# fx5 vs 3 AC110



## mclaren880 (May 20, 2012)

I've been running an FX5 for just under a year now. It's an awesome filter, but i'm just not a fan of canister maintenance. I find I just don't clean it all that often, maybe once every 2 months or so is what I've been doing. Having to basically clean the kitchen sink area ahead of time, then taking it all apart, making a huge mess, etc... it just gets old to me. I got an AC110 about 3 months ago, and I love it. Easy to do weekly maintenance on, very quiet, moves a lot of water. One thing i'll give the fx5 is that it handles my sand substrate well. I clean all the sand out at cleanings but the fx5 never seems to get noisy from sand like my Emperor 400s and 350 do. I do fear that the AC110 might eventually do the same, but I feel like i've heard people say it's not an issue? It's a 125 with haps and peacocks. A few of the fish in particular really like picking up sand and it's pretty much a given that sand will get into the filters in my tank.

So, does anyone have any long term experience with an AC110 with a sand substrate?

More importantly...

I hear an fx5 has an actual flow rate of about 550 gph whereas the AC110 has an actual flow rate of about 300 GPH. I know the AC110 doesn't have as much biomedia, but between the sponge filter and the ceramic rings, they do have a descent amount. I also have 2 800 gph powerheads and could add another if needed to compensate for the loss of the fx5 output. So, my logic is that 3 AC110s would actually have a higher flow rate than the fx5 and would probably keep my water just as clean. (i'm a clean freak with the water, aiming for crystal clear water is the only way to go, imo  )

Does anyone see any flaws in my logic?


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## notchback65 (Apr 3, 2013)

I would keep the FX5 and just add an AC110.

I clean my FX5 every 6 months and it really is not that dirty at all.
So I find the FX5 to be extremely efficient,quite and really requires hardly no maintenance.


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## mclaren880 (May 20, 2012)

I should also mention that i'm having nitrate issues... I've reduced feedings, but i'm still having trouble keeping in control without 50% 2x weekly water changes. I"m wondering if the uncleaned fx5 could be a part of this? I suppose i could clean it, and then start testing nitrates to say for sure.


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## Mschn99 (Dec 24, 2012)

i would disagree with the prior post. If your looking for the "easy to clean" filter, then hang on backs are the way to go. I prefer aquaclear as well. I have an Fx5 and i love it. I personally do not mind maintaining it. I did buy an extra set of mechanical sponges to make the cleaning time with the filter off of the tank as little as possible. But there is nothing wrong with runnning a tank off of just hang on backs....or just canisters, or a combination of the two. IMO your question is more of a personal preference.


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## Mschn99 (Dec 24, 2012)

and letting a cansiter filter go 3-6 months between cleanings will affect nitrate levels.


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## spotmonster (Nov 23, 2006)

3 AC-110's will be superb without the FX5. I don't understand why you would want to do weekly maintenance on them though :-?

However I'd quickly hate my canister also if I cleaned it all the time. I clean my FX5's only once per year.


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

Once a year, do you use a prefilter or something?

From what I have heard a sump is the easiest maintenance, you just pull out the mechanical filter media on top of the drip tray and swap it out. You don't even have to shut anything off.


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## mclaren880 (May 20, 2012)

By weekly maintenance, i guess i should say every other week. I like putting a layer of filter floss above the sponge filter, i feel it's an easy/cheap way to remove waste from the system, especially when you get some bulk filter floss.

So there wouldn't really any loss in quality using 3 AC110s over an FX5, would there? There's no advantages to a canister filter that i'm overlooking?

I feel like letting it go months in between cleanings has to affect nitrate levels. That's just a lost of waste that's sitting in the system and not being removed. As that stuff breaks down further, it's just turning into nitrate, no? I thought that was the idea behind filter floss, since it's an easy way to quickly remove waste completely from the system.


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## smitty814 (Sep 27, 2012)

Hobs are easier to clean. No doubt about it. However I find that they are too noisy for me. Also I like a cleaner look to my tank as far as equipment goes. As far as loss of quality. I feel that hobs do not have the bio capacity of a canister.
You do have to clean canisters. Letting them go for 3 months to a year is insane. They definitly become "nitrate factories" and affect water quality. I only have a lightly stocked 55 and I can say that my canister after 2-3 weeks is filthy.


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## ozman (Sep 7, 2012)

i dont see anyone asking your tank size by dimensions or your stock and size??? it all adds up to filtration, maintenance requirments, as in water changes..how much etc

if you have an overstocked tank or large fish then it will be nessasary to do filter maintenance more often.

what do you have??????


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## ozman (Sep 7, 2012)

smitty814 said:


> Hobs are easier to clean. No doubt about it. However I find that they are too noisy for me. Also I like a cleaner look to my tank as far as equipment goes. As far as loss of quality. I feel that hobs do not have the bio capacity of a canister.
> You do have to clean canisters. Letting them go for 3 months to a year is insane. They definitly become "nitrate factories" and affect water quality. I only have a lightly stocked 55 and I can say that my canister after 2-3 weeks is filthy.


sorry smitty but what brand of canister and media are you using? are you over feeding? what do you call filthy?
something is very wrong for a canister to be filthy in 2-3weeks. :-? as far as your comment of canisters being nitrate factories....uhh is that not the purpose of filtration to turn ammonia to nitrite to nitrate, and of course filtering ditrius etc?

tank size, stock and size will have obvious bearings on filtration requiments.


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## spotmonster (Nov 23, 2006)

jeffkro said:


> Once a year, do you use a prefilter or something?


No prefilters. Although I understand the purpose of prefilters and see how they can keep the filter cleaner longer, it never made sense to me. Why pay 300.00 for a filter, then slap a prefilter on it to keep the 300.00 filter "from filtering". As easy as it is, I don't want to maintain prefilters. Sounds totally stupid to some i know, but that's how i look at it.


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## spotmonster (Nov 23, 2006)

mclaren880 said:


> By weekly maintenance, i guess i should say every other week. I like putting a layer of filter floss above the sponge filter, i feel it's an easy/cheap way to remove waste from the system, especially when you get some bulk filter floss.
> 
> So there wouldn't really any loss in quality using 3 AC110s over an FX5, would there? There's no advantages to a canister filter that i'm overlooking? .


I can see you using filter floss that way in the 110.

Technically speaking in terms of water quality and bio- load, no there are no advantages of one FX5 over the 110's. The 110's will do a fine job. The advantages / disadvantages are all in terms of maintenance, noics, tank clutter etc..


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## jeffkro (Feb 13, 2014)

spotmonster said:


> jeffkro said:
> 
> 
> > Once a year, do you use a prefilter or something?
> ...


I agree, but I figure if you are only cleaning it once a year its pretty much just for biological filtration.


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## spotmonster (Nov 23, 2006)

ozman said:


> something is very wrong for a canister to be filthy in 2-3weeks. :-?


I agree, 2-3 weeks is crazy. But i can see it happening on a very small filter on a huge fish load with plant debris, overfeeding, lack of water changes, things like that etc. But if that's the case, it's time to upgrade man :thumb:


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## spotmonster (Nov 23, 2006)

ozman said:


> i dont see anyone asking your tank size by dimensions or your stock and size??? it all adds up to filtration, maintenance requirments, as in water changes..how much etc
> 
> if you have an overstocked tank or large fish then it will be nessasary to do filter maintenance more often.
> 
> what do you have??????


Good points, this all true! Everyone keep this in mind when reading this thread. I think we all assume a standard 125, but more details is needed when we talk about maintenance frequency.


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## mclaren880 (May 20, 2012)

Yeah it's on my 125 male Hap/Peacock tank. probably 27 or so fish in it, ranging from 3" to 8". It's not THAT heavily stocked right now, but none of the fish are full grown, yet. As the fish get larger, it will be considered more and more heavily stocked.

If i put filter floss in the fx5 it needs to be replaced after 2 weeks, without a doubt. I stopped using floss in it for this reason.

From what you guys are telling me, I think i may sell the fx5 and use the money to get a few AC110s. The AC110 i have on my 75g mbuna tank is close to silent (not as quiet as the fx5, but within the range i find very tolerable). Do people find that they stay this quiet over the long term? I hate my emperor 400s because of their noisiness. They were never problem free from the get go, but they've gotten worse over time. If AC110s tend to get noisy over time, then maybe i should consider keeping the fx5...


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## smitty814 (Sep 27, 2012)

ozman said:


> smitty814 said:
> 
> 
> > Hobs are easier to clean. No doubt about it. However I find that they are too noisy for me. Also I like a cleaner look to my tank as far as equipment goes. As far as loss of quality. I feel that hobs do not have the bio capacity of a canister.
> ...


As a matter of fact I run 2 canisters rated at 375 gph. I have 2 l. of biomax and 1 l. of fluval prefilter in both. Ah maybe it's more like 4 wks. because I alternate every 2. Still....a lot of ditrius. I don't over feed and only have 12 mbuna.
Yes that is the point of bio filtration. Ammonia - nitrate. However too much nitrate is harmful to your fish. Because the debris is in your cans it means it's in your tank.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Bio load plays a huge role in maintenance scheduling. As does the filter's media configuration. 
On my heavily stocked 75g, I need to clean the FX5 every 4-6 weeks, and it's absolutely filthy every time. It should probably be every 3-4 weeks. It contains stock sponges, ceramic prefilter media, floss and matrix.
As to whether to continue to use the FX5 or switch to AC110's, there's no scenario that would convince me to switch. This is in large part due to the DIY spray bar which I love to harp on about whenever I can.  It's a big reason for why the filter gets so dirty so quickly. Because of the water circulation within the tank due to the spray bar, there is no detritus on the surface at all, every bit of it ends up in the filter. The downside to having a spotless substrate is the need to clean the canister more frequently. I'd gladly take that trade as opposed to having to vacuum, which I hate.


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## smitty814 (Sep 27, 2012)

Unless you put some sort of prefilter sock on the intake the impeller will get damaged by the sand in time. The prefilter will defeat the mechanical filtration of the AC.


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## mclaren880 (May 20, 2012)

Do canisters not suffer from the same problems with sand that HOBs do?


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## smitty814 (Sep 27, 2012)

My canisters filter the water before the water gets to the pump housing. I don't know how the fluval fx gets around that, but they don't seem to have a problem with sand. HOB's on the other hand.....


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## spotmonster (Nov 23, 2006)

mclaren880 said:


> I think i may sell the fx5 and use the money to get a few AC110s.
> 
> Do people find that they stay this quiet over the long term?


Nothing , I repeat NOTHING..would ever make me want to get rid of my FX5. But to each his own :lol:

110's are excellent filters, but I've not had one remain quiet for much more than 12 months.


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## mclaren880 (May 20, 2012)

Well you guys have made me rethink my decision, at least in the short run. I may be switching my 125 to saltwater this summer after the national reef convention (happens to be in Denver, where i live, which is a nice way to start out in the hobby!). I think i'll just commit to cleaning it once a month or so and then re-evaluate in August after i decide what i'm doing.

Thanks for all the input!


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## mclaren880 (May 20, 2012)

I took apart the fx5 and cleaned it up this evening, it was on about 5 weeks, and not as bad as I expected. Thanks again everyone.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

My personal opinion, for what it's worth, if tou want to keep your nitrates down you should be doing more than 50% every two weeks.
And if you want to use sand in your tank, stay away from aquaclear HOBs. I personally use Eheim canisters and when I open them up, the bottom of the filter is full of sand.
As long as the sand isn't getting anywhere near the motor I see no problem.


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## mclaren880 (May 20, 2012)

Thanks Noddy. Yeah i usually do once a week, but i've upped to twice a week once i realized i was having this issue. I'm going to monitor nitrates to see if i think the fx5 had anything to do with them.


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## littleolme (Nov 1, 2011)

mclaren880 said:


> Thanks Noddy. Yeah i usually do once a week, but i've upped to twice a week once i realized i was having this issue. I'm going to monitor nitrates to see if i think the fx5 had anything to do with them.


Just a suggestion, test your tap water to make sure you aren't fighting nitrates right from the source.


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