didysis
Aquarium Advice Freak
Well I decided that I was sick of the magnum 350 and other stuff I was doing for filtering, so I decided to get the credit card out and buy a big filter. I really wanted something that would be rated for at least 200 gallons; I want overkill at this point. The magnum I had was an alright filter but clogged super super fast, I mean really if would work for a day after cleaning it and then no more water flow through it. I would use this filter for maybe a 30 gallon tank or 55 SERIOUSLY!!
I ordered the filter off Amazon, also at the same time got 12 extra side filters and 21 polish pads and fine filter pads which are probably not made by fluval but might be, they are cheaper but look really nice and the same as the stuff that came with the filter. I am sure I will buy them again any day and I recommend them.
They fx5 they say is rated for up to 400 gallons, I really don’t think it would go that great with that large of a tank but maybe sometime I will test that. I figure if I have the money for that large of a tank I will be able to buy another one. I am thinking that this filter would do great at filtering about 200 gallons and not much more but I will really be able to determine this at my next cleaning.
My tank is about 125 gallons, about a 40 gallon sump also, has a bunch of all sorts of Cichlids in it, allot of them breed, size from new born to 11 inches more are about 3-6 inches
This time around as I said the tank was a bit dirty and I figured I would install the filter and then stir up the sand and everything possible and have it work at sucking it all up, so I spent a few hours during the day doing this about 3 times.
After 2 weeks I figured I would clean it and see what it looked like.
Used the filter to pump the water out of it, and then pulled it from the tank over to my sink to start the cleaning, all this took an hour to do totally.
The filter was setup with some carbon and ammonia/carbon mix in a couple bags and also a polish pad and med filter pad in the middle areas of the filter.
Med filter on very top then carbon/ammonia below that, 2nd tray empty and last tray polish pad
All were very dirty but I had not seen any loss of suction. I figured they would be dirty. The blue pad was not blue at all looking at it; the polish pad was super super dirty.
Well I was able to clean the blue med filter pad easily with just running water and it looked almost as new, then started on the other filter pads around the sides of the filter, the 6 total inside the filter, They took a good while to clean them, they are thick and really hold allot of stuff, and as I said I tried to over load them. LOL, have to test it you know.
The polishing pad at the bottom was very very dirty, it is super thick also, meaning that you can’t even see through them they are so dense. Great filter pad. Actually they are amazing build quality. Amazon
I know that these are really not meant to be used all the time but they are amazing, I honestly could not get it fully clean like the other pads because it’s so dense. I tried and tried and tried and ran water through it forever. Probably spent 5 times as much time on this as the other pads just to see if I could clean it. I am thinking that I will probably just replace one every time I clean the unit, probably don’t need to use one all the time though, even every 2 weeks means that a package of 21 will last the whole year. at 16.95 not bad.
Cleaning total took an hour, while doing some laundry and playing with the dog a little, Not bad for cleaning that large of a filter totally
Looking at the side filters on the fx5 they were not able to getting 100% clean but almost, they just had some larger stuff, not sure what it is still stuck in them, but over all they cleaned well.
When putting it back together I had before places the fine filter pad and polish pad on top of the media bags this time I decided I wanted to put them on the bottom. I don’t know if it will be better or worse, I added allot more media also, I filled the top with the pre media I got with the filter and put an old ammonia bag on top, its probably not good any more since I have had it for years, but why not, then middle tray I put the fine polish pad on bottom and carbon and ammonia mix and the bottom polish pad down first then the carbon on top of that. I will run it for another 2 weeks and clean again to see what is going on with it, I do check water flow every couple days just to check on it.
My tank looks amazing, I never noticed how dirty the water was, before my lighting seemed almost insufficient but really it was just all the little stuff in the water making it so it was not crystal clean. Now it’s amazing. Honestly. I am so happy I got this filter.
If you have any questions about this filter or anything let me know I am more than willing to help anyone out.
I plan to include pictures later of everything so if you want something specific let me know and I will talk about it or snap a few pictures for you.
Tips for this filter-
Its large make sure you have room for this filter where ever you plan to keep it.
Its better if you have doors that go to the bottom of the shelf or base where you will place the filter, I have about a 5 inch drop to the bottom and you have to lift the filter out and tip it making it more fun.
Cut the filter tubes just to the length needed not any longer.
Watch for the mass of bubbles as the last bit of air dumps out of the filter after the 2 min cycle at start up.
Before starting the filter better to fill it almost all the way up instead of just putting 2 gallons in the filter, (less bubbles)
I ordered the filter off Amazon, also at the same time got 12 extra side filters and 21 polish pads and fine filter pads which are probably not made by fluval but might be, they are cheaper but look really nice and the same as the stuff that came with the filter. I am sure I will buy them again any day and I recommend them.
They fx5 they say is rated for up to 400 gallons, I really don’t think it would go that great with that large of a tank but maybe sometime I will test that. I figure if I have the money for that large of a tank I will be able to buy another one. I am thinking that this filter would do great at filtering about 200 gallons and not much more but I will really be able to determine this at my next cleaning.
My tank is about 125 gallons, about a 40 gallon sump also, has a bunch of all sorts of Cichlids in it, allot of them breed, size from new born to 11 inches more are about 3-6 inches
This time around as I said the tank was a bit dirty and I figured I would install the filter and then stir up the sand and everything possible and have it work at sucking it all up, so I spent a few hours during the day doing this about 3 times.
After 2 weeks I figured I would clean it and see what it looked like.
Used the filter to pump the water out of it, and then pulled it from the tank over to my sink to start the cleaning, all this took an hour to do totally.
The filter was setup with some carbon and ammonia/carbon mix in a couple bags and also a polish pad and med filter pad in the middle areas of the filter.
Med filter on very top then carbon/ammonia below that, 2nd tray empty and last tray polish pad
All were very dirty but I had not seen any loss of suction. I figured they would be dirty. The blue pad was not blue at all looking at it; the polish pad was super super dirty.
Well I was able to clean the blue med filter pad easily with just running water and it looked almost as new, then started on the other filter pads around the sides of the filter, the 6 total inside the filter, They took a good while to clean them, they are thick and really hold allot of stuff, and as I said I tried to over load them. LOL, have to test it you know.
The polishing pad at the bottom was very very dirty, it is super thick also, meaning that you can’t even see through them they are so dense. Great filter pad. Actually they are amazing build quality. Amazon
I know that these are really not meant to be used all the time but they are amazing, I honestly could not get it fully clean like the other pads because it’s so dense. I tried and tried and tried and ran water through it forever. Probably spent 5 times as much time on this as the other pads just to see if I could clean it. I am thinking that I will probably just replace one every time I clean the unit, probably don’t need to use one all the time though, even every 2 weeks means that a package of 21 will last the whole year. at 16.95 not bad. Cleaning total took an hour, while doing some laundry and playing with the dog a little, Not bad for cleaning that large of a filter totally
Looking at the side filters on the fx5 they were not able to getting 100% clean but almost, they just had some larger stuff, not sure what it is still stuck in them, but over all they cleaned well.
When putting it back together I had before places the fine filter pad and polish pad on top of the media bags this time I decided I wanted to put them on the bottom. I don’t know if it will be better or worse, I added allot more media also, I filled the top with the pre media I got with the filter and put an old ammonia bag on top, its probably not good any more since I have had it for years, but why not, then middle tray I put the fine polish pad on bottom and carbon and ammonia mix and the bottom polish pad down first then the carbon on top of that. I will run it for another 2 weeks and clean again to see what is going on with it, I do check water flow every couple days just to check on it.
My tank looks amazing, I never noticed how dirty the water was, before my lighting seemed almost insufficient but really it was just all the little stuff in the water making it so it was not crystal clean. Now it’s amazing. Honestly. I am so happy I got this filter.
If you have any questions about this filter or anything let me know I am more than willing to help anyone out.
I plan to include pictures later of everything so if you want something specific let me know and I will talk about it or snap a few pictures for you.
Tips for this filter-
Its large make sure you have room for this filter where ever you plan to keep it.
Its better if you have doors that go to the bottom of the shelf or base where you will place the filter, I have about a 5 inch drop to the bottom and you have to lift the filter out and tip it making it more fun.
Cut the filter tubes just to the length needed not any longer.
Watch for the mass of bubbles as the last bit of air dumps out of the filter after the 2 min cycle at start up.
Before starting the filter better to fill it almost all the way up instead of just putting 2 gallons in the filter, (less bubbles)
