I “Fixed” This Aquarium Kit (and Almost Killed My Fish)

I got the Fluval Flex 15 and decided to void the warranty by removing the filter compartment walls and honeycomb wrap. Unfortunately, I’m not very good at DIY projects and made some major mistakes along the way…

🐟 MATERIALS I USED
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🦐 EXTRAS

ATTRIBUTION
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#girltalksfish #nanofish #nanoaquarium

[GirlTalksFish]

*What kind of fish do you think my daughter should get for this 15-gallon tank? Must be colorful and kid-friendly.*

[kaedrian]

I know you said you don't like diy and it's too late now, but when you were talking about how expensive cube aquariums are, it reminded me of a recent SerpaDesign video. He walks you through how to make your own aquarium out of IKEA glass shelves (it's already cut so you don't have to worry about cutting glass). It involves just siliconing the sides together - don't know if this would be less or more frustrating than what you went through, but a 2 pack of 13x15" glass is $17. So you'd be spending around $40 for just the glass. Anywho, glad everything is well with Sunstreaker. Mystery snails are so silly. I didn't know they could right themselves. Whenever I see mine upside down, I usually turn them over. The kids love watching them go all the way up to the top then drop down.

[skydivertanner]

I love that you posted this video. To many people would be scared to admit that they might have messed up. However, I think we need more videos like this sometimes. We all have our scary moments, so knowing others go through the same is refreshing. It's a learning lesson for everyone. Thank you for sharing your experience, it will help many people.
BTW, we have a fluval 5 gallon spec, never occurred to me to remove the filter compartment, genius

[edmundovazquez-ramirez]

Hey Irene, glad to hear you were able to get the Flex up and running.

Believe it or not, the safest way to get all of the silicone and mesh removed would have been 70% alcohol, a hair dryer, a couple of sharp new razor blades, and some elbow grease. The thread was a smart move, but if you were to heat up the silicone with a hair dryer or a glue gun for a couple of seconds, it would've reactivated the stickiness of the silicone and the razor blade would've scraped it off no problem. As a bonus, alcohol is an aquarium safe product so you would've saved yourself some stress.

As for fish ideas, there are a couple of "glo" species that you could use that would be fun in your daughter's tank. At 15 gallons it would look nicer to have a larger shoal/school of danios, for example, than a smaller school of tiger barbs or the skirt tetras. I've even seen glo Corys sometimes at the big box retailers, if you want a clean up crew.

[polen]

Love the tank but If you were going to remove the filter compartment I think you would have saved more money buying a low iron glass tank itself then purchasing this kit

[syos]

Ngl this story has like everything in for it a crazy story.
1: The aww factor (the snail and the kid receiving her first aquarium kit)
2: The headache factor (the sheer labor to modify the tank)
3: Horror and subsequent relief (The goo gone and the charcoal)
4: Humor (The absolute cascade of problems and fixes occuring in rapid succession).

Overall 11/10 this made my day

[Charley_Goji]

honestly I absolutely love the Flex, its one of the few actually good kits.

[Highlaw]

Actually out of everything in these kits (such as the weak light), I love the "mini sump" compartment the most, as it hides all technology (Pump, filter, Co2, heater, etc. can be placed out of view) and leaves space for really good filtration, such as an entire third for sponges, another third for media (well over 1kg), and the last third where the pump is for other tech. Removing it means spending at least $70 extra for equivalent levels of filtration (like a small cannister filter or the hugest HOB ever), and then having exposed tech just as in any other aquarium. Honestly considering part of the Flex's pricetag comes from the included sump, discarding it seems wasteful instead of buying an alternative.

Of course for a last-minute store stock only purchase the DIY is more than justified :-) But for others who buy online and don't like the "wasted" space of the sump, well, look for standard alternatives instead of the Flex - would be my recommendation.

[phifedig]

these kits are great as is, you can add or change the media if you want but most people get a very healthy tank from this design! it’s the people who modify that always end up with issues. i love my flex!

[shesellsfish]

I love how upfront and honest you always are in your videos. I have totally poisoned the water and substrate in 2 tanks years ago pretty much the same way. Used nail polish remover to remove excess silicone smudge, then used regular bath bar soap to scrub down the aquarium and just rinsed it out one time. Who knew regular soap left a long term residue 15 years ago, lol. Oh, it's funny now, but I couldn't figure out for the longest time why I couldn't keep anything alive in these two tanks.
Finally, I asked a really experienced fish keeper, who asked how I set the tank of from day one, told him everything, he said. Tear them both down, then let them sit for a day with a 50% vinegar and water fill up. That vinegar will break down any soap residue left. Then rinse really well 4-5 times fill and rinse. Then restart from scratch with substrate and decor. Don't beat yourself up, we have what we think are good ideas, and we live and learn. Good job and happy Mr mystery snail is still thriving.
👍❤️👍

[charlotteschuttler]

I think it's silly that you did all this. You specifically show the petco site when showing the cost of the fluval. Well petco also has many many plain cube options which are similar to the empty aqueon tanks you prefer and they are also regularly on sale. Why pay so much to destroy a nice tank when you could have paid less and gotten exactly what you wanted.

[Khaeris]

Thank you a million times over for sharing this. I love when people share what works, as well as what didn't work so well. It's all helpful to someone like me that's still trying to learn.
Glad Sunstreaker is okay. Looking forward to seeing what other critters he'll be living with.

[kiki-drawer]

Proof that even if you have been in the Hobbie for years you still learn so much. Good luck! Thank you for showing your triumphs and struggles alike!

[kimberlyhenke]

I actually have 2 of the 15s and one of the 9s. Theyve been up and running for years now. I dont use the filter material that comes with. I do kinda diy that. The 9 is a planted shrimp tank. I use a cut sponge to wedge against the inside of tge intake compartment to keep shrimplets out. Works fantastic. One of my 15s, is my main Corydora breeding tank. I stick the eggs in that pre filter compartment. The flow to the filter, in that empty compartment is perfect for the eggs. The tiny bits of food that end up on the very bottom, is perfect for newly hatched fry. Once big enough, i take them out and put them in the growout. Once hatched, i havent lost a baby yet! On a side note, i got both my 15s for waaaay less than $189. Still overpriced? Yes! But i have a total of 9 aquariums of all kinds. Including a 60 gallon axolotl tank. I adore your vids a bunch!

[marcopalazzo]

Why buy a tank to deconstruct it? Just order a tank online that you want, it makes no sense whatsoever. Plus these tanks run fairly well with the sump

[EpicConspiracy]

I love the fluval flex. I have three 15 gallons and three 32 gallons. The filter sponge they give you holds up. I have had the 3 years. My only issue was one of the motors in a 15 gallon quit working and I had to replace.

[jread]

There's a great Aqueon 14 gal cube that Petco sells, currently for $50. It comes with a glass lid and pad for underneath.

[DirtSailor]

The flex is a fine tank that very few people have had trouble and this includes the sump area. If your daughter was happy with the tank as is then the extra work doesn't seem worth it especially since you turned a $180 tank into a $50 tank. Some people just have to be in control.

[gregorydubya]

I'm glad you shared, but I think the lesson here is that the fluval flex is too good of a small kit to disassemble. You can add heating and extra filtration - out of the way, and you don't have to disturb the tank to get at the sponge which just pulls up, wrings out and pops back in. The pump is included and hidden too. The hood and light are already included too.

Perfect for a kid.

The only drawback to that tank, is that the pump adds heat, so it might not be a good tank for cold water shrimp/fish.

[chmaguire]

I did the same to my flex 57 (black). You just need a box cutter blade and a tool that you can put it in to act like a scraper. No chemicals needed to completely remove it