The Fluval Foam Pads for FX4, FX5 & FX6 Canister Filters is a three-pack of coarse foam pads cut for the FX4, FX5 and FX6 canister filters — the first mechanical stage, which takes the bulk of the debris.

Key Features

• Coarse foam, which is the right density for the first stage. It holds a lot of debris before the flow drops
• Three pads per pack, cut to fit the FX4, FX5 and FX6
• Keeps the finer media behind it working for longer, which is the real economy of a staged filter
• For use in both freshwater and saltwater aquariums
• Made by Fluval, the aquatics brand of Rolf C. Hagen, which has been building aquarium filters since 1975

Using It

• Rinse mechanical foam in a bucket of old tank water rather than under the tap
• Rinse the coarse stage more often than anything else. It is doing the dirty work and it is the first thing to clog
• Replace when the foam stops springing back, not when it looks dirty
• Never wash biological media in tap water and never replace it all at once. Chlorine kills the bacteria living on it, and changing everything together restarts the cycle

Good To Know

• A filter that has slowed down almost always has a blocked first stage. Check this before anything else
• Coarse foam can be rinsed many times. Replacing it every service is a waste of money and of bacteria
• A genuine Fluval spare part. Check the model number against your unit before ordering — Fluval part numbers look alike and do not cross over between series
• Check the model before ordering