FX5 Lid Fastner

nzafi

Goliath Tigerfish
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Mar 14, 2008
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Guys - I have had my FX5 for about 6-7 months now and I have noticed that the plastic pieces on the lid faster are breaking. I just ordered 8 new ones (couple extra) but I am surprised that I already need new ones. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this and how you handle it. I only hand tighten, but I do tighten as hard as I can. How tight does everyone ties these? Maybe I need to take it easy on how tight I make the lid, but I am just trying to prevent air from getting in.
 

Charney

The Fish Doctor
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Nov 15, 2005
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I have broken a lot of them and I try to be pretty gentle with the filter since it doesn't seem to take too much to break mine
 

Conlin2

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Aug 7, 2011
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I have 2 FX5s and I have never broken any of them. I hand tighten them it doesn't take much to keep the lid on you may be over doing it.
 

David R

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Apr 26, 2005
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They are a weak point with the design IMO. I was going to try get an engineer friend to make replacement dowels for them (I presume that is what you're breaking) but you can actually use them without the dowels...
 

rodger

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Apr 29, 2008
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There is a thread on here about how to make unbreakable ones. I have never broken any. Here is my trick: Snug. Just snug. Start the filter and look for leaks. No leaks, you are good. If you have any leaks, just go a little bit more until the leak stops. You won't lose more then a couple spoonfulls of water. It never sprays out. One more tip. I use my shop vac to prime my filter. I put it under the tank empty. Hook up the inlet hose and put the shop vac on the exhaust side. As soon as the filter is full shut off the valve and install the other hose. It makes moving that beast of a filter around a lot easier.
 

Chizzle

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Jan 30, 2011
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There is a thread on here about how to make unbreakable ones. I have never broken any. Here is my trick: Snug. Just snug. Start the filter and look for leaks. No leaks, you are good. If you have any leaks, just go a little bit more until the leak stops. You won't lose more then a couple spoonfulls of water. It never sprays out. One more tip. I use my shop vac to prime my filter. I put it under the tank empty. Hook up the inlet hose and put the shop vac on the exhaust side. As soon as the filter is full shut off the valve and install the other hose. It makes moving that beast of a filter around a lot easier.
:iagree: you might be over tightening if they are all breaking on you.
 

Pharaoh

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Feb 18, 2008
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Yep. I've never had an issue with any of mine. I just make them snug.
 

Owens

Polypterus
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Oct 26, 2012
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Fx5s seal pretty well, you don't have to manhandle them. Like above posters said, just hand tighten.

Sent from my VS840 4G using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 

Henrikorg1

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Jun 22, 2011
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Send me an pm so i dont forget it when i get home from work and i will upload some pics of how i replaced them with cheap simple metal ones for furniture assembly,its really easy and i bet you cant break them ever again.
 

Henrikorg1

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Jun 22, 2011
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Hi sry for being a little slow,first a little thing the parts i have used is metric i dont know if you can get them in the states ?

First you ned to buy some 6x40 mm screws with a hexagon head,you have to grind down each flat side of the heaxagon head by almost 1 mm and if you really want to do a good job you also cut down the screw to a length off 37 mm so they look like this.
Billede0281.jpg

I dont know what the english/american word is for these but directly translated they are called cros screws,they are used to assemble furniture with,the outside diameter is 8 mm and they are 12 mm long with a 6 mm thread through them,i got mine from a hardware store in a small package.
Billede0282.jpg
here one of them is beside one of the normal plastic ones
Billede0280.jpg
You also have to drill out the finger nut with a 6 mm drill to accept the bigger screw,and then put the screw head into the finger nut so it is little opposit from how its normally mounted,and then i ends up looking little like this.
Billede0283.jpg

Hope that makes a little sense ?
Just ask if you have any problems,and if you cant get the mm parts over there and there is no inch parts that fit send me an pm an we will figure out how i can send some to you.

Billede0281.jpg

Billede0280.jpg

Billede0283.jpg

Billede0282.jpg
 
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