Fluval FX5, worth it or just wasting my time?

[Wolf3101]

I have an FX5 running on a 110 long and its backed up by a pair of Hydro5's.

I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WITH WYLD ON THE MULTI-FILTER ISSUE...

It's a question of safety and redundancy. The only reason I don't have MORE filtration on the 110 long is due to the design of the hood.

An FX5 could handle a 125 gallon on it's own with no problem and if you back it up with a couple of double stacked hydro5's it could probubly manage a 300 gallon as well. I wouldn't do it personally but thats just me.

The FX5 is a very quiet and reliable filter. I'm running several now with no problems at all. You have to watch the hose connections to prevent air from bieng pulled into the cannister. I also like to keep a hose cap on the drain valve for this very same reason.

No gravity fed filter system on earth can match a sealed pressure system for mechanical filtration...Check out how an RO system works sometime if you don't belive me. That's not to say that a sump system can't have good mechanical filtration because many of them do...but it will never match a Sea clear with a pressure pump for water polishing.

 

[ahya2006]

i love using my fx5, i have it as my only filtration on a 225g and its quiet

 

[seamus]

I have a FX5 on my 150 and it's super quiet. I've only cleaned it once(new tank) but it was very easy. Water changes are so quick, use the additional valve provided with some 1" vinyl from HD and you can drain alot of waster in a very short time. So far it's keeping the tank clean but all my fish are small right now. I will be adding another shortly though.

 

[hillbilly]

I like my FX5 for the only two reasons, it moves alot of water and it fairly easy to clean. The downfall that I hate is that after a cleaning it only takes a few days it blows mirco fine bubbles and I have tired everything to combat this. From what I have looked at, I think the pump and its seals are flawed for what is designed to do. I am considering bypassing the orginal pump and using and external on it somehow.

Maybe they should call them "Flaw-als" instead of Fluvals! Sorry, that was not helpful, but I couldn't resist.

 

[Wolf3101]

Maybe they should call them "Flaw-als" instead of Fluvals! Sorry, that was not helpful, but I couldn't resist.

Every time I see things like this I have to wonder how many people realise that the same company and factory that make the beloved Aqua Clear line of HOB filters also makes the Fluval cannisters on the next line over?

I understand that their reputation took a hit in the past because of a LOAD of problems with the 02 and 03 series of cannisters...I wouldn't use any of them myself but all that has been corrected and the 04/05 series are some of the simplest to use and most cost effective cannisters you can buy with one of the lowest return rates in the industry.