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Dude I couldn't agree more!! Support your small local fish stores! It might be a small mark up on some items, but, your keeping that place open and feeding the owners family.

Love the added in shipping and handling info because people genuinely don't understand why small businesses or home businesses charge so much. Everything you mentioned and sometimes more, if you're a shop that adds any extras such as your business card and or stickers, or extra products. I've seen people in the fish groups mention quality online fish stores who ordered ex 5 fish and received 7. That's still a small loss for the company but those little suprises keep people coming back, leaving positive reviews, and spreading the word in comments. As someone who sold and packaged mostly custom resin charms for 10+ years I loved adding a few freebies now and then. Made a club card buy 5 get one free. Everything in cute packages and colored bubble mailers it all adds up $ on our end. Though as a consumer who also supports fellow artists you know in the end you're paying for the experience, and quality behind who you buy from. ❤

At 10:30 it's a highlight of my week 🤣🤣🤣 My 6 year old daughter made me rewind that moment about 50 times now, and she is laughing hard!

Well, whatever the cost of Fluval's, the cat is priceless :)

I run a reef tank and use the Tidal 55 on my 40 breeder. I've been looking into a canister filter for a cleaner look along with more filtration. Fluval FX just got themselves another sale with me thanks to you! I'll just have to find the right size for my tank Side note, been following you for a few yrs back when I had freshwater. Great stuff to you and Lisa!

"Dead nuts silent" bahaha WHAT?! 😂 Also, I love Carl. I rewound to watch the cat sneeze twice 😜

I run all fluval canisters from fx6 to fx4 down to the 407 and 306, and fluval aqua clear hob , yes my old 306 still runs no issues!

I get why people do it. First, this is America and people love easy. It's also often far less expensive. This is America and people love a good deal. And lastly, the hasstle of searching for what you want when it's out of stock everywhere you go, brick and mortar or websites. That doesn’t mean I endorse it. Only that I get it. For me personally, I try not to buy from Amazon for other more personal reasons. First and foremost because the kid worked for a much smaller Amazon "like" company who got bought out by Amazon. Amazon didn't hire him. He moved away to find work elsewhere, and I never saw him again. Trust me when I say, I have... STRONG ...feelings towards that company, and they aint all warm and fuzzy.

My question might be a little off topic but it is filter related. 35- 40 years ago when I was a teenager, I used to keep 2 or 3 aquariums in my room all the time. I had a couple of 10 gallon tanks and a 29 gallon tank. If I would have know what I've learned recently, I wouldn't have cleaned them like I used to. Pretty much every weekend, I would completely drain the tanks, take out the decorations, scoop out the rocks, put them all in a tub and I'd clean the heck out of them. I even washed my filter and changed the filter/charcoal cartridge as well. I had no idea I was killing all the good bacteria that keeps a tank healthy. I probably unintentionally killed a lot of my fish thinking I was doing the right thing. Back then I thought aquarium fish just didn't live very long and it was normal. Part of the cleaning process involved removing the under-gravel filter and dumping out all the brown gunk (fish poo and uneaten food). So that leads into my question. Here I am 40 years later and I've got the itch to start my hobby back up again. My 14 year old daughter and I have even started shopping around for tanks and filters and everything else we'll need to get started back up. I'll probably start off small and work my way up to bigger tanks, if all goes well with the small one. Most 10 gallon tanks come with a starter kit and an under-gravel filter. It just occurred to me the other day while shopping, that in all the videos like yours that I've watched recently and all the tanks in pet stores we go in, no one uses under-gravel filters. That brings me to my question. Are they even necessary? Would I be better off not using them? If I did use them, how do you clean out from under them without tearing down the whole tank. Any advice would be appreciated.

Black Friday at Petsmart. I bought my fx4 for $149, my fx6 was $189.

But do you need to do water changes if you use one , tho John? 😋 Ill get my coat...

Maybe Fluval means you can push it up to 175, but with conditions. Lol

5:17 well i guess it depends on what you mean by pond. but i've always wanted one as well so i got a a 110 gallon stock tank and turned it into a patio pond! brand of the stock tank was tuff stuff, got it for 85 doll hairs 110 gallons for 85 bucks, and it came with a capped bulkhead fitting. tractor supply ftw

My Fluval 301 has been running on my 55 for about 6 or 7 years. Great product.

That cat sneeze 😆

Big Mac, ad vs. reality... They don't even put the same numbers on the box: 750 l is 198.129 gallons :) Sure, 662 l is about the amount of water inside 750l tank, but even that tells something. :) I'm not surprised they advertise more, it's common with filters. However one can argue, that in heavilly planted tank filter is just a pump to move the water. Still, I have two Eheim Professionel 4+ 600 on my 714 l / 189gallon heavilly planted tank.

The cats 😹😹😹 oh Carl 😼Happy Sunday John and Lisa.

For a large filter they don't hold much media though. Unless you count the sponges. More important than flow rate. For me anyway. 😊 And there are filters out there that do both.

Looks like a good filter, I might get one for a new 75g tank. I 100% agree with you on the amazon thing. I try my best to get everything for my aquariums locally or from other aquarium stores that ship across the country. That way the aquarium shop makes some profit, helping local stores stay in business and It usually cost the same price as amazon or sometimes a couple bucks extra.

I’ve owned fx6 and two fx4 ,but down to just one fx4 now. I’ve always hated those top rim clips ! Once it’s on, forget about taking it off! Get ready for a broken nail and or prepare to buy a replacement ! Fluval FX series are great but please .. redesign those clips ! Please and TANKyou : )

I’ve had a fx5 on a 125 for more than a decade, only thing I had to replace is the top… broke a fitting not looking where i was stepping while cleaning

The best filters for sure, def not a bad idea to put the media in a bag, easier when cleaning and won’t lose any falling out

I have 2 of them running in my 125 gallon loaded with polyfil. My tank is invincible

I absolutely love this filter, I was able to buy it for $260 from LFS when they had a sale.

10:30 lmao, bless you! Gotta love the feline guest hosts.

I’ve had two FX6s on my 125 for years. Excellent filters. I have been keeping cichlids for several years now. Just want to thank you for all your knowledge and informative videos. Learned a ton from you Brother. Thank you. 🤘😎

I love the emporor hang on backs, i have 3 of the older style that have been going strong for 4 years on two different tanks, they do a good job of restarting after a power outage, and i bet the new ones with the pump on the intake would probably be even better, ill eventually replace with the new ones but not until these start to die or i buy a bigger house and have space for a bigger tank. Im afraid an fx would be out of sight out of mind, i like being able to see when maintenance is needed, and i like the sound of falling water.

This was helpful. I’ve got a big HOB on my 75 display tank and 3 20 gal longs running sponge filters. I’ve been intimidated by canisters, but this made them seem viable and easy, even if they’re still expensive.

I appreciate the transparency and honest reviews you provide on this channel. You guys have helped me to make my first attempt as an adult to keep fish, correctly. Y'all got a subscriber for the life of the channel

😂love ur videos Jon , to the point , no bullshit and hilarious!

Good to reveal Amazon for what it is. I will only order items totally unavailable in my town.

Each to their own. I'm a spongy girl myself. Thanks for your review. " Fluval's trippin 😂, even the cat thinks so.😂😂😂

Don't get me started with scamazon delivery drivers. I have one on camera throwing my new api master test kit about 5 feet to my door! Scamazon claims it is a 'non-returnable item'. API stepped up for replacement in the end. Same thing with 3, 200w, jager heaters. Im sticking to lfs, Cory, and you guys from now on. Lesson learned. Started up an angel tank recently due to hierarchy issues, and you should see my name on a plant order soon.

I've bought two FX-6's, both used second hand off of craigslist and marketplace. Both were only used for about a year before being put up for sale. New fish keeper's that got frustrated and gave up. And these are the best IMO besides a sump setup. Great video bubba.

Still loving my Sicce space echo on my 75. Half the price and works great!

The Fx6 is so much better than my Penn Plax Cascade filters. The Fx6 is 2-3 times more expensive, but one Fx6 can realistically replace 2 Penn Plax Cascade filters. Running power to one canister got to be cheaper than running two.

I have a Fx4 in my office. I only hear the air pump for the air stone.

❤ my fx4. Purchased when I had large "dirty" fish in a 65 gal. Moved, now have guppies and tetras and wouldn't give it up for the world. I have installed the spray bar.

hey man, been watching loads of your videos lately. is there any chance you can make a video on a community setup. like a good handfull of fish that fill out an average size tank (50-100 gallon) which covers bottom feeders, mid area and top feeders. maybe a couple for each section to add diversity to the look without over crowding a certain section of the tank

How often do you change the bio media? Some companies are recommending every 2-3 month because it gets clogged. I've had mine in since new about 5 years.

FX6 on my 125 gallon, which is all african cichlids, soo lots of poop there, but always does amazing and makes its easy to keep up with maintenance. Also please carry the penguin series!! Also I drove and hour and half to get our FX6, at the time no stores near me had one

I must have been very unlucky then. I have a Fx6 for 3 years now, and it is the most unreliable, frustrating filter i have ever had. The capacity is simply great! And once it is running, it runs great. But when it's cleaning time, it's the most frustrating filter ever, in my opinion. If i don't clean the rotor every time I clean the filter, it simply won't start up. And even when i do clean the rotor, it's no guarantee it starts up. Then i need to open it up again and again, and I'm just hoping it will work. 😢 Maybe i am unlucky and have a bad one. But i much rather have 2 eheim's or jbl crystal profi's Much simpler, and they always run. I have a 10 year old jbl and never cleaned the rotor. Still work's beautiful! Are these brands known in the US? I am from the Netherlands, and they are the most sold filters here, i think. Both are German made, and in my eyes, simply the best! 💪

Great, straight forward, informative video. Is this Fx series stronger/more powerful than the Fluval 407? Hello kitties❤❤Carl your the best!

10:30- never seen a cat allergic to humans!

I need a mini one about the size a can of coke for my 5 gallon cubes

I would have thought you would have UPS's for your tanks life support systems?

Looks awesome I’ve never had a chance to use them cause my tanks arnt that big but this smaller one looks perfect

What fx do you recommend for a 55g?

Gotta love the cat sneezes

Well if you John and Carl are in agreement on where to buy it well I'm in. Great video..have a great week..😁😸

I only run an FX6 and and FX4, but I really like them, especially since I converted to all-Poret foam media, and swapped flexible PVC tubing for the original ribbed stuff.

I wish we had a local fish store.

Thank you for making these videos. We are a couple of months into the beginning of our adventure. We have a 75 gallon, and just picked up our 125. This was very helpful.

I love the FX series. I have 7 running in my fish room and they are bullet proof.

I have a Marineland 220 canister and I'm not sure on it's exact age as I got it for free from a friend that got it for free from someone else lol. However it doesn't seem to run as strong as the day I hooked it up. I haven't changed the media I'm using and I just cleaned it so nothing is blocking any flow. Any ideas why or what I can try ?? Im thinking i could remove 1 of the sponges in the bottom of 4 trays in case it's just to much sponge for the filter size.. anyways thanks for any input..

Congrats on the new truck John 🤙edit: Arowana stock pond..?

I bought my AquaTop 400 canister filter from a local independent fish store. I buy what I can locally.

Hey jon, i own 5 of these fx filters they really are the best filters out there.

Kitty sleeping on box ❤

😂😂😂 Ohh Carl...! Wish my lfs would carry a bit more of the stuff that I need but that's on me moving to a remote place. ^^' Still there every week though..wife has to drag me out by the ear, almost...love the place and good times!The Amazon thing is quite squetchy in my opinion, it is hard to think that a seller would sell a product and purposely lose money on it..there has to be something that we miss..350-400$$ Fx6 is something I see quite often.

As a business owner that deals with this daily, I couldn't agree more! That being said I don't have a local store to buy from that carries these but I found two used ones online and went that route. keep up the good work!

Thanks for the Sunday morning lesson in business mathematics - I'm not being sarcastic but the way you presented it was helpful, especially for those of us who are not in the business. BUT and I mean BUT - your "buy it from a local LFS" is valid and I believe in fully supporting local merchants. However, believe it or not, there is a large (?) segment of the hobbyist population that do not live in an area with a LFS - that's right, all we have are the two big box stores - see where this is going? Our choices are limited - do we vote with our dollars to support an Amazon supplier or do we support the big box stores? I have my thoughts, but would be interested in hearing from others. LFS-less in Rapid City, South Dakota (sorry for the bad take on Sleepless in Seattle.)

Good tangent at the end😂

Love your video I have had the FX 5 canister filter great filter but just one thing I have owned many different kind of canisters and it is true that you do have to prime some before you get them started but if the electricity goes out all my canister start right back up once the electricity turns back no matter what kind I had sun sun ,Ehiem Classic ,Sicce canister . As long as the water is still in both of the hoses in just about all cases with a canister filter once the electricity shuts off they will restart back once the electricity turns back on great video though

No John, we don’t think Karl is so cute, we KNOW! Look at him!

I wait for Petsmart to have their holiday sales. Got 2 fx6 at different times and saved a bunch of money.

I do my best to support my LFS but its so freaking hard to get service there. The staff are all related to the owner somehow and don't like to work, they hide in the back or in a corner on their phone. i've had to go wondering into the 'employee only' area more than once after loitering in the store for like a hour waiting for help. you could literally rob that store blind if you wanted to, just go on a sunday, its kids on their phones day.

FX6 and FX4 on my 75gal overstocked Mbuna African Cichlid tank . Overkill ???? yes !!!! But my fishy are loving it. I agree bought both at a local store.

Another option if you just want one but don't have to have it right now. Black Fridays at petsmart are sometimes as much as 50%.

John, many thanx for this review, very helpful and straight forward info. Do you have any experience of the new Fluval 407 in comparison to the fx-series?❤

Much better than the sicce whale. had that one for a year. I think its the worst filter I've ever had. I'll stick with fluval for my larger tanks

What would you recommend for a 20 gallon high? My Aquaclear just took a dump and I want to replace it with a canister filter.

You should definitely dig out a mahoosive heavily planted with indigenous plants pond. It's not like you don't have the land for it! Get your kids and their spouse to do it for you so you don't injure your back

i have a really small turtle in a 55 gallon tank. would this filter be good?

How does the fx series compare to ADA Super Jet cannisters and Oase cannisters for noise level?

How about Eheim Professionel serries?

I personally would suggest you leave the emperor on there with it for redundancy perposes, but thats just me. Im paranoid. Think Im kidding? My 210 has 3 canisters, 3 HOBs and a large sponge 😂

I couldn't agree more. Fxs are one of the best filters our there but beyond the reach of many and a good number of the popular aquarium hobby KZfaq channels out there all use fxs because they have been sent some free by fluval to trial & give a review and given that it is actually a good filter in terms of both quality & performance almost all the reviews are going to be good. However, it is still beyond the reach of the vast majority including myself so unfortunately I can't get one.

Instead of the BIO FX fill it with seachem matrix.

I would agree. FX4 is fantasgic on my 75, little bit of filter floss and a pre course sponge and it actually is oerfect for a hwavy planted tank. Question sir, how far back can you dial the output WITHOUT damaging or wearing out the motor?

Not a fluval fan. Have every shape, size, and form with a 4000g fish room. All covered in dust, in a corner. They're just not for us I guess.

Then there me who is still running an old Fluval G6 to this day lol

So i have a 20gl tank that me and little man keep fish in that we catch (blue gill, bass, crappie, etc). Currently have a top fin hob filter that does a good job. Would a canister filter be better? And if so, what size?

If my 1 lfs sold anything I needed at a reasonable price, I'd sure do it. But they don't and I absolutely hate petsmart and only slightly less petco. I have very few places left to buy anything I need. It's kinda like buying groceries at Walmart. If I could afford to go elsewhere I sure would. I'm not flat broke and I can afford my hobby, but I've got to save where I can.

👍🏻👍🏻

My local lfs is a total ripoff , I’d buy this on the moon before going there. Amazon included. But yes I get it, thanks John🙂👍🏻

I only have nano tanks so no canister for me, I’m here for the cat 🐈🐈‍⬛ content 😂💕🤎

I am in the process of getting 3 FX4’s have been researching them for a while! Found a way too get them at a pretty good price. It’s not where you’d expect either!🤔

Im jealous of your Oscar tank .Great unbiased video .

I bought my FX6 from my local Pet store and it was 350.00

A SerpaDesign/KGTropicals pond build collaboration would be very cool. Just saying. 😁

Tax return 😂 this year your funny. Love my fix 6. Had it for three years now no problems. 😂😂😂 tax return 😂😂😂

I'm still not clear why you would get this and not the FX4 which only costs 10-20 dollars more and has adjustable flow built in. If I need something smaller, the 407 is a hundred dollars less than this filter. I'm just not clear what the market for this is. Oh well, not my problem. I'm sure they work great.

Buy me a couple of them fx2s and ship them to me directly. Im good for it 😉😆

Cat on the box ❤️

Wait until you get to try the aquael hypermax 4500

your cats are adorable I want THEM!!!!

Not a fan personally..sticking with sponge fillers . One flood was enough for me..😊

Thanks for being honest!