Feelers Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 I wonder if eheims gonna follow suit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil_elmo Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 eheim has the pro 3 http://www.eheimasiapacific.com/pro3.htm dunno how much it will cost Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanksman Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 eheim has the pro 3 http://www.eheimasiapacific.com/pro3.htm dunno how much it will cost It doesn't look as good as this FX5 tho. And with all those baskets full in the pro 3 I wonder if it really does do 1700 litres an hour. With a power consumption of just 30w I doubt if it gets above 1000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquatopia Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 Hi B&K - So is this on a Discus tank ? Was wondering about the CO2 system you mentioned so wondering if its a planted aquarium now ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted March 26, 2006 Report Share Posted March 26, 2006 I had a sneek peek at the FX-5 a while back and it is impressive. It can also be tuned down to handle smaller tanks as well. Alot of the noise created by cannister filters is caused byair being trapped in the cannister. Fluval have overcome this by purging the air every few minutes. These cannisters work extremely well on Tall tanks Great Price as well MTCW Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted March 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2006 i just ordered one and should come next week... how much media do i need? You're going to need enough media to fill two baskets approx 25cm wide and 10cm tall. I recommend a large bag of ceramic noodles but you're free to use anything you want. The middle basket is for bio-chem zorb or phosphate remover or whatever "special need" filtration media you may need/want. Otherwise you have three baskets to fill with whatever you want Hi B&K - So is this on a Discus tank ? Was wondering about the CO2 system you mentioned so wondering if its a planted aquarium now ? Yes, this is in a 460L well planted discus tank. The fluval 404 intake/output on the left side of this picture has been replaced with the FX5 intake on the right bottom corner and the output on the top left corner. The tank is FULL of runners (pup stalks from the marble swords) and looks a bit unsightly but I'll get some decent pics up once they settle down... IF they settle down Alot of the noise created by cannister filters is caused byair being trapped in the cannister. Fluval have overcome this by purging the air every few minutes. Yup, a very nice machine and I suppose I could turn it down (which is quite easy with the adjustable intake/output valves) but haven't found the need quite yet. The air purge actually happens only once per 24 hours but a very cool feature none the less. I used to have to climb under the tank and play with my other canisters when they got noisy but with this one I just come back in the morning and it's quiet as a mouse again eheim has the pro 3 http://www.eheimasiapacific.com/pro3.htm dunno how much it will cost Well, the Pro 2 series has a $750 RRP and it does 1050lph so I'm guessing the Pro 3 will have a price tag twice that of the FX5 when it finally lands. Also the Pro 3 has a rating of half that of the FX5 and none of the cool features like the smart pump, purge valve, separate hose connections (to easily hook up a drainage hose), etc etc. Gotta love those castor wheels though. That's worth an extra $1000 alone! NOTE TO FX5 OWNERS When shutting off the valves on this machine extra care should be taken to shut off the intake valve before the output. If you do this backwards a decent amount of pressure builds up in the machine which rewards you in about 1L of water coming out of the first available opening. The use of the purge valve on the bottom would be a good way to avoid this in the future. VERY easy to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil_elmo Posted March 27, 2006 Report Share Posted March 27, 2006 You're going to need enough media to fill two baskets approx 25cm wide and 10cm tall. I recommend a large bag of ceramic noodles but you're free to use anything you want. The middle basket is for bio-chem zorb or phosphate remover or whatever "special need" filtration media you may need/want. Otherwise you have three baskets to fill with whatever you want woah thats alot of media, what did you use in yours? i got a big bag of eheim stuff but i think it will only fill one basket Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted March 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2006 I used all the ceramic noodles from a Fluval 204 that was being retired with the intro of the FX5 as well as all the ceramic noodles that I had laying around the fish room. Took all of them and even had a bit of room to spare. Middle basket has a big bio-zorb bag and Phosphate Remover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil_elmo Posted April 1, 2006 Report Share Posted April 1, 2006 my review of the FX5 first thing you will notice is the giant box it comes with, you can fit two fluval 304 boxes inside the FX5's box!! setting up is very simple, hardest part is to find a home for it cause of the size. Cut and run the tubing, plug in the intake and out take, add water and your done... now i've always been a big fan of the fluval filters but the FX5 feels like the quality isnt there, the canister feels like a bucket and the media trays feels cheap. The FX5 just doesnt have a solid feel to it compared to my eheim 2028. Also the FX5 is twice as loud as the eheim 2028 Fx5 is like having a powerful japanese car, cheap, fast and loud but not a solid feeling to drive compared to the eheim which is more of a european sports car, not as fast but feels alot better to drive, the feel of quality conclusion Fx5 is a value for money buy considering the spec's. IMO i would get the eheim if you have a 500l or under tank anything over i would get the FX5 if anyone want pics just ask and i'll take some for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted April 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2006 elmo, how long have you been running it? When I drain my FX5 to work on it it's often noisy for a few hours until the last few bubbles are gone then it's quiet as a mouse. As I said in the review above, if it's noisy just come back later and it fixes itself (smart pump air purging). Have you done a water change yet? Purged the gunk from the bottom valve during maintenance? Yes, it feels like a bucket - but anything this size would. Admittedly, the media baskets are a bit flimsy but considering I've only had to deal with them twice thus far it's a moot point. Last point, this is the first filter I've ever had that had a decent strainer on it. It's huge and not easy to hide but at least it does its job. The Eheim 2028 attachments were just silly. The FX5s tank clamps are pretty tough as well, and you can adjust for an unusual top-of-tank situation (like a frame bracing). The Eheim brackets are literally designed for Eheim tanks and that's about it. I think it's a wide spread opinion that the Pro series of Eheims aren't comparable to the Classics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil_elmo Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 had it running for 3days now and yip i did a water change with the valve at the bottom which is really good the strainer is huge and kinda looks like a soap holder, not really pretty looking since its hard to hide especially if you have a smaller tank oh i find both FX5s and 2028s attachments silly, they are so big and clumsy, really hard to work on my tank since i have limited room with my lights p.s i upgraded my lighting running 4 x 5ft 58watt tubes now, plants bubbles like a airstone now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 can we have some pics of your guys tanks setuip with them pleeeeeaaassseeee Awesome sounding filter **EVIL** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted April 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 .... you don't do a water change with the valve at the bottom. You get a 1" (2.5cm) hose and attach it to the extra quick release they supplied with the filter. You stick the hose out the window and turn the filter on and it drains the tank in a matter of minutes. /me needs to get new lights... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil_elmo Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 couldnt be bothered turning off the filter so i just plug a hose into the bottom valve and close off the 'out' tap on the top and open the valve at the bottom. Works like a charm no unclipping the hose, no need turning off the filter, no water spills evilknieval69, will post photos tonight or tomorrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil_elmo Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 sorry for the poor photos but i still have alot of trouble taking photos of the tank with the lights and the camera flash start with the FX5 thats a large can of colourbits The HUGE strainer out take. this thing is cool, dual out take and the best thing you can adjust the direction you want the water to blow now my tank, coming up to two months old on the 11th of this month, so the plants havent grown the way i want yet and the discus are very camera shy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted April 2, 2006 Report Share Posted April 2, 2006 Nice Pics Evil-Elmo, Awesome looking tank. Lynda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted April 3, 2006 Report Share Posted April 3, 2006 Very nice! Love the dual outflow thingy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wok Posted April 3, 2006 Report Share Posted April 3, 2006 Sweet filter. Nice tank too Elmo. I can just see Jude now counting her penneys to get one of these for her L shaped tank :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted April 3, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2006 Elmo, as discus aren't much for enjoying currents or fast-flowing water I highly recommend pointing the outlets towards the glass rather than into the tank. This is my tank with filter underneath: And a shot of the output directed into the corner - my CO2 diffuser is directly beneath it and the bubbles get blasted throughout the tank - And an angle shot of the tank... as you can see, my discus aren't shy at all and the tank has purposely been set up with lots of medium height plants to discourage them from hiding. This makes them friendly and sociable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachy Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 Hmmm, just had a read of this thread, got me thinking. What about adding one to my AR620T marine an extra 30 ltrs and the added flow would be great wouldnt have any media though, prob be like a spa in there :lol: i like the duel output too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted April 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 LOL, you Marine guys are nutters. I doubt any freshies would ever think of spending $600+ on some water flow and a couple extra liters But on that same thought, you obviously have different needs and wants to a freshwater aquaruist and I appreciate that. The FX5 would be a great "stream" (I think that's what you call them) for about... what, half the price? Dual output is nice, too bad it doesn't rotate for reef tanks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 Would be good for running phos resin, carbon, zeolite etc, but seems an expensive way to get a little extra flow, you could buy a steam without a controller for the same money and get tons more flow. As long as the water stays in the tank you can't have too much flow, there are people with 100x turnover in their tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachy Posted April 19, 2006 Report Share Posted April 19, 2006 there are people with 100x turnover in their tanks. whooa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freakyfish Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 We have these filters here in Oz too but at alot less prices I have sold quite a few with no bad reports yet I have them for $329 in the shop but they do have a RRP of $595 quite alot cheaper then the Ehiems Brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted April 24, 2006 Report Share Posted April 24, 2006 Pity air fares have just gone up. I was thinking a visit to Brad might be in order Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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