Fluvial FX5

[AmazonRainbows]

The girl at my LFS tell me the new Fluval FX5 (professionnal) is a power horse with some nice feature. The girls is running it on a 125 Gal. tank with 18fish and a 36" Arrowana. She said she had two 2028 heinem before and try this new filter because the two heinem can't get the water celar. Now she get rid of one 2028 because this fluvial filter is realy amazing. Is anyone is using one of them? If you have any comment about this filter please feel free to reply.

[CAGE-RATTLER]

I saw one of these at my LFS today and that thing is HUGE!!!!

Looks like a small pool filter ... lol.

And for the price they are going for ...... it better be good!

I think my LFS wants $349 for it

[cobaltblue]

They work awesome on my 125g. Cage, that is a rip off. My lfs stores up here in Canada have them from 259$ to 300$, and that is Canadian dollars.
You should be able to get them for 200$ to 250$.

[CAGE-RATTLER]

Oh dont worry .... im not about to pay that ................ or $200 for that matter .... lol.

My Fluval 304 and a sponge filter does fine in my 100 gallon.

My LFS is high on everything they sell.
Only thing i get there is Frozen Food....... there not to bad on that and definately cheaper than petsmart. I get cubed packs of FBW for $2.99 and got some 16OZ flat packs for $8.99 today.

[Dood Lee]

I don't trust a filter that requires the use of a small micro chip to manage the proper operation of the unit. If those things break down, you have a huge mess on your hands.

[AmazonRainbows]

Dood,

Has far as I known you rely on them at least for your heater...

[nacra99]

Woah... that looks like a pond filter!

[Dood Lee]

Dood,

Has far as I known you rely on them at least for your heater...

You can't possibly compare the FX5 to a heater, the situation is completely different. The chip actually controls the pump. Each night, the pump shuts down, releases any air that has built up in the system, and then restarts again. What happens if it breaks? Your filter is reduced to nothing. If the filter shut down was an optional function, then the FX5 would be a great filter. But as it stands now, the entire filter is reliant on a chip to function properly. That's ridiculous.

What's even worse is the fact that such a high priced filter has problems with trapped air. I've owned eheims and Rena Filstars, and none of those filters ever had a problem with air being trapped in the canister. For such a high priced filter, I'm amazed that the design is as bad as it is.

[AmazonRainbows]

Hello Dood,

May be this is because i'm a electrical engeener but here is some fact. In today's home poeples rely at least on 16 microchip in ther house. Here is a couple of exemple: You alarm clock, Microwave, Oven, Fridge, Television, Radio, Video, CD-Player, DVD-Player, Computer, Remote control, Telephone, Fax, Ignition & fire control in you car, thermostat, lighting control and many more...

Do you feel your world is always at risk cause of this? How many time one of them has fail because of the micro controller?

OK I agree it's not a bad Idea not rely on only one filter whatever the filter you choose. Currently I haver two fluval filter plus two hydro sponge on my thank. I also always use a air buble. But I don't feel this unit will fail because of the microcontroller. It can if it's a bad design just like with any product with electronics. I surely plan to use tree or more filter in my tank so for me it's not an issue. Also I will dismount the first unit and see if I can get a replacement controller ready in hand. Electronique module are make to be easily replace. WIth today electronics kid can build ther own computer.

I'm just not understanding what you are talking about for the air and the design. From what I understand the unit is syphning himslef on a new start and then stop 2 min a day to exit the air that can trap inside the unit from time to time. Air can come from a water change, buble air not far from the intake, etc..

You said it's comming from a bad design. Can you please elaborate a little more so I can understand on what you base you base your declaration?

[ItsGeoff]

the fx5 is one amazing filter. they are HUGE!!! like a trash can. i have 4 at work.

925 gph and good for 400 gallons. has the smart chip in it where it checks itself every 24 hours to make sure it isnt clogged.

sticker on them is 279.99. we are gonna put them on sale this friday for our wholesale cost, so prolley 205-215. pretty darn good for that kind of a filter. so far everything i have heard of them is good. one of my regualrs is coming back in friday to buy one so i will be able to give reports on how they are first hand.

[CAGE-RATTLER]

The shut down to release air is because it is self priming and it only does that when you 1st start it up i believe.

[AmazonRainbows]

Cage,
The first time the unit is self priming but after is doing a stop every 24h as a routine. It stop 2 minutes , evacuate the air if any and start again. It's not enought to be bad for the bacterial colony so I just feel it's a cool feature. The feature I like most on this unit is the small output right at the bottom of the baril. The info say you can use it to evacuate the water in the sink by adding only a tube. This help in water change. But what the girls found at my LFS is a lot more interesting and I will take advantage of this future with my netpune controller. The water that is comming out from this exit is the dirty water full with the biggest detritus floating in the can. This mean if you do regular WC by this exit you also clean the biggest detritus that clogged the filter and keep your media with a lighter load. I will put a solenoide valve and do a small WC every 12 hour by this exit. This way all big waste trap by the filter will go right down the drain.

[CAGE-RATTLER]

That is a nice feature .......... I guess its like a backwash on a pool filter.

[Dood Lee]

You said it's comming from a bad design. Can you please elaborate a little more so I can understand on what you base you base your declaration?

I consider it a bad design that air actually gets trapped in a canister filter. That should never, ever happen. Eheims set the standard nearly 20 years ago with their classic line. The design of the canister made it virtually impossible for air to be trapped anywhere. Take a look at all the different types of canisters that have been produced since then. Other than Eheims, there are a few other companies that produced very powerful and effective canisters.

Don't get me wrong, I've seen the FX5 in action and it is a great filter. But the new Fluval FX5 feels like a cheap marketing ploy, with all this "smart-chip" terminology. You wouldn't need a chip to purge air from a system if it was designed well in the first place.

The feature I like most on this unit is the small output right at the bottom of the baril. The info say you can use it to evacuate the water in the sink by adding only a tube.

Interesting tidbit - The higher end eheim classic canister 2260 has had this feature for years. In fact, the FX5 and 2260 are identical, except that the FX5 has slightly higher flow rate and the 2260 holds more media. I always find it funny that no matter how many times companies try to re-invent or innovate canister filtration, they can never beat the original. Even the eheim ProII's and Pro3 can't top the classic line.

[AmazonRainbows]

Hello Dood,

Thank's for the reply. First I would like to say I'm not trying to get you wrong. I'm a newbie in auqarium worlds and I'm learning everyday. If you don't mind I may ask you few more questions to help me straight things out. You look like you have a certain knowledge in filter product and I would like to take the best of it.

First consideration Ive got to do is the price.

The eheim classic 2260 is 529$ and this is the cheapest price I found.
The FX5 is 299$ in special because my LFS is in a war battle for the price. Regular price is 399$.

Right now I don't have stop my choice. I'm not trying to justify anything but just exposing the fact. I will take a decision later base on the talk in this forum.

My first question is more about the design. I understand that the eheim classic never trap air inside and it's in the design they do for over 20 years now.

Is all new eheim model are free to trap air?

Second question:
Is any other filter brand that also have an equivalent design that self purge the air so there is never air trap inside the canister?