I don't have that filter, but I would love to! The amount of media that it holds and the fact that you could fit different pumps depending on what you are doing is great.
Bentley once you add water to that monster that thing is going to give you a great workout when have to move it. Looking forward to seeing you put it through it's paces.
Well if I ever feel the need to retire my old FX5(yes 5) I would really consider this filter. The FX is oversized for my needs on a 100 gallon planted tank.
It seems like that filter has capacity to handle more than 120 gallons, especially with a decent pump. As far as draining the filter, I'm thinking a pvc T fitting, with an additional quick disconnect, at the bottom inlet should work well.
The Size is great and the only thing to go bad is the pump the only thing I would like to see if someone would make a big canister that would draw water though the top and pull it out from the bottom like they have in the little canisters that would make that big boy easyer to clean.
One hidden value for the Fzone is if and when the motor burns out, it is possible just to replace the motor and keep the canister the way it is. Other canisters would need to replace the entire unit when the motor burns out.
With so much media that could be packed in there, I feel that the Fzone could be the central filter for a multi-tank rack set up. Maybe 1 Fzone could filter an entire rack of 4 40gallon tanks?
The only question might be if it has enough flow to do what you want to do on that mini 40 gallon breeders. Realistically to me the tops I want to put the song something like at 75 gallon but I guess it depends on like how you're setting everything up.
Filter is fine. Pump looks a bit concerning. Latches seem like they'd bend the steel tabs. I just wish it had a better way to access foams with a booster filter type of thing.
I have basically built the exact filter design for my pond using a trash barrel. Is it top down or bottom up flow? Top down would make cleaning the course sponge way easier, plus you wouldn't compress the sponge.
The only concern I really have is pump longevity. I have an Fzone CO2 generator that works great, so I'm confident the stainless steel build is fine, which means that other than replacing the O-Ring once in awhile, the case lasts forever. The capacity is excellent and the pump is very strong and adjustable to my understanding. Other than quality control going down, my only concern is how long does that pump last? I don't need to be replacing it every few years. I have a few canisters I've never even replaced the impeller on that are still going strong well over a decade later, so that's my standard for this one.
I can't say how long it will last but I can guarantee it's stronger and better than the GLA version at half the price. Fzone actually used the same pump gla still has and they quickly switched due to complaints. I've woken up many times already in 1 yr to error code on pump. Best to go with the fzone stainless
After having watched this video from start to finish I have questions, once loaded with media and filled with water what does that Fancy Boy weigh, and also I'm going to use this on my display tank which is located in my living room that is adorned with top of the line Berber carpet, and now it's time to clean the Fancy Boy, where is the carrying handle so that I can get this to the stationary tub
Depending on the media you were to use with depend on how much it weighs with water and all the media, you're probably looking at something around like 20 lbs. There is no handle on this so you do need to lift the canister and carry it by the bottom. If you use the quick connects correctly, you can minimize the amount of tubing that is near the canister itself and that will let you lock off the water, minimize any spills so that you basically just need a small towel or maybe put it inside of a bucket and you'll be fine. In the case of something where you're dealing with really high quality carpet, you might want to look at something slightly different if you're intending to hide the canister filter. If you want the canister filter on display because you like the aesthetic look of the canister itself, then you could look at something like one of the small rolling carts that are used to hold computers up off the carpet. This would lift the canister for you and make it a lot easier to move just because you have something to grab onto that can roll around and is designed to sit underneath things.
well you can't go wrong with stainless steel. but not for the budget build. or even a 75 gal. now if i was spending $3000 on an aquarium build this would be a good fit. i know you do long term testing so it may be a while before we see what you think. so i will be looking for that review. stay well
@@BentleyPascoe I figured that I wanted to use it on a pond but pond is on the ground so it would have sit beside it I git fluval fx6 on the pond right now and it's working great but I wanted more filteration and saw this and thought it was neat but I figured it had to be below the tank cause eheim classics are the same way to extent but fluval fx6 is pumping good sitting right beside it but I also got the hose shorter but it's flowing very strong and doing a good job I just wanted more filteration , the pond has turtles in it and you know turtles are messy lol but if you have any other suggestions I greatly appreciate it the pond is 200 gallons I thought maybe another fx6 but kinda wanted a different filter I actually have heard great things about aquael ? I know they just brought out the aquael hypermaxx 4500 1180 gph of course with media in it it definitely is slower then that but I've heard good things about aquael 2000 as well I would have went with like a bead filter or sand filter or diy filter but this pond is near our room and I just wanted something that was quiet and fx6 is very quiet so far
Looks cool. I can see the potential! For people who love canisters, and especially the Eheim, this is like a big step up. I will say: that mesh bag will fray from scraping it against the lip there while taking it out for maintenance and it will fall apart sooner than it should. And I’m wondering if those foam circles would do just as well if there were twice as many of them, but half as thick? I’m just thinking of the giant block of foam in my AC110 that takes 4 buckets of tank water to squeeze it free of gunky buildup. Be interesting to see how this beast plays over time!
Somebody's been watching Dr. Novak. If I were setting up that filter I'd fill it top to bottom with foam over any ceramics any day. Foam is simply a better media for bacteria growth. Remember you don't want just nitrifying bacteria. These canisters and there's another company that are basically identical are the Rolls-Royce of filters. Until they start to provide all the media necessary to setup and run the filter. I won't buy one. For that money it should have everything you need in the box.
If the majority of a tank’s biological media is on the glass, rocks, wood, plants, gravel etc…do we really need a filter that big? Seems pretty expensive for a Chinese knockoff of an ADA, but it is nice looking.
@@jnightmare2386 That’s an interesting study you cite, I have heard the opposite though. Just anecdotal, but a simple sponge filter has the same biological capacity as a canister it seems, from perusing stocked tanks at the local pet store. And biological media can grow anywhere. The whole tank is a biological filter in that regard isn’t it?
Thank you for your great review. love your videos.😀
Thanks Bentley for testing this massive filter
I don't have that filter, but I would love to! The amount of media that it holds and the fact that you could fit different pumps depending on what you are doing is great.
Love the video. Thank you. Looking forward to your long-term use review. Really is a solid looking product.
Great review. I've got to get my hands on one of these for sure
Interesting looking filter. The latches make me feel like a pinched finger is part of the experience 😂. Thank Bentley!!
It’s a feature, not a flaw!
One nice thing is cleaning the filter once a year, Also you can install oil-dry at the top of the filter. Good video, Thanks
That is a very sexy filter. If it works well it will be a bargain compared to the ADA filter.
Bentley once you add water to that monster that thing is going to give you a great workout when have to move it. Looking forward to seeing you put it through it's paces.
Well if I ever feel the need to retire my old FX5(yes 5) I would really consider this filter. The FX is oversized for my needs on a 100 gallon planted tank.
It seems like that filter has capacity to handle more than 120 gallons, especially with a decent pump. As far as draining the filter, I'm thinking a pvc T fitting, with an additional quick disconnect, at the bottom inlet should work well.
ONE more thing waiting for the DUAL INLET model, for my new tank
Yea, I would have liked to try the dual inlet
3:42 pretty sure it was Dr Novak that mentioned using pond filters in the F-zone when he did his vids.
Thanks! Like I said, I watched a bunch of videos on the previous version and could not remember where I had seen the suggestion.
The Size is great and the only thing to go bad is the pump the only thing I would like to see if someone would make a big canister that would draw water though the top and pull it out from the bottom like they have in the little canisters that would make that big boy easyer to clean.
One hidden value for the Fzone is if and when the motor burns out, it is possible just to replace the motor and keep the canister the way it is. Other canisters would need to replace the entire unit when the motor burns out.
You could use the canister as a chicken fryer.
I don't see the link for the foam? Thanks
When are we going to see it running?.
With so much media that could be packed in there, I feel that the Fzone could be the central filter for a multi-tank rack set up. Maybe 1 Fzone could filter an entire rack of 4 40gallon tanks?
The only question might be if it has enough flow to do what you want to do on that mini 40 gallon breeders. Realistically to me the tops I want to put the song something like at 75 gallon but I guess it depends on like how you're setting everything up.
Filter is fine. Pump looks a bit concerning. Latches seem like they'd bend the steel tabs.
I just wish it had a better way to access foams with a booster filter type of thing.
where did you buy the foam for Fzone Astra-stream? I wanna fill my canister with foam only and would prefer it precut.
They're currently unavailable on Amazon, but that is where I got them. There look to be some knock off versions, just find similar measurements
I have basically built the exact filter design for my pond using a trash barrel. Is it top down or bottom up flow? Top down would make cleaning the course sponge way easier, plus you wouldn't compress the sponge.
Bottom up, just like Eheim's classic design
Honestly I would go full foam, but I am still very curious about the noise levels
Why on earth would you buy an expensive canister and put only foam in it?
The only concern I really have is pump longevity. I have an Fzone CO2 generator that works great, so I'm confident the stainless steel build is fine, which means that other than replacing the O-Ring once in awhile, the case lasts forever. The capacity is excellent and the pump is very strong and adjustable to my understanding. Other than quality control going down, my only concern is how long does that pump last? I don't need to be replacing it every few years. I have a few canisters I've never even replaced the impeller on that are still going strong well over a decade later, so that's my standard for this one.
I can't say how long it will last but I can guarantee it's stronger and better than the GLA version at half the price. Fzone actually used the same pump gla still has and they quickly switched due to complaints. I've woken up many times already in 1 yr to error code on pump. Best to go with the fzone stainless
👍🏻👍🏻
Where did you get it. Not available on Amazon
I got mine on Amazon
After having watched this video from start to finish I have questions, once loaded with media and filled with water what does that Fancy Boy weigh, and also I'm going to use this on my display tank which is located in my living room that is adorned with top of the line Berber carpet, and now it's time to clean the Fancy Boy, where is the carrying handle so that I can get this to the stationary tub
Depending on the media you were to use with depend on how much it weighs with water and all the media, you're probably looking at something around like 20 lbs. There is no handle on this so you do need to lift the canister and carry it by the bottom. If you use the quick connects correctly, you can minimize the amount of tubing that is near the canister itself and that will let you lock off the water, minimize any spills so that you basically just need a small towel or maybe put it inside of a bucket and you'll be fine. In the case of something where you're dealing with really high quality carpet, you might want to look at something slightly different if you're intending to hide the canister filter. If you want the canister filter on display because you like the aesthetic look of the canister itself, then you could look at something like one of the small rolling carts that are used to hold computers up off the carpet. This would lift the canister for you and make it a lot easier to move just because you have something to grab onto that can roll around and is designed to sit underneath things.
well you can't go wrong with stainless steel. but not for the budget build. or even a 75 gal. now if i was spending $3000 on an aquarium build this would be a good fit. i know you do long term testing so it may be a while before we see what you think. so i will be looking for that review. stay well
Hi Bentley, does filter have to be below the tank ? Or can be used beside the tank I was told it had to be below the tank ?
But the company didn't tell me that somebody else did
It does need gravity to help siphon, so you want it below the tank
@@BentleyPascoe I figured that I wanted to use it on a pond but pond is on the ground so it would have sit beside it I git fluval fx6 on the pond right now and it's working great but I wanted more filteration and saw this and thought it was neat but I figured it had to be below the tank cause eheim classics are the same way to extent but fluval fx6 is pumping good sitting right beside it but I also got the hose shorter but it's flowing very strong and doing a good job I just wanted more filteration , the pond has turtles in it and you know turtles are messy lol but if you have any other suggestions I greatly appreciate it the pond is 200 gallons I thought maybe another fx6 but kinda wanted a different filter I actually have heard great things about aquael ? I know they just brought out the aquael hypermaxx 4500 1180 gph of course with media in it it definitely is slower then that but I've heard good things about aquael 2000 as well I would have went with like a bead filter or sand filter or diy filter but this pond is near our room and I just wanted something that was quiet and fx6 is very quiet so far
nice classic eheim lol
This is my limited edition. The stainless steel Eheim 🤣
Should the foam be on the top or not
Bottom. Water flows bottom to top in this canister, just like Eheims.
Who makes the foams?
Pond boss
Looks cool. I can see the potential! For people who love canisters, and especially the Eheim, this is like a big step up.
I will say: that mesh bag will fray from scraping it against the lip there while taking it out for maintenance and it will fall apart sooner than it should. And I’m wondering if those foam circles would do just as well if there were twice as many of them, but half as thick? I’m just thinking of the giant block of foam in my AC110 that takes 4 buckets of tank water to squeeze it free of gunky buildup.
Be interesting to see how this beast plays over time!
Somebody's been watching Dr. Novak. If I were setting up that filter I'd fill it top to bottom with foam over any ceramics any day. Foam is simply a better media for bacteria growth. Remember you don't want just nitrifying bacteria. These canisters and there's another company that are basically identical are the Rolls-Royce of filters. Until they start to provide all the media necessary to setup and run the filter. I won't buy one. For that money it should have everything you need in the box.
I watched a number of videos on this particular filter (and it's previous version) before deciding to test it.
If the majority of a tank’s biological media is on the glass, rocks, wood, plants, gravel etc…do we really need a filter that big? Seems pretty expensive for a Chinese knockoff of an ADA, but it is nice looking.
most of biologtical is in your filter 90 percent from studys ive seen
@@jnightmare2386 That’s an interesting study you cite, I have heard the opposite though. Just anecdotal, but a simple sponge filter has the same biological capacity as a canister it seems, from perusing stocked tanks at the local pet store. And biological media can grow anywhere. The whole tank is a biological filter in that regard isn’t it?