Review on Fluval Canister Filter FX6 400 by Tomeka Parker

I have been keeping cichlids for 15 years now, I like Malawi Mbuna because they are colorful and easy to care for but they produce lots of detritus and are also very high yielders (started with 5 on this 75 gallon tank). This is my third Fluval filter. 406 bit the dust. It needed weekly cleaning, was noisy, and became unreliable. Don't believe everything you read about the FX4, there won't be six months between cleanings unless you have neon tetras. With 3 water changes, 4-5 weeks pass. It has really strong water movement, mine even sucks air off the surface to supplement the air pumps. I have a pond sized UV sterilizer plugged into the outlet. Luckily the OXYFUL has 18w adapters that fit the FX4 hose (you must use clamps). I really like the drain pipe on the FX4. If your rig is like mine it will sit on the bottom and not drip down due to gravity. TIP: I turn off the FX4, close and disconnect the inlet and outlet hoses. Then I remove the top of the canister. Coincidentally, the python hose fits perfectly into the FX4's drain hole. The python removes all the water from the filter. I can then take the FX4 to the sink, clean and replace the bedding and put it back under the tank, fill up the python and get the FX4 up and running again. After several weeks of trying I have come to the conclusion that this is the best way and clearly better than cleaning the old 406. Note that as the filter gets dirty, the flow rate from the filter decreases sharply. I think if it's clean it will hit the wall on the other side of the room. I would buy the FX6 for an extra $50 but it wouldn't fit me. This filter has been my best experience so far and does a great job of keeping the water clean when using pads other than Fluval. Enjoy the hobby!