# Fluval FX5 vs ?????



## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

Hey everyone. I am in the market for a new canister filter. I am setting up a 120g African Cichlid tank in a few months so I want to know everyones opinion on these filters. I currently own a fluval 204 and an Xp3. Both have their flaws and advantages. I will be running the XP3 and one other filter on my african tank. Knowing me the tank will be over stocked so I am curious to what people think of the FX5 or what they think is equal or better for that price. I have seen them on Ebay for $300 including shipping and media. I have been looking at how much power they use versus gph output. Any input on which filter you think is best and why will be apreciated. 

Cheers and happy fish keeping

Justin


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## Scherb (Feb 10, 2011)

Hello. i would get the fx5. ready available parts if needed. and i'm a Fluval fan. Cheers


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## Insane in the Fish brain (Jan 10, 2012)

They are good for keeping the can water clear. But it doesn't clean the heavier waste that just sits there at the bottom. I mix it up also put a aquaclear hang on that does the trick. If you can there are filters with UV lights built in they are also worth looking at.


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

Eheim 2280 or Eheim 2262 are a better filter with less clogging, and they will outlast the FX5 and won't get noisy over time.

JMHO !

Stuart


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## dino (Aug 29, 2011)

i had two xp3s and a 305 running replaced them with fx and its a big difference in water quality with less clogging


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## josephl (Apr 21, 2010)

I run 3 FX 5's, 2 in a 210 gallon and one in a 72 gallon, all discus tanks. Much easier to clean than Eheim, I would highly recommend. I used to use Eheim's, in my opinion, their customer service sucked, much more to restart then FX 5's, never again.


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

I run 4 FX5's and here's my 2 cents. 

Noise - they aren't whisper quiet, not loud, but really depends where you are keeping your tank. May annoy if you are used to silence in the room.

Weight - heavy when full. If you drain it before you lift for servicing, then its fine. If not, be prepared to lift at least 50 lbs....feels like more to me. 

Quick Connects - almost always shoots a few ounces of water all over the place when I disconnect. Not big deal, just have a towel handy when disconnecting. My biggest fear is if the clip that engages that holds the hose to the canister fails, you'll drain your whole tank in a few minutes.....I'll try not to think about that. 

Hoses - ribbed style which I'm not a big fan of. I've changed all of my to braided PVC. 

Honestly, I like my FX5's, they are cheap for what they are and have performed reliably. I paid around $250 for mine which I felt was a bargain. The equivalent Eheim would have cost $400. As others have mentioned, the FX5 isn't great at picking up fine particles. I put polishing pads in there and they clogged up so fast it was a waste of time. I basically only run bio and the standard sponges now and that works well for me. I've also picked up a bunch of spare parts over the years that I keep around just in case. Rubber seals, an impeller, quick connect valves...etc. Lots of that stuff can be had cheap online.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

josephl said:


> I run 3 FX 5's, 2 in a 210 gallon and one in a 72 gallon, all discus tanks. Much easier to clean than Eheim, I would highly recommend. I used to use Eheim's, in my opinion, their customer service sucked, much more to restart then FX 5's, never again.


I know you had a very bad experience with Eheim, but as a counterpoint, I have an FX5, an XP3, and 4 Eheims (2078, 2075, 2028 and 2213). Here's my 2 cents:

Disconnects: FX5 - sucks...takes me a good 30 seconds to pull off the connections because of the suction and as Tony says, squirt of water
Eheims - Pro series, 5 sec max, classic, maybe 10 secs. 2 drips

Cleaning: They're all dirty, but the FX5 seems to allow much more debris into the biomedia, even with the layers of filtration. The way the baskets work, I have to lift the whole thing out, which creates a huge mess, With the Eheim Pro's, one basket at a time. Classics have the same problem as the FX5 but I only use them on small tanks, so the filters fit in a 3 gallon bucket.

Time taken to clean: My Pros take between 10 - 15 minutes to clean. The tiny 2213 takes maybe 10 min max. The XP3 takes me 10 minutes. The FX5 takes 30 minutes from the time I disconnect it and I dread cleaning it.

All filters are cleaned once a month. Finally analysis: I'll replace the FX5 with either a sump or an Eheim 2080.

Oh, one thing that I did forget. I don't believe any Eheim but the 2262 classic outflows the FX5, but filtration is not all about flow. You can use powerheads for that. And I've heard the 2262 is as noisy or noisier than the FX5, and at twice the price, I'll take an FX5, in that scenario. YMMV of course.


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

eheim 2080 gets my vote.

About the water coming out part when you disconnect, I don't know how people do it. This is what I do and it works great.
1) shut off the value.
2) unplug the power.
3) disconnect.

If I do step 2) first, I will always get more water coming out. But if you follow this order, it will reduce the amount of water while disconnecting.

If you already run another filter, even a 2075 gets my vote over the fx5. But if you are looking for mechanical filtration, then a fx5, or even a aquaclear 110.


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## Scherb (Feb 10, 2011)

Hello. me again. i would never buy a eheim. because of the price and it's hard to get parts for. i have herd lots of people complain about leaking rena's. the fx5 is way cheaper easy to get parts from almost anywhere. i service a fx5 at pet lovers abby and it is a great filter. not sure what people are talking about it spilling from quick disconnect. all i do is turn it off then turn the shut off valves and then remove the lid, no spillage. remove the hole basket and place into a 5g bucket. it seems to filter great to me. my only complaint about the fx5 is the 12 or so clamps one has to remove to pop the lid. Cheers


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Scherb said:


> not sure what people are talking about it spilling from quick disconnect. all i do is turn it off then turn the shut off valves and then remove the lid, no spillage.


 It's not the lid, that's another story. It's the pulling off the disconnects which has some trapped water between the valve gate and the top of the filter. Every canister drips this way.


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## Scherb (Feb 10, 2011)

2wheelsx2 said:


> It's not the lid, that's another story. It's the pulling off the disconnects which has some trapped water between the valve gate and the top of the filter. Every canister drips this way.


Yes but why remove them, just leave them attached to the lid. and then it's like you said, just like any canister. i clean this filter this way every month for the last 8 months or so, with out spilling more than a few drops. Cheers


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

I can answer that. Filter adaptor is designed to be removed so they do not have to hold the weight of the cover of the canister. And it is supposed to be easy transfer with the lid close.

About getting eheim parts, it is much easier to get eheim parts online. You will not expect to get parts from LFS because most LFS doesn't carry the eheim filters. 

Do a comparison of the approach of water movement inside each canister filter, xp, eheim, fluval, etc. You will find the eheim works best and supposingly has the less water losage. 

I maintain lots of filters everyday, not just mine, but all the tanks that I do maintain for in commerical units. I would rather maintain an eheim than a FX5.


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

Thanks for all the info everyone! That was a better response than I expected. 

Im still not sure about what filter I want but I have read a lot of great points. For ease of cleaning I find my Rena to be the easiest. The lid pops off easy and out come the baskets. I noticed the fX5 has a too many hold down bolts for the lid. Looks like a pain to remove each time but I do like how it has a drain. I have been considering running the Xp3 and an Xp4 but after reading the flow charts the Fx5 simply moves way more water. Im not too concerned about noise. The wife might disagree with that. Since she has never heard a quiet filter than she wont know the difference.

I will be running some sort of HOB filter aswell. I have a few options to choose from already. Most likely an Aquaclear since I have a few laying around or I will use my magnum 250 plus go buy the bio wheels for it. Either or I wont know until the tank is up and running.

So many choices. If anyone else has an opinion please feel free to share it. I move in 50 days and all I can think about is getting my 120g back up and running. Thanks again for all the help everyone.

Cheers and happy fish keeping


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Scherb said:


> Yes but why remove them, just leave them attached to the lid. and then it's like you said, just like any canister. i clean this filter this way every month for the last 8 months or so, with out spilling more than a few drops. Cheers


So you leave the lid dangling from the hoses and then carry your FX5, open top, out of the stand to your sink? Without spilling a drop? Wow, my aching back..just thinking about that. I have enough trouble not spilling with the top on, since I have to crawl in the stand to get the FX5 out, over the lip of the stand.



jbyoung00008 said:


> I will be running some sort of HOB filter aswell. I have a few options to choose from already. Most likely an Aquaclear since I have a few laying around or I will use my magnum 250 plus go buy the bio wheels for it. Either or I wont know until the tank is up and running.


If you're going to be running a HOB I wouldn't worry about flow. The HOB's will do move more water/$ than any canisters. Sounds like noise is not an issue. I would just run whatever canister you have that you like and get 2 AC110's which will move as much water as an FX5 and be 1/3 the price.


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## Scherb (Feb 10, 2011)

So you leave the lid dangling from the hoses and then carry your FX5, open top, out of the stand to your sink? Without spilling a drop? Wow, my aching back..just thinking about that. I have enough trouble not spilling with the top on, since I have to crawl in the stand to get the FX5 out, over the lip of the stand.

Obviously not i place the lid on the ground. and you carry your full fx5 to the sink, no wonder you have a bad back. the fx5 has a drain, or you can siphon, or pour the water into a bucket and then move the fx5 with ease. i pour the water into a bucket and use it to maintain my bio balls well i clean it. Cheers


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Scherb said:


> Obviously not i place the lid on the ground. and you carry your full fx5 to the sink, no wonder you have a bad back. the fx5 has a drain, or you can siphon, or pour the water into a bucket and then move the fx5 with ease. i pour the water into a bucket and use it to maintain my bio balls well i clean it. Cheers


It's not the lifting to the sink. It's the lifting over the lip of the stand. I assume your canister is not in a stand with a lip if it's easy to bring it out like that. And no, not all canisters are lifted to the sink. The 2080 has wheels.

I got my canister rigged so that that the hoses are straight, so the lid won't reach the ground. I also like to clean the lid and the taps themselves, but to each his own. On my Eheim pros, it's a flick and a push and the taps are out and I'm gone with it, so really there's no reason not to clean the lid. On the FX5 since the head is in the base it certainly isn't as necessary. But that brings me to another con on the FX5. On all my other canisters (all brands), I just pull a tab and remove the impeller and clean it and the housing to maximize the performance. To do the same on the FX5 I need to get out a long screwdriver and drain the whole canister and have it inside a tub, since now the canister has an opening at the bottom. So I don't do this every time in the FX5, even though I should.

Anyway, sounds like you like the FX5 and have a system and others have other systems. The OP has plenty of input now, and some healthy debate on the maintenance and other aspects, so I'm sure he'll make a good decision based on this thread.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Scherb said:


> Obviously not i place the lid on the ground. and you carry your full fx5 to the sink, no wonder you have a bad back.


 The bad back is from carrying around 100 lb propane tanks and 45 gallon fuel drums in camps. It was bad long before the FX5. Sh....don't tell Worksafe BC, since they don't go up to the Arctic Circle.


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

2wheelsx2 said:


> So you leave the lid dangling from the hoses and then carry your FX5, open top, out of the stand to your sink? Without spilling a drop? Wow, my aching back..just thinking about that. I have enough trouble not spilling with the top on, since I have to crawl in the stand to get the FX5 out, over the lip of the stand.
> 
> If you're going to be running a HOB I wouldn't worry about flow. The HOB's will do move more water/$ than any canisters. Sounds like noise is not an issue. I would just run whatever canister you have that you like and get 2 AC110's which will move as much water as an FX5 and be 1/3 the price.


So is the Fx5 good because it has lots of space for media? Im thinking so far im leaning towards the FX5 for that reason and the $$$$ over the Eheim.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

jbyoung00008 said:


> So is the Fx5 good because it has lots of space for media? Im thinking so far im leaning towards the FX5 for that reason and the $$$$ over the Eheim.


Yes, the FX5 is big, but for it's size, my 2078 has more room for media. The sponges take up a lot of space in the FX5. But bang for buck, the FX5 is a very good value. And there is no question, I don't think anyone would argue against the Eheims being expensive. They're very expensive.

There is a brand new in the box FX5 right now in the classifieds. http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/freshwater-equipment-classifieds-27/fs-fluval-fx-5-a-27191/


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## Scherb (Feb 10, 2011)

If you want to get a fx5 just shop around, i have seen them as low as 250.00 brand new. Cheers


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

Petsmart in Richmond has FX5 on sale for $247.99 + tax.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

charles said:


> Petsmart in Richmond has FX5 on sale for $247.99 + tax.


Man, that's a great price. Isn't that what a 406 goes for new? Wow!


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

I was there picking up some items for a customer. That was the price tag I sold last weekend.


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## bonsai dave (Apr 21, 2010)

I would go with the ehiem 2262 over the fx5 or the eheim 2080. The 2262 will out last the the fx5 and 2080 and it has less moving parts to replace. I love the quick connect that come with makes it easy to clean and also it can be black flush easily. The best selling feature about the filter is the pump is on top of the filter unlike the fx5 which will plug over time and can be come with a pain in the bum to clean. I go with quality of ehiem. The classic line of filter are built to last. Just my 2 cents. Eheim parts are not hard to find.


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## deepRED (May 22, 2010)

If bang for the buck is your concern, why not try the aqua nova filters from IPU? They basically take their "design cues" from the eheims, for sure not the same build quality, but they're also half the price. Huge amount of space for media and the operation is dead silent. 

Personally I've used every canister under the sun and I prefer the eheim to the FX5. Just easier to maintain, and quieter. Sure you pay more, and the parts are harder to get, but it's just a better filter. Like others have said, bio-media stays cleaner due to a superior flow pattern and captures more stuff (including fine particles), which in the end is what you'd want your canister to do if it's the only filtration for the tank. 

Having said that, I don't run any canisters anymore and I've switched all my tanks to homemade filters (built in overflow chamber and trickle filter), run with eheim pumps. Much larger capacity and really easy to clean, just like a sump, but without the fear of flooding. Not for everyone because you need the space and ideal setup to be able to do them. 

On my tank with the trickle filter ( an 8 foot - 300 gallon) I run an ac110 once in a while for extra mechanical, that's it.


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## josephl (Apr 21, 2010)

charles said:


> Petsmart in Richmond has FX5 on sale for $247.99 + tax.


Wow, that's a great price. Anyone have experience trying to return a big ticket item like an FX5 to Petsmart if there is a problem and its still under warranty?


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

they have very good person there. if it is under warranty with receipt, they should not give you a problem.

i recently took in the recall item to them without receipt. they have no problem giving me store credit of the item.


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## IceBlue (Mar 17, 2011)

I have an Eheim 2262 and 2 FX 5's. I cringe every time I do maintenance on the FX-5's as the impellor tends to jam when I start thenm back up, which means I have to haul the canister out, loaded with water and dismantle the pump. I have a sand substrate but I keep my intakes 6 inches of the bottom. The problem is the pump is in a sump situation, there is a circular groove around the bottom draining to the pump so any grit makes it's way to the impellor. As Bonsai Dave notes the eheim pump is on top so sand and gravel tend to stay on the bottom and is easily drained out through the bottom valve away from the pump.

The FX 5 states it pumps +900 GPH once you put the media in it that volume depriciates quickly. The eheim meanwhile pushes alot of water consistently, though its flow isn't spec'd as high as the FX 5.

Every one has their own experiences but for me the eheim over time is the way to go.


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## The Guy (Nov 26, 2010)

I agree with Deep Red have a good look at the Aqua Nova line I run a 2000 series on my 50 gallon tank, it's got tons of basket area approx. 4-5 gallon bucket for media which is supplied as well and they are very quiet as well. $200 will get you one of these I would consider having a look for sure. My opinion only .


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## airbaggedmazda (Apr 27, 2010)

If you turn the intake valve off for about 5 seconds then turn off the output valve and then unplug the filter it will drain enough water that none comes out when you that the hoses off.


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

I purchased an FX5 from the classifieds. I will have it up and running at the end of may. I can see why people complained about cleaning it. Its a lot bigger than I thought. I cant wait to set it up! Thanks for all the advice everyone


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

You might be able to use one of these bucket dollies to roll it around. Easier is always better.


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

tony1928 said:


> You might be able to use one of these bucket dollies to roll it around. Easier is always better.


Thanks Tony. Thats a good idea. I am in the middle of having a custom made stand built. Im going to have a shelf made so the FX5 sits higher up for easy access to the drain on it. One of my buddies is a carpenter so I get a wicked stand for the cost off wood. Oh I cant wait.


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