Fluval FX5 Filter

[dennysfishroom]

I thought I needed a new motor for my FX5 canister filter. Maybe, maybe not. I couldn't see any indication that anything was working/pumping, so I decided to buy a new motor. That was a bullet biting experience since they usually cost $150-200 for the motor and the impeller. I did find one for around $100, and bought it. Once I got it together correctly, I plugged it in and was running it for a couple days in one of the sumps. Saturday just after I got up, I started hearing sounds from the basement. I went down and found that the return hose had worked its way out of the tank, and had pumped the sump virtually dry. Once I had re-filled the sump, I tried to get the filter going again. No luck. I was afraid that I had just thrown $100 away. I couldn't get it to pump any water. Finally, I looked up the operating manual online, and by following the directions was able to get the water flowing again. That was certainly a relief. Apparently, when you are first starting the filter, it pumps for a few minutes, and then stops to allow air bubbles to escape. After finding that out, I suddenly thought that was the case, maybe I should check the original motor. I had thought it was completely dead, but that wasn't the case. Once I put the impeller into place and plugged it in, the impeller started to turn. Maybe now I've got a spare. Denny

[augie]

Do you have your Sump on the floor with the FX5?

the reason that I ask is because the FX5 is a gravity fed system. Your filter will be a lot less effective if you have the sump on the ground as well. the FX5 has the purging system where after plugging it in, it will run for 1 min, then turn off for a min. to purge the air out then it will kick back on. For as long as you still have it plugged in, it will purge once again every 24 hours. It's a great filter. I have 1 on my 210 and I love it. I'm glad that it wasn't a catastrophic incident though

[dennysfishroom]

It's probably not ideal on the floor, but it does seem to be going okay now. I was sort of wondering about the gravity feed as I was going through the ordeal, so I did try it on a tank above the sump with the same results. i suspect I was just impatient, and didn't give it enough time to go through it's cycle. Denny

[dennysfishroom]

I decided to clean out my FX5 today. It's been several months, so I figured it was time. I think it's the first time I've cleaned it when water has still been circulating through the filter media. I did find that the filter works a whole lot better when you open the valves after putting it back together. Imagine that. Denny