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

If you were looking for a reason to get this filter like I was, LET THIS BE THE REASON!! This is one of the best investments I’ve made for my tank and I haven’t regretted it yet! Ive always wanted to try the fluval canisters but I’ve been too scared to invest SO much money into something that I wouldn’t know would REALLY work or not. I’ve always had filtration issues especially due to the fact that I have fish that make so much waste including a large turtle. For reference I have a 75 gallon and this filter is way more than enough to cycle that size. I do plan on upgrading to a 150-200 gal in the future once I finally move out of my apartment, which is why I decided to go ahead with the FX6 instead of the 4 for right now. So far again I am not disappointed, I haven’t had to deal with cloudy water, I’ve only really had to do surface cleanings on the sand and top my water off from time to time but other than that my water has never stayed clearer! Like other reviews have mentioned tho, I would try to place the intake horizontally if you have sand or any small substrate because it will suck it up! It’s not a major issue for me but I know for some people it might. The filter is also very quiet, and I haven’t had any issues with it ‘stalling’ or anything like that which I know is normal anyways if it does happen. It was also pretty easy to put together, I do have to admit tho I was a little confused on some of the directions but at the end of the day I ended up figuring it out lol. But yes again I would highly recommend, and I literally NEVER make Amazon reviews but I just wanted to come on here and give my opinion to someone who may be looking. DEFINITELY WORTH THE INVESTMENT!!! Do it for your aquatic babies! 💕🐠

I've been using the previous version of this filter since April of 2015 without any issues with it. I have it setup for my 75 gallon which I think is the perfect amount of filtration for a 75 gallon to maybe a 125 gallon before you need to run duals. I have to clean the media only twice a year, so no big deal when I do have to do it & there are several options for media you can use in it. You will want to get the service kit for the motor & replace those bits along with the new gaskets in the kit to replace the old ones. Use a slight amount of silicone grease on the o-rings to help prolong life, but after 5 or 6 years you might hear the bushing in the motor start making noises anyways & that's when you need to get the service kit. I got the optional spray bar for the it & that is a worthy investment too & looks cool if you prefer a smoother outflow across a larger area. It's very quiet too unless the motor's bushing is bad, then it's noisy. The only real noise it makes when in perfect shape is the gurgle of bubbles escaping every 12 hours to purge the air that has built up inside the filter. Really nifty feature. It is a little pricey but it has been a very worthwhile investment for my tank & I haven't had any issues with it for over a decade of continuous running besides it being off for a few power outages & when I clean it out. Your tank & bio-load will be different than everyone else's, so it may take a little while to determine when to clean it, but general rule is when the outflow is really low or the impeller stops due to gunk buildup. Some may have to do it once a month, others maybe once or twice a year as I have to do. This filter has just been a real tank for me in the past 10 years so it gets an A++ from me.

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.

I purchased this for a 20 gallon tank to help with cloudy water from algae as my little Aqueon filter couldn't hack it. I took it out of the box and whoa, it's a beast! I thought maybe it was going to be too much filter for the tank, I was wrong, it's a great size. The canister itself goes together very nicely and both inlet and return connectors are clearly marked and very strong. The hoses are beefy and very stiff, which is the only troubling issue that I'm dealing with. The very simple and small instruction pamphlet suggests to soak the hoses in warm water to make them more pliable. I did this, it worked ok, until the hoses got back to RT. The tube sizes are quite large and the tank lid does not sit flush. I belive I will change to a tank mounted light rather than a top. I've found the intake tube to be very long and is sitting at the bottom of the tank, I'm not really a fan of that, but so far it seems alright. Priming... well, the priming pump on the canister is smooth and has decent suction unless there is a lot of air in the canister, and this made priming the tubes quite frustrating. I'm not an expert, fairly new at keeping fish, and I've always used a hang on the side filter, so this was a new method of filtration. It took me about 15-20 minutes to get the tubes properly primed and full, how I did it still not sure, but when it happened, outflow was nice and steady. The instructions did not have any suggestions or methods to make it easier, and as a new user of a canister filter, I would have liked to have had that. I'll have to make some adjustments with the tubes but that's a minor inconvenience. This filter is definitely worth the money, you shouldn't be disappointed.

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.

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.

I purchased this filter after a lot of research. I didn't particularly want to pay this much for any filter, but this is pretty much the going price for this filter. I do believe you get what you pay for, and there is no exception for this item. I bought it for a 75 gallon aquarium I am in the process of setting up. When it arrived, I installed the filter in my 26 gallon bow front (a bit of an overkill I know) just to see how it worked and to get it ready for the larger aquarium. Set up was extremely easy, all the required media was included with the filter. I also used media from the filter it replaced to keep the bacteria count up. I plugged the filter in and it immediately started working. Again, this is overkill for the 26 gallon as it creates a lot of flow! After one minute it shut off and I thought something was wrong so I unplugged it and plugged it back in. After one minute it shut off again! This time I read the directions and learned it is supposed to do that to purge the air out of the system (it does this every 12 hours as well). After this cycle it fired back up and has been running ever since. The fish seem to not be bothered by the extra flow it creates (clown loaches), and the aquarium looks crystal clear now! I do wish it came with a spray bar, but unfortunately Fluval does not manufacture one for it. I will be making a DIY spray bar in the 75 gallon aquarium once I set it up. It is also a very large filter, about the size of a 5 gallon bucket (give or take a little bit). So far I am very pleased with this purchase (although I wish it didn't cost so much) and do recommend it. We shall see how it performs over time, though.

I'm very impressed with the FX6, it's quite, and does a good job. My first canister filter, i truly like it. I would recommend for 125 gallon aquarium.

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.

uno de los mejores filtros externos que e comprado, a pesar de sus desventajas lo recomiendo bastante, el filtro esta pensado originalmente para peces pero yo uso un FX6 y otro FX4 para una piscina de 1600 litros con mas de 7 tortugas y deja el agua bastante limpia, cada cierto tiempo hay que hacer mantenimiento de los filtros pero porque las tortugas son mucho mas guarras que los peces; limpia bastante bien pero obviamente tiene sus desventajas: -se atasca el motor a veces con placas de tortuga o cesped artificial y hay q desmontarlo y volver a montarlo, esto no daña al filtro, solo hay q limpiarlo y ya. (supongo que con los peces no ocurrira lo mismo) - cuando se ensucia demasiado, el flujo de agua se reduce bastante y eso le resta potencia de filtrado, empieza a vibrar y a hacer mucho ruido. - su alfombrilla de carbon activo y las bolsitas (que se compra por separado) no limpia del todo el alga unicecular verde, al cabo de un tiempo acaba saliendo y reduce el flujo del filtro y sale mas despacio. dicho esto, os lo recomiendo.

Really disappointed that I have to give this one star after all the research and reviews I followed before finally ordering. Set it up correctly however it just did not perform, very poor flow and vibration felt on the unit. Tried and tried again but still the same so it got packed up and sent back for a refund. I’ve just been unlucky to receive a bad unit I guess. Already have seven other canister filters of different manufacturers and sizes running on my aquariums so I was not expecting this when investing in what is supposed to be a very reliable unit.

Well this arrived I didn't think it would look like a certain kind of hoover lol ,I greased all the o,rings don't forget to do it and propeller , I changed some media I put in some bio plastic pond media in with the media it came with I have plants no fish , it is realy quiet but I thought it would be more powerful for its size with my 4ft aquarium, thou it's powerful enough it's doing it's job il not know fully till fish are in it after a month of cycling the aquarium , the purge pipe outlet seems very fragile it's not tough plastic and you kind of get scared of putting it all together in case it snapsand instructions are to small to read but it's not rocket science to figure it out just look at the picture , I'm happy with it overall and I am surprised it realy quiet I hear the water more than the pump I would recommend to anyone else make sure you put it in another plastic container just in case of leaks or when you want to clean it out and have enough room at the side ,underneath or back of your tank to put it, the purge tap is a great idea of fluvals but a fast water change of a few jugs you don't need itbut great when you will ,I am glad I own iti only wish the pipes where better quality and not cheap plastic thou the purge pipe is better quality than the other pipes, a size down from the fx6 would also be suitable for a tank my size of 4ft but I'd rather this size to be right depending on the choice of fish and what they eat if you have guppies or tetras this is fantastic or even African rock chiclids mubuna,s choose this your choosing right fluval do great products thanks fluval they have been going long enough to know there reliable well my opinion I've not had problems touch wood,has thus for a while now no problems all is good its keep my tank very clean 4ft tank water is clear may need clean it in a month or two the idea of keeping it clean don't over feed feed only twice a day and hzvd cory Dora cat fish yo help clean it and dori g onions with roots in the water gor removing ammonia from water and see how they grow.

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