter from ISTA's I-851 family, not a bigger one. The High Performance range is built around a forced filter system — ISTA's own phrase — which drives the water through the media rather than letting it find the easiest way past, and a detachable filter box you fill with the media of your choice. The cheaper family uses a fixed two-stage cartridge. If you want to run your own ceramic, sponge or carbon, this is the range that lets you.

ISTA pair it with their own media on their site — quartzite glass, PM bio-ceramic, porous bio ring, filter wool, sponge and ceramic. Any media that fits the box will work; the box is the point.

There is no published tank-size rating, so size it on turnover: four to six times the tank volume per hour is the usual working range, which puts 450 litres an hour in the right territory for a tank of roughly a fifth to a quarter of that number in litres.

ISTA publish no freshwater or marine rating for this range. Their page for the I-851 family says explicitly that it suits both; the High Performance page says nothing either way. We are not going to fill that in for them — ask us before ordering if this is going on a marine tank.

The replacement sponge is E-F7401 or E-F7402, which ISTA list against this range.

Check the rim. A hang-on filter has to clear the tank's bracing bar and sit over the back glass, and a tank with a wide plastic trim or a full hood can leave nowhere for it to hang. Measure the gap between the back glass and any brace before you order.

Both mains variants exist. ISTA build this range in AC 110–120 V / 60 Hz and AC 220–240 V / 50 Hz. Indian mains is the second of those; the flow and power figures above are ISTA's published ones for the model, and if the voltage of the unit in stock matters to you, ask us and we will read it off the label.

What's in the Box

• Hang-on filter body with the pump and impeller fitted
• Detachable filter box
• Filter media as supplied by ISTA
• Inlet sponge
• Intake tube

ISTA publish no itemised scope of delivery for this product; the list above is assembled from their own product page and catalogue entry. If something is short in the carton, tell us inside the 7-day return window and we will sort it out.

If you already know what media you want to run, order it with the filter — the detachable box is the whole reason to choose this model over the cartridge one.

Safety & Precautions

Do not let the water level fall below the intake. A hang-on filter that loses its water column stops filtering and starts running the pump dry. In a climate that evaporates a tank down over a week, and on a supply that cuts out without warning, this is the failure that actually happens — top up before the level reaches the intake, not after.

Hang it so it cannot fall in. Check it is properly seated on the rim before you power it, and re-check after any work on the tank. This is a mains device held on by its own weight above open water.

Unplug everything in the tank before you put your hands in it — heaters and pumps as well as the filter.

Put it on an earth-leakage breaker rated at no more than 30 mA, and run the cable in a drip loop so water tracking down the lead drips off before it reaches the socket.

Never run it dry. The water passing through is what cools the motor.

Keep the packaging and small parts away from children and animals, and inspect the cable and plug before each use — a moulded mains lead that has been damaged cannot be repaired.

Warranty & Support

This product is covered by warranty as per the manufacturer policy, against material and manufacturing defects from the date of purchase.

Warranty support is handled by us directly. Message our WhatsApp support with your order number and we will diagnose the fault first — most cases are solved by replacing a single part, so you rarely need to send the whole unit. If the item does need to come back, it ships to our Delhi or Pune warehouse, whichever one served your order, and courier cost in both directions is borne by the customer. Your GST invoice is valid proof of purchase for the claim.

Returns & Replacement

Returns are accepted within 7 days of delivery, provided the item is unused and in its original packaging. Manufacturer-sealed items cannot be returned once the seal is broken, and sale-priced items are not refundable.

If your item arrives defective or damaged, message us on WhatsApp with your order number — or email us, if you would rather — and we will replace it. Approved replacements are delivered within 3 to 5 business days. Transit damage is covered by insurance on every shipment. If tracking shows delivered but nothing reached you, tell us within 72 hours, which is the reporting window Indian couriers allow. Damage caused during installation or use is not covered; replacement spares for such cases are chargeable.

Full terms are on our Cancellation & Returns page.