Fluval FX5, My new toy

[FishDad]

I just sent Aqueon an email about purchasing just the plastic flaps. We'll see how that one goes.

BTW Bob, Purigen is a very appealing product, you may have converted me. Plus anything by Seachem is quality. However the chemipure, not as convinced. They make alot of claims and don't seem to put as much science behind it like Seachem does. It also seems to use carbon as well Ithink, or did I misunderstand that?

 

[FishDad]

This is really cool, I hadn't thought of the benefits of freeing up these HOB filters. My wifes 72 bow now has a penguin 350 in addition to her AC 110. My Sons' 30 gallon now has an Emporer 400 under the hood. Thats pretty kick ass IMO. It replaced a penguin 200 which is now operating on my 10 gallon quarantine! I today sold the extra Emp. 400 for $40 and now have an extra little aqueon filter that use to be on the QT. That was fun setting all those up.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Nice buy. Pumping out the window seems like such a nice method . Much nicer than buckets...

 

[FishDad]

As much as I hate to admit it, I wouldn't have lasted long in this hobby if I still used buckets. I'm a cement finisher, so at the end of the day when I get home I have to muster enough energy to play with my boys. Needless to say water changes would be low on the list of priorities. My motto is KISS... keep it simple, stupid.

Funny anecdote about pumping the water out the window... My neighbor brews his own beer, he's an absolute pro at it. I don't know the details of it but he always says water running down his drive way means the beer is ready. But in my case it means its water change day. Its pretty ammusing when they happen at the same time.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Now you got me thinking about the benefits of a canister with it's ability to be used to easily pump-out the tank.

I pitch buckets from the second story on to the driveway. Total yahoo material. A hose down into the flower bed, lawn or even driveway would be nice.

 

[FishDad]

Is anything stopping you from syphoning the water out?

 

[FishDad]

By the way Joel, how is your ich treatment going? My sons' tank just got ich too. Had to be from these new glow barbs. I started heat treatment yesterday.

 

[FreshyFresh]

My chemical soup (API super ick cure) seems to be handling it. There are a few neons yet (maybe 3 out of 10) with a white spot or two on their fins. No other critters look/act effected. I'm on a second dosage of the meds. Water is quite blue/green from the meds. My plan is to do a large water change tomorrow night and keep the heat up to ~82-83F for another week or so.

In regards to the syphon, yeah I could actually do that easy enough too. Maybe use my gravel vac w/ primer bulb to get the show going and have it shoved it into a hose routed out the sliding glass doors and over the edge of the 2nd story porch. Mildly less redneck than the bucket toss. It's only a 29gal, so really I should stop wimpering. An absolute piece of cake compared to you real tankers.

 

[FishDad]

Mildly less redneck than the bucket toss.

Thats great.

 

[FishDad]

Nice!!

I wonder if replacement back portions of versa-tops can be ordered?

I just got back from my cichlid store, and the guy had the versa top flaps for sale. The only reason I was aware of it was because he was selling some to another customer. Pretty awsome luck.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Sounds like a good store you've got there. I know my closest old-school LFS has several rows dedicated to cichlids. I'm not sure exactly what he's got though. It's an OK store. Seems every time I'm in there he tells me "Yeah, I've got an order coming in on Thursday (or whatever day it is)". It's never the day I'm there.

 

[FishDad]

It really is, I can't say enough good things about this guy's operation. And its alway busy, it takes at least 15 minutes to be waited on.

Joel, maybe he's trying to tell you to buy some cichlids?

 

[FishDad]

This could be a new thread but we'll see where it goes...

One of my main concerns about filtration besides effectiveness is SAND. I welcome any and all innovative ways to keep it out of my new FX5. I am currently putting all my hope on the polishing pads. My lfs guy told me those pads greatly reduce the flow rate that I should be getting from this thing. Honestly, no joke, I am considering wrapping a peice of my wifes nylon stocking around the intake. What do you guys think? What would you do?

 

[lauraf]

Pantyhose around the intake is a useful technique. I did that when I kept ADFs or had fry that could get caught or sucked up in the intake. Should work fine for sand too...never thought of it for that before!

 

[FishDad]

Just asked my wife if she has any extra black pantyhose. She asked why. I told her not to worry about it. I figured I'd let her imagination run a little bit.