# Fx5 Flow Rate With Just The Foam It Came With



## jp80911 (Apr 3, 2008)

Any one knows what would the flow rate be with just the foam that came with FX5 and no media in the basket?
I'm thinking to use the FX5 instead of my return pump if the flow doesn't drop too much.
also maybe add some polishing pad to get the water clean, any idea how much flow will I loss?


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

Probably what its rated at or maybe just below. How they send them should be how & what its rated. I know companies like to exaggerate a little so it could be lower than what they claim. Its probably close.


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## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

I dont think the media would really reduce flow since the pump is on the bottom and the tank water flows in around the foak basket and then down to the pump.
As long as the filter is full of water feeding the pump I think flow should stay constant.

That being said, when I first got my fx5 I set it up with the baskets wrapped in foam, and the blue pads in each basket with media on top of them in each basket.

It was running fine at first but after a couple weeks it startied gurgling like crazy and I didnt know why.
Took a while but I finally figured out that the pads in the trays under the media were restricting water from reaching the pump. It would be normal then after it pumped the water there was a delay while the pads let water down and through again to the pump. Which is when it would gurgle, and then quiet down again until water soaked through again.

If I were you I would def stock media and the wrapped foam it comes with. Might aswell get the most out of the filter.


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## jp80911 (Apr 3, 2008)

******, how many FX5 did you have on your 220 when you had all those rbps?
I think I have at least 200 pot scrubbers in my sump so should be plenty bio media, any suggestion for mechanical medias?


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## FEEFA (Nov 19, 2007)

I had and still run just 1 fx5 and 2 2217's, it was not enough for 16 6in pygos.
With weekly 50% waterchange sunday, the water was merky again by tues, especially with all the plants and 4in of gravel.

I am planning on adding a second fx5 along with the others though, dont really need it but I'm being anal and the more the better.

Cant really help in the sump dept since I dont know much about them, but if anything I would buy a roll of filter floss, Add that and replace it weekly I guess.


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## jp80911 (Apr 3, 2008)

at one point I had 2 FX5 on my 180g with 11 pygos, and I don't even do gravel vac my water was always clean (parameters in check) with weekly 30% water change (sometimes 50%). FX5 are ~indeed great filters.

I just want to replace my current return pump with FX5 so I could save some electricity since the flow rate isn't too different (~1000gph vs 925gph) and with FX5 I could use polish pad to make the water more crystal clear.


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## Inflade (Mar 24, 2006)

When I get home ill get the website that I got my filter socks from. They are excellent. Only let water through, they filter everything out, and I mean everything. My water on my 220 was crystal clear. I bought 3 socks, they were like 10 dollars each and put them at the intake pipe to the sump. After two or 3 days I would take the old one out, and toss a new one on. The socks are machine washable.


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## jp80911 (Apr 3, 2008)

cool, thanks


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## Inflade (Mar 24, 2006)

http://www.piranha-fury.com/pfury/index.php?/topic/195897-100-micron-filter-socks/


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