Calling Fx5 Owners

[minxfishy]

So Im considering getting an FX5, I was wondering apart from the sponges that it comes with, can you add extra media and if so where do you add it?

The pictures Ive seen are of the three large sponges that seem to go around the outside and what looks to be a large hole in the middle!! Is this were the ceramic media goes? If not, what stops the water just going thru the middle and not being filtered?

How quiet is it? Im very (as some of you will know) fussy about noise from a filter.

All in all, is it worth the money and does it do a good job?


Edit: This thread isnt to start the fluval/TT/eheim row all over again, Im just asking those that have FX5's what they think and how it works

 

[Anguilla82]

So Im considering getting an FX5, I was wondering apart from the sponges that it comes with, can you add extra media and if so where do you add it?

The pictures Ive seen are of the three large sponges that seem to go around the outside and what looks to be a large hole in the middle!! Is this were the ceramic media goes? If not, what stops the water just going thru the middle and not being filtered?

How quiet is it? Im very (as some of you will know) fussy about noise from a filter.

All in all, is it worth the money and does it do a good job?

defo worth the money!
as you said the baskets in the middle are for extra media though i never used them as i wanted the increased flow.
they are very powerful so not great if you have a planted tank, unless you direct the flow away from them.

they aren't noisy, and as a bonus they self prime.

Rob

 

[River Dog]

I run two FX5's on 180g Cichlid tank, They are quiet and very good. I run one without the side sponges to increase flow, in the three baskets, I have top = bio balls, middle = Ceramic rings and bottom filter wool. in the other one I use all of the side sponges + bio balls, Alfagrog and filter wool in the three baskets. They are an excellent self priming filter. Also I will warn you that if you buy one and it stops after 24 hrs, don't be alarmed. It shuts itself off for two minutes everyday to expell any air in the system. As Anguilla82 points out they are very powerful, Mine is probably overkill having two, but I have large Central American Cichlids so better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Liam50]

hey i got a fx5 running in my bed room and theres a slight hum but i soon drift off, so i don't find it to loud at all, i love the filtration it gives you really powerful cleaned up my tank very well, i actually have eheim media in my baskets the only thing i found odd was you put the media in up side down to a eheim so your final statge of filtration at the bottom, any i think that is how it goes, well its doing a good job anyway. so yer well worth the money but them i did by it off ebay used as i'm not going to spend £150 !!!

 

[minxfishy]

Thanks for the confirmations over the media placement.

Anyone else any experience of these filters?

 

[england]

As you know i have an fx5 now for two year's and i just love it, it's so easy to set up with the instructional dvd, also once set up,if you follow the instructions for undoing and doing back up for maintainence, you don't have to fill it up as it will self fill etc......in mine i have sponge that come's with it plus more sponge and bio filter stone's....cleaning is so easy, all you have to do is undo the screw's around the sides and unclip the intake and outtake, it all locks into place,you push until it clicks...

 

[england]

well i set up the fluval fx5 with media

 

[minxfishy]

Thanks nelly. Well the new 2217 (replacement for original) should be here tomorrow or Monday, so we shall see what happens once its set up, may still go for an FX5, as Ive really come to hate the eheim

 

[indigoj]

I love my fx5 - quiet, powerful and well worth the money - mine was 2nd hand too so worth looking around for a bargain.

 

[8inary]

I run two fx5s - i think most on here will know that i am very much pro fx5 - they are imo one of the best filters on the market.

I have two running on a very large tank, i have the outer sponges, and one basket of bioballs. I had at first tried the round
sponges that you can get 'white for a fine filtration and blue for a more corse' however i found these to soon block - so i got rid.

the combo i have now, that being the outer sponges 'which by the way, i dont really replace with new ones, they are better after
they have been used a while and go softer' and as i said, i just use one of the three baskets to hold bioballs.