Fluval FX5. It's more than just a filter, it's a way of life

[Laticauda]

If you have a bare bottom, you can use the extra attachment to pump the old water into the toilet or outside (or however you get rid of your dirty water.) The only benefit to that is faster draining of the tank.

 

[Mastiffman]

This is a interesting idea and I don't mean to bash your idea but other then making a powerful gravel vac and saving a little bit of water it just seems like a PITA. For one you have to take the time to pull a heavy ass filter from under the tank open it up put in the pads close it then vac open it back up take the pads out close it back up and put it back under the tank. After doing all this you still have to do your 25% water change or what ever you do every week. Like I said don't take it personally not trying to bash it just saying IMO its not worth the time and effort.

Posted on mobile.monsterfishkeepers.com

Yeah, I'm with you on this one. A nice long 1/2-3/4" Sihpon tube with an attached 4ft of garden hose, via a couple, directed right to a floor drain and the connected to a Y spliter on the end of my untility sink makes cleaning 3 tanks at once a breeeeeeeze! I'll save my 2 FX5's for 180gallon with crystal clear water!!!!

 

[Spiritofthesoul]

This is a interesting idea and I don't mean to bash your idea but other then making a powerful gravel vac and saving a little bit of water it just seems like a PITA. For one you have to take the time to pull a heavy ass filter from under the tank open it up put in the pads close it then vac open it back up take the pads out close it back up and put it back under the tank. After doing all this you still have to do your 25% water change or what ever you do every week. Like I said don't take it personally not trying to bash it just saying IMO its not worth the time and effort.

Posted on mobile.monsterfishkeepers.com

You can tweak abit with this mod. Remember that the FX5 output can be connected directly to a long tube to the sink. Hagen said so themselves in the tutorial video. Now you can vac the gravel and do water changes at the same time. Clean the canisters on a regular schedule.

Yeah, I'm with you on this one. A nice long 1/2-3/4" Sihpon tube with an attached 4ft of garden hose, via a couple, directed right to a floor drain and the connected to a Y spliter on the end of my untility sink makes cleaning 3 tanks at once a breeeeeeeze! I'll save my 2 FX5's for 180gallon with crystal clear water!!!!

We don't have floor sinks over here. Just a window besides the tank. But i'm living in those multi-story building and I'm on the 6th floor. So if I drain directly down into the window, I'm almost certain to get into a lawsuit.

 

[Jgray152]

Easier way of hooking up a gravel vacuum to the Fx5 is to fit the gravel vac tubing to the purge valve at the bottom of the canister, open the purge valve, then start closing the intake valve until the filter starts sucking in through the gravel vac.

the only issue with this is you will introduce air in to the canister which is no problem really, let it purge on its own or unplug the filter to allow it to purge.

 

[Spiritofthesoul]

Hmm Never thought of that b4.

I wonder what was the real intention of the removable lower half of the strainer?

 

[Jgray152]

probably easy cleaning. I sometimes put medicine tablets inside the strainer my tank is sick.

 

[spirofucci]

Spirit, you're a stink'n rocket scientist! I'm gonna try it.

 

[Laticauda]

Hmm Never thought of that b4.

I wonder what was the real intention of the removable lower half of the strainer?

To easily remove free floating moss from the strainer. Could you imagine trying to clean it out through the tiny hole in the top where the tube is inserted? This feature has been a necessity on more than one occasion. Big goldfish + Moss on a log = moss no longer on log, and instead growing from the intake strainer.

 

[Cakilla]

Great Idea I am going to give this a try! But i am still kinda worried cause I was planning on going with sand in some of my tanks I wonder if it would still work if you cut up some fine sponges and placed them in the vacumkes tube ? so it would actually be filtered even more and possibly making the FX5's filter pads last longer.

 

[Laticauda]

Great Idea I am going to give this a try! But i am still kinda worried cause I was planning on going with sand in some of my tanks I wonder if it would still work if you cut up some fine sponges and placed them in the vacumkes tube ? so it would actually be filtered even more and possibly making the FX5's filter pads last longer.

I would imagine, if you angle the outflows correctly, the water current will sweep any solid waste directly into the filter intake. If that's the case, then you can use the extra valve that comes with the filter, and hook it up to a long hose and the output, and just use the filter as a fast drain during water changes. No need to gravel vac if all the solid waste is in the filter already. Sand compacts, and doesn't allow wastes to accumulate in it the same was as gravel does.