Equipment Review and Discussion :: Aquatop canister filter raves

[seanb1979]

would it be easy to use purigen in this? the cost of the canister is nice but i dont wanna have to buy custom media packs for a fortune

[steve]

I'm glad it's working out, no doubt there is a huge improvement over the previous filtration. Clear water is very assuring, but you can't see things like nitrates and ammonia in the water which is what a test kit is for. Regular water changes helps rid of some of that stuff, but a kit will give you a bigger picture of what's going on. You probably don't need to test if your water source is good and you're committed to regular changes. As VC mentioned, the kit would give you an idea of how much to change and when (it should be part of the instructions).

@seanb1979 - There should be room for it, what do you mean by "custom media packs"? You can get Purigen pre-bagged too... I wish I did.

[seanb1979]

I'm glad it's working out, no doubt there is a huge improvement over the previous filtration. Clear water is very assuring, but you can't see things like nitrates and ammonia in the water which is what a test kit is for. Regular water changes helps rid of some of that stuff, but a kit will give you a bigger picture of what's going on. You probably don't need to test if your water source is good and you're committed to regular changes. As VC mentioned, the kit would give you an idea of how much to change and when (it should be part of the instructions).

@seanb1979 - There should be room for it, what do you mean by "custom media packs"? You can get Purigen pre-bagged too... I wish I did.

well you know, like the emperors that you can't really fit different types of media into, things like that... just didnt know if they designed it to only work with their media packs or not, but as im reading reviews it seems that everyone is buying custom media from them... i just get fine mesh bags for purigen from a local pet store here, holds it perfectly

is it cheap to get big blocks of foam/sponge material for these that you can cut to the right size? right now im using an aqua clear 500 and a canister would be a ton better

[steve]

All canisters should allow you to customize your media setup (except for really poorly executed ones like the 501 Turtle Canister Filter). You can definitely be creative and try to add different media, though you will be limited to it's effectiveness as the media might not get proper exposure to the water flow. You can use generic foam media for the AquaClears... Big Al's used to sell generic AquaClear media too.

[seanb1979]

i guess i just never looked for the generic foam, ill have to check it out

[VeipaCray]

You can get generic foam at the craft store or you can use filter floss as well. We just don't know how much media this canister actually holds because they stuffed a uv filter inside of it taking up space. The smarter play is more filtration capacity and just remove the nutrients promoting algae growth. By doing that you're not spending money to power an extra bulb and your not paying for replacement bulbs. You're attacking the algae at the source which also means cleaner healthier water for your turtle. If you absolutely need UV, you can add one in line with the filter output.

We also don't know on these generic filters how accurate the GPM ratings of the pumps are. To make the canister appear better on theses cheap filters, they usually tell us the GPM rating of the pump by itself which is meaningless. The pump has to push water through the media and through the uv chamber then up the tubing into the tank. And the higher the Water needs to travel, the more water weight caused by gravity the pump has to fight. So we really don't know How strong the pump is. Or How much media capacity is in there .

We do know aquatop also called sunsun also called a few other names on eBay has customer support. While the OP of this thread gave the canister glowing reviews, I would take that with a grain of salt as he or she is not measuring anything. We don't know about the longevity of the filter, how much power it consumes, if you can run the canister without the uv bulb, or how quiet the filter is. We don't know the internal flow patern of the water to see if it's a bypass design or not. Measuring the water parameters over time is really the only way we have to comparitively gauge the effectiveness of a filter and in turn make a recommendation as to what volume of water it's capable of handling with a turtle. I'll continue the search to get reliable data on this filter.

Steve, maybe I'll buy one to test and we can raffle it off or something when I'm done with it.

[Hammerstix]

I just wanted to recommend this filter to anyone owning an aquatic turtle. I realize not having a water testing kuts inhibits my albility to say this filter is 100% reliable.

I will say that I haven't done a water change in several weeks. Prior to this filter I was doing multiple weekly water changes just to keep the algea bloom at bay.


This filtet, has so far,.decreased the amount of water changes & has kept algea from becoming a "non-issue".

I felt recomending this filter could help many turtle keepers.
Im unsure about the "foam" currently being discussed by others piggybacking my thread.

[Listen97]

If you absolutely need UV, you can add one in line with the filter output.

That was my thought. The link I posted to Amazon had a lot of smaller and inline. If you just have to have the UV this would be a good option. You already know if you have a good filter and this can just be a little extra something.

[happycamper]

I just wanted to recommend this filter to anyone owning an aquatic turtle. I realize not having a water testing kuts inhibits my albility to say this filter is 100% reliable.

I will say that I haven't done a water change in several weeks. Prior to this filter I was doing multiple weekly water changes just to keep the algea bloom at bay.


This filtet, has so far,.decreased the amount of water changes & has kept algea from becoming a "non-issue".

I felt recomending this filter could help many turtle keepers.
Im unsure about the "foam" currently being discussed by others piggybacking my thread.

You still need to remove a percentage of the water weekly to keep your nitrate levels down, even in a properly filtered aquarium. I have to remove 30% of my 100 gallon tanks water every week to keep my nitrates down, and I have a FX5. You should invest in a test kit, you may be surprised!

[devilduck]

Give the OP a break.

He's just recommending a product he uses and likes. The Aquatop/SunSun filters are pretty well reviewed if you google them. You get a lot for you money. Yes, it's just another cheap ebay knock off, but it's better and costs the same as a lot of "name brand" undersized/underpowered filters a lot of new turtle owner have.

[happycamper]

Give the OP a break.

He's just recommending a product he uses and likes. The Aquatop/SunSun filters are pretty well reviewed if you google them. You get a lot for you money. Yes, it's just another cheap ebay knock off, but it's better and costs the same as a lot of "name brand" undersized/underpowered filters a lot of new turtle owner have.

I wasn't even commenting on the filter... I just thought it was worth mentioning that no matter how awesome your filter is, you still have to physically remove water from the aquarium to prevent a buildup of nitrates.

[Hammerstix]

Thank you happycamper for your input. I realize w/fish & turtle excrament that water changes were mandatory, no matter what. I just din't posses a water test kit but continue changing the water every few weeks now vs. multiple times per week prior to the Aquatop.

I love this filter due to less maintenance & price. I haven't messed w/the filter in 2 months. The water remains crystal clear.

I am constantly "re-arranging," things in the tank & the water remains clear; whereas before the Aquatop the water was cloudy for days.

I used to have a loud external AquClear 70 Filter w/an undergravel power system. Now I no longer have the Aquaclear 70 (very loud) but continue to run my unsergravel filter along w/my Aquatop canister filter (very quiet).

[Hammerstix]

1 week ago I opened the filter for the first time since I installed it, late May. I rinsed all filters, carbon, bio balls in the tray. My UV bulb is still glowing, should be good for another 3 months.

I do a 10% water change per week, if that. Sometimes I go several weeks before getting a water change in. When the water doesn't look dirty it's really hard to remember.

I did just reorder new filter pads, ceramic balls& carbon bamboi. Probably will be a few weeks before I'll have to replace the filter media.

I still have no test kit. Looked into it & spoke to several people from various LFS who say there is conflicting info the test kits provide. Hard to get reliable data from them from what I am told. I was assured that if my fish are thriving, which they are, in the same water as my turtle, that the water quality doesn't appear to be anything concerning.

Just wanted to update my thread...I continue to be pleased w/the filters performance.

[Beltic]

Hammerstix - Thanks for making this post. I am just getting to the point that I needed to start looking at a Fluval.. Those are so expensive, and the SunSun/AquaTop seems almost too good to be true. Your posts and updates are helping me make a decision.

So - its now August - hows things since May? Any issues?

[Hammerstix]

Beltic, Im glad it's helping you make a decision about which filter to go with.

I just replaced the filter batting, bio balls & bamboo charcoal. My UV light is still going strong. Replacement for that is recommended every 9 months.

I spend so much less time cleaning the tank then ever before. Im tickled pink!