Fluval Flex : 5 Years Later - Should You Buy One ?

[@DanielKeepingFish]

Cut some course sponge and stick it in the grill covers mate. Problem solved.

[@ScoobzNPetz]

Oh yeah I didn’t think of that! Thank you for the tip bro !!

[@allanahpaulson7730]

Once a month, during a water change, take the sponge/carbon/biomax out and rinse it in the old tank water. You won't lose any beneficial bacteria, but you'll get rid of the larger gunk clogging up the sponge. Also be careful about putting netting over the intake, since larger debris will also get trapped there and stop water flow from the start. Your algae issue is also caused by the sheer amount of fish that you have in the tank. There's more food and fish waste in the tank that your plants can't absorb completely so algae sprouts up instead to use all the extra nutrients, compounded by a strong light. A lot of the problems you mentioned are really just from overstocking the tank. I'm assuming you have the 9 gallon flex? And I've counted at least 15 fish (can definitely tell there's more), not all of which are suitable nano fish for this size tank. I would reconsider your stocking choices and I promise it'll fix all of your problems. Just wanted to try and help out, as someone who has worked in the pet industry for five years and kept fish exclusively in Fluval tanks for three years.

[@ScoobzNPetz]

Thank you for the advice! It’s the 15 gal and the permanent residents of the tank are 5 Cardinal tetras, 5 mosquito Rasbora, 2 kuhli loaches, cherry shrimp and 2 corydoras but I sometimes put in fish to let them grow out a bit before putting them in the bigger aquariums so I’m guessing that’s contributing to the problem. Thanks again for the advice, I’ll try the monthly sponge cleaning

[@staniaroussel7815]

Thanks

[@staniaroussel7815]

@allanahpaulson7730

[@TruthLivesNow]

@@ScoobzNPetz Hi, try the yellow or orange lights. My algae problem was eliminated, and the plants look great.

[@ScoobzNPetz]

@@TruthLivesNow I’ll try that out for sure!

[@davidr.wilson8194]

I almost bought this today,intending to make a tropical plant terrarium out of it.What you said about the strong light convinced me,and Ill go back and get it.🌱

[@ScoobzNPetz]

@@davidr.wilson8194 nice!! Good luck and let me know how it goes 😁

[@chrischeltenham]

I have a Fluval Flex and I have no issues at all. The filter intake parts can be fixed by buying so new covers you can get on Etsy which have a much small gap so animals can't get into the back. I also haven't had any issues with algae as I have Nerite snails and they do a perfect job of removing any algae before I even notice it and I also have 4 otocinclus for good measure. I decided to add some black tape to the top of the front rim to reduce the light reflection which made the tank look much smarter as it hides the water line very well now.

[@ScoobzNPetz]

@@chrischeltenham Thanks for the tips! I’ll look into the custom covers and that’s a good idea with the tape! I might try that out too 😁

[@NordicMoor]

Nice advices, thank you for that!

[@ScoobzNPetz]

No worries, I’m glad my video was helpful 😁

[@pyropagerik]

As soon as you lifted your lid I could see your problem, stag water, no eheim surface skimmer behind over flow to make it a true over flow and no bubble stone to mix return chamber surface. Me and my brother have owned one each, mine was a marine nano his was a Discus tank. Only gripe was his front glass cracked and drained, lucky he was there when it happened and it appears to be a rare case. We had no problems with our lights but everyone else has issues with remote working etc.

[@ScoobzNPetz]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge! I'm planning to take the flex down soon but otherwise I definitely would've tried the bubble stone and surface skimmer. And wow I didn't realise you could use the flex for marine! did you modify it?

[@champion_i_r]

The #2 problems I have/had with my flex, is top it off every few days because of the reservoir chamber in the back, and the light on the kid stopped working less than 4mo. And oh yeah the snail invasion is crazzzzyyyyyyyy 🙄

[@ScoobzNPetz]

Ahh yeah forgot to mention the constant topping up lol and yeah snails are a nightmare in the flex

[@andrescott2794]

I just started to look at your KZbin video and I like to get that tank

[@ScoobzNPetz]

@@andrescott2794 You should, it’s a great tank in overall!

[@billythomson8668]

I have the same tank and i clean the sponge every 2 weeks in the tank water i remove during water change and never had a problem with nitrate spiking. But i find if i leave it for a month it clogs up and the pump cant suck water through the chambers.

[@ScoobzNPetz]

@@billythomson8668 I was thinking about cleaning the sponge more regularly but I was worried about removing too many beneficial bacteria. I’m guessing you didn’t have any problems in that area?

[@TruthLivesNow]

Great video, just a couple of comments. There are two huge fish companies, Spectrum Brands that owns Tetra, and high-end brand Marineland, and Hagen that owns the high-end Fluval. I have used the Marineland 5 gallon Portrait extensively in the past, and I moved into my new home in December and have a Marineland 5 gallon Portrait and a Fluval 9 working. I have found in the Fluval 9 that for me the full white light produces too much algae, so I am using yellow or orange, yet recently I discovered one can reduce the white light by pressing the white light - button, and that would be a good 3rd option. My plants are just doing unbelievably super in both the Fluval 9 and Portrait. The Fluval is gravel, and the Portrait is sand and gravel mixture. Both the Marineland Portrait and the Fluval 9 and 15, (have the 15, haven't set it up yet), have a similar design of the back tank area, which is a pretty good idea. Another advantage that you didn't mention that one does not see the water line due to the net-type area on the top of the glass and you have it over that. The problem with smaller fish getting sucked up in the back tank, well, that is even worse on the Portrait! I have a heater in both the Portrait and Fluval in the back tank area, and that is great for hiding one. In the past I have had a lot of fish in tanks and have increased the GPH by adding more filters, and now I am keeping a lower number of fish. One does not need to clean either fish, the filtration on both is great! I have only 5 Black Skirt Tetras w a nice Siamese Fighting Fish in the Fluval, and 2 Neons, 2 Cardinals, 2 Flames, and 2 Cory in the Portrait. Fish are just doing fantastic with all the plants and the filtration in both tanks. I think the Storm setting to give your fish epilepsy....LOL!....is the strangest and worse thing about the Fluval for me. If you want to get a smaller tank, I think the Fluval is slightly better than the Portrait, both are Glass!

[@ScoobzNPetz]

Thank you for sharing your experience in such detail! Really interesting read! Yes I completely forgot to mention the waterline part, that really does make a difference and yes I’ve also never had problems with growing plants in the flex. Upon further reflection I may have been a bit harsh in my review 😅

[@ooahupthera8601]

do you have your fluval flex light on to the max or is the intensity lowered?

[@ScoobzNPetz]

I have it on max and on a timer, on for around 7 hours a day

[@george-ng5gj]

What did you use for the backdrop?

[@ScoobzNPetz]

@@george-ng5gj nothing at all, it’s just algae growing naturally

[@maxibalkan1578]

what do you think about the curve glass is it warping the view i have a good deal for the marine 123 liters flex but this curve class looks to me bit annoying. what do you think?

[@ScoobzNPetz]

It annoyed me at the start too but you kind of get used to it pretty quickly. I can imagine it being a bit more frustrating on the 123 considering its size. In general I prefer the classic straight glass, its easier to clean and as you mentioned it doesn't warp the view but the curved glass does give the aquarium a unique look

[@maxibalkan1578]

@@ScoobzNPetz sure dude me too

[@ProducedbyPDot]

i got a few tanks in my recording studio (no windows) rarely any algae at allll , but my living room tank does

[@ScoobzNPetz]

Oh nice, they must look cool in the studio. How big are the tanks?

[@williamk3796]

Since 2018, I ONLY problem I have with Flex 15 is the strong ass pump.

[@ScoobzNPetz]

😂😂

[@peridot-20]

Scoobz like you say lovely designed tank, saw them when I've been out but you showing the back up close what I don't like is that water standing still in the filter area it looks like stale water & that could be a good course towards the algae. Are congo tetra fine with Hillstream loach, as I want to get 6 main centre fish soon but saw a video of their gleaming teeth close up 😳 & I'm a bit concerned about my hillstream. Your weight loss suits you 👍

[@ScoobzNPetz]

Yeah the water at the back looks horrible and the Congo tetras didn’t seem to go after my hillstream loaches but at the same time there are a lot of hiding spots in my tank. And yeah the teeth do look a bit scary 😅 and thank you! Didn’t think anyone would notice 😂

[@peridot-20]

@@ScoobzNPetz Scoobz that stale water hiding in the filtration section shouldn't be like that, if your water ever smells or goes slightly cloudy or fish get bacteria problems then that's your culprit. Yes you have good hiding places & since asking you, I have just a breeding pair of Angels left & they're calm & it's like all my Cory's the lot have gone back to normal so I'm leaving well alone 😂

[@GeneralSzadek]

in my whole life I scraped the glass twice. Then I optimized the fish and co. Since then I expanded to 7 tanks and have no algaes on the glass anymore. Ist just all about ecosystem balance

[@ScoobzNPetz]

Oh wow that’s cool, hopefully I can achieve that balance too one day. Have you got any tips?

[@tylerschoen5643]

Can you give advice what to research to achieve this

[@ClintLemmetjies-y4u]

Hi ,what soil did you use.If possible can you provide me with a link..All my plants die..I have a same tank.what do I need in compartment..where is your heater? I am new to all of this..

[@ScoobzNPetz]

@@ClintLemmetjies-y4u hey, I used plant substrate that I got from “pets at home”. But I currently use fluval stratum, works great for plants! I’d say also dose some nutrients into your tank every now and then

[@ScoobzNPetz]

@@ClintLemmetjies-y4u oh and I put the heater in the left compartment

[@ClintLemmetjies-y4u]

@@ScoobzNPetz thank you ,I appreciate your time.I noticed you had a few fish in your flex 57ltr ..guppies, betta as well.I was told the bette wont do well with guppies,rummies and tetra..your tank looks peaceful. How much fish do you recommend in flex ...i like your setup

[@ClintLemmetjies-y4u]

Are you using the filter pump that came with the tank?

[@JavierGarcia-jm5bp]

What’s the texture on the back wall? Looks neat.

[@ScoobzNPetz]

@@JavierGarcia-jm5bp Thanks! I’ve let the algae grow on the back wall for the shrimps, never took any off. 5 years later it looks like that 😅

[@lenperf2495]

​@@ScoobzNPetz😂❤

[@_storm4963]

Always wanted to buy a fluval flex, but I could probably buy like 5 normal tanks instead XD. Great video tho

[@ScoobzNPetz]

Honestly the flex is still great but yeah there are other better tanks you can go for lool and thank you!

[@angelobenacka8175]

I actually just bought the white one yesterday only $125 so not really to expensive…. Unless ur buying 5 petco tanks.🤣🤷‍♂️

[@_storm4963]

@@angelobenacka8175 oh damn. But the thing is that in my country fluvals have to be imported so they end up being extremely expensive. However normal tanks are sold in hardware stores for like 9 dollars a pop for a 60p tank

[@angelobenacka8175]

@@_storm4963 ahh I see thought you were in the us

[@_storm4963]

@@angelobenacka8175 nah, on the other part of the world

[@traceymason1186]

Can you put a background on?

[@ScoobzNPetz]

You can put on a 3D background that goes inside the tank while setting up but it would decrease the available space even more. In regards of the picture background that goes behind the glass, you can't unfortunately as the filter compartment blocks it

[@angelobenacka8175]

I actually just bought the white 9 gallon flex yesterday planning on setting it up as a freshwater nano tank with live pants any advice?

[@ScoobzNPetz]

Nice! Good luck, and in regards of advice my biggest one would be clean your plants before adding them in to avoid pest snails. Pest snails are a nightmare in the Fluval flex due to the filter compartment.

[@BackyardAquatics-o2m]

to get rid of every snail just add some aquarium salt to your tank

[@ScoobzNPetz]

@@BackyardAquatics-o2m oh cool! I didn’t know you could do that, thank you for letting me know! I’ll just need to check if it’s safe for all the other fish

[@BackyardAquatics-o2m]

@@ScoobzNPetz yeah it's not safe for snails, corydoras, tetras, and maybe a few others.

[@pobster88j94]

Is that the 9 or 15?

[@ScoobzNPetz]

Its the 15

[@booshting3520]

Failure to maintain the filter area is the issue here

[@ScoobzNPetz]

Hey, thanks for pointing out the issue! Could you elaborate and tell me how to fix the problem?

[@booshting3520]

@ScoobzNPetz The filter sponge looks clogged. I've got the Flex 57 and the Megaflex, I've never had the water level drop in the pump section on either tank. You can tell yours is not circulating properly by that happening and the film on top of the water in the back. It's almost stagnant. It's not pulling water through the filter system at a high enough rate. I think cleaning out your filter media more often should fix that.

[@ScoobzNPetz]

@@booshting3520 ahh I see! Thank you for sharing your experience, I’ll adjust the maintenance and make an update soon!

[@pnwoutdoors8873]

I gotta be honest, this review really focused on common aquarium problems and not things specific to the flex. Any aquarium with an overflow system will have pest problems, that’s not unique to the flex, cleaning glass isn’t unique, nothing you pointed out as a CON is unique to the flex and is nothing more than common maint issues any aquarium would face

[@ScoobzNPetz]

@@pnwoutdoors8873 Hey, thanks for your honest opinion! Yes you’re correct many of these cons are common aquarium problems but allow me to clarify why I mentioned them specifically for the flex. In regards of the algae, while its a common problem, the reason I mentioned it for the flex is due to the curved glass which makes it more difficult to clean with an algae scraper compared to a straight glass. With the overflow, as far as I’m aware majority of aquariums don’t have that overflow back compartment which is why I mentioned it for the flex. You wouldn’t get these problems if you get something like a fluval Roma, interpet or juwel primo. Having said that I’m planning to do an updated review where I mention that with regular maintenance you shouldn’t have these problems!

[@pnwoutdoors8873]

@ it’s all good homie, I feel bad for coming off critical, didn’t mean too. You’re right tho, overflows in freshwater aren’t nearly as common as saltwater. But they’re becoming more common as folks are trying to simplify the equipment for aquariums altogether. I used to do saltwater a lot, had a channel with 285k subs, but got outta the hobby for a min and shut it down. Started back up with a 150T high tech planted for a min, then got married, got rid of it, you know how it goes… now that we finished building the house, I’m sitting on a 112 starfire from SCA with overflow for high tech fresh planted, but I’m a ways out from starting it up, trying to build a custom stand etc. but I wanted to get “something” going, something small, little planted tank, some shrimps and tetras, nothing crazy, next thing you know I’m into the flex for half a rack 😂, the more I researched the more custom crap I bought lol! For real tho, I wasn’t trying to be negative and felt my comment was not helpful to the community after the fact, which is not what we do of course. But I appreciate your professional open minded response B. Imma sub just for that alone. Keep makin vids my friend, no disrespect intended. Thank you!

[@ScoobzNPetz]

@ No worries at all bro! I don’t mind critical feedback, it allows me to reflect and learn. You didn’t say anything wrong, I should’ve been more clear in my video that they’re not flex specific cons. And oh I didn’t realise the overflows are becoming more common now, thanks for letting me know! And nice!! I’ve always wanted to try out saltwater but it seems so complicated lol. The flex is the aquarium that got me back into the hobby so I know the rabbit hole well 😂 It’s a beautiful hobby. Sounds like you got a fun project ahead of you with the 112, let me know how it goes with your new tank once you set it up! And thank you for your kind words bro, appreciate it! Have a good day

[@vincnt1]

mate i gotta know whats in that vivarium

[@ScoobzNPetz]

My pet Ball Python Coco 😁

[@vincnt1]

@@ScoobzNPetz ive always wanted a ball python but my gf would kill me 😂

[@ScoobzNPetz]

@@vincnt1 😂😂😂

[@toneloke5145]

That gravel needs a bit of a clean there's way to much ammonia in your tank mate, good vid man.

[@ScoobzNPetz]

@@toneloke5145 Thank you for the advice, I appreciate it! I used old and new footage in this video, is there a particular clip that you’re referring to or is the gravel dirty in all clips? And that’s interesting, I didn’t realise there are visuals cues to tell you that you have high ammonia levels? Is there something in particular I should look out for? I’ve heard algae can be an indicator that there are too many nutrients in the water.

[@marcopalazzo9349]

The curved glass is aweful pain to clean. The rear sumps are ok for fresh water tanks but the fluval rear sumps for marine tanks are aweful. Try cleaning sponges full of bristle worms no thanks.

[@ScoobzNPetz]

Oh wow yeah I can imagine the pain 😅 Would love to have a marine tank one day but still need to do a lot of research

[@marcopalazzo9349]

@@ScoobzNPetz my best adice for marine tank is patience and make them easy work.

[@assassin3003]

I use my fluval flex 15 as a reef tank, I cut the sponge in half and fit it in the first chamber and filled the second full of media and replaced the pump to a more powerful one and use the original pump just under the top inlet as a wavemaker 😅😅😂😅

[@TheKir40]

No good build my friend U should upgrade this tank.They are amazing tanks,but u need to spend little time and knowledge to do it.😢

[@ScoobzNPetz]

I’ve bought a new tank and I’m planning to move the fish over there. I’m then planning to convert the flex into a paludarium, hoping that works out

[@max_losic]

What is that fish that looks like a snake?

[@ScoobzNPetz]

@@max_losic what minute did you see it at? It was probably my Kuhli loach

[@crooky43]

Bend the shaft of your scraper

[@ScoobzNPetz]

Can’t really bend anything, it’s all solid