Just bought a Fluval FX5 online
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How would you put carbon in it? If I put a bag in there, won't it just flow around it since I can't make a complete seal? My filter bags are square.
If you get a bag large enough, the media inside will form to the baskets. Just make sure you get a bag that is not a very very very fine mech. A good test is it run the bag under water, if water repels from it, don't use it. Lots of fine mech bags don't allow water to flow efficientlt through it.
Thanks, that's exactly what I needed to know. I bet I have the wrong bag, it's def too small at the very least. I'm going to get some of the fluval ceramic prefilter for the top tray, bioballs for the mid, and carbon for the bottom.
I just want to let everyone know. There is nothing wrong with this configuration which I am using as an example but this will cut the bio capacity by 2/3. So you will have 1/3 the bio capacity. Instead of 5.5 liters, you have 1.8 liters of bio media. Not much for a large filter.
I suggest filling all three chambers with bio media of choice and using filter fiber on top of the bio media in the top baskets. This way you have atleast 90-95% of the total bio capacity.
If you need to use chemical filtration,
top baskets: Filter Fiber, Chemical filtration under it.
2nd and 3rd basket: bio filtration.
Can you clarify what you mean by filter fiber? Do you not recommend using the ceramic prefilters then?
ceramic prefilter is usless when your filter has course sponge. Don't anyone try and tell me the bacteria will grow on them because they are horrible for bio media. they are smooth and have no texture to them.
Filter fiber you can find at your LFS. Its looks like pillow stuffing except its strangs are much longer. BTW, pillow stuffing works too.
Filter fiber you can find at your LFS. Its looks like pillow stuffing except its strangs are much longer. BTW, pillow stuffing works too.
Got mine today also. I wasn't expecting it to arrive this soon! 2 Days! Anyway, I went to petsmart and they only had one box of biomax left, so I got that, and three cans of seachem matrix to put in it. There is a little room left over but not much. I also put some course filter pads in the bottom of the bottom tray so that the smaller pieces of matrix couldn't get to the impeller. The best part is that the fx5 makes much less noise than the Magnum 350 its replacing. Even makes less noise than the HOB its paired with.
I have read that the coarse blue pads for the eheim 2215 fit in the baskets perfectly and are less likely to clog.
Well here's what I ended up doing. I did end up using a little bit of carbon.
Top layer:
Carbon filter & bag for an ac110
Fluval Prefilter Media
Marineland ceramic filter ring
Middle layer
50% Marineland bioballs (plastic ball things)
50% Fluval Biomax
Bottom layer
100% fluval biomax
I'm running the filter on a bucket right now to make sure it doesn't leak (looks fine so far). Will I traumatize my fish if I hook it up to my 55 gallon?
Top layer:
Carbon filter & bag for an ac110
Fluval Prefilter Media
Marineland ceramic filter ring
Middle layer
50% Marineland bioballs (plastic ball things)
50% Fluval Biomax
Bottom layer
100% fluval biomax
I'm running the filter on a bucket right now to make sure it doesn't leak (looks fine so far). Will I traumatize my fish if I hook it up to my 55 gallon?
