Fx5 Flow Problems?

[simonas]

MY FX5 is running terribly

Just turned it off and blowed through the pipes because the flow is very poor and it goes in spurts ..stronger weak stronger weak!! and you can hear bubbles and air in the canister itself.

Is this a common probelm and is there a cure?

Simon

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Have you tried gently angling the canister in different directions while turned on, to try and release any air build up?

 

[simonas]

Have you tried gently angling the canister in different directions while turned on, to try and release any air build up?

no but I will now lol

saying that there isn;t much space under the tank where it is but that makes perfect sense what you suggest

 

[Wills]

Have you just cleaned it recently? Or do you have filter pads in the middle part of the top basket? I put a polishing pad in the top part once and that caused an absolute nightmare similar to whats going on with yours by the sounds of it.

 

[simonas]

I cleaned it a couple of weeks ago and I only have pads in the centre parts and nothing in the ring parts round the circumference of the baskets?

 

[Wills]

Nothing round the outside? I would fill that up its a ton of sponge space being missed there. I have all three outer rings with the fluval foam (though you could make cheaper stuff out of pond stuff) and then the middle full of plastic rings and balls.

With the filter as it is now check the pads in the top basket are not getting sucked up by the top of the filter as there are some little bits up top that flow the water round I think? And I had the pads getting sucked up in there I had to pull the stuff out of it when I realised.

Wills

 

[simonas]

well took the filter apart and removed tights that had carbon in they would be spent anyway and cleaned the pads that were in the centre trays especially the top one, i moved the pads to the outer rings and put some plastic bio balls from my pond in the centres excluding the top one for now
will now buy some decent stuff for the fx5 an go from there

theres plenty of flow now!!!

 

[Always Learning]

It works much better without any sponges/flosses in the centre of the baskets. Mine still makes waves the full length of the tank (5ft 150g) and I haven't cleaned it in months

 

[simonas]

cool well I;ll do that then fill the outer rings with some better filter media and leave the bottom two centre baskets for bio balls and ceramic or something along those lines

the tank is so much better with decent flow

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

It works much better without any sponges/flosses in the centre of the baskets. Mine still makes waves the full length of the tank (5ft 150g) and I haven't cleaned it in months

Hmm, might have to see how that affects my FX5 (plus I can use the removed wool to help seed the second APS2000EF), as I'm still looking for more flow for my riverine fish in the 5-footer.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Here's a handy website I found in my favourites to do with the FX5 (maintenance, mods etc.)...
http/www.innovationlandscaping.com/fx5/index.html

 

[MikeO]

Have you had a look to make sure there is nothing blocking the impeller? I had a problem with mine once where a piece of something had managed to work its way into it and caused an issue.

Also if you can hear air then it could be as simple as re-priming it.

 

[simonas]

Have you had a look to make sure there is nothing blocking the impeller? I had a problem with mine once where a piece of something had managed to work its way into it and caused an issue.

Also if you can hear air then it could be as simple as re-priming it.

Hi Mike

sorted now as per my previous post in this thread