Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought an FX5 in 2011. Seven years later it is still running like brand-new. I bought an FX6 in 2013. Five years later . . . .like brand new. I've been keeping fish for more than 25 years. During that time I've used many different types of canister and HOB filters. My main recollection with previous canisters was the rage and frustration of priming them, fitting finicky rubber gaskets, dozens of fussy parts. . . After those experiences, the FX5/6 were such a joy. They're simple to assemble, and they prime immediately. Nothing is perfect, so here are pros and cons to help the prospective buyer: PROS: 1. Huge capacity. Imagine a 4-gallon bucket filled with media, with a powerful motor in the lid. 2. Moves a lot of water, and keeps the tank sparkling. 3. Starts instantly and runs like a dream. 4. Reliable - I've been running an FX5 continuously for 7 years; and an FX6 for 5 years. I've never once had any repair issues or problems of any kind. The only maintenance I do is clean or change the media as needed. CONS (and these would probably be better described as "things to consider before getting one"). 1. Powerful enough to suck up fish. In my 120g, I previously had jewel cichlids. They spawned, and whenever I would clean the filter I would find babies inside. Again, this is not a defect, this is just a cautionary note to be smarter than I was about where you use the filter. I currently have guppies in the 120g. They have hundreds of babies. Again, on any given day I'll find a dozen babies in the filter. (FWIW, you can adjust the flow, although I'd suggest that if you need reduced throughput, you might just get a smaller and cheaper filter). 2. It's heavy and awkward. Hey, it's a 4-gallon-ish bucket filled with water and filter media. It's heavy. As another reviewer noted, I have to heave it out of the cabinet and haul it outside to maintain it. 3. You may need to tinker with the selection and placement of filter media. A Google search will yield multiple hits from people who have suggestions and opinions on the topic. I may still be doing it wrong. From bottom to top I have a water polishing pad, two foam pads, and ceramic tubes. For some reason, the polishing pad gets saturated first, and ends up being the reason for reduced flow, while the others are only somewhat dirty. My tank is moderately planted, and I can go through perhaps 4-5 weeks between filter cleanings/media changes. 4. You'll want a towel when disconnecting the filter from the hoses for cleaning. I have not found a way to keep about half a cup of water from escaping whenever I disconnect. 5. It may take some elbow crease to depress the "buttons" (wrong term) to release the hose from the filter body. You have to depress them and lift the hose off, and sometimes it requires some effort. 6. Expensive. It just is. That's a lot of money to drop on a filter. But I think it's well spent. I imagine you're paying for a powerful and well-built motor. No other piece of aquarium equipment (excluding the tank, of course) has lasted me 7 years - let alone in like-new condition. I feel that I easily have another 7-plus years out of it. Bottom line? I see no need to look for alternative filters for large tanks. I just bought a 300g aquarium, and when it arrives I will be furnishing it with another FX5 or FX6.