Fluval FX4 or FX6 for a 29 gallon tank?

[sfin52]

@Dominic M just looking at gph the 307 is more than enough and almost perfect at 303 gph. The 207 would be the lower at 206 gph.

 

[Dominic M]

A little research on fresh water if you reduce the flow you could burn up the pump. I would look at a 407, 307 or a 207. The fx4 is going to be way to powerfull for a 29.

So how many gallons per hour would be too much? Im also looking at this "Aquatop CF400UVMKII" filter CF400UVMKII Canister Filter 4-Stage w/ Vortex Prime & 9W UV - 370 gph – AQUATOP and it looks comparable to the fluval 407. I was wondering what the UV lighting is good for and if that filter is better or worse.

 

[Dominic M]

@Dominic M just looking at gph the 307 is more than enough and almost perfect at 303 gph. The 207 would be the lower at 206 gph.

Ill take a look

 

[sfin52]

5-10x turn over an hour is what you are looking for. In my opinion the built in uv is only viable for algea control.

 

[Dominic M]

5-10x turn over an hour is what you are looking for. In my opinion the built in uv is only viable for algea control.

Ok, thanks for the help so far. What kind of filter media do you reccomend I run? I was thinking carbon, filter floss, and ceramic rings.

 

[sfin52]

I like carbon floss and Purigen the ceramic rings are not needed for sw setups.
I clean my canister once a month once in a great while I’ll skip a month

 

[sezaro21]

I just finished converting a 75 gallon freshwater tank into my first FOWLR tank. I'm going to be running 2 FX4 canister filters on it. Why?? Because those are what I used when I had my freshwater tank going. I currently have 80lbs of live sand and about 60 lbs of dry rock. Going to use the canister filters for mainly mechanical and chemical filtration. I've heard of many people having success with using canisters and I didn't see the need to buy new filters when I had 2 perfectly great filters available. I just clean each filter every other month, rotating between both.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

I just finished converting a 75 gallon freshwater tank into my first FOWLR tank. I'm going to be running 2 FX4 canister filters on it. Why?? Because those are what I used when I had my freshwater tank going. I currently have 80lbs of live sand and about 60 lbs of dry rock. Going to use the canister filters for mainly mechanical and chemical filtration. I've heard of many people having success with using canisters and I didn't see the need to buy new filters when I had 2 perfectly great filters available. I just clean each filter every other month, rotating between both.

perfect

 

[sfin52]

I just finished converting a 75 gallon freshwater tank into my first FOWLR tank. I'm going to be running 2 FX4 canister filters on it. Why?? Because those are what I used when I had my freshwater tank going. I currently have 80lbs of live sand and about 60 lbs of dry rock. Going to use the canister filters for mainly mechanical and chemical filtration. I've heard of many people having success with using canisters and I didn't see the need to buy new filters when I had 2 perfectly great filters available. I just clean each filter every other month, rotating between both.

You will only need one but you can run both if you want. Just remember they need cleaned once a month not every other but once a month.

 

[sezaro21]

You will only need one but you can run both if you want. Just remember they need cleaned once a month not every other but once a month.

Since the majority of the biological filtration will be created by the sand and rocks, I guess I can clean out each filter each month. Coming from a freshwater setup, I would clean each filter every 3 months, rotating between each since most of the bio filtration was done in the filter. Have to learn to change my mindset. LOL.

 

[wil-yuhm]

I use an FX4 canister filter and love it

For how long if I may ask?
I purchased and installed a FX4 several months ago for a 66 gallon tank (low bio load.)
Cleaned the FX4 three times so far and was wondering whether the manufacture's recommendation to replace the magnetic impeller motor at 1 yr was necessary.
I also utilize a Sunsun 3000 which claims to produce near the same flow rate but the output compares nowhere to the flow of the FX4 (no flow meter observing by hand at the output nozzles.)
I use the Sunsun (adjustable electronic control of flow) mainly for an external 18 watt sterilizer but if the Sunsun should fail I may go to another FX4 at this time rather than invest in a sump/fug. I'd rather invest in a larger tank/sump/fug sometime in the future.
The FX4 flow rate can be limited by the valves provided as mentioned. I suppose how much the valves limit flow (inlet and/or outlet side) could affect motor reliability as well increase cavitation but such might be said for any pump/ball valve (dead-head pressure increase) combination.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

For how long if I may ask?
I purchased and installed a FX4 several months ago for a 66 gallon tank (low bio load.)
Cleaned the FX4 three times so far and was wondering whether the manufacture's recommendation to replace the magnetic impeller motor at 1 yr was necessary.
I also utilize a Sunsun 3000 which claims to produce near the same flow rate but the output compares nowhere to the flow of the FX4 (no flow meter observing by hand at the output nozzles.)
I use the Sunsun (adjustable electronic control of flow) mainly for an external 18 watt sterilizer but if the Sunsun should fail I may go to another FX4 at this time rather than invest in a sump/fug. I'd rather invest in a larger tank/sump/fug sometime in the future.
The FX4 flow rate can be limited by the valves provided as mentioned. I suppose how much the valves limit flow (inlet and/or outlet side) could affect motor reliability as well increase cavitation but such might be said for any pump/ball valve (dead-head pressure increase) combination.

I've used the fx4 for the last 3 years. I did have to replace the impeller the 2nd year, it's worth getting yourself the fx4 maintenance kit that's sold in LFS.