Fluval FX5 canister filter

[svtcontour]

I have a large Eheim 2260 rated for tanks up to 400g on one of my tanks. I'm setting up another tank and saw this new Fluval filter which they also say is rated for 400g or up to. Wondering if anyone knows anything about it. Comperable to a 2260 for less $$ maybe?

[Victor]

i asked the same question last week and no one answered

[Sploke]

Its a relatively new product so you're probably not going to get a lot of feedback. Fluval's other canisters seem pretty decent, a lot of people I've talked to don't like them as much as renas because they're harder to prime...not sure if the FX5 has addressed this or not. The only fluvals I have experience with are a pair of 203s that are about 13 years old. One just burned out because we lost power and the return was above the water line, so it lost prime before it started again. They are a royal pain to prime, but once they're running they seem to just kind of go forever. To me, its worth the extra 5 min to prime it for an effective filter at half the cost of a comparable eheim.

[toniczo]

i just recently purchased a fluval 304.. i asked if it was worth the 100 bucks i spent on it.. of course no reply, i agree, it does take forever to prime.. but within 3 days my tank water was crystal clear. the tank is in my bedroom, and i appreciate that the fluval is almost noiseless.. so far, and being a newb to the fluval it seems to be a worthy investment. there was another canister type filter next to the fluval, i think it was a magna? something like that, clear canister with a kone shaped filter in the center, slighty more costly than the fluval, but i didnt see where it would filter as well. if you have a pet supplies plus in your area, i found the fluval cheapest there.

[Sploke]

I think Big Als is the cheapest place to get most canisters, and alot of other stuff as well. Fluval 404s are like 99 bucks right now. Compared to the Eheim 2028 (i think thats the closest comparable one) at over 200 bucks, I'd take the fluval every time. I've never owned an eheim so I can't attest to how much more value you get for the higher price. A LFS had the 404 for like 300 bucks, and an XP3 for 280. I couldn't believe it. I was also surprised to see the filstar cheaper than the fluval.

[ceatwood]

I just saw the FX5 last weekend at my LFS and really liked the look and design from what I could see printed on the box. Since it was a new filter and not having a great supply, the owner didn't allow me to open to read the instruction booklet as I requested. She did spend about five minutes with me discussing it as she had gone through the machine with the rep. She said that the new circuit board controlled motor will shut down the pump to purge trapped air from time to time when it notices it. She was impressed and said for me to come back in a couple of weeks when she gets one up and running. Nice large disconnects and the pump is on the bottom to avoid burnout.

[Sploke]

How much was it going for at that store? I've only seen it advertised one place online, and it was like 350 bucks.


Looks like a shopvac.

[ceatwood]

I think it was $289, definately under $300 where I saw it. If other peopel were not so interested in my money I would have got one to try out on the 55g.