So excited! New fluval fx5 arrived today! Any tips or pointers?

[heathers_hounds]

So after all my drama I have had trying to get my 100 gal up and running I am hoping it is clear sailing from now on, lol! First I spent a week on default Cascade 1000. Then had to wait on new one and then after running few months, I cracked the case on it while cleaning! PennPlax replaced my case at no charge as well as the initial one that never worked! I went ahead and ordered the fluval. I will not be left with out a back up ever again! I knew I needed a larger filter and had plans on buying one. Originally I thought I would move Cascade to my new 55 gal I will be setting up soon. Now I think I should just leave it on 100 with the fluval. Any suggestions, tips, advice? Here is what I ordered with the fluval- Fluval Zeo-Carb nylon bags, Fluval Ammonia remover, Fluval fine filter water polishing pad, fluval carbon 100 gram nylon bags, Fluval Biomax Bio rings, fluval fine filter polishing pads. Crap! as I am reading packing list.. what happened to the pre filter I thought I ordered...uh oh. OK that's what I have. I am new to canister filters. I don't think I really understand the process or where, how and why you place the media and such. I have read a little on it but seems people have their own way of doing it. From what I have read, I should use the fluval fx5 for mechanical filtering and use another(my cascade 1000) for bio filtering? Any advice would be appreciated. I really don't want to mess up again

 

[carey]

I use a fx5 my on 125g cichlid tank. It is a GREAT filter btw. lol

Anyways, I use just biomedia rings and those round filter pads that are blue and the others white. I ocassionally run carbon, maybe every other month but nothing special. The biofilter part of the filter is the foam pads and the biomedia.

You won't need ammonia remover unless you don't cycle properly so you should skip that.

Hope that helps some!

 

[heathers_hounds]

Cichlids is what I am stocking! I thought I would go ahead and set it up with all the media at first, then maybe not use so much of it. I feel like my tank has been through a lot and could use the extras for now. Then maybe take most of it out so I have more water flowing from fluval and use media for bio filtering in cascade? Just not sure what to leave and what to take lol, but I will read up on that later. I think I messed up bc when I broke the cascade, I let it sit with all the pads and filters and some water from tank. It sat for prob a good week waiting on replacement case or fluval to get here. When I started it up, OMG the smell in tank was horrible! I did a 30% water change and it is better. Cascade has been running since Monday and water is clearing up. I only had 30 gal HOB running during this time. The only water test kit I have is the strip kind. I will be purchasing one, just live in small town and can't get it local. Wasn't sure what to order when I ordered Fluval. I know, I know I should have one already. I just felt my water at first was safe, due to having it up and running with no fish for over a month, then adding a few fish I had in my 30 and leaving them for a while. Water showed safe when using strips. I do have hard water. I have read that's good for Cichlids.

 

[carey]

You have enough room in the fx5 to place the filter media from the 30g hob. Thats what I did. I upgraded from a fluval 305 on a 55g to a 125g with the fx5. I just put all the biomedia and filter pads from the 305 into the center baskets and then added biomedia and filter pads for the rest.

 

[Convict2161]

I have a 75 gallon African tank. Your gonna LOVE your fx5!! I bought mine a Xmas present

 

[rustypleco]

Tip: set it up lol

 

[Terrance]

Invest on liquid test kits. Its a high priority item.

Watch the videos on youtube to see how to set it up. Super easy.

 

[TheWonderfulWub]

Don't forget that it will turn off every 24 hours for about two minutes, to allow and air that's been trapped inside to purge. Don't be surprised when it turns off on you tomorrow at the same time you turned it on today.

 

[boadams87]

Its awesome but a pain to clean or add media so add everything at the beginning, make sure u dechlorinate the 2 gallons you add to it before turning it on.

 

[Newg4]

I love my FX5!! Only thing I would suggest is to look into building a spraybar. There are a ton of how to videos on YouTube. There are also a lot of threads on this site about FX5 spraybars. Good luck!!!

 

[boadams87]

I love my FX5!! Only thing I would suggest is to look into building a spraybar. There are a ton of how to videos on YouTube. There are also a lot of threads on this site about FX5 spraybars. Good luck!!!

+1 sounds cool. My fish love the flow just from the 2 nozzles.

 

[heathers_hounds]

Thank you for the info! I currently have a spray bar on the cascade I'm running. Trying to figure out what the best set up is, using both filters. filter on each side of tank with intake and outake on each side. I'm thinking spray bar on fluval might be better than the one on cascade so maybe use other outlet on cascade or spray bar on both? I have black tahitian moon sand and the cascade spray bar doesn't seem to keep it clean enough.

 

[darkmatter_3500]

The FX5 has all the foam on the outside of basket for mechanical and that leaves you alot of room for bio material, I use 1 tray polishing pad 2 trays full of matrix. I like the polishing pad but it cloggs fast, they make ones that are not so fine or you can cut foam or whatever you want to use for mechanical, it is a great filter.

 

[Ardynas]

I've been using the FX5 on a 150 gal Dwarf Cichlid/Community tank and it rocks!

I fill all three baskets with Biomax Bio Rings. On the bottom basket, I place 'one' Fluval Water Polishing Pad on top of the Rings. This is a white pad not a blue pad.

I'm cleaning it about every six weeks. Still figuring that out. Last time I did it at four weeks and it didn't seem that dirty. YMMV

 

[boadams87]

I've been using the FX5 on a 150 gal Dwarf Cichlid/Community tank and it rocks!

I fill all three baskets with Biomax Bio Rings. On the bottom basket, I place 'one' Fluval Water Polishing Pad on top of the Rings. This is a white pad not a blue pad.

I'm cleaning it about every six weeks. Still figuring that out. Last time I did it at four weeks and it didn't seem that dirty. YMMV

I use those on top of the bio balls. There was a guy here that hadn't cleaned his in 2 years that its been up. That's crazy.

 

[Ardynas]

I use those on top of the bio balls. There was a guy here that hadn't cleaned his in 2 years that its been up. That's crazy.

Are you using a pad on each basket (3 pads) or just one pad on one basket?

I've heard people say they can get clogged up using polishing pads. That's why I only put one in (white pad).

If I can go longer without cleaning that'd be nice. Maybe I should be thinking in terms of months instead of weeks.

 

[boadams87]

Are you using a pad on each basket (3 pads) or just one pad on one basket?

I've heard people say they can get clogged up using polishing pads. That's why I only put one in (white pad).

If I can go longer without cleaning that'd be nice. Maybe I should be thinking in terms of months instead of weeks.

On the btm I've got ceramic rings , 2nd rack I've got bio balls and a blue pad top has balls floss and polishing pad. I know its alot but I like sparkling water. I opened it today and replaced the top pad after 2 mths. Rather nasty but everything else was good, so I may wait longer next time unless I notice a decreased flow.

 

[Ardynas]

On the btm I've got ceramic rings , 2nd rack I've got bio balls and a blue pad top has balls floss and polishing pad. I know its alot but I like sparkling water. I opened it today and replaced the top pad after 2 mths. Rather nasty but everything else was good, so I may wait longer next time unless I notice a decreased flow.

So you have three pads in your FX5? Heck, I think I'll try two pads next time. I was afraid it would clog up.

 

[boadams87]

So you have three pads in your FX5? Heck, I think I'll try two pads next time. I was afraid it would clog up.

Yes plus floss in the btm tray to. I haven't noticed a decrease yet!!