# Fluval FX5 foam pads



## boomer0113 (Mar 5, 2013)

I see off brand foam pads for the fx5 canister filter on e-bay. Way cheaper, but are they as good? Has anyone ever tried them and if they are no good where is the best place to get them at a good price? Thanks...


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## boomer0113 (Mar 5, 2013)

when I say where is the best place to get them..I mean the fluval brand ones.


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## Mschn99 (Dec 24, 2012)

i have two sets of pads. I do this so i can clean them under running tap water to get them really clean and have a second set ready to go into the filter for ease of cleaning. I have had the "aftermarket' ones for about a year and i clean my filter about once a month. Through 12 or so cleanings i cannot tell the difference in the ebay knock offs and the factory sponges. I dont know of all of the knock offs are created equal but the ones i got work great.


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## boomer0113 (Mar 5, 2013)

Thank you...that was very helpful....


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## earled (Jan 3, 2013)

Wow you clean your fx5 once a month? I clean mine maybe every 6 months. As long as flow is good, why open it and kill bacteria?


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## Mschn99 (Dec 24, 2012)

earled said:


> Wow you clean your fx5 once a month? I clean mine maybe every 6 months. As long as flow is good, why open it and kill bacteria?


As long as they are not out of the filter for very long, your bio media will not be affected. I found nitrates way more controllable with monthly cleanings.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Mschn99 said:


> earled said:
> 
> 
> > Wow you clean your fx5 once a month? I clean mine maybe every 6 months. As long as flow is good, why open it and kill bacteria?
> ...


+1 Think of your filter as an extension of your tank.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

earled said:


> Wow you clean your fx5 once a month? I clean mine maybe every 6 months. As long as flow is good, why open it and kill bacteria?


Why would it kill bacteria? As a matter of fact the more gunk buildup on your media the less effective the biofilm created by the bacteria becomes because the gunk and heterotrophic bacteria smother the autotrophic bacteria.


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## b3w4r3 (Dec 14, 2012)

If a filter can go for 6 months without any cleaning I have to wonder how effective it is at actually trapping any waste. The idea behind mechanical filtration is to trap waste so it can be removed before completely breaking down. What is the nitrate level on a tank that only has the filters cleaned every 6 months?


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## earled (Jan 3, 2013)

My nitrates are under 20 at the highest. I do weekly water changes of 75% or more, with gravel vacuuming.

Last time I opened my FX5 the pads were only somewhat dirty, not slimy at all. Rinsed them in tank water. I also have 2 emporer 280's on the tanks which I clean with every wc.


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## earled (Jan 3, 2013)

Mschn99 said:


> i have two sets of pads. I do this so i can clean them under running tap water to get them really clean and have a second set ready to go into the filter for ease of cleaning. I have had the "aftermarket' ones for about a year and i clean my filter about once a month. Through 12 or so cleanings i cannot tell the difference in the ebay knock offs and the factory sponges. I dont know of all of the knock offs are created equal but the ones i got work great.


IF your cleaning under running water, you are killing the bacteria in the pads.


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## Mschn99 (Dec 24, 2012)

earled said:


> Mschn99 said:
> 
> 
> > i have two sets of pads. I do this so i can clean them under running tap water to get them really clean and have a second set ready to go into the filter for ease of cleaning. I have had the "aftermarket' ones for about a year and i clean my filter about once a month. Through 12 or so cleanings i cannot tell the difference in the ebay knock offs and the factory sponges. I dont know of all of the knock offs are created equal but the ones i got work great.
> ...


The amount of bacteria in the mechanical media is minimal and does not affect the tank. If you read the post, the pads that get put back in were cleaned the month before so there isnt any bacteria in them anyway. The bio media gets rinsed in tank water only as needed.


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## earled (Jan 3, 2013)

Mschn99 said:


> earled said:
> 
> 
> > Wow you clean your fx5 once a month? I clean mine maybe every 6 months. As long as flow is good, why open it and kill bacteria?
> ...


 You said the above. That you werent killing your bacteria in the pads. Trust me there is plenty of bacteria in those pads.

Im not trying to get in a pissing match here, but everyone seems to want to. I just said I clean my fx5 every six months unless needed earlier. My tank is spotless and water parameters are spot on. different strokes for different folk.


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## Mschn99 (Dec 24, 2012)

I never said anything about the foam mechanical pads and bacteria, i said the bio media in the baskets would be fine.


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## b3w4r3 (Dec 14, 2012)

earled said:


> You said the above. That you werent killing your bacteria in the pads. Trust me there is plenty of bacteria in those pads.
> 
> Im not trying to get in a pissing match here, but everyone seems to want to. I just said I clean my fx5 every six months unless needed earlier. My tank is spotless and water parameters are spot on. different strokes for different folk.


The fact that you need to do 75% water changes to maintain <20ppm nitrate says it all to me. My tank is over stocked as is typical for a mbuna setup and it accumulates less than 5ppm nitrate between water changes. Yours seems to accumulate around 15ppm nitrate between water changes. Where do you think all that extra nitrate is coming from if not dirty filter media?


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## Mschn99 (Dec 24, 2012)

Lol......u gonna teach me a lesson? 5ppm of it comes from my tap water to start. The rest from the poop. All of my adults are fed once a day and no more than they can eat in 20-30 seconds with a sand substrate. I spot clean the sand weekly and tear tanks down for thorough cleanings every other week when i catch females to strip.


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## b3w4r3 (Dec 14, 2012)

Mschn99 said:


> Lol......u gonna teach me a lesson? 5ppm of it comes from my tap water to start. The rest from the poop. All of my adults are fed once a day and no more than they can eat in 20-30 seconds with a sand substrate. I spot clean the sand weekly and tear tanks down for thorough cleanings every other week when i catch females to strip.


I wasn't replying to you


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## earled (Jan 3, 2013)

i'm done here. Another childish forum. I do it the right way and my way is the best.

I do 75% water changes weekly because I have 2 Oscars in my tank. I feed them 3 times daily as I don't want to starve them. 
I also said nitrates are at 20 at the highest, usually about 10
But you are supreme aquarium masters and I bow to you


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## Mschn99 (Dec 24, 2012)

b3w4r3 said:


> Mschn99 said:
> 
> 
> > Lol......u gonna teach me a lesson? 5ppm of it comes from my tap water to start. The rest from the poop. All of my adults are fed once a day and no more than they can eat in 20-30 seconds with a sand substrate. I spot clean the sand weekly and tear tanks down for thorough cleanings every other week when i catch females to strip.
> ...


Nevermind then lol


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## b3w4r3 (Dec 14, 2012)

earled said:


> i'm done here. Another childish forum. I do it the right way and my way is the best.
> 
> I do 75% water changes weekly because I have 2 Oscars in my tank. I feed them 3 times daily as I don't want to starve them.
> I also said nitrates are at 20 at the highest, usually about 10
> But you are supreme aquarium masters and I bow to you


So ironic... You are the one that jumped in here asking why someone would clean their filter once a month, and told him he would kill his bacteria by opening the filter. I would think with messy eaters like oscars your tank could benefit from more frequent filter cleanings. We all just try to give advice from our own experiences. Take what you want from it and ignore the rest.


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## earled (Jan 3, 2013)

I never questioned his cleaning routine. I just stated that I was surprised he did it so frequently. Then everyone here jumped down my throat how I should be doing it more than I do.
My tank cleaning plan works in my tank. I feed fairly heavy and very diversely.(veggies,shrimp,crickets,frozen krill,and a mix of pellets). So i change a lot of water weekly.
Oscars are messy eaters and they require massive water changes.

I have been raising tropical fish for over 25 years and feel I have a pretty good idea of how to due it. I have breed fire mouths,jeweled cichlids, and Texas cichlids. Ran a reef tank for 2 years before I tired of the
tank maintenance. All of this with very little problems. I wont say that I never had disease as that is ridiculous. There are many people on these forums who spout off about things with very little
knowledge of keeping a healthy tank.

I will admit to taking offense to easily with this post. I apologize for that.  Lets just agree to disagree on somethings and continue to help out fellow fish keepers.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

There is a bit of a 'hivemind' here on this forum when discussing certain subjects. More often, the case is that those opinions are generally what works best for the majority of people, therefore it's only natural that those opinions become the standard rule of thought. However, there are always exceptions to the rule.


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## earled (Jan 3, 2013)

This Sunday I will open the filter up to take a look. I'll even rinse out the pads. Ill keep you guys updated on what I find.

I'm not trying to be a wiseass. I will take a look, maybe I'll even change my routine. Though I wont do it monthly maybe every 2-3 months.


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## markl323 (Feb 28, 2013)

yeah i'm switching to Wet/Dry and HOB power filters as well. canisters are a pain to move out under the cabinet and clean frequently. but unless they are cleaned monthly or so they work just as well as a powerhead in tanks that already have a substrate.


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## Mschn99 (Dec 24, 2012)

earled said:


> I never questioned his cleaning routine. I just stated that I was surprised he did it so frequently. Then everyone here jumped down my throat how I should be doing it more than I do.
> 
> I have been raising tropical fish for over 25 years and feel I have a pretty good idea of how to due it.
> 
> I will admit to taking offense to easily with this post. I apologize for that.  Lets just agree to disagree on somethings and continue to help out fellow fish keepers.


Part of your post was removed in the quote to make it simpler

#1 your comment about opening the filter killing the bacteria (which it wont just by cleaning the mechanical media) also put me on the offensive because it will not kill the bacteria. So what you felt as attacks was me justifying my cleanings. To me it sounded like you were telling others incorrect info. IMO water changes and filter cleaning should be based on nitrate levels. If yours are truly as low as you say they are, then i would not be changing water or cleaning filters like i do either. The biggest thing i see with people (usually rookies, not experienced keepers) is the incorrect shaking of the bottles for the nitrate test and many are shocked to find that their nitrates are WAY higher than they thought. I would suspect with 25 years experience that should not be the case for you though.

#2 Im at 17 years, so no novice either

#3 Many things in things in this hobby will ALWAYS have disagreements. One thing i have learned through years of forums and running a 60,000 plus member diesel forum (lots of testosterone) is you can never get too fired up. Make your point, make it again if you have to but that is all you can do. It does no good to get worked up, or bothered by anything. If you have a disagreement with someone, make your point as clearly as you can and move on. All forums are the same to some extent no matter what the topic is, and you have to let some things roll off your back if your going to be on them IMO. If i "feel attacked" in a thread, i just unsubscribe and move on.


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## NPZ4 (Apr 11, 2013)

I always cleaned my mechanical media in tank water out of paranoia. To me it's the same as cleaning in flowing tap water so long as you really wring it out vigorously. To each his own, but for what it's worth, filters always get a cleaning once a month, no matter the bioload.


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## earled (Jan 3, 2013)

fair enough. Lets just enjoy the hobby. Ill let you guys know how the filter looked this weekend.


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## ozman (Sep 7, 2012)

wow this turned into one heated thread :-? c'mon guys and gals does it really matter who has the most experience etc. we will all continue to learn every day, lets not have ego's get in the way of open discussion.
everyone is intitled to an opinion whether we agree or not, but everyone is intitled to a bit of common courtesy.
what may work for some may not for others...so many factors. we are all members of this forum with the view to learn, advise, discuss, so let's all enjoy our hobby together and have some fun along the way 

peace and best wishes

ozman :wink:


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## earled (Jan 3, 2013)

OK... I opened up the FX5 and was surprised how clean it was. I gave the media a quick rinse in tank water and rinsed the foam out. I guess I can let it go for a while now.
I always said large water changes are best thing you can do for your tank. Especially with messy fish like Oscars. Thanks for the suggestions.

Ty

Ozman... Truer words have not be spoke. thanks


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## ozman (Sep 7, 2012)

Ozman... Truer words have not be spoke. thanks[/quote]

thanks for your kind reply, i do appreciate what you have said.  :thumb:

lets all enjoy our hobby together and share the highs and lows,

best wishes to all,

ozman :thumb:


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## hawkkerw (Jan 31, 2012)

On a slightly different note with multiple filters besides water conditions being expectable what would you feel to be a reasonable routine in this case three filters and I vacuum half the tank each week with 50 to 75% water change? I also have Oscars and a few large Catfish one odd Parrott Fish. I also have started using a Ivey on each end they seem to be growing great but it hasn't been long enough for me to comment on how much it changes.

Second Question, With regard to rinsing media do you feel that rinsing the media in well water that has had no chemicals added still destroyers the good Bacteria? I dump them into the sink stir it around and replace it into the tray.

My FX5 used to be horrible but a few members mentioned the two ply fiber you cut. I use the blue pad by Fluval then place one of the two ply pads on top. Works excellent does not clog any worse then my other filters now.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Hawkkerw, I'm not sure what you are asking in your first comment above.

Q. #2, I rinse all my media in untreated well water and haven't noticed any issues with ammonia or nitrite spikes relating to bacteria loss or imbalance. I try to keep the water temperature at least room temperature. Too cold or too hot may impact the bacteria.


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## hawkkerw (Jan 31, 2012)

Deeda said:


> Hawkkerw, I'm not sure what you are asking in your first comment above.
> 
> Q. #2, I rinse all my media in untreated well water and haven't noticed any issues with ammonia or nitrite spikes relating to bacteria loss or imbalance. I try to keep the water temperature at least room temperature. Too cold or too hot may impact the bacteria.


Deeda Sorry I should have been more clear. This thread has been about filter cleaning and how often it should be done? I know we are all different and our aquariums as well. I guess I was asking for opinions more from the perspective of "rule of thumb" so to say. If you are running multiple filters such as myself how do you folks handle your cleaning schedule with filters?


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I don't know that there really is a 'rule of thumb'. Many filter mfg.'s recommend cleaning when you notice a reduction in filter output or every few months. However, this will vary from tank to tank and owner to owner. If you have a large number of large fish, you may need to clean it monthly.

I alternate the canister filter cleaning every 3+ months on my tanks based on my previous experience with that particular filter. Remember that a filter that is full of gunk is not providing the proper filtration for your tank, it is just hiding the dirt it has collected.


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## hawkkerw (Jan 31, 2012)

Deeda said:


> I don't know that there really is a 'rule of thumb'. Many filter mfg.'s recommend cleaning when you notice a reduction in filter output or every few months. However, this will vary from tank to tank and owner to owner. If you have a large number of large fish, you may need to clean it monthly.
> I alternate the canister filter cleaning every 3+ months on my tanks based on my previous experience with that particular filter. Remember that a filter that is full of gunk is not providing the proper filtration for your tank, it is just hiding the dirt it has collected.


Yes, that makes perfect sense. You know the Fluval intakes confuse me. The FX5 is large and will suck up almost any size debris in the tank where the 406 has a ball which seems it not to allow large debris from making it into the filter. Now I'm sure there is a answer for this, which may need to come from Fluval. I do Vacuum my tank one a week half each time but I'd much rather rinse it out of the sponges in my filter than have it pile up under the filter intake on the 406? Could it be the motor can not handle the large debris if it makes it into the impeller? (Oscars have very large waste  ) I tried to remove the ball but have been unable to get to it without breaking the intake. I like the filter there are just things in its design I don't understand? Sounds Familier!!!! No I'm not looking to start a 06 bashing thread I actually like the filter =D> . And I know I am sorry this has nothing to do with FX5 Foam pads except the 406 is similar it's hard to know the best method to arrange the media


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## hawkkerw (Jan 31, 2012)

You know thinking about it my Marineland C-Series and Aquatop now there's a filter that will suck up some crude. Its major fault is its size almost as big as my kitchen waste basket you need a fork lift to move :lol:


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