I just set up my new fx5 and I'm not sure if its working good. I think this because the pressure of the output seems very low. The other canister filter I have, which is a smaller rena filter for a 75 gallon, shoots water out really hard. But, the rena has a powerhead on it, and the fx5 has two outputs so maybe it just feels like its not pumping out a lot of water because the water is coming out in two places intead of one. Or, maybe I filled the media baskets too much and it slowed the filter down. Can someone who has this filter please give me some input.
is my fx5 running good?
- Thread starter sixpack_ey
- Start date
well because it uses a large diameter hose it doesnt feel high pressure but if you stick your finger in one of the two outlets so it is actually under the hose you will feel the pressure...
Well, I did stick my finger into the tube, but it still did not seem like very much pressure at all. I don't see how this could move 400 gallons per hour. This doesn't seem like its moving much water, could there be something wrong with it? Its brand new, straight out of the box.
are you running foam pads in the bottom of the trays? if so they tend to clog fast in the FX5, I dont use them myself and personally my tank is crystal clear with just the std foam...
Well, I left the foam rings that came with the filter that surround the trays. In the bottom tray I put the biomax rings and then took a sheet of foam from an old filter and cut it up into squares and put it in with the biomax rings, trying to seed them with some bacteria from my established aquarium. I left the middle tray empty(this is just for the time being, I will add something before I add fish) and in the top tray I put a bag of the carbon. Isn't it strange that the baskets are circular shaped and the filter bags for the carbon are rectangular? This doesn't seem right to me because some of the water passes without going through the carbon. But, like I said, the water flow seems so slow to me. I wish I knew someone else who had this filter set up so I could feel the output on theirs.
Are you saying the FX5 can only turn over 400gals an hour? I thought it was 900 gal or somewhere around that number.sixpack_ey;1086387; said:
Yes 900 gph with no media and 0 head height.Terrorizing Cichlid;1086630; said:
Check the hoses and see if there is any kinks or bends. How long are they? What is the distance between the top of the Fluval and the output?
The hoses are maybe 4 ft, no bends or kinks. From the top of the filter to the output is about 2.5 ft, a little over
The extra space around the carbon bags is intentional...however carbon is of little use in any case. Your better off with more bio-media. The flow shouldn't drop off THAT much even when the filter needs cleaning. Try using the backflushing port and then restarting the motor. The motor in the FX5 is computer controled to reduce power in the case of a restriction.