The Fluval FX6 is the cream of the crop when it comes to canister filters. Plain and simple.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s on the shortlist for\u00a0best canister filters\u00a0on the market when you talk to any fishkeeper who\u2019s been in the game long enough. In fact, it\u2019s really built up quite the reputation for itself!<\/p>\n
So if you don\u2019t feel like reading a full review and want to skip to the spoilers, here\u2019s the gist of it:<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll be very happy with the FX6 if you\u2019re thinking about picking up a new canister filter.<\/p>\n
However, if you want to get into the nitty-gritty details and learn about everything from specs to setup, we\u2019ve got you covered.<\/p>\n
We spent a significant amount of time researching and testing the\u00a0Fluval FX6 canister filter\u00a0so we could share the results with potential buyers like you.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s get started.<\/p>\n
Product summary<\/h2>\n
Fluval has been churning out high-quality products for a very long time now, and the FX6 canister filter is no exception.<\/p>\n
Whenever you have products that are built by such a reputable company, that gives you a reason to feel confident right off the bat.<\/p>\n
Actually, it\u2019s little brother the FX4 was\u00a0the very first solo-product review<\/a>\u00a0we published on this site!<\/p>\n And our\u00a0Fluval FX6\u00a0canister filter\u00a0review\u00a0will be the second.<\/p>\n The reason for this is simple. The Fluval FX6 just does a fantastic job.<\/p>\n It\u2019s capable of filtering an extremely large amount of water very effectively. We\u2019re talking tanks up to 400 gallons!<\/p>\n It\u2019s probably the most popular and well-respected\u00a0filtration systems\u00a0among aquarists with\u00a0large tanks. It over-delivers and gives you the reliability that you would expect from the Fluval brand.<\/p>\n But here\u2019s where it gets crazy:<\/p>\n The FX6 is tiny!<\/p>\n With this product, you get a canister filter that can handle a massive amount of water, boasts an impressive\u00a0flow rate, and doesn\u2019t require a lot of maintenance.<\/p>\n And the dimensions are 15 x 15 x 20 inches.<\/p>\n This means you can tuck it out of the way in pretty much any tank setup while still getting a very impressive filter performance.<\/p>\n That makes it a winner in our book.<\/p>\n To give you a high-level understanding of the\u00a0Fluval FX6 canister filter, here are some quick specs that will help you during the shopping process. In the sections below we\u2019ll cover these in more detail.<\/p>\n The dimensions of the\u00a0Fluval FX6 canister filter\u00a0are 15 x 15 x 20 inches, with it weighing in at 19.9 pounds. This might seem a little big if you\u2019re not used to high output\u00a0aquarium\u00a0filters, but it\u2019s really not.<\/p>\n The dimensions give you the option to tuck it away under your tank without having to change your setup or make additional room. Space management is critical when you\u2019re in the larger tank game, so this makes a big difference.<\/p>\n There has been some confusion in the aquarium community about\u00a0the true\u00a0GPH<\/a>\u00a0of the FX6. That comes from a slight disconnect between the numbers you see on the box, and the practical in-use\u00a0GPH\u00a0when you have everything set up.<\/p>\n The output that is advertised is 925\u00a0GPH. However, you have to think about canister filters<\/a> in use and the pressure that impacts pump speed. When you do this the more accurate number to keep in mind is 563\u00a0GPH.<\/p>\n The overall build quality of the FX6 is stellar. When you get your hands on it you can just tell it does the job.<\/p>\n It comes with some very effective\u00a0aqua stop valves\u00a0which make using the filter a breeze. You can easily stop the\u00a0water flow\u00a0without having to risk damage or and stray water escaping one of the components.<\/p>\n This is one thing that a lot of canister filters get wrong. They come with a stop valve, but if you end up using it there is a price to pay.<\/p>\n The FX6 also comes with a sophisticated circuit which ensures that everything is running exactly as it should. This will help give you peace of mind when away from your\u00a0fish tank.<\/p>\n It runs constantly and we\u2019ve heard many reports that you can rely on and trust the monitoring system that comes with the filter. This is a testament to the overall quality of the components that Fluval puts in their products.<\/p>\n You also have the ability to adjust and tweak the output via the dual\u00a0output nozzles\u00a0that are found on the top of the canister filter. This is something you will likely be playing around with at first, so this will save you time and make this process a little easier.<\/p>\n You would think that with the impressive output that the\u00a0Fluval FX6 canister filter\u00a0brings to the table there would be some additional noise right?<\/p>\n Nope.<\/p>\n In fact, it\u2019s one of the quietest canister filters on the market today! You can have this in any part of your house without having to worry about the noise causing a disturbance.<\/p>\n This is primarily due to the internal components being high-quality and well-designed. The rubber feet that help muffle vibrations help too.<\/p>\n Noice is one of the most overlooked factors to aquarium products, but we place a premium on the ability for gear to run quietly.<\/p>\n The\u00a0FX6 filter\u00a0passes this test without a doubt.<\/p>\n When you get the FX6 you also get a very solid\u00a0intake\u00a0strainer\u00a0that will significantly reduce the chance of your filter clogging. When you\u2019re dealing with such a high\u00a0GPH, this is a big difference-maker.<\/p>\n If you do end up needing to get in there and do some cleaning due to\u00a0clogs\u00a0or maintenance issues, there\u2019s an easy to use\u00a0purge valve\u00a0on the bottom.\u00a0Purge valves\u00a0are a necessity for canister filters and can make\u00a0water changes\u00a0easy, but some of them are a pain to use. Fluval designed theirs perfectly and we think a handful of other manufacturers could learn a thing or two from the subtleties of their design.<\/p>\n In our\u00a0Fluval FX6\u00a0canister filter\u00a0review, we wanted to spend an appropriate amount of time on the\u00a0media baskets. This is something that owners get a lot of use out of, so it was worth a close look.<\/p>\n With the FX6 you get three baskets that hold an impressive 5.9 liters. This amount helps keep things convenient and easy since you can drop in a large amount of\u00a0filter media.<\/p>\n The quantity of\u00a0media baskets\u00a0is also another plus. With some canister filters, you have to pick and choose when it comes to the media you add to your tank. The FX6 gives you the ability to try any combination you want.<\/p>\n Despite the large capacity, it\u2019s really easy to remove the\u00a0media baskets\u00a0and change them out. There\u2019s a release handle that quickly gets you into the tray area where you can grab whichever basket you need. If you have your media handy you can make a full change in minutes.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re an aquarist who is looking for an impressive amount of\u00a0media capacity, this is the choice for you.<\/p>\n While this might not be a priority for everyone, it\u2019s something that we want to take a second to talk about. For many aquarists, the design and aesthetic appeal of the gear they purchase plays a part in how they go through the buying process.<\/p>\n In our opinion, the Fluval FX6 is a beautiful looking product that won\u2019t be an eyesore if you decide to keep it out in the open.<\/p>\n
\n ![\"Fluval](\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/41fpo8ZS5BL.jpg\")
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\n Fluval FX6 Canister Filter <\/a><\/p>\n\n
Specs & details<\/h2>\n
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FX6 dimensions<\/span><\/h3>\n
True\u00a0GPH<\/h2>\n
Build quality<\/h2>\n
Noise<\/h3>\n
Intake\u00a0strainer<\/h3>\n
Media baskets<\/h3>\n
The visual appeal<\/h2>\n