Picture of a Fluvalflex Fish Tank with plants

Fluval Flex Problems – Is The Fluval Flex Aquarium Worth It?

5 min read

The day has finally arrived.

You Got your Fluval Flex aquarium home with its jet black or white, and all of the hidden filtration, and it looks amazing!

But then you set it up and the problems start.

Problems with the Fluval Flex: The light only works with a remote, the opening for feeding is too big, high output flow, the pump filter can get clogged, the back compartments are hard to clean, poor quality silicone, bowed glass causes algae from focused light, and the glass cracking and coming apart.

Okay, now that you know there are a lot of problems, let’s solve them!

The Fluval Flex Remote

The remote can be irritating because the lights don’t work without it.

Doesn’t seem like a big deal but what if you lose the remote? Which is what several people complain about.

The easiest way to solve this problem is to put all of your remotes in the same place after using them. Easier said than done if your aquarium is in a completely different room, especially downstairs.

Sometimes the remote doesn’t even work when you get a brand new aquarium kit and then you have to order another which can take a long time.

Some people buy completely new lighting for their Fluval Flex aquarium. Otherwise, if you can’t use the remote just unplug the lights to turn them off.

The Fluval Flex Feeding Opening

There is a built-in opening in the Fluval Flex aquariums where you can sprinkle your fish feed but if your fish is a jumper, they may try to jump out which has actually happened with enough fish keepers for it to become a problem.

To fix this problem, simply cover the opening with some aquarium-safe material like vinyl to keep your fish from jumping out.

There is a factory stock one you can order online that is very reasonably priced.

High Output Flow

Some of the Fluval Flex models have an output on the water pump that is too high.

The easiest way to solve this is to place a sponge over the opening to stifle the output and slow the water flow down.

There is also a factory-made part for this problem that is very cheap to fit into your budget.

The Fluval Flex Pump Can Get Clogged

There are a lot of complaints about the Fluval Flex pumps getting clogged.

This is a really simple issue to solve by cleaning out the sponge in the filter at least once a week. If you do weekly water changes then you can just do this whenever you do a water change.

You also need to clean out the inside of the actual pump. In essence, when you clean a Fluval Flex, you need to clean every part of the filtration system and/or pump that you can possibly get to.

The Fluval Flex Back Compartments Are Hard To Clean

The key here is to start your aquarium vacuum in these back chambers when you do your regular cleaning.

This way you suck up the dirtiest water in the back first. You can also vacuum down a little way, wipe the hard-to-reach chambers down to jerk everything lose, and then keep vacuuming in the back chambers since these are the hardest-to-reach places.

Poor Quality Silicone

There have been some complaints about the back part of the Fluval Flex coming apart from the rest of the aquarium because the silicone is not strong enough. Not enough to warrant a problem but something to check if you buy a Fluval Flex.

To keep this from happening, make sure your aquarium is always level. One of the easiest ways to do this is to buy an adjustable aquarium stand.

The Bowed Glass On The Fluval Flex Causes Algae

What? That’s crazy. Yes, this actually happens because the curved glass can attract any sunlight that it catches, kind of like a magnifying glass.

To prevent this from happening do not put your Fluval Flex aquarium in the sunlight which most aquarists know not to do.

Glass Cracks Or Comes Apart

This is a big concern. We don’t know if it is from the bowed-out front of the Fluval Flex but it appears that this might be the case.

It is common knowledge that you need to keep an aquarium level at all times so there is no strain or twisting motions on the seams where all of the silicone is located.

If you know anything about physics, a bowed put front is naturally going to put more strain than a straight glass front.

This problem had been reported enough for it to be a problem.

Personal Testimony: I had 3 Fluvall tanks in a row that this happened with so I will never buy a Fluval product again.

Conclusion: Is the Fluval Flex Aquarium Worth It

No way Jose! There are simply too many problems with the Fluval Flex to risk buying one in our opinion. However it looks like Fluval have upped their game and some customers are raving about their products!

“Overall, I give this 5+ stars. I plan on buying this set-up again for my parents (and setting up another one for myself!). I do, though, have some suggestions to Fluval, as an experienced aquarist, as to improving this already great aquarium”

“It’s an amazing little tank and I would by another again. Only thing to note is that it comes with an open window in the lid for feedings, and the pump head for the tank is very fast. So if you have bettas or puffers you will definitely need to buy a pump head that will slow down the current to go with it”

Their main selling point is the bowed-out front glass which is very attractive but a straight flat aquarium is just fine.

You shouldn’t have to adjust anything with an all-in-one aquarium for it to function properly. Fluval is a big enough company that the finished product should not have any of these problems.

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Pet Aquariums

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