Fluval FX5

[parrdog]

G'day Guys,

I'm interested in the Fluval FX5 canister. I just want to know what you think about it, or if you have one, how it performs? I have read many opinions on overseas forums and the common consensus is to stay away from it, without giving any real reasons why except that it hasn't proven itself yet.

I will be interested in hearing your opinions before I grab one.

Thanks,

Jamie.

[Ageofaquariums]

G'day Guys,

I'm interested in the Fluval FX5 canister. I just want to know what you think about it, or if you have one, how it performs? I have read many opinions on overseas forums and the common consensus is to stay away from it,  without giving any real reasons why except that it hasn't proven itself yet.

I will be interested in hearing your opinions before I grab one.

Thanks,

Jamie.

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Hi Jamie,

Without a word of a lie i have sold 35 units in the last 6 weeks. Not 1 return, complaint, spare part nuddaaaa. Mate in my opinion they are better then the current eheim external canisters and at half the price they represent brillant bang for your buck .

Ben

[MoliroMan]

Jamie, u have heard my opinions about the FX5 which i recently bought from Ben. It is definitely a great product and i will recommend it 100%. I am impressed it arrived in one piece in a massive box and was so easy to setup! I have a large collection of Eheim filters and i wanted to try something else and i think for the cost, it is quite a competitive product. I have only used it for a couple of months so i can't comment on durability but it s build quality is equivalent to a Eheim 2250 bucket filter! It also comes in an attractive orange-grey ensemble.

It does its job well as evidenced by the clarity of water and reduced waste deposits in the mini-reef and on the substrate floor!

Would luv to hear other people's opnion about this filter.

[parrdog]

Thanks guys, I'm one step closer I think. Anyone else have any opinions?

Thanks,

Jamie.

[Markus13]

As per what can be sourced from international forums from people who have had access to them for a lot longer than us.

They are prone to leaking, and clog up a lot quicker than something like a Pro III 2080. They can also get noisy and maintenance is not that easy since the media is stacked in the reverse order to what most normal canisters use.

Yes they are well priced, but think about it, if they were so good why wouldnt they be priced closer to the camparible eheim model, which at the moment is around $700.

I bought one when they first came out (a lot more expensive back then, grumble grumble) and I honestly regret it. I also have a Pro III and an AquaOne 2400, and even the AquaOne does a better job IMO.

Oh, take into account, the FX5 comes with NO media, if you want to fill it with the good stuff, add another $200 (you have to do the same with the eheim, and it is better to replace the AquaOne media as it is very standard)

[Markus13]

also, if they were so good why are they getting sold online and in shops for $299 when they were almost $500 4 months ago. I know of a few stores that will not carry them anymore due to returns and bad customer feedback.

[parrdog]

Well that throws a spanner in the works, thanks Markus.

[MoliroMan]

Be careful Markus...u are implying only poor quality filters get sold online!

So u actually had experienced these problems personally? I hope mine won't turn out like that. I have only had it for a few months.

I would rather get 2 2260s or 2 Prof II than a Prof III. And i have noticed that the price of the Prof III has been dropping as well. How do u explain that?

Also, i can see how they can clog up faster than a ProfIII since they have a comparably faster filtration rate than the Eheim.

I don't see how maintenance is any more difficult than a Prof III or for that matter a 2260.

[huzzy]

And i have noticed that the price of the Prof III has been dropping as well. How do u explain that?

←

Sorry to butt in, however like all retail products as they age and sales begin to lesson, so must the price.

There is no point reading into a price drop, and if you must then base it on the percentage of the original price

I have not used an FX5 before, so my usefullness ends here.

However, i have dealt with Ben and AgeofAquariums and they get 5 stars.

good luck with your decision.

[parrdog]

Ben gets 5 stars from me too, just not 100% on this filter yet.

Jamie.

[MoliroMan]

Come on guys! There must be at least another 30 people who have bought the FX5. Let us know what u think?

Jamie, u may need to ask on the cichlid-forum to see what the guys there think.

Buy at your own risk. I have taken the risk and have not found anything to regret the purchase.

[steve24cro]

I have a mate who bought one, they are a filter alright, pretty much same as any large canister with extra features etc that imho arent needed, but i guess it sellls the product and people always like extra features.

Theres certainly nothing wrong with the filters...my mates one seems to run well, to me its just another canister filter. With canisters all you need is the water going in one end and coming out the other, and i always look for large capacity for media.

You still cant go past the eheim 2260, however it is expensive, all canisters pretty much do the same job (if they are designed correctly) so its a personal choice.

[parrdog]

The value for money was what sucked me in. If I had the money I would go for a big Eheim but I don't.

Thanks for the responses so far, keep 'em coming .

Jamie.

[taksan]

I am currently running 6 FX5's , 1 Jebo 950, 3 Aqua one 2400's , 4 Ehiem 2260's and 4 Eheim Pro3 2080's on various tanks and make the following observations about extra large cannister filters.

Like all cannisters The FX5 needs cleaning about every 6-8 weeks or so depending on the bioload. Like all cannisters it needs good media (remember it comes with none ...hint fill it with Eheim media bought in a "pack" for a Eheim Pro 3 filter ...yep they sell the media packs seperately from the filter at a great discount although you might have trouble finding a retailer that will do this for you if you can't PM me and I'll tell you who does it as it will save you $120 on media for a FX5... best kept secret around IMHO) .

The setup and matainence of these FX5's couldn't be simpler but be aware that sometimes you might need more hose then the pitiful amount they provide (why do all cannister makers never provide enough hose). Spare parts and service are fine as Fluval is imported to Australia buy the #1 pet products distributor in the country Pet Pacific Ltd and they have a ample supply of spare pads,pumbs,impellers etc (unless you want the specific superfine polishing pads which are "on the water" so to speak).

The performance of these filters is simply amazing and so much better then the 404/405 style design as the FX5's design makes media bypass impossible due to the fact that its the only cannister filter on the market where the water flows down through rather then rises up through the media (the pump for the FX5 is on the bottom of the unit).

I have exclusively used Eheim filters for most of my fish keeping life but about a year ago I began searching for higher flow filters to do some of my big tanks instead of using Eheims vernrable old 2260 big bucket who's design hasn't changed for 20 years doesn't come standard with things like self priming,media baskets or even quick shut off taps and costs (with taps)well over two and a half times the price of a Fluval FX5. Now over the last year there have been quite a few manufactuers bring out big cannisters to serve this market and I've actualy tried most of them. Eheim has their new 2080 Pro3 which is a fantastic filter but suffers from being hidiously expensive and a significently lower flow rate then the others (I've got several and in my opinion the actual real life flow thruput of the Eheim Pro 3 is proberbly half of its rated pump output) that means you would need two of them to do the job of one Fluval FX5 ... that said its of supurb quality and its proberbly the easiest cannister even made to work on. Aqua One have a interesting range of large cannisters in their Aquis 2200/2400 series they work well and come with lots of accesories and I've used several of them with my only reservation being that I've seen several of them (and heard of others) break and/or leak from the seals or handle area. Jebo also have their big 950 3600 L/ph filter which is basicaly a copy of the old Eheim 2260 bucket but comes with modern accesories like media buckets and quick release taps included and is quite a bit larger then the old Eheim as well as having massive output, they seem very reliable (I've had one for a while) and are quite cheap but they are noiser then the others and physicaly large and difficult to maintain due to their bulk and large hoses. Resun and Altman are also making large cannisters in the 2400-2800 L/ph range both models having built in UV sterilizers but I know little about them except both appear to be based on the design of the Aqua One filters mentioned above and the spec's seem rather optimistic for the performance of the UV's (11 watts and 2800 L/ph ...it just ain't going to do anything). All that said for the $315 odd I've seen the FX5's available for I'd say that not only are they the best value but problerbly offer the best performance of all of the filters I've mentioned. I like the Eheim Pro3 the best but for raw performance the FX5 wins hands down, its quite and easy to setup and maintain. Time will tell if they are reliable but I've got 6 now and have had one running since they first arrived into the country without any issues whatsoever.

To those people complaining of premature clogging I make the following observations that the same thing happend to me until I worked out that media placement in the FX5 is important because essentialy the filter is "upside down". After I put the mech media in the top and the substrate pro in the lower two baskets the clogging issue dissapeared.

Currently you can buy 2 FX5's with a combined rated pump output of 7000 L/ph for the price of one 1700 L/ph Ehiem Pro 3 2080.

The problem as I see it for Eheim here in this country is one of exhorbitant pricing (compared with other countries and its NOT import costs!)

Aqacenta lost the Eheim importers franchise to Bayfish here due to them losing half their market share over 2 years due to pricing pressure from other brands and them being unable or unwilling to do anything about it. Now Bayfish ( they are calling themselves Aquatopia in their dry goods divsion...its still Bayfish) have Eheim and I havern't seen much in the way of any improvement. Eheim are too expensive period ... they are even too expensive in Germany. Its got to be fixed and I don't mean by introducing lower range models like the Ecco's its their high end products that are too expensive and no longer offering the best value for money. Sure they outlast other filters and their quality is great but is it worth 2 1/2 times the price? I for one doubt it ! Its ok for people like me to keep buying Eheim's cause I have the money to afford it but not everyone is able or even prepared to spend that much on thier fish hobby without major bang for the buck. A example is the 2028 pro 2 its $500 odd ...now a exact chinese made copy the Aqua Pro CFM 1500 (note the M ...its not the old CF model with the dodgy taps) is $60.

That means you could have 8 of the Aqua pros for the price of one Ehiem and using the same media the performance is essentialy the same. Ok its noisey and you know its going to last maybe 4 years but you going to have to keep the Ehiem going for over 20 years before you are ahead on a cost basis. A cannister filter is a sealed bucket with a pump and a few pipes its not rocket science and believe me the cheaper brands (the ones that look a lot like straight out Eheim copies) work just fine for long enough to make it worth the risk for most normal fishkeeping folks.

Eheim are doing to their range what Mercedes did to the S class pushing it so far upmarket (without any real improvements) that it becomes unaffordable to all but the very high end users.

To those people that say its import costs and GST etc I pose the following.

Eheim Pro 3 in Germany 265 Euros (discount price) or $430 Aussie $

Fluval FX5 in Germany 244 Euros (discount price) or $396 Aussie $

Both prices are without media

Discount Prices in Australia

Ehiem $650

Fluval $315

In Europe the Ehiem is less then 10% more expensive then the Fluval

Over here the Eheim is more then TWICE the price

Now both filters are made in the EU and both are imported here by Australian distributors who have to pay the same shipping costs and taxes.

If thats not proof that Eheim is price gouging here then I don't know what is .....

All up I woudn't hesitate to recommend the FX5 to anyone (as long as they are prepared to spend $$$ on good extra media)

[MoliroMan]

Thanks taksan for your thorough and honest analysis of not only the FX5 but other monster filters!!!! Not many people are willing to spend the time to share their experiences. I am glad u have kept most of the filters and therefore don't suffer from a biased view!

Jamie....i guess u will get one now!

By the way, Taksan, how many tanks do u have and how big are they and what fish do u keep?

thx

Dave

[Ageofaquariums]

Taksan is right on the money with his post. Eheim is a bloody rip in Australia full stop !!!!. The only eheims sold at a sensible price are the classic series. Perfect example is the new * Sera * external canister filters. They are made by jebao ( same guys as aqua pro etc ) and sold for $20.00 US from china for the 1200lph model and sold around the traps for $300.00 here in Australia.

Ben

[taksan]

By the way, Taksan, how many tanks do u have and how big are they and what fish do u keep?

Oh I've got about 20 tanks but 8 of those would be 6x2x2 or larger my biggest is currently 10x2.5x3 although I've got a 8 footer that holds more water cause its wide.

Got 2 more big ones a 7x2.5x2 and a 8x4x2.5 on order (they are getting FX5's). I keep SA's exclusively with Geophragus being my current obsession.

[steve24cro]

Taksan is so correct with his answer on the large canister topic, couldnt have said it better at all. I tried to say something similiar in previous posts, but not to that degree. I know theres alot of eheim loving fishkeepers out there, and unless you like getting severly ripped off, you wouldnt buy an eheim. Go the Jebo 950 or even a resun 2800, both around $300 mark, you can get 2 of them for the price of a 2260.

The Fx5 is a good filter, does same job as any ehiem can do, if not better. You can't really compare canister filters in performance, they all do essentially the same thing. An eheim 2260 is just a bucket with pump, which i have made myself at home (and is larger than the eheim) for $150, so i dont see why you would pay another $500 for a name. Each to their own.

[parrdog]

Wow, when you pose a question you hope to get a good answer, but that answer from taksan was unbelievably good . Thanks so much for taking the time to give your awesome review .

Let me just say that an FX5 is currently on its way to my house, thanks Ben.

Thanks again taksan, bloody ripper stuff ,

Jamie.

Ps I'll give everyone my opinion of the FX5 when it's up and running, and thanks again to all who gave advice .

[gswalker]

Anyone care to speak on their experiences with any Sacem Canister filters?

[Trojan]

Anyone care to speak on their experiences with any Sacem Canister filters?

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I have used a Sacem Marathon 1000 and it has never skipped a beat - silent and reliable.

I rate them as high as the Eheim Classic series ... even the design is very similar to the Eheim Classic series.

[huzzy]

It should be noted there is a large difference between the 1000 and the 2000.

The 1000 is much better designed.

[Stuart74]

Hi Jamie,

Without a word of a lie i have sold 35 units in the last 6 weeks. Not 1 return, complaint, spare part nuddaaaa. Mate in my opinion they are better then the current eheim external canisters and at half the price they represent brillant bang for your buck  .

Ben 

←

Hi Ben, I spoke to you by phone about the FX5 not long after you had viewed them at the Syd expo only to be told you believed them to be and I quote *an oversized pond filter* and stocking them at that stage was only a maybe, I spoke to you at great lengths about a large cannister filter to help service my 1200lt tank and using your advice have purchased a 2260 with No regrets.

I guess I find it confusing now how you say that they are better than the eheim

It will be very interesting to see how many of the FX5's on board computers are still operational after a few years around water

How many of you know people with Eheims that are over 10-15 years old and still running strong like on Day 1 ...........

Food for thought anyway

Cheers

Stu

Edit for Typo's

[steve24cro]

I dont think theres much in the large filters, the 2260 is a really good filter, in fact all the large canisters do a great job, its just personal preference. There are no studies done to compare the filters, so one cant be better than the other.

2260s are very good, however just very very expensive. So when you compare value for money, they are probably last. I dont know what Ben meant, but its doesnt really matter. A large canister is a large canister, just with a different badge and slightly diff design. AS long as there is no bypass for water, its all the same thing.

[Ageofaquariums]

Hi Stu,

I did say that after hearing reports from a distributor in the states. After seeing 1 in action for myself i decided my * pond filter * comment was a little misguided to say the least. We are all wrong occasionally. The FX5 is a great unit and after selling 50 + units we still have no complaints and fully support the unit.

Ben