fluval fx 5

[clarimore]

does anyone run the fluval fx5? it does not need a sump. ? I am ocd about washing the yuck out of the cap on my skimmer. makes me feel good to send that slime down the sink drain so it's out of my system. I'm not sure how I feel about not having a protein skimmer

 

[MnFish1]

does anyone run the fluval fx5? it does not need a sump. ? I am ocd about washing the yuck out of the cap on my skimmer. makes me feel good to send that slime down the sink drain so it's out of my system. I'm not sure how I feel about not having a protein skimmer

That filter is a canister filter - it does not function like a sump. It just takes water and filters it through various sponges. It produces nice flow - but cleaning it IMHO - for a reef-type tank would be required often - and is a pain. I used it on my freshwater tank - but in the end - I only cleaned it every 3 months or so - becasue I was doing a lot of water changes. I would not recommend it for a reef tank - and it would not replace per se - a protein skimmer IMHO.