General Care Discussion :: Is the FX5 still the...

[MoreBloodWine]

Sadly enough I still haven't been able to save for Nikos permanent tank in the goin on three years I've had him but I was curious about something. Is / would the FX5 as of today still be the best thing to get for a 60l x 18w x 24h tank which going by this site is a 111.842 gallon tank, I'd probably have it filled to around 100g.

Edit: I just looked at eBay and the damn things are still over $200.

[steve]

Currently on ebay, $210 shipped is the best price I've seen for a new unit. Before that it was about $230 shipped.

We also have a calc, but I need to move it out of Flash http://www.redearslider.com/calculator.html

[MoreBloodWine]

Currently on ebay, $210 shipped is the best price I've seen for a new unit. Before that it was about $230 shipped.

We also have a calc, but I need to move it out of Flash http://www.redearslider.com/calculator.html

I never knew about the calc and pricing aside you never really did answer the question ;-p

[steve]

It's the best filter at that price range.

[Diamondbacks4Life]

You just wanna make sure the gph on the filter is at least 3times more then your tank. So 100gallon of water you would want a filter that pushes above 300gph. The fx5 is susposed to do 900gph but thats without media. Its more around 500-600+ with all the media in it. So thats still awesome filteration for your size tank.

[MoreBloodWine]

It's the best filter at that price range.

Ok, well lets for a minute forget about price and get to the root of the question... is it still as of today the best filter to get for say a 100g tank ?

[steve]

I think so. There are excellent Eheim filters for $400+, thats why I said "price range".

[VeipaCray]

Bang for the buck... the FX5 is the filter to get for a turtle. The volume of media it holds combined with the 600GPH flow rate for $210 makes it the best option.

As Steve mentioned, the Eheim 2262 or Eheim 2080/2180 are the "best canister filters" but they are 2x the price and not 2x better than the FX5. $470 buys you one of the eheims I mentioned. $470 also buys you 2 FX5's with enough money left in your pocket for a new heater and lunch

Eheim 2262 - up to 150 gallons with a turtle $470
Eheim 2180 - up to 150 gallons with a turtle (has a heater built in) $480
FX5 - up to 150 gallons with a turtle. $210
$470 = 2 FX5's - up to 300 gallons with a turtle ($420), new eheim jager heater ($30) and you still have lunch money ($20)

[VeipaCray]

A 60x18x24 is the standard size for a "125 gallon tall" or "125 gallon high" aquarium.

The volume of water that an aquarium holds does not match the marketing name.

A 10 gallon tank doesn't hold 10 gallons of water. It's internal volume is 9 gallons.

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article35.html

[MoreBloodWine]

Thx for all that and as pointed out, or what I gathered from the one post... two FX5's would be better than one of the Eheims. In either case, I just need to ave the cash like I've been tryin to do to get the damn tank for Niko along with the filters etc. Still not sure on acrylic or glass but am leaning towards the acrylic because of weight and leak proofness.

[VeipaCray]

you wouldn't need two fx5s. One would get the job sufficiently done.

The eheims use less power and are known to last 15-20 years. The FX5 will filter your water just as clean as either of the eheim filters. Fluval doesn't have the same longevity to their products as eheim because they haven't been around as long. The FX5 might be on par with an eheim classic for longevity... but the FX5 has only been on the market for a few years. Gunther Eheim invented the canister filter and the classic series has had minor updates over the years but has been basically unchanged for 30 years now.

Something else to consider: Acrylic scratches unlike glass.

[MoreBloodWine]

you wouldn't need two fx5s. One would get the job sufficiently done.

I know that, it was just something I said.

Edit: Scratches are easier to fix than a leaky tank / cracked glass.