Another great video Ben!! The drilled holes really make a ton of sense along with swapping out the pinky floss! How often do you completely break down the FX6? Please try and struggle through that weather out there!! LMAO...Dr Bob

I’ve been using Cory’s pre filter ever since you shared the video on it. I love it. Interesting the drilled holes but I don’t push my pipe in but 1” or so this way the whole filter is working suction. I use a 2” long piece of 1” dia vinyl hose to make the fit snug. I also use your tip to partially drain the filter by placing my palm over the inlet stem and plugging in. Brilliant! Don’t forget these tips are for FX4’s too.

Hi Ben just watched your video tips, it’s a super great idea. I’ve watched a lot of your Utube videos and tips over the last 5 years or so. I had a 4 foot African cichlid tank full of fantastic fish like dolphins, Malawi chichlids, ambled cichlids ect. Unfortunately I lost them all due to a 10 hour power cut, it broke my heart as it took me 2-3 years to collect them magnificent fish. They approximately 30x 4-5 inch fish which cost me £600 to buy from my local tropical fish supplier. However I still have my 4 foot American cichlid tank which has two large adult chocolate cichlids which I’ve had now for 4-5 years, also got angel fish, loaches and Cody’s and bristled nose cats fish in the tank. I e got a Fluval fx6 filter keeping the water clean. I was busy cleaning my filter when I needed to check how the clean and lubricant it, so I came on Utube to see how other keen cichlid fish keepers were maintaining their filters. I’m in my 7o’s now but still interested in the hobby. One has to occupy ones-self , especially during the corona virus. Im a disabled ex army veteran. So have to keep my mind busy. Keeping fish is a great distraction from all the bad stuff happening in the world. The tip with the section of sponge over the filter tube is a great idea, especially for people who have small fish in their tank, as the last thing one wants is for small fish being sucked up the tube and in to the fx6 external filter.. i have gravel in my tank, I tried using sand but I found it got in to my Fluval filter and that’s meant more matinence which is difficult for me at the best of times. I will definitely come back on Utube and check out more of your videos. I’m not on Facebook or any platforms like that. Fir safely and secure reason I only use Utube. Thanks again fir the tips, take care and stay well, from Dennis, ex Army veteran

Thank you for showing us very simple and useful information.

Sounds good I’m gonna try these tips. Only had my FX6 going 3 weeks so far

Super cool Ben. I've always loved your pleasant demeanor. I think your a swell guy with a good heart. Please keep your useful content coming. Anson.

Honestly, the giant FX outside form is a prefilter in itself. I have to much rock work to maintenance an internal prefilter. I definitely agree with the top fine filter "pinky" changes, the tank will remain crystal clear. I find the foam type to be more durable and more importantly reusable though. My biggest challenge is not having enough space to easily maintenance my FX6s (two on a 120g) without pulling them out of the cabinet. Love your channel buddy.

Wow. I was just planning out drilling holes in the intake tube during my W/C last week! Thanks for posting Ben!

Great tips! I will be making some changes to my FX4. Thanks!

I do the pinkie already which is brilliant but I'm going to have to give the pre-filter a go. Top tip, thanks Ben 👍

Hiya Ben! Great tips! With so many tips I've found, I've compiled a "Must have tips & tricks" list. I'll be adding these as well. Thanks!

Hey Ben, good video as always. After watching your video on prefilters I bought two from Cory at the Aquarium Co-op. I used the Fluval rubber hose adapters attached to the end of the intake hoses on my two FX6S, slide it just inside the prefilter enough to cover it up, about 2". It holds on very well and keeps the hollow cavity of the prefilter open to draw water in throughout the sponge surfaces. Works great! The rubber hose adapters can be bought on Amazon about $10 for a pair of two, kinda pricey for a couple of rubber pieces, but they fit perfectly for the job. Thanks 😊👍

Merry Christmas to you and your family

I have my lil sun sun setup with a pre filter. I’m going to covet your application of the course sponge/drilled intake pipe on the FX6. . I like it. Good stuff, sir 👍🏻.

Nice video . I had something with my marineland hob intake by making extra holes also with sunsun intake and I always had better flow that way

Just blew my mind. Soon as I’m done work going home and drilling some holes and adding that pre filter to the intake

I use the Fluval coarse pad in the top and a polishing pad at the very bottom of the last tray. So far do good

Would like to give it a try, but I have a glas in-take and also another type of canister filter. But soon I’m gonna move and only then I will make sure to buy a FLUVAL canister and do this tricks. Thanks again Ben, very quick but helpful tips.

Great tip! I'll try w/ my FX4.

Hey Ben, love the videos but I think you might need a new camera or change the settings bc it’s super choppy or glitchy.. def have great tips though

Way to rub in the weather lol, great tips Ben I’ll have to try them since setting up a 180 with a couple FX6, thank you and happy holidays

Hello Ben, first of all, I do feel for you, trying to survive winterconditions. I hope you will make it through christmasdays ;p Thanks for sharing this video. For now happy holidays :-)

Drilled the extension hose on the FX6 like you showed in the video, gotta say it does seem to pull a lot better and also picked up that pre-filter from Cory awhile back as well. Highly recommend doing these two things to any canister for better results, and it only cost the price of a sponge from Cory.

My sump has three 4 inch socks for keeping the tank clean...I recently bought 1 micron polypropylene socks and wow...I've never seen such clear water in my life before!

What's the name of the pinky filter you put on top . Where you buy it and also the black coarse filters name . Some people use coarse some use fine . ???? Please try to help avoid my frustration . When to use fine and when to use coarse .

Great video. First time viewer, first time subscriber. I have done both switches my fine filter and added the sponge on the FX6. Could you show how to properly set up two blowers to insure the perfect flow? Now I have one one at top right causing surface agitation (fx6 intake bottom left of tank) and my second power head bottom left creating a circle current. Any ideas?

Prefilter, prefilter, prefilter. I use AquaClear 110 sponges on two of my 406s😃. Some have actual sponge filters on them. Hobs have AquaClear 70 sponges cut in half.

You Arcadians are spoiled with your weather; we are at least one or two degrees cooler over here in Altadena. We’ve been under 40 a few times overnight. I had to stop wearing shorts for a few days! We even had that wet stuff that falls from the sky a few times... what’s it called... um... rain. Merry Christmas everyone!!

Great tips! Fun to watch. I have a question: seems I can't find these prefilter sponge on amazon with the right dimensions. Could you guide me please on witch prefilters you choosed to do your upgrade? Thanks

The clown loaches are my favorite had them in my 125 with cichlids but they died from ick because i didn't think about putting a couple new fish in there that had ick so now i got another tank to put them in for 6 weeks to make sure they are not sick

Hi Ben, enjoy your videos. Wanted to get info on the pinky? Where do you source it? Recently picked up the polishing pads from CoOp and works but want to get the pinky stuff you talk about. Thanks in advance.

Hi the pipe you drilled is that the return pipe that sits in your tank thx

Ok so you drilled holes in the extension tubes made your sleeve (to make foam fit snug) then slide into foam. This replaces the intake “basket” ? Where do you get the foam ? It has to come with the hole pre-cut. Which size foam ? I really like catching all the crap before it even hits my fx 4 canister thanks

I swear for a quick second, that it looked like I was looking under the hood of a racecar. lol. I'm really sorry for your horrible weather there. You can send it to me and I will relieve you of it's burden. lol. Thanks for showing your booster tips in action. Holes in the intake are a great hack & I use this idea as well for my prefilter sponges. Merry Fishmas to you and your family.

Cool video man. I am actually about to exchange my marineland c360 for a fluval fx6. Why? It's been giving me micro bubble issue and it has a rattling sound that I can't get rid of no matter what i try. and yes I've made sure everything is seated properly. I think the chamber where the magnet and rod get inserted is defective as it appears to not be centered properly and it's also uneven. The fx6 is also on sale right now for 240 at my local pet store so if i trade in my c360 il only have to pay 100 for the fx6. I guess il be joining the fx6 club soon.

Have 1 fx 4 on my 100g cichlids tank 7 - 6” peacocks . Was thinking of using a spare fx 4 to just clean the water maybe bio-home in bottom tray. I guess it’s like the 2nd fx4 is now a pre filter ? Maybe connect the 2. Fx4 #1 in out to fx2 in fx2 out to tank ? Last what media would you put in canister #2 ? Has my 71 yr old mind gone over the edge? No need to be kind, let me have it😅

GREAT TIPS BEN......MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY....YOUR LAS VEGAS BUDDY......

Poly fil, go to Hobbie Lobby and get a bag or box and save money and better filtration.

I’ve learned these FX filters are truly poorly designed, yet everyone raves about them. Every time I clean mine out all the pre-large particle filter materials in the outside rings are hardly dirty. Nothing like what all the other canister filters I’ve used in the past resemble. But my inner ring filters (w/ the water polishers) that hold the bio materials are clogged up and nasty. Anyone ever wonder why the outer rings have these fins that the sponge filter pieces don’t fit into? I personally believe it’s how fluval gets high flow on these filters. Water just bypasses most of the initial sponge material byway if these spaces in the fins. Then that water goes through your bio media and water polishers clogging them up. Yes, my nitrates and ammonia levels are zero and the bio-media is doing it’s job, but my tank is dirty. Nothing is being filtered out of the water sufficiently. I have tried every material even floss in these out rings and only about 20% of these material have debri on them after running a month. I hate to say it but these filters are terrible. See how clean your coarse sponges are in this video? And how dirty the final inner filter piece is? Fluval are a scam. My tank is dirty, I think they are crap. I use a prefilter as well and if it wasn’t for it, I’d be cleaning these inner ring pads once a week just to keep up the flow. I’m amazed no one else has noticed this or questioned these water flow gaps designed on these outer rings. You have great tips, but these filters are crap in my humble opinion.

One last question Ben....Why not close off the input leaving the output open for 10 sec or so. Then shut off the output and unplug. Seems a little simpler that way! Yes??

Okay I'm not fairly new to cichlids and tanks on my recently upgraded to $125 gallon freshwater simply tank and I have fs64 today is my first day actually cleaning the fx6 completely out the after water change in the same maybe three to four months after purchasing the fx6 this is the first time I've cleaned and did the whole Shabazz with it but it's not coming back on and I don't know what I did wrong

What size prefilter fits that fx return line?

What size holes and two or four in each section Bonsai Ron

hey Ben is it benefical to double up on the pinky filter? or just a single sheet? looking to get more clarity i assume that means a chemical filteration like chemi pureetc

Wouldn’t you turn it around the other way where the fine end is last? Or does the water travel from top to bottom? I can’t remember the direction, I always get the fx flow mixed up with the 07 series canisters

Hey Ben anyway to prevent ur fluval from draining ur tank if it starts leaking? I put a tote under it

I need help with my fx4 it is not pumping out any water but I can still hear the impeller running please help .

Hey Ben Lamar what size pre filter u have around the intake an is that only size that will fit thank you

What do you think to use plumbers silicone grease on all the O-rings just to prevent leakage if you doing it too often they can wear out maybe

So you remove “strainer” for prefilter?

Ben. Do you have a powerhead low and high in your tank?

Maybe we should come and try to survive that harsh winter your haven.

What do I think 🤔 remove the clown loach, IMO it ruins the look of your Malawi Hap tank👍.

How do you fix the lid when it leaks from the screws??

Hi Ben, I have a question for you. When you use a pre filter sponge dont you stop the intake from sucking up the fish waste? Thanks

So harsh condition inedeed