Fluval Flex series anyone?

[AquaAggie]

@KAYLON.NICHOLS and @Beardedbillygoat1975 what do you run your light at for your tanks. I just started mine with some crypts, Java, and anubia

 

how long?

do you  add any of the RGB settings in with the white light?  Thanks

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I run the white and green,  no blue or red, I run it at ~70%. I start at 10 hours and dial up or back from there.  

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Hi all...sooo I got the Fluval Flex on my past days off. I haven't even unboxed it. 

I didn't expect the box, which is HUGE, to be so LIGHTWEIGHT. So in order to convince myself I perused the reviews on Amazon of which there are just about 1.5 thousand. You all know most of it isn't helpful but the truth is very often in the middle somewhere. Now here are my concerns. 

The tank would sit on a very sturdy solid wood desk which in turn should be totally flat and even- I understand with these tanks because they have no frame it's super important to make sure they sit on a level surface or they will warp and seals can start to leak. I read a few nightmare reviews about finding beloved fish in a waterless tank and though I KNOW this can happen with any tank it's probably a lot more possible with a frameless- the rest of my tanks have frames (Aqueon water boxes essentially). Reviews complained about the thinness of the glass- and easy cracking. Anyone have anything to say to this?

The other thing is, this is already a tank that's over 100 bucks- which do NOT get me wrong I have no problems with that in and of itself- I'm willing to and can afford to spend- BUT I'm going to have to do so many mods to this tank which are probably going to cost me about 50 bucks by themselves (because I want the stuff that's made for it, I'm not a fan of duct tape and jimmy rigging when I can avoid it- I like things to look and operate nicely- not saying a good rig is a bad thing).

My brain is starting to think I'm better off just buying a standard sized water box, lid and sponge filter- the only reason I don't really want to is the space is limited and a tank like the Flex or similar have a nice footprint (square not rectangle) but still allow for a decent amount of space. 

Opinions? Thoughts? Other all in one tank recommendations?

@SheWhoConquers @mountaintoppufferkeeper @Beardedbillygoat1975 @Stef @KAYLON.NICHOLS @James Black @BriannesFishFam

Edited July 16, 2021 by xXInkedPhoenixX
Typos are lame

[SheWhoConquers]

On 7/15/2021 at 10:05 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Hi all...sooo I got the Fluval Flex on my past days off. I haven't even unboxed it. 

I didn't expect the box, which is HUGE, to be so LIGHTWEIGHT. So in order to convince myself I perused the reviews on Amazon of which there are just about 1.5 thousand. You all know most of it isn't helpful but the truth is very often in the middle somewhere. Now here are my concerns. 

The tank would sit on a very sturdy solid wood desk which in turn should be totally flat and even- I understand with these tanks because they have no frame it's super important to make sure they sit on a level surface or they will warp and seals can start to leak. I read a few nightmare reviews about finding beloved fish in a waterless tank and though I KNOW this can happen with any tank it's probably a lot more possible with a frameless- the rest of my tanks have frames (Aqueon water boxes essentially). Reviews complained about the thinness of the glass- and easy cracking. Anyone have anything to say to this?

The other thing is, this is already a tank that's over 100 bucks- which do NOT get me wrong I have no problems with that in and of itself- I'm willing to and can afford to spend- BUT I'm going to have to do so many mods to this tank which are probably going to cost me about 50 bucks by themselves (because I want the stuff that's made for it, I'm not a fan of duct tape and jimmy rigging when I can avoid it- I like things to look and operate nicely- not saying a good rig is a bad thing).

My brain is starting to think I'm better off just buying a standard sized water box, lid and sponge filter- the only reason I don't really want to is the space is limited and a tank like the Flex or similar have a nice footprint (square not rectangle) but still allow for a decent amount of space. 

Opinions? Thoughts? Other all in one tank recommendations?

@SheWhoConquers @mountaintoppufferkeeper @Beardedbillygoat1975 @Stef @KAYLON.NICHOLS @James Black @BriannesFishFam

I have my own biases regarding Amazon's business, so I can understand some of those reviews although I did not buy my flex from Amazon. However, based on the build quality of my tank, I am hard pressed to believe that this tank is prone to chipping or cracking more than any other tank. If you saw the Flex up close I think you'd agree, the tank was built pretty solid.

And as far as having to do mods on an expensive tank...yeah it does suck, but that's going to be the case with ANY tank you get because it's impossible to get a one size fits all tank. Even in this one thread everybody modified their tank differently and I believe we all ended up at the same place. A nice tank with happy healthy fish. 

Honestly I feel like the Flex is a luxury item. It's not necessary or required, but for me I needed something that was clean (free of all unsightly equipment), quiet and not cheap looking in my bedroom. And this tank works for me.

[FrozenFins]

I wouldnt be worried about your flex tank breaking. I  have the fluval spec 5 gallon and its very well built. Plus I beleive that Fluval comes with a wararanty.

My fluval spec is on a dresser and I haven't relized any problems. Its flat and even and everythings fine! Good Luck!

Please post pictures when you set it up!

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I have had no build quality issues. I wouldn’t do any mods up front. Use it then decide what you want to do. I’d use some existing media and substrate from another tank to jump start it as per usual. I think for the money it’s a great package from a looks and functional standpoint. You’re right with the money you could do 2 twenty longs but it won’t  really display the way the Flex does. They’d be basic breeders not displays.  My wife tolerated it for 2 years in the kitchen and only had me move it when she was doing a partial kitchen remodel. She says the shrimp setup I made with it in the play rooms her favorite to sit in front of.  

[Stef]

My Flex 9 is humming along. The box is huge but was well packaged with thick styrofoam. The tank and equipment is the right size and well-made. No leaks at all. I still hate the lid and light. I got mine at the local pet store that has nice small fish section so I didn’t have any breakage from shipping. The FedEx guys are rough with the Chewy boxes and many of my dog’s stuff literally gets tossed from the guy’s shoulder to my concrete porch. No tank would survive that. 
 

I also have a Fluval Spec 5 gal which grows plants like crazy and I’m still using the stock light it came with. Hoping the Flex does good for the plants but my preference still leans towards glass lids. 
 

Good luck and have fun with it!

[mountaintoppufferkeeper]

On 7/15/2021 at 8:05 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Hi all...sooo I got the Fluval Flex on my past days off. I haven't even unboxed it. 

I didn't expect the box, which is HUGE, to be so LIGHTWEIGHT. So in order to convince myself I perused the reviews on Amazon of which there are just about 1.5 thousand. You all know most of it isn't helpful but the truth is very often in the middle somewhere. Now here are my concerns. 

The tank would sit on a very sturdy solid wood desk which in turn should be totally flat and even- I understand with these tanks because they have no frame it's super important to make sure they sit on a level surface or they will warp and seals can start to leak. I read a few nightmare reviews about finding beloved fish in a waterless tank and though I KNOW this can happen with any tank it's probably a lot more possible with a frameless- the rest of my tanks have frames (Aqueon water boxes essentially). Reviews complained about the thinness of the glass- and easy cracking. Anyone have anything to say to this?

The other thing is, this is already a tank that's over 100 bucks- which do NOT get me wrong I have no problems with that in and of itself- I'm willing to and can afford to spend- BUT I'm going to have to do so many mods to this tank which are probably going to cost me about 50 bucks by themselves (because I want the stuff that's made for it, I'm not a fan of duct tape and jimmy rigging when I can avoid it- I like things to look and operate nicely- not saying a good rig is a bad thing).

My brain is starting to think I'm better off just buying a standard sized water box, lid and sponge filter- the only reason I don't really want to is the space is limited and a tank like the Flex or similar have a nice footprint (square not rectangle) but still allow for a decent amount of space. 

Opinions? Thoughts? Other all in one tank recommendations?

@SheWhoConquers @mountaintoppufferkeeper @Beardedbillygoat1975 @Stef @KAYLON.NICHOLS @James Black @BriannesFishFam

If I had the flex currently, prefered its dimensions, and it fit in my setup Id probably roll with it and the mods I wanted. It operated great for me I just went a different direction with tanks in the fishroom..

I wouldn't worry about cracking or chipping any more than a standard glass tank. So long as you make sure nothing is under it like a rock, pebble, a cabinet latch of an empty built in china cabinet your 12 year old self is using for a fish shelf ( wish i got that advice back then before that adventure) or anything else which could break it when filling. I would assume the flex could crack like any glass tank and so lond as no one is smashing into it you should be just as safe from cracking as any other glass tank. 

I recall my flex having a thin foam pad that went underneath the base. That or something equal to it is vital in my opinion. Id guess much of that complaining is people who didnt use the pad and discover why they should have. You dont want anything that would cause a stress point on the bottom because, speaking from experience, a tank bottom waits to break from a stress point until its pretty much full of water.

If you like its styling the flex is tough to beat as an all in one set up in my opinion. 

 

[KAYLON.NICHOLS]

On 7/15/2021 at 8:37 PM, AquaAggie said:

@KAYLON.NICHOLS and @Beardedbillygoat1975 what do you run your light at for your tanks. I just started mine with some crypts, Java, and anubia

 

how long?

do you  add any of the RGB settings in with the white light?  Thanks

Ya that , I don't care a lot about the light. theirs no timer for one. I just turn it on in the morning blue and white play with it feed and walk away same at night I say 10 to 12 hr a day but that just for me on my tank. Would like to upgrade the light though.   

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Ok. I'll keep it. I went ahead and ordered all the mods today too (I don't feel too bad about just going for it since it supports a small business) so I'll wait for those to come before I do anything else too drastic to the tank. I'm limited on plugs, I'd rather having it up and running but where I'm putting it the 3 gallon cube I plan on replacing is there. So have to be prepared for a full move. 

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Hi all. So. As I said I ended up keeping the Flex. I was waiting on the aftermarket part shipment before set up and an aquarium sculpture from Etsy (I like to support small business AND artists, the sculpture is the tall center piece in the pics to follow). I set it up on my days off this week.

First the tank. I built a new sponge filter from coarse sponge I got from ACO, it was not thick enough so I just doubled up and zip tied them (it's what I had on hand and it worked). I cut slits for the other media, bio rings, Seachem Matrix and some crushed coral. The stock holder to put the sponge in and pull it out works fine on what I rigged up. I can see where the fine sponge the tank comes with could become an issue. Glad to those of you who pointed it out. The aftermarket parts are great, I ended up though leaving the stock intake grate that's at the top, in for now-better flow- but I used the more narrow grate for the bottom. I added an aftermarket low flow spray bar and that really seems to keep the flow to a tolerable level for my Betta's future home. I also added from the same shop the feeder hole cover (I won't be feeding from it more than likely anyway), a black Betta tunnel that is really unnoticeable at the waterline which is cool and a floating feeder ring. I changed my Betta's 3 gallon filter and put the dirty one in the tank (now it's in the back, which is why I like tanks like this so much, not a lot of visual clutter.)

Deep Caribsea substrate. Found some decent spiderwood pieces and a real granite "tea light" holder now aquarium cave. I stole Bacopa, Narrow leaf Java and a sad Amazon (hoping it will come back to me in this tank) from my other tanks. Bought a little more Bacopa, Windelov Java, a moss bridge and an Anubias Nana. 

The aftermarket parts are great and they worked seamlessly with the tank. 

I of course ended up getting a manual timer for it and have messed with the lights only a little. I actually think the plants are going to do ok with the LEDs they have on it stock and it won't be too bright for the fish. The attached pics are with the bright whites for the pictures but I've found adding the orange to the white tones it down some and makes the colors in the plants/decor pop. I'm hoping when the lights come back on in the morning that's how it will look- Fluval says that it should come back on with the last light setting used. We. Shall. See.

It's also super quiet. I'm really enjoying it so far, it's a beautiful tank. Thanks to all who helped here! 

@SheWhoConquers @mountaintoppufferkeeper @Beardedbillygoat1975 @Stef @KAYLON.NICHOLS @James Black @BriannesFishFam

Edited July 30, 2021 by xXInkedPhoenixX
Typos are lame

[SheWhoConquers]

On 7/29/2021 at 9:00 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

Hi all. So. As I said I ended up keeping the Flex. I was waiting on the aftermarket part shipment before set up and an aquarium sculpture from Etsy (I like to support small business AND artists, the sculpture is the tall center piece in the pics to follow). I set it up on my days off this week.

First the tank. I built a new sponge filter from coarse sponge I got from ACO, it was not thick enough so I just doubled up and zip tied them (it's what I had on hand and it worked). I cut slits for the other media, bio rings, Seachem Matrix and some crushed coral. The stock holder to put the sponge in and pull it out works fine on what I rigged up. I can see where the fine sponge the tank comes with could become an issue. Glad to those of you who pointed it out. The aftermarket parts are great, I ended up though leaving the stock intake grate that's at the top, in for now-better flow- but I used the more narrow grate for the bottom. I added an aftermarket low flow spray bar and that really seems to keep the flow to a tolerable level for my Betta's future home. I also added from the same shop the feeder hole cover (I won't be feeding from it more than likely anyway), a black Betta tunnel that is really unnoticeable at the waterline which is cool and a floating feeder ring. I changed my Betta's 3 gallon filter and put the dirty one in the tank (now it's in the back, which is why I like tanks like this so much, not a lot of visual clutter.)

Deep Caribsea substrate. Found some decent spiderwood pieces and a real granite "tea light" holder now aquarium cave. I stole Bacopa, Narrow leaf Java and a sad Amazon (hoping it will come back to me in this tank) from my other tanks. Bought a little more Bacopa, Windelov Java, a moss bridge and an Anubias Nana. 

The aftermarket parts are great and they worked seamlessly with the tank. 

I of course ended up getting a manual timer for it and have messed with the lights only a little. I actually think the plants are going to do ok with the LEDs they have on it stock and it won't be too bright for the fish. The attached pics are with the bright whites for the pictures but I've found adding the orange to the white tones it down some and makes the colors in the plants/decor pop. I'm hoping when the lights come back on in the morning that's how it will look- Fluval says that it should come back on with the last light setting used. We. Shall. See.

It's also super quiet. I'm really enjoying it so far, it's a beautiful tank. Thanks to all who helped here! 

@SheWhoConquers @mountaintoppufferkeeper @Beardedbillygoat1975 @Stef @KAYLON.NICHOLS @James Black @BriannesFishFam

So weird you bought the same spray bar I just was looking at on Etsy today 😄  I love that center sculpture, so unique. I almost wish it was covered in the same moss as the little hut on the right. 

The flow on the spray bar was gentle? I don't know why I had visions of excess surface agitation.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@SheWhoConquers the seller I got it from has 2, the low flow option definitely cuts down on what you get with the original equipment, there are fairly large holes at the side and bottom of the bar so the flow is more evenly distributed, some down some across the top. There is still some agitation, as many have pointed out here and in reviews the pump on this tank is a good one, just not necessarily with low flow fish. It will be much more manageable for long finned Bettas than the original equipment without changing the pump itself. 

The hut to the right is actually a live moss covered resin or ceramic bridge I picked up at the big box, supposedly it will grow longer/bigger, we shall see. 

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@xXInkedPhoenixXlove the design and aftermarket stuff looks original. Great job!

[mountaintoppufferkeeper]

@xXInkedPhoenixX thats awesome

[Stef]

You’re going to have one happy betta. So may places to explore. Nice!

[BriannesFishFam]

Perfect for a betta!

 

[Aqua junky]

I have a Flex 32 G and I absolutely love it.  I added screen from like a window screen over the intake to stop baby shrimp or fry from getting sucked in

[Steph’s Fish and Plants]

Here’s my 2 cents on the flex line.

Disclaimer, I have not owned one personally. However, the store I work at has 6 of the 9 gallons and one of the 32 gallons setup as sale tanks to display them.

my chief complaints: 

- small fish easily get through the overflow holes in the back and end up in the back chambers

- catching fish out with the curved front glass is a PAIN. Might not be as much of a worry for a home display but if you change out fish often it would be.

- remote can be finicky sometimes with age

- I wish that you could program a built in timer

- the lid and light makes it hard to do maintenance and still be able to see

- inability to adjust flow when running it stock

what I Do like

- the black honeycomb to hide the waterline

- the ability to customize the chambers in the back and hide the heater 

- the feeding hole (assuming you don’t have jumpers, Altho we’ve kept threadfins, pseudomugils, and killifish in the tanks no problem)

- aesthetically is cool looking, great way to have something unique for a desk or kitchen counter type tank.

- stock lighting is bright enough for a lot of low and medium light plants

- customization ability with the lighting remote.

All in all it is a nice tank and it makes for a great kit tank for people who only want one tank or a few. I personally would probably not own one bc I’m not a big fan of the curved glass tanks (bowfronts and flexes) but for people who do like that this is a great option. Also, as far as the pump goes, you could always purchase a different pump that Is controllable.

[Grubhead]

I like the flex with the curved front, but there are some things it suffers from that many of these all in one setups have in common. We have the 15.

- Flow is way too high and no way to adjust on the pump. We also got the mods listed above. I drilled extra holes in the spray bar and may try also adding a sponge filter on it to diffuse the flow some. It's still way too much for a betta, so we moved the betta.

- The light has a cheap remote. I wish it just had a switch to turn it on. If anyone knows of an aftermarket light mod, let me know. 🙂

- The back chamber has some extra plastic that makes adding sponges on the left side odd. There's plenty of space though! 🙂

- The intake screens have too large of gaps. We used the modded ones, but I wish I could easily put sponges somehow.

It's a cool tank and works for us. Because of the high flow and size, I ended up being able to swap it and let the betta use a smaller aquarium. The ricefish seem to like it a lot and play in the water flow it seems...

Edited July 31, 2021 by Grubhead
I alway forget the extra "t" in betta. lol

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Grubhead interesting you have that experience, they must have put an even bigger pump in the 15. With the aftermarket modification/low flow bar added the flow in my 9 is CONSIDERABLY less. The tall plants along the middle and front don't move AT ALL. Only the Bacopa at the back moves a TINY bit, becaused I unintentionally baffled a lot of the flow with the sculpture in the middle. 

I actually don't mind the light. I usually just pick a light setting and put a manual timer on it. Done and done. I will likely not touch the remote again. But yes, if you are the type that likes to play with the lights a lot it's finicky and you pretty much have to be right on it to make it change. I put on the white and orange light combo and left it. Timer worked perfectly. I saw in a youtube video on person buying an aftermarket suction light bar and using that instead. So that's an option. 

[Grubhead]

On 7/30/2021 at 6:22 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:

@Grubhead interesting you have that experience, they must have put an even bigger pump in the 15. With the aftermarket modification/low flow bar added the flow in my 9 is CONSIDERABLY less. The tall plants along the middle and front don't move AT ALL. Only the Bacopa at the back moves a TINY bit, becaused I unintentionally baffled a lot of the flow with the sculpture in the middle. 

I actually don't mind the light. I usually just pick a light setting and put a manual timer on it. Done and done. I will likely not touch the remote again. But yes, if you are the type that likes to play with the lights a lot it's finicky and you pretty much have to be right on it to make it change. I put on the white and orange light combo and left it. Timer worked perfectly. I saw in a youtube video on person buying an aftermarket suction light bar and using that instead. So that's an option. 

I'll try a timer. Does it remember the color and white settings when turning back on using a timer?

I've been spoiled with some of the new lights with an app on my phone where I can schedule the lighting. It has really helped maximize lighting without growing algae. I can also set it to get brighter when I know I'll be looking at the aquariums (in the morning and evening) without having it too bright all day.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Grubhead Yes, having just put the timer on it yesterday (just a plain old manual timer I got at Target for $5 and change) it remembered the white and orange combination I set up yesterday no problems. I guess when I say I run low tech tanks I really run low tech- none of my lights are wifi (cause I don't have wifi) and have simple programming if any- but I still use dimmer switches even on my most high tech lights (but thankfully those have built in timers). It will probably help you like the tank more when you have that set up. 🙂 

[Grubhead]

@xXInkedPhoenixXI don't use wifi timers...too many wifi devices can cause issues and I don't trust many smaller built in wifi products made in China to be secure.

I was tempted to try the wifi outlets from Aquarium Coop, but will probably stick with a manual timer for now. I do like the Bluetooth lights I have. Maybe there's a bluetooth timer...

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

@Grubhead perfect!  Then either will work for you. That kind of thing is more reliable to me anyway. 🙂