Questions about my FX5

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Ryanz27

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jun 29, 2012
79
0
6
Minnesota
I just bought a FX5 for my 75G which will hold some new piranhas in it soon. Im kind of new to this hobby... Ive have fish before but not on this scale. Especially a tank this big or a filter this big. (I had it shipped to my parents house instead of my apartment and my little brother called and asked if I bought a outdoor vacuum because it came in the mail today, haha.) Anyway, Ive been doing research nonstop for the past week about everything I will need to know. For the most part I have it all down. The filtration is what seems to confuse me. From my understanding the Fx5 takes in water down the the IN tube to the bottem of the canister, then the water goes up the sides through the foam. (mechanical filtration part) then it reaches the top basket and travels through the 3 baskets down to the bottom and then it is shot back up through the OUT tube and into the tank. Right? Now for media Im completely lost... Ive read so much info about types of media to use its giving me a head ache to I wanted to just ask you guys. Since there is already 3 layers of foam around the 3 baskets I really shouldnt need anymore "mechanical filtration" So I was thinking of putting those carbon pouches that Fluval sells in the top basket, maybe another pouch in the middle basket along with bio balls underneath and then Biomax in the bottom basket with a polishing pad at the very bottom of the 3rd basket. does this sound right? Bio balls are plastic so I can just toss them in there. Can I do the same with the biomax or do those have to be put in media bags? Sorry for all the questions.. But its been giving me a headache lately and I just want to do this all right.
 
I run Biomax in the bottom two baskets and pack the top basket with scrubbies. The scrubbies act as an extra layer of mech filtration and aid in keeping the biomax from getting gunked up. The scrubbies develop quite a bit of gunk on them but are easily clean with warm running tap water. Your biomax can go right into the baskets but first rinse out all the dust and screen out the small pieces that may pass through the basket. Small pieces of biomax can jam up your impellar.
 
i put ehiem ephsubstrate in two of my baskets and use poly fiber as a polisher in one the other fx5 is a mix of pot scrubys and fluval bio max
 
you should only use carbon to remove toxins or to help keep the fishy smell down if you skip water changes. there is no real need to keep carbon in a filter.
 
Thanks for the quick replies guys. Ive noticed alot of people seem to just do Mechanical and bio media. No one really uses any chemical media it sounds like.. Dont you need to so the water stays crystal clear?
 
One thing if you get too dense of mech media in the baskets it will clog rather quickly and your FX% will start to produce micro bubbles.
 
I plan on doing water changes probably around once a week give or take a day or 2 depending on my schedule. So your saying I wouldn't need to use carbon then? Im going to be using the Aqueon Gravel pump to do this. Would I need to suck up the waste from the gravel everytime I do the water changes as well?
 
that is what the polishing pad is for i just get a roll of poly fiber from the craft store and cut my own it keeps the water crystal clear
 
Ok thanks Svtim. So on for my Fx5 the bottem basket is the last stage the water goes through. Should I put the polishing pad at the bottem of the basket and then my biomax sitting on top of it?
 
The polishing pads would go in the bottom basket if u use them .u will have great filtration on a 75 with that filter it is good for a 400 gallon .as for the carbon the only time i use it is after i teat a tank with chemicals i run bio max in he top two baskets and once and a while put a polishing pads in the bottom

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