I have the same tank but cant seem to figure out what the two little bags are for. And iv left the water cycling for a couple of days but cant get it to he clear. Any suggestions?
@@hugogarcia51894 If water is cloudy with no fish in it then it’s most likely the substrate or ornaments you put in it. And a tank being cloudy sometimes for a few weeks is normal and actually good. You sound like maybe you are newer to fish keeping? If so I would suggest reading up a lot on the subject. Lots of people get a tank throw in sand decorations and some fish and think that’s that. And the filter etc will just do the rest. Fish keeping is a lot more involved than it appears at first. But once you figure it out it’s not involved or tough just like anything else. But it is a legitimate hobby so it takes a bit of time and passion to want to learn the science behind it. I have seen many people who just want a aquarium for their home or apartment because it looks cool like a decoration. But then their water is cloudy their fish die and they can’t figure out why. Then they give up thinking it sucks. But if you are really into the actual hobby part then I recommend lots of patience and reading and watching RUclips videos to learn the hobby. The 1st most important thing to learn is about cycling a tank. That should be 1st and foremost the #1 thing someone needs to learn before they buy the aquarium. It seems intimidating at first when you are new but once you figure it out it’s easy and makes sense. Best thing to do when new is set up tank with all you want in it minus fish. Then do a fish-less cycle. I do a half fish-less cycle my own kind of formula. I start the cycle without fish running the tank for a couple weeks with some plants for some organic load and then add a lil fish food let it sit running, then when I see the cycle has started I add a bunch of safe start plus bacteria into filter into tank and area where bio media is. Then wait a few more days, test again see water quality is pretty good. Then add in 1 or 2 very small hardy fish. I do this in what could be considered mid cycle but tolerable for the fish. And bang in a few days with fish peeing and pooping as well... water is super clear and tests perfectly. I then add the fish I want once a week. One week I will maybe add a couple cory’s or maybe molly. Then the next week I will add in maybe a few more etc. This is my process simplified into a few sentences. The way I do it cuts a true cycle time in half. And been doing it for 20 years and all my tanks crystal clear and don’t lose fish unless it’s the fish not their environment. It’s VERY rare I lose a fish.
I have two Flexes, a 9 gallon and a 15 gallon, both of which are black. I have a black Betta who was being bullied by a couple of the larger fish in his previous tank, so I moved him into the 9 gallon Flex, but trying to find him in there can take a while because everything’s black. I’m thinking about getting a white Flex. One caution with Bettas, they’re jumpers. The very first Betta I had as a 10 year old jumped out of the tank, which I cringe about to this day, 55 years later. I make sure I have something to cover the feeding port so I don’t have a repeat. And in this wonderful age of technology and RUclips, the amount of information you can find regarding just about any subject is fabulous. Thanks for the review, those are beautiful tanks.
Thank you! I actually have a company I use that I’ve made a few videos for that make Fluval flex modifications like food hole covers, feeding rings, finer screens for the filter ports so baby fish and shrimp don’t get sucked in. It’s called lid propz. You can find the videos of his products by searching that, or Fluval flex mods and looking for my 3 videos.
Nice video! I've been thinking about getting this tank for my betta since the size is bigger and the lighting and filter is better. My current tank uses the old light bulb that gives off warm light which looks nice but it doesn't bring out the colors good in my fish and it also isn't the best for growing plants, but this tank looks like it would do the trick and fix what I've been missing in my 5 gallon.
glad to see yer doin well, condolences again on yer Gramma, been mulling over getting dragon puffer and it brought me to you, lookin forward to see what you do movin forward. Funny I've watched Palmer Aquatics before and that vid where he was comin to help out he looked like a lifesize cardboard cutout at first your camera is so clear! Glad you found great support, I'm new sub to you, good luck in your future endeavors and hoping for the best!
I have the 9 gallon as well and I'm surprised your fish don't have problems with the flow. I have a group of boraras Brigittae and it is way too strong for them. I'm hoing to buy the Eheim Compacton 300 so I can dial down the flow. That's what I really miss with the Fluval stock pump, that you can't regulate the flow. Nice tanks by the way!🐠👍 Gerda
Your decoration is amazing i have the Fluval flex 57 liters i want to do the same like yours 😢 do you have any tutorial how you did it? what plant's, stones you used? do you used substrate?
Yes I do! I actually have multiple videos on setting these tanks up multiple ways. I’ve changed the scapes a few times. Just go to my videos and source this video in my list of videos, the setup videos for both tanks are very close in time to that video. Then there’s a few more recent videos after I moved I had to redo them so I did an even more in depth scape in both.
I love my 15 Gallon! The nice thing about it you can do modifications on it some folks take out the back compartment area. Just upgrading the pump here soon. Good tank overall.
got one from my kids this christmas but so far so good no problems so far ! great nano, little pricey but nice. wish had little more room in filter area,
I got lucky with otocinclus, amano shrimp, nerite snails, rams horn snails, and occasionally cherry shrimp. That being said……it doesn’t mean your betta won’t kill any of those. Some bettas can be super mean.
Great question! I can’t tell if it’s algae for sure as it stays dark back there. But some mulm definitely builds up. Start with bottle cleaning brushes that I buy from Amazon in the first chamber. Then I syphon out all the stuff that settles. Then I clean the sponge. The filter/heater side doesn’t seem to get any buildup in it. I assume anything that gets in there just gets sucked up and spit out the spray bar. Then I syphon the rest of my water change as I clean the tank.
does the salvinia struggle with the currents from the filter sprayers? Other enthusiasts say a corral is necessary with this style of filtration, just curious what your experience has been.
Every tank gets brown algae. Even these tanks have some you just don’t see it cuz I keep the glass clean. I keep snails and shrimp so they may help it appear clean, but there’s brown algae for sure.
Mine are silent. I’ve heard others that say theirs have been noisy but I don’t have the same experience. I often have to check if the pumps working they’re so quiet in my experience
IKEA solid wood end tables I did glue all the screws and such too just for added rigidity. Although me and my wife sat on it for a combined weight of around 300 lbs and it didn’t budge so I presumed they were safe enough for 9 gallons of water.
do you have a problem with your betta seeing himself with these tanks? I have one and my little guy wont stop chasing the glass im sure he sees himself, ive tried everything, dimming the lights, turning them off, changing the color, even covering with a blanket and putting up aquarium background and absolutley nothing stops him from surfing the glass.
Mine do this when they’re hungry. Sometimes they’ll flare against their reflection but not super common. If I put a hat on tho he starts flaring at me too haha! Sounds like you just have an active guy
Look up my videos on the Aquario Neo Co2 kit. It’s a super simple co2 kit that isn’t as powerful as pressurized co2, but it adds a just enough co2 to help plants grow that much better. Best part is it’s cheap too.
Should there be water in the 3 sections in the back of the tank where the pump is located? The pump doesn’t appear to have a strong stream like when I first set it up. Should it be taken apart and cleaned?
Yes I would take it apart and clean out your sponge in aquarium water from that tank. I just suck it out into a bucket and squeeze my sponge out into that bucket until the sponge is clean.
@@AquatikGuru my house stays pretty consistent too. Just worry about fluctuations at night. I was looking at the fluval one but the smallest they make is 50w which is for the 15g or larger. I also read a lot of people saying the fluval heater randomly cracking. My LFS said they can’t even get the fluval heaters anymore 🤷♂️
I don’t think I would say it’s capable of high tech. I did run diy co2 tho with amazing results. If I was to add pressurized co2, I think I would put a different light on top or maybe even add a second fluval flex light and velcro it to the inside of the lid
Yes, if you look up my videos from LidPropz, he offers spray bars for the flex the one you want to help with your betta is the low flow bar. I use it with my bettas and the flow is perfect. Then, if you’re using a planted substrate, the plants will add him a cover from the current if he chooses, as well as diverting current as well.
Honestly, no I think it’s too small. I’d personally go for something like a used 55 gallon cuz they’re cheap and just fill it halfway. It’s more so the footprint you want for an axolotl so they can grow to their fullest
Yea I don’t see why not. You’re just limited on space, I’d try and go for the 15 gallon vs the 9 gallon model just so you could do some cool decor or plants too.
Hey mate, do your tanks have a buzzing noise coming from the filter? I picked up one of these tanks about 7 weeks ago, and for the first 2 weeks or so it was dead silent, now there's a buzzing/humming noise that's fairlyish loud. It's definitely not an issue with wiring or the actual filter touching the glass, the filter is resting on its rubber pads and I've also cleaned the tank and filtration set up. Any advice?
I got one even better, check out my recent video called Fluval Flex Mods pt 2. My buddy makes modifications for the flex. One is a plate the covers the back three chambers and has a bunch of holes in it for sticking plants into it to grow out of the rear filter box. That way you still utilize both intakes whilst still having plants in the back. He also offers lid props to hold the lid open while working on the tank, as well as risers for the lid to lift it up so plants can grow up and out as well as a ton of other accessories such as spray bars, finer intake covers so baby shrimp and fish don’t get sucked into the back chamber and much much more items as well.
Truthfully depends what you want. There’s tons of nano fish available these days that are super small. There’s also shrimp. As well as a simple betta. Although for bettas, I’d recommend a Plakat betta like mine where they have shorter fins. It allows them to handle the current much more efficiently
No I wouldn’t say that. I’d say something like Phoenix rasboras, ember tetras, emerald eye rasboras, celestial pearl danios, pea puffers, something of that nature
I have heard of this, I just recommend swapping the pump to one with adjustable flow. A pump for this 9 gallon are super cheap from Hygger. I did a video/review on it in the past.
Great video! We definitely do like it :) We'll be sharing it with our fans on Facebook tomorrow!
Thank you so much!!! Glad you liked it :) You guys are awesome!
I have the flex 15 and I love it. It looks clean and basically has a 3 stage canister filter built into the back. Amazing tank!
I have the same tank but cant seem to figure out what the two little bags are for. And iv left the water cycling for a couple of days but cant get it to he clear. Any suggestions?
@@hugogarcia51894 the two bags with the charcoal and bio rings in them? They go in the sponge in the middle.
@@hugogarcia51894 If water is cloudy with no fish in it then it’s most likely the substrate or ornaments you put in it. And a tank being cloudy sometimes for a few weeks is normal and actually good. You sound like maybe you are newer to fish keeping? If so I would suggest reading up a lot on the subject. Lots of people get a tank throw in sand decorations and some fish and think that’s that. And the filter etc will just do the rest. Fish keeping is a lot more involved than it appears at first. But once you figure it out it’s not involved or tough just like anything else. But it is a legitimate hobby so it takes a bit of time and passion to want to learn the science behind it. I have seen many people who just want a aquarium for their home or apartment because it looks cool like a decoration. But then their water is cloudy their fish die and they can’t figure out why. Then they give up thinking it sucks. But if you are really into the actual hobby part then I recommend lots of patience and reading and watching RUclips videos to learn the hobby.
The 1st most important thing to learn is about cycling a tank. That should be 1st and foremost the #1 thing someone needs to learn before they buy the aquarium. It seems intimidating at first when you are new but once you figure it out it’s easy and makes sense. Best thing to do when new is set up tank with all you want in it minus fish. Then do a fish-less cycle. I do a half fish-less cycle my own kind of formula. I start the cycle without fish running the tank for a couple weeks with some plants for some organic load and then add a lil fish food let it sit running, then when I see the cycle has started I add a bunch of safe start plus bacteria into filter into tank and area where bio media is. Then wait a few more days, test again see water quality is pretty good. Then add in 1 or 2 very small hardy fish. I do this in what could be considered mid cycle but tolerable for the fish. And bang in a few days with fish peeing and pooping as well... water is super clear and tests perfectly. I then add the fish I want once a week. One week I will maybe add a couple cory’s or maybe molly. Then the next week I will add in maybe a few more etc. This is my process simplified into a few sentences. The way I do it cuts a true cycle time in half. And been doing it for 20 years and all my tanks crystal clear and don’t lose fish unless it’s the fish not their environment. It’s VERY rare I lose a fish.
Good to see that the tank is full I keep seeing videos with low waterlines and was worried you couldn't have it high like this. Looks so much better
I personally cant stand tanks that aren't full haha! unless they're paludarium then thats different lol
I have two Flexes, a 9 gallon and a 15 gallon, both of which are black. I have a black Betta who was being bullied by a couple of the larger fish in his previous tank, so I moved him into the 9 gallon Flex, but trying to find him in there can take a while because everything’s black. I’m thinking about getting a white Flex.
One caution with Bettas, they’re jumpers. The very first Betta I had as a 10 year old jumped out of the tank, which I cringe about to this day, 55 years later. I make sure I have something to cover the feeding port so I don’t have a repeat. And in this wonderful age of technology and RUclips, the amount of information you can find regarding just about any subject is fabulous. Thanks for the review, those are beautiful tanks.
Thank you! I actually have a company I use that I’ve made a few videos for that make Fluval flex modifications like food hole covers, feeding rings, finer screens for the filter ports so baby fish and shrimp don’t get sucked in. It’s called lid propz. You can find the videos of his products by searching that, or Fluval flex mods and looking for my 3 videos.
@@AquatikGuru Thanks for the information! I put my order in this afternoon. They have some very cool stuff. :)
He custom makes all of it by himself and does amazing work!
Buying this 9 gallon flex now. Subscribed.
Nice!
Love it I have the 15 for a while now with no issues. Tank is easy to maintain and the plants do well.
I definitely cannot wait to add some 15s and a 32 to my collection
Nice video! I've been thinking about getting this tank for my betta since the size is bigger and the lighting and filter is better. My current tank uses the old light bulb that gives off warm light which looks nice but it doesn't bring out the colors good in my fish and it also isn't the best for growing plants, but this tank looks like it would do the trick and fix what I've been missing in my 5 gallon.
It’s a great tank! I also have a few videos on modifications to the tank that are very effective and useful!
glad to see yer doin well, condolences again on yer Gramma, been mulling over getting dragon puffer and it brought me to you, lookin forward to see what you do movin forward. Funny I've watched Palmer Aquatics before and that vid where he was comin to help out he looked like a lifesize cardboard cutout at first your camera is so clear! Glad you found great support, I'm new sub to you, good luck in your future endeavors and hoping for the best!
Thank you very much for the support!
I have the 9 gallon as well and I'm surprised your fish don't have problems with the flow. I have a group of boraras Brigittae and it is way too strong for them. I'm hoing to buy the Eheim Compacton 300 so I can dial down the flow. That's what I really miss with the Fluval stock pump, that you can't regulate the flow. Nice tanks by the way!🐠👍
Gerda
I believe it’s due to the plants slowing or diverting the flow. I’ve debated switching out the pump for a Hygger adjustable tho!
@@AquatikGuru I'm about to add plants to a Flex 9g tomorrow and I like how customizable the sump area really is.
Your decoration is amazing i have the Fluval flex 57 liters i want to do the same like yours 😢 do you have any tutorial how you did it? what plant's, stones you used? do you used substrate?
Yes I do! I actually have multiple videos on setting these tanks up multiple ways. I’ve changed the scapes a few times. Just go to my videos and source this video in my list of videos, the setup videos for both tanks are very close in time to that video. Then there’s a few more recent videos after I moved I had to redo them so I did an even more in depth scape in both.
I love my 15 Gallon! The nice thing about it you can do modifications on it some folks take out the back compartment area. Just upgrading the pump here soon. Good tank overall.
I need one!!!
Great to know that pink is good for live 🪴
Yes indeed!
got one from my kids this christmas but so far so good no problems so far ! great nano, little pricey but nice. wish had little more room in filter area,
Yea I agree. The filter area should be larger
Love it I just picked up a 9gallon for $40AUS so excited!!!
It’s an amazing aquarium!
Great review, might have to pick one of these up for my wife's office
I’m in love with them! Lol I want the 32.5g next!
@@AquatikGuru I was checking them out when I was at the aquatic experience in 2019, they're very unique!
@@TrafishAquatics I agree I love how they make the scape pop. And the low iron glass really shows the details of whatever is inside it
How do you clean the tank out with the grass growing ? Or do you always leave the gravel in?
I always leave the gravel in. I gravel vac it with a mini syphon so it doesn’t suck up grass
Love your fish tank it looks great I just purchased one how many fish can you have with the Baylor
I got lucky with otocinclus, amano shrimp, nerite snails, rams horn snails, and occasionally cherry shrimp. That being said……it doesn’t mean your betta won’t kill any of those. Some bettas can be super mean.
Two lovely tanks!
Thank you!
Tanks look great, I like the wood stands you have them on, where did you find them?
IKEA they’re solid wood
@@AquatikGuru thanks
Does the 9 gallons include the filter section at the back? Trying to work out how much swimming space the fish have.
Yes that does include the back. I believe it is closer to 7 gallons of actual tank space
You lose about 5 litres on the filter section, so 29 litres remain.
How is the noise level if you have the tank in the bedroom? Does it have a loud vibration like regular filters do?
It didn’t bother us at all. Keep small internal pump sponge clean and it will prevent it from becoming noisy
does much algae develop back inside the filter chambers walls? is it hard to clean algae inside those chambers walls for monthly maintenance?
Great question! I can’t tell if it’s algae for sure as it stays dark back there. But some mulm definitely builds up. Start with bottle cleaning brushes that I buy from Amazon in the first chamber. Then I syphon out all the stuff that settles. Then I clean the sponge. The filter/heater side doesn’t seem to get any buildup in it. I assume anything that gets in there just gets sucked up and spit out the spray bar. Then I syphon the rest of my water change as I clean the tank.
Great info. Thanks
You’re welcome!
does the salvinia struggle with the currents from the filter sprayers? Other enthusiasts say a corral is necessary with this style of filtration, just curious what your experience has been.
I’ve had no issues personally. I can barely keep up with how fast mine grows
@@AquatikGuru thats awesome!
I'm having trouble keeping my tank from getting brown gravel and brown algae on the glass. It just grows everywhere!
Every tank gets brown algae. Even these tanks have some you just don’t see it cuz I keep the glass clean. I keep snails and shrimp so they may help it appear clean, but there’s brown algae for sure.
Do you know if adding unconditioned tap water will damage any portion of the tank, specifically the glass/filter/sealing?
It won’t necessarily damage it, but it will leave residue behind that gets annoying to have to clean up
Was is the nosie level like? I am looking for a very quiet setup
Mine are silent. I’ve heard others that say theirs have been noisy but I don’t have the same experience. I often have to check if the pumps working they’re so quiet in my experience
@@AquatikGuru ok cool. Thanx
What are the tables you are using for stands?
IKEA solid wood end tables I did glue all the screws and such too just for added rigidity. Although me and my wife sat on it for a combined weight of around 300 lbs and it didn’t budge so I presumed they were safe enough for 9 gallons of water.
do you have a problem with your betta seeing himself with these tanks? I have one and my little guy wont stop chasing the glass im sure he sees himself, ive tried everything, dimming the lights, turning them off, changing the color, even covering with a blanket and putting up aquarium background and absolutley nothing stops him from surfing the glass.
Mine do this when they’re hungry. Sometimes they’ll flare against their reflection but not super common. If I put a hat on tho he starts flaring at me too haha! Sounds like you just have an active guy
@@AquatikGuru thanks man
No problem! Anytime ;)
How do you have your ligt setup? How many hours and on what intensities ?
White and pink at 100%. With the co2 kits, I leave the light on for 10-14 hours
@@AquatikGuru co2 kits ? I must have missed something ?
Look up my videos on the Aquario Neo Co2 kit. It’s a super simple co2 kit that isn’t as powerful as pressurized co2, but it adds a just enough co2 to help plants grow that much better. Best part is it’s cheap too.
What's the dimensions for these tanks. Will they fit on a standard night stand
They’re 14”x13”x13”
@@AquatikGuru thank you so much
Hi , how often u need to change the filter?
What does the heater wattage for 9 gal ? Thx
I don’t change the filter. You just clean it in a bucket of tank water that you syphon out of the tank. For the heater I used a 50w
So kind of you , thank you !
@@minikitchencooking3421 no problem 😉
Should there be water in the 3 sections in the back of the tank where the pump is located? The pump doesn’t appear to have a strong stream like when I first set it up. Should it be taken apart and cleaned?
Yes I would take it apart and clean out your sponge in aquarium water from that tank. I just suck it out into a bucket and squeeze my sponge out into that bucket until the sponge is clean.
@@AquatikGuru I clean the sponge regularly. I think I need to clean the pump and other section. I think there is debris in the pump mechanism.
@@lindamartin9519 oh I see what you’re saying. Yea I agree I would clean the pump, tube, and outlet nozzles too
What heater are you using for the Flex 9s?
None. My room temp is 75 and between the lights and pump somehow they sit at 78 degrees. Otherwise I’d use a Fluval
@@AquatikGuru my house stays pretty consistent too. Just worry about fluctuations at night. I was looking at the fluval one but the smallest they make is 50w which is for the 15g or larger. I also read a lot of people saying the fluval heater randomly cracking. My LFS said they can’t even get the fluval heaters anymore 🤷♂️
Keep in mind in nature, those fluctuations are natural ;)
light is enough for a high tech? Thanks
I don’t think I would say it’s capable of high tech. I did run diy co2 tho with amazing results. If I was to add pressurized co2, I think I would put a different light on top or maybe even add a second fluval flex light and velcro it to the inside of the lid
Being a fairly shallow tank tho, the par is still good, just could use a little more oomph for high tech results.
I just purchased the 9 gal for my betta. I see a lot of people saying the flow will be to strong for him can I do something to make it not so strong?
Yes, if you look up my videos from LidPropz, he offers spray bars for the flex the one you want to help with your betta is the low flow bar. I use it with my bettas and the flow is perfect. Then, if you’re using a planted substrate, the plants will add him a cover from the current if he chooses, as well as diverting current as well.
@@AquatikGuru thank you.
Also, what style betta do you have? If it’s a plakat, they seem to love the option of fighting a little current for a little bit
@@AquatikGuru we have a Veiltail Betta
@@maryr9024 in that case I would put sponges over the outflow nozzles to slow the flow down.
Would you recommend this for an axolotl
Honestly, no I think it’s too small. I’d personally go for something like a used 55 gallon cuz they’re cheap and just fill it halfway. It’s more so the footprint you want for an axolotl so they can grow to their fullest
@@AquatikGuru ok
Do you regret getting the 9 over 15?
No I like these too, but now I want a 15 gallon too haha and the 32.5 gallon as well
Could you use this tank for glofish?
Yea I don’t see why not. You’re just limited on space, I’d try and go for the 15 gallon vs the 9 gallon model just so you could do some cool decor or plants too.
Hey mate, do your tanks have a buzzing noise coming from the filter? I picked up one of these tanks about 7 weeks ago, and for the first 2 weeks or so it was dead silent, now there's a buzzing/humming noise that's fairlyish loud. It's definitely not an issue with wiring or the actual filter touching the glass, the filter is resting on its rubber pads and I've also cleaned the tank and filtration set up. Any advice?
Clean the pump
Yea I agree, try cleaning the pump. There’s a lil sponge inside it that gets clogged up
What is the square for in the back left corner?
Which square are you talking about?
@@AquatikGuru back left above the intake on the lid.
That’s another intake/skimmer that comes on the tank.
@@AquatikGuru wonder if it could be cut out and use pothole in it
I got one even better, check out my recent video called Fluval Flex Mods pt 2. My buddy makes modifications for the flex. One is a plate the covers the back three chambers and has a bunch of holes in it for sticking plants into it to grow out of the rear filter box. That way you still utilize both intakes whilst still having plants in the back. He also offers lid props to hold the lid open while working on the tank, as well as risers for the lid to lift it up so plants can grow up and out as well as a ton of other accessories such as spray bars, finer intake covers so baby shrimp and fish don’t get sucked into the back chamber and much much more items as well.
Now I can't decide between a 9 or 15 lol.
Hahah! I want them all!! Hahaha!
Anybody else having issues with the “moonlight feature”? Mines stopped working all of a sudden 😩😭
I personally haven’t had any issues, but I never use the moonlight feature because blue lights cause algae.
How many fish can this bad boy hold? the 9 gal.
Truthfully depends what you want. There’s tons of nano fish available these days that are super small. There’s also shrimp. As well as a simple betta. Although for bettas, I’d recommend a Plakat betta like mine where they have shorter fins. It allows them to handle the current much more efficiently
@@AquatikGuru ok so whats the max nano fish. do black molleys count as nano?
No I wouldn’t say that. I’d say something like Phoenix rasboras, ember tetras, emerald eye rasboras, celestial pearl danios, pea puffers, something of that nature
Sorry meant Beta
Bruh is anyone else’s pump extremely loud ?
I have heard of this, I just recommend swapping the pump to one with adjustable flow. A pump for this 9 gallon are super cheap from Hygger. I did a video/review on it in the past.