Anybody on the forum use or has used a Fluval FX5.

Would appreciate comments on how good it is, how often it needs cleaned, etc.

I can't say I have ever used one of these filters but I was toying with the idea of getting one. For what it does, I think it's pretty good value for money and it is a well-known make that many people standby. If you want something that is equivalent made by Eheim, you would be paying around £250 including media

http://www.cdaquatics.co.uk/catalog/fluv...l-filter-p-1328.html

im big fluval fan ive got two fluval 204's,2 304's and one 404 and they all work great.

the owner of the local fish shop has a huhe cylinder tank in the shop with pacus oscars,arowana ect in it and he is running two fx5 on it he claims its the best filters hes come acros ever.

ive played with them and they r really cool except for their size they r a bit big but is suppose the bigger the canister is the more space their is for beificial bacteria to grow.
heres a little story on it:

" The Fluval FX5 is a large capacity, multi-stage external canister filter system. Pumping out in excess of 600GPH it allows the precise management of water conditions for aquariums of up to 400 gallons.

Features Include:
- A self-priming instant-start system that eliminates the need for manual siphoning.
- Unique click-fit AquaStop Valves that regulate water flow, rotate at 55 degree angles and allow for fast set-up and leak-proof maintenance.
- A purge valve that allows for partial discharge of debris without needing to move the unit.
- Multi-directional twin output nozzles to create specific water flows.
- Fluval FX5 Smart Pump Technology (patent pending) ensures quiet, efficient operation. This self-priming system provides plug-in-and-start convenience

id really like to get one of these

Im a big fan of fluval same as vbaby ive 2x405 and 1x305 i run 1x405 and 1x305 on my 160gal and i have the other 405 on my 30 gal hospital tank along with the internal filter,just incase i need a spare,ie one of the others breaks.Now i probably don't need all this filteration but o's are messy so why not?As for the fx5 im going to get 1 as i believe they are a good filter and just handy to have.

Was looking more into the FX5 and also the Eheim 2080.

The FX5 has 6 Litres of Bio and 25 Litres of foam.

The Eheim has 12 Litres of Bio and 1.5 Litre Foam pre filter.

Both have roughly the same flow rate of 2000 L/Hr so would cycle through my new 500 Litre tank 4 times an hour.

In comparison my Teratec 1200 has only 4 Litres of Bio.

The FX5 is half the price on Ebay of the Ehiem however what would be best, more Bio or more Mechanical filtration.

Just found an ehiem Classic that guy uses on another forum for his Pirhana tank.

Price on the net is about £160.

Holds 18 Litres of Bio and does 500 Gph. Picture of the guys son next to it.

Id of said bio is more important than mechanical.Bio holds all the nitrifying bacteria to eliminate ammonia and nitrite.

Wow, that is one big filter there!

I'm all for biological filtration, still foam will do quite a bit of that too unless it gets clogged and has to be cleaned too often. I only have Fluval powerfilters running, and while the Eheim powerfilter I had before was also just running with foam, I notice I have to clean the Fluval ones way more often than the old Eheim which wasn't any bigger.

I'd be very tempted to try that Fluval FX5 one but only because Eheim is normally more expensive.

bio is the way 2 go

Lots of bio is good but you also need a comparable amount of foam in my opinion. No point in having loads of bio and little foam if you have to clean the foam to often cause there isnt enough. My filter of preference is fluvals, i have 2 204's a 404 and 2 405's. I find them to be good and have had little problems with them (except the seal on the 404 start getting a bit iffy). I also have an eheim that came with a tank i bought second hand. I dont know the model but it has a heater in it. I have found this to be a good filter too

I've had an FX5 for a while now and honestly.....I hate it! I don't like the bendy pipes, or the outlet nozzle, much prefer something more solid and a spray bar. The way the inlet and outlet pipes fit onto the tank are not suitable for all tanks and guess what...mine is one of those, they are not securely fastened at all really, and I've read a lot of other people have the same problem. I have visions of them coming loose from the tank and dumping water everywhere :angry:

Another minus for me is the flow rate. It might be too fast for what I want. I always use canisters purely for Bio filtration and let my internal filters take care of mechanical, and i think it's possible that the fast flow rate might make it hard for the nitrifying bacteria to do their stuff, and it holds a lot less bio media that I expected..

All in all, a very poor fit for me. It was a toss-up between the FX5 and one of the larger Eheim Classics like d8ncer pictured, and I believe I made the wrong choice. I'd love to toss it in the bin, but I think the wife might kill me if I did that:laugh:

Just my 2 cents

Pillow Pants wrote:



The faster the flow rate the more oxygen passes thro the filter the more good bacteria the filter can maintain. A fast flow rate is a good thing