Wife ordered the FX5!!!!!

[Convict2161]

Yay! Canister!
And I have to add again your tank is simply stunning!

Thank you very much!! I gotta say the canister is a bit intimating. How do you clean it and everything like that?! And a purge valve? lol. Wait... I'm a fire chief!! Haha I'd rather deal with a fire then this lol.

I just did 2 trays of those ceramic things bio max an the top tray is the fluval carbon packs. I also cut up a bunch of my sponges from the old filters and put them in and used all the old bio max from the AC 110's. Says I have to change. The sponges every MONTH?!?! WHAT?!?!

Also do you think the left side now has a "dead" spot?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Thank you very much!! I gotta say the canister is a bit intimating. How do you clean it and everything like that?! And a purge valve? lol. Wait... I'm a fire chief!! Haha I'd rather deal with a fire then this lol.

I just did 2 trays of those ceramic things bio max an the top tray is the fluval carbon packs. I also cut up a bunch of my sponges from the old filters and put them in and used all the old bio max from the AC 110's. Says I have to change. The sponges every MONTH?!?! WHAT?!?!

Also do you think the left side now has a "dead" spot?

Haha they can be to begin with. I put mine in the bath tub and get a couple of buckets of tank water to rinse everything in. That or in the backyard.

In the direction of water flow (don't know about yours but mine goes from bottom to top) I put sponge, then floss, the bio media. That way my ceramic rings stay cleaner. No need to change the media unless it's falling apart (or I change my floss out every 2nd or 3rd clean coz it's too dirty) just rinse it in tank water like you always have. They only say to replace it so they get more money!

If you think you have a dead spot (won't know until you have it running for a dew days/week) put a power head in to circulate that area.

 

[Convict2161]

Haha they can be to begin with. I put mine in the bath tub and get a couple of buckets of tank water to rinse everything in. That or in the backyard.

In the direction of water flow (don't know about yours but mine goes from bottom to top) I put sponge, then floss, the bio media. That way my ceramic rings stay cleaner. No need to change the media unless it's falling apart (or I change my floss out every 2nd or 3rd clean coz it's too dirty) just rinse it in tank water like you always have. They only say to replace it so they get more money!

If you think you have a dead spot (won't know until you have it running for a dew days/week) put a power head in to circulate that area.

Ok yeah that's why I was asking. My friend has a power head he would give me. Just don't know it I need it.

And per there instructions and I called fluval they said the bio media has to be on the bottom 2 trays and carbon or whatever else can be on the top tray. I didn't know what to put so I did the 2 trays with bio media. Most of it was from my old filters and some new as it holds a TON!! Then the top tray is 3 bags of carbon.2 from my old and 1 new one. And some cut up sponge. I hope I don't go through cycle. I'm kinda expecting a mini cycle maybe. But I'm knocking on wood!!!

Been through enough. I hope with this fx5 I see a good change in water although I was always ontop of things. Still gonna test everyday

This is the side I was concerned about. Not even sure if I should be. But it doesn't seem like much is going on as far as surface agitation.

View attachment 65671


Then this is the middle and right side. Has plenty.

View attachment 65672

 

[Bully405Customz]

One thing I would suggest is getting the water polishing pads.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Ok yeah that's why I was asking. My friend has a power head he would give me. Just don't know it I need it.

And per there instructions and I called fluval they said the bio media has to be on the bottom 2 trays and carbon or whatever else can be on the top tray. I didn't know what to put so I did the 2 trays with bio media. Most of it was from my old filters and some new as it holds a TON!! Then the top tray is 3 bags of carbon.2 from my old and 1 new one. And some cut up sponge. I hope I don't go through cycle. I'm kinda expecting a mini cycle maybe. But I'm knocking on wood!!!

Been through enough. I hope with this fx5 I see a good change in water although I was always ontop of things. Still gonna test everyday

This is the side I was concerned about. Not even sure if I should be. But it doesn't seem like much is going on as far as surface agitation.

Then this is the middle and right side. Has plenty.

Imo I don't think it's anything to worry about. All the water will get circulated enough might just get some extra mulm build up there.

 

[Convict2161]

One thing I would suggest is getting the water polishing pads.

I would like more opinions on this. I was gonna buy them and the lady from the company said it collects very very fine particles and needs to be changes once a week!!! No way!!!

Imo I don't think it's anything to worry about. All the water will get circulated enough might just get some extra mulm build up there.

Thanks Mumma but what's mulm? Is that Australian for beer?

Oh I crack myself up!

 

[Bully405Customz]

They are pretty cheap but changing them out every week is madness. The sponges just don't get the five particles.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I would like more opinions on this. I was gonna buy them and the lady from the company said it collects very very fine particles and needs to be changes once a week!!! No way!!!

Thanks Mumma but what's mulm? Is that Australian for beer?

Oh I crack myself up!

Ha ha ha very funny! Mulm is fish poop!
Get some hobby/Polly fill from a craft store (make sure it doesn't have any chemicals in it like fire retardant) and use that. Cheap to replace. That's what I use and only replace it every 2-3 filter cleans. So every 3-4 months. Just as good as a polishing pad IMO.

 

[Convict2161]

Ha ha ha very funny! Mulm is fish poop!
Get some hobby/Polly fill from a craft store (make sure it doesn't have any chemicals in it like fire retardant) and use that. Cheap to replace. That's what I use and only replace it every 2-3 filter cleans. So every 3-4 months. Just as good as a polishing pad IMO.

Ok Mumma bare with me. Use this in place of what? 3 trays. 1 bio media 2 bio media 3 carbon.

 

[Bully405Customz]

She was talking about using that instead of the polishing pads. This is.how mine is set up:
Top tray-prefilter
Middle tray-my carbon/ammonia remover and polishing pads
Bottom tray is all Bio media with polishing pads as well.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Ok Mumma bare with me. Use this in place of what? 3 trays. 1 bio media 2 bio media 3 carbon.

So you don't have anything to catch the poo, excess food, gunk. I would put (this is just how I would do it) in direction of water flow:
1. Mechanical filtration (sponges)
2. Fine mechanical filtration (floss)
3. Bio filtration (ceramic ring, biomax, pot scrubbies, bio balls)
If you need to add chemical filtration (carbon) I would run it in tray 2 so that when you need to remove it or replace it it's not taking up room used for bio media. So tray two would be floss or polishing pad then a bag of carbon on top of it.
As I said this is how I would do it. I like to try and keep my bio media as clean as possible by letting the sponge and floss catch everything before the water gets to the bio media.

The beauty of canisters is you can swap and change your media around to find what works for you!

 

[Convict2161]

I'm confused. The trays have sponges all around them then an empty basket in the middle. Did I do something wrong? Sounds like I'm missing something. I spoke to the company and they said 2 bio media and 1 carbon would be just fine. So I should take 1 bio media tray out and fill it with...



View attachment 65688

Fluval doesn't even offer any sponge like media as it says every tray already comes with sponges surrounding the basket. The only other sponge they offer is the water polishing pads.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I'm confused. The trays have sponges all around them then an empty basket in the middle. Did I do something wrong? Sounds like I'm missing something. I spoke to the company and they said 2 bio media and 1 carbon would be just fine. So I should take 1 bio media tray out and fill it with...

Fluval doesn't even offer any sponge like media as it says every tray already comes with sponges surrounding the basket. The only other sponge they offer is the water polishing pads.

Mmm... I'm confused too! I don't use fluvals too expensive for me!
Does the water flow through the sponges first or something?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I'm sure some one will know!

 

[Convict2161]

Yes water passes through the sponges first according to the lady on the phone. That's why she said I can do whatever media I wanted because the sponges were the only media it came with.

See maybe we do need that beer!!' lol

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Yes water passes through the sponges first according to the lady on the phone. That's why she said I can do whatever media I wanted because the sponges were the only media it came with.

See maybe we do need that beer!!' lol

Lol well that explains it! I feel silly now!
So you have:
1. Sponge (mechanical)
2. Tray
3. Tray
4. Tray
So you could put floss/polishing pads in 2. IMO before your bio media. Or any where you like!

Ship one over for me? Lol rofl!

 

[Convict2161]

LoL yeah all 3 trays are lined with thick sponges all the way around. Then a hole in the middle for whatever I want. So take out 1 of the bio media and add polishing pad?

So 1 bio media 1 carbon and 1 polishing pad.

Give me addy and it's on the way!!!

EDIT:

Did you see the pic? That's how it's set up. The sponge surrounds the 3 baskets.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

LoL yeah all 3 trays are lined with thick sponges all the way around. Then a hole in the middle for whatever I want. So take out 1 of the bio media and add polishing pad?

So 1 bio media 1 carbon and 1 polishing pad.

Give me addy and it's on the way!!!

EDIT:

Did you see the pic? That's how it's set up. The sponge surrounds the 3 baskets.

I'm pretty sure polishing pads are really skinny so you could chuck one right under you bio media and it will still fit!

I saw the pic

 

[Convict2161]

I'll look into these polishing pad.

 

[Bully405Customz]

Yeah they are really thin. I just lay them on top of tthe media in the tray.