Fluval FX6 High Performance Aquarium Filter, Canister Filter for Aquariums up to 400 Gal.

The Fluval FX line of filters is a real work horse which rarely goes wrong if you do the upkeep on it. I use one on the tank I have my turtle in, and it keeps the water crystal clear, even though the old boy digs a lot an tries everything he can to cloud up the water. If I take it off line for cleaning (which is a breeze) or maintenance, it will get the water clear again within an hour if the turtle has been very active while it was off, and much sooner if he wasn't moving around too much. He's a very active turtle, and a very messy eater, but he's neither active enough nor messy enough to overwhelm the FX-6. I also use an FX-6 on my hillstream tank which requires a lot of flow. It pushes the water through at a very good clip so that the stream has a pretty good current for my hillstream loaches and for my rainbow shiners to run in when they're getting ready to spawn. I have the FX-4 on a 20 gallon tank which is probably just a bit overpopulated, But again, it is a good enough filter that it keeps the water quite clean. With surface skimmers on my tanks, even the water's surface is clear. To clean the filter media, all you need to do is lift the media baskets out, the use the filter's bucket to clean the sponges and reusable media, replace the media which has broken down too much to be reused, or which uses chemical treating, then either empty the old water out and replace it with fresh clean, or keep the old water if it's not too bad (it is almost always too bad). The reason you clean the media in the water the filter bucket has in it is so that you don't loose any of the beneficial bacteria which is growing in it. The FX series of filters have variable flow valves, which is a nice feature, though many filters have that. If you close the valves before opening the lid of the filter, you don't have to worry about draining the hoses, and they will be good to go when you turn the filter back on and open the valves. No priming needed. Everything in this filter is easily repairable if something goes wrong. If something happens which wears out the impeller, it's very easy to take the old impeller out, and drop a new one in. It's also easy to replace all the O-rings when they get old and start to loose their ability to seal the unit. If you're unlucky, you might need to do that once a year, but it's more likely that you'll just need put new lubricant on them. I am mechanically challenged, so if I find it easy to take care of, I'm sure just about anyone will be able to do it. I have had problems with several of the other big brands of filter makers, but I have never had a Fluval FX series filter go south on me. I recommend them to anyone who wants to keep their fish's environment clean and healthy. If I ever start another tank, I'll definitely be buying another Fluval FX.

We bought this canister filter for our aquatic turtle in Dec 2020 and it was the best investment ever!! It's quiet and works non stop cleaning her 100 gal tank! Woke up this morning to her tank looking horribly bad! The water, which is usually clear to clear with a slight green tint to it, was a dark muddy mess and we couldn't even see our 11 inch turtle, Crush! We thought our fantastic filter had conked out, but once we drained the water we could see what had happened... our silly girl had knocked the input tube apart and had caused a big air bubble in the filter, and subsequently the filter dumped a ton of muck back into her tank trying to fix the issue. So we did a cleaning of the tank and hooked the filter back up and everything is running smoothly & quietly just as it should!!! We love this filter... it just needs to be taken apart and cleaned every 6 months, witch we do like clockwork! We had tried other filters from our local pet store before getting the Fluval FX6 and they were all a waste of time and money! I can't recommend the Fluval FX6 enough!

The Fluval FX series canister filters are top quality. The product has an amazing warranty and help is available if needed. This product is sold globally and contains directions and replacement parts list in multiple languages. It is very easy to set up and install all components. I have 4 fx series filters I have them on every fish tank. I will never go back to a hang on back filter after I started to use canister filters. Im a customer for life.

Ive been running the Fluval for about 3 months now, and I am absolutely OBSESSED with its quality. I have a 75 gallon tank with a turtle and pleco (both produce A LOT of waste). Previously I was a die hard Penn Plax Cascade fan for the last 5 years, but my last two had motor failures and they changed their warranty terms finally, so I decided to switch it up. Long ago I wanted a Fluval, but but the price was steep so I settled for less and let me just say it’s the best investment you can make. It’s quiet (don’t know why other reviews say it’s not unless they are keeping their water levels really low), my tank remains crystal clear with my normal monthly maintenance routine, and it is easy to clean and change out my media. The fasteners are really not that complicated and don’t take that long to unlock like other reviews say. The canister itself is designed so that it is air tight and I’ve had no signs of leaking. The outtake is made so you have two options to direct the flow of your water which is helpful if you have a basking platform above half of your tank. Highly recommend.

Amazing filter. Reading through how to use the product feels like it will be a breeze to use. Has my 125gal tank looking amazing. Suction and adjustability is top tier. Was afraid to cut the hoses to size but it makes sense and was really easy to do. I’m hoping I can rig up a system to use the bottom hose attachment with my long hose. Hopefully I don’t make a mess!

I bought an FX5 in 2011. Seven years later it is still running like brand-new. I bought an FX6 in 2013. Five years later . . . .like brand new. I've been keeping fish for more than 25 years. During that time I've used many different types of canister and HOB filters. My main recollection with previous canisters was the rage and frustration of priming them, fitting finicky rubber gaskets, dozens of fussy parts. . . After those experiences, the FX5/6 were such a joy. They're simple to assemble, and they prime immediately. Nothing is perfect, so here are pros and cons to help the prospective buyer: PROS: 1. Huge capacity. Imagine a 4-gallon bucket filled with media, with a powerful motor in the lid. 2. Moves a lot of water, and keeps the tank sparkling. 3. Starts instantly and runs like a dream. 4. Reliable - I've been running an FX5 continuously for 7 years; and an FX6 for 5 years. I've never once had any repair issues or problems of any kind. The only maintenance I do is clean or change the media as needed. CONS (and these would probably be better described as "things to consider before getting one"). 1. Powerful enough to suck up fish. In my 120g, I previously had jewel cichlids. They spawned, and whenever I would clean the filter I would find babies inside. Again, this is not a defect, this is just a cautionary note to be smarter than I was about where you use the filter. I currently have guppies in the 120g. They have hundreds of babies. Again, on any given day I'll find a dozen babies in the filter. (FWIW, you can adjust the flow, although I'd suggest that if you need reduced throughput, you might just get a smaller and cheaper filter). 2. It's heavy and awkward. Hey, it's a 4-gallon-ish bucket filled with water and filter media. It's heavy. As another reviewer noted, I have to heave it out of the cabinet and haul it outside to maintain it. 3. You may need to tinker with the selection and placement of filter media. A Google search will yield multiple hits from people who have suggestions and opinions on the topic. I may still be doing it wrong. From bottom to top I have a water polishing pad, two foam pads, and ceramic tubes. For some reason, the polishing pad gets saturated first, and ends up being the reason for reduced flow, while the others are only somewhat dirty. My tank is moderately planted, and I can go through perhaps 4-5 weeks between filter cleanings/media changes. 4. You'll want a towel when disconnecting the filter from the hoses for cleaning. I have not found a way to keep about half a cup of water from escaping whenever I disconnect. 5. It may take some elbow crease to depress the "buttons" (wrong term) to release the hose from the filter body. You have to depress them and lift the hose off, and sometimes it requires some effort. 6. Expensive. It just is. That's a lot of money to drop on a filter. But I think it's well spent. I imagine you're paying for a powerful and well-built motor. No other piece of aquarium equipment (excluding the tank, of course) has lasted me 7 years - let alone in like-new condition. I feel that I easily have another 7-plus years out of it. Bottom line? I see no need to look for alternative filters for large tanks. I just bought a 300g aquarium, and when it arrives I will be furnishing it with another FX5 or FX6.

Update- The units motor pulsated and is pulsating and began to die after less than seven months. Contacting Fluval is almost impossible as their hours are only 10 to 4 Monday through Friday and they only offer email customer service. And the email process is seriously slow. No voicemail available and no weekend call hours available. Makes it very difficult for those who work Monday through Friday during the hours of 10 to 4. I plan to look at a different brand. This is THE filter to purchase. I have a 90 gallon tank that had a Aquatop CF400UV which circulates 360 gph and worked well. I was looking for something to handle the load with 5 medium fish (2 black Oscars, black ghost knife fish, false tiger, and a Rafael -all will be transferred to a 150 soon). The unit is whisper quiet, easy to set up, and easy to maintain. It’s been running for 4 weeks now and I replaced the carbon pad per the maintenance schedule. Super easy. The flow is adjustable per Fluval at no less than 50% without any adverse effects to the motor. I began with 75% and then moved to full output. One output faces the surface for oxygen agitation and the other is aimed at the bottom of the glass. Works great. Water is crystal clear! I used the media that came with it except I replaced the bio rings with Seachem Matrix and added pouches of Purigen and Phosguard. Suggestions: To avoid water on the interior bottom of your tank stand, place the canister in a plastic storage tub as sold at big boxes (clear plastic tray 6”high by 24” wide) and place two smaller tubs (shoebox size) on the right and left sides if you have the room. When servicing, this allows me to remove the two valves and lay them in a side tubs and slide the tub with the canister out from under the tank stand. This keeps my stand dry. Second, as noted in another review, Flowtamer makes a spray bar specifically for the FX. Of Course you can make one yourself. Third, it does not come with a UV sterilizer but one can be added as I am considering an in-line unit.

Great filter, added to my Red Sea 625 with sump, I have reef mat, 1200 skimmer, uv, apex, macro and bio pellet reactors but orp stay at 150 for 6 months, tank heavy stocked and just couldn’t pull all the debris, i added this filter to the display and in 2 days orp up to 230 water clear, easy to install

Très bon filtre, utilisé pour 2 tortues d'eau, le bruit est résonnable, l'eau reste clair et très propre, le débit est correcte. Le montage est vraiment facile, tout est expliquer en français et detailler avec des illustrations. Pour le nettoyage, rien de plus simple, on peut brancher un tuyau sur la sortie vidange pour vider le contenu et il peut se remplir avec l'eau de l'aquarium, franchement c'est super pratique. La pompe, toute les 12h chasse l'air contenu dans la pompe, tout est automatique, même l'amorçage ! On le branche et ça démarre. Pour l'instant aucune fuite, tout fonctionne très bien , livrer avec des joints en supplément. C'est peut être un peut cher mais côté pratique et gain de temps et performance, je ne regrette rien.

Fluval FX6 ha risolto i mimei problemi di poca dimensione del filtro nell'acquario. Acqua pulita, cristallina e niente più alghe. Le vecchie stanno sparendo e il fondo non ha più residui. Potente e silenzioso. Comodamente riposto nei vani di un Juwel Rio 450 (o Vision 450). Comodo da pulire. Qualche adattamento da fare nella parte superiore dell'acquario (lo ho preferito a fare fori nel vetro). I tubi possono (devono) essere migliorati come estetica e qualità del tubo da parte del produttore, sono grandi, ma gli attacchi rapidi sono ottimi e dotati dei rubinetti di chiusura e apertura. Nulla che dire ottimo investimento. La pulizia del filtro è facile, finalmente niente bagnato o stracci ovunque. Speriamo duri nel tempo.

Great filters. I have 3 FX6s and 1 FX4. They run great and do not need much maintenance at all ADVISE: These are expensive so make the most of them! - Get a prefilter (this will make you only having to clean the filter every 6 months. or even more = Less openings and longer life of filter) - Get Food Grade lubricants for the O-Rings. Apply every time you open the filter! Important to avoid leaks! - Clean the impellor once a year. The output gets a lot better and extends filter life - Do not change the sponges. Only clean the sponges. Changing the sponges and media is only good for Fluval profits but contra productive for the biological filter. (Sorry fluval but the truth) Sponges last for years. Seriously. Also load the filter up with only sponges or pot scrubbies. Ceramical rings are sub optimal.

Definitivamente no hay mucho que pensar si se necesita un filtro de gran capacidad para acuarios que así lo requieran. Si no se tiene un sump, en México solo queda esta opción, las razones: la probada calidad de fluval, la capacidad para material filtrante y la potencia de su bomba, a eso le agregamos que es posible hacer cambios de agua a través de una válvula (tanto vaciar como rellenar), sencillamente tenemos un filtro muy completo, eso sí, hay que estar probando con la potencia para encontrar aquella que no vaya a estresar a nuestros peces. Hay otras opciones que lucen a la par en el papel como el SunSun hw5000 o el aquael hypermax 4500, sin embargo son difíciles de conseguir en México, y en caso de encontrarlo el soporte post venta prácticamente no existe. No le piensen más, este filtro es el mejor de todos.

I know a lot of people said it’s an overkill for 55 gallon, but I still decided to have this one instead of FX4, because both of them take up the same space, it’s just FX is taller. Also, not that much more expensive. Before the purchase, I am worried that the water flow would be too powerful for the tank. It turns out it’s perfect as the water flow can be adjusted and reduced! I am so glad I made this choice! It makes my tank so clean, and it’s so quiet but powerful! Love it. Highly recommend