AQUATOP Canister Filters

I was wondering if anyone has used Aquatop equipment before? I haven't had much luck finding reviews about their canisters. The cost is cheap and I know there is a saying "You get what you pay for". I was hoping someone had some insight on their products and could share with me the experience they had, good or bad.

I was more interested in their line of canister filters, the have UV filtering in them and that is a feature I have not seen in canister systems.

I found this video about the filters...

I have one that I bought off of e-bay, 3 stage, no uv, for about 40.00 + 16 shipping. When I bought mine it was named sunsun.

I love it, it is quiet,, you can put anything you want in it for filter media, it has very little room for water to by-pass. Mine has been running for 4 months this time without any filter maintinance and is still running strong, it is on a tank with about 12 brichardi and 3 groups of fry.

my only complaint is the handles on the baskets are a little flimsy, but for the price I can live with it.

I would buy this before I would buy another HOB.

my buddy in new orleans has bought many of them and really likes them.. yes definitely super price on ebay...

Wonderful, thanks guys for your replies! I thought this looked good, but I couldn't find any real world reviews.

Hey! Any luck with the AquaTop Canister Filters?
The CF Series is a good choice. Quiet and man...... the CF500-UV puts out 525 GPH. That is a serious canister!
People have tried this SunSun canister before but AquaTop has made improvements to the main shell, motor and O-Rings. They even upgraded the Input and Output fittings. I have one running in my office and it kicks butt. Plenty of room for filtration media. Let me know if you got one and what you think.

Hi - I work for Aquatop and enjoy seeing the positive responses for our canister filters. If anyone has specific technical questions regarding our products please feel free post something.

Would you like to become a sponsor?

I've been seeing these in eBay and thinking of getting one. They seem to have good reviews

MAG wrote:

Hi - I work for Aquatop and enjoy seeing the positive responses for our canister filters. If anyone has specific technical questions regarding our products please feel free post something.

I am new to this forum so if I step on any ones toes I am sorry cuz I don't really know how all this works yet and I'm not a whiz at computers so again I am sorry! I wanted to make a comment about the Aqua Top 300 Canister Filter. I have had mine for four months and I have been very happy with it until today and that's when I not only read the fine print but also it stopped working properly. The Canister was so quiet until today when it sounded like the motor was just humming and the water was NOT coming out of the spray bar. To make a long story short I took it completely apart from top to bottom since the warranty is worthless and cleaned it out well though it wasn't dirty and the impeller was making noise. I put the impeller back in and tested it and there was no noise but after awhile some of the noise returned and I also noticed that the flow strength was about half. The spray bar turned into a dribble bar and so far that's the best it will do.
As far as the warranty goes 15 days give me a break and then everything back in the box with original packing with instructions and packing slips as well as a restocking fee of 15% and we get to pay the shipping cost as well with the RA # attached so in my mind what all this means is it gives Aqua Top any excuse to either not take it back or charge the consumer approx 1/2 what he paid for it in the first place just to get another one if it stops working properly in a reasonable amount of time and to me 4 months isn't long for a filter, any filter.
If this person who works for Aqua Top has any insight to why the warranty is so lame I would like to know wh, if Aqua Top Canister is such a great product, which I did like it for 4 months while it was working properly and the other thing I would appreciate an answer to is why did I lose 1/2 my flow through the canister and why is the impeller so noisy all of the sudden and and is the partly the reason for water flow through the canister filter?
Thank you in advance for your time and cooperation in helping me to resolve these issues with Aqua Top.

PS. You must realize that customers do have questions and problems with products on the weekends too and it would be nice to have someone there on the weekends to answer the phone when a customer does call and have an issue especially with a filter like me cause I have a lot of money invested in my fish and I would hate to lose them over a cheap canister filter that the company portrays as a good one and then not being able to talk with someone to help resolve my issues On The Weekend as well.As you know, Problems with fish aren't just for Monday through Friday any more.

Iron Bear

thanks iron bear for sharing that info. i have really been thinking bout getting one, and now i think i will hold off and get one that has been around for a while.

IronBear,

The AquaTop's Canister Filter is warrantied for six months. Did you read your manual by chance. On the back of my manual it explains AquaTop's warranty.

The 'lame' warranty you are discussing here sounds like the vendor's return policy from where you made your original purchase. Did you buy from Amazon.com, PetMountain.com, possible TruAqua.com? Restocking fees are not uncommon, especially with 4 month old used equipment.

In regards to loosing half of your flow rate, is your impeller shaft broken? are the gromits worn out that hold the impeller assembly in place? Your problem seems to be with the impeller. I am pretty handy with aquarium equipment let me know if I can help you.

I have bought 2 more of the aquatops and like them much better then my Fluval 305.

I've heard pretty good things about these but I don't know if the UV works great or not. In order for a UV to be effective water has to move through it very slowly if it does not then the UV is worthless (It would be like going tanning everyday for 1 minute, it's pointless and not effective), and in order to kill parasites in their free floating stage such as Ich then the UV has to move water through it at an even more specific rate. So while the canister filter itself may be good (which is what I have heard) the UV may not be. In order to know how well the UV works we need to know how much water the UV pushes through it per hr.

TheGodParticle wrote:

I've heard pretty good things about these but I don't know if the UV works great or not. In order for a UV to be effective water has to move through it very slowly if it does not then the UV is worthless (It would be like going tanning everyday for 1 minute, it's pointless and not effective), and in order to kill parasites in their free floating stage such as Ich then the UV has to move water through it at an even more specific rate. So while the canister filter itself may be good (which is what I have heard) the UV may not be. In order to know how well the UV works we need to know how much water the UV pushes through it per hr.

I gotta say this and it is with the utmost respect, you are wrong in many ways and are offering misleading information.

I am super glad you know a little more than the Average Joe in regards to UV Sterilization but you are missing many parts to this equation. UV Sterilization is not nearly as simple as you are making it out to be. In fact, it is far more detailed science than most know.

Alrighty, less first discuss a what qualifies a UV Bulb to be a UV Bulb and their uses in regards to aquarium keeping. We'll get to flow rate.... Promise. Flow Rate is directly related to Wattage of the UV Bulb. More Watts = More GPH

To qualify as a UV Bulb or to be considered a germicidal grade bulb, it will fall somewhere between 30,000 μw/cm² and 90,000 μw/cm². In aquarium keeping we use UV Sterilizers for two purposes; clarification and sterilization of fresh and saltwater aquariums. To keep it short, clarification would be killing algae spores, and sterilization would be killing bacteria and parasites.

The following examples are based off of an 8 watt bulb.
UV Bulbs are available in many different wattages. I have seen them for sale up to 1200 watts which take 52,000 GPH

Clarification
A UV Bulb at 30,000 μw/cm² whether applied to fresh or saltwater aquarium should take care of all you algae killing needs. Algae spores are pretty easy to kill.

Freshwater Example
8 watt unit @ 30,000 μw/cm²
Max Flow Rate @ 1000ish GPH
Capacity up to 1500 gallons

Saltwater Example
8 watt unit @ 30,000 μw/cm²
Max Flow Rate @ 640ish GPH
Capacity up to 70 gallons

So here we have some difference. The capacity is less when applied to a saltwater aquarium. That is because there is more stuff within the water column :) and we need better contact.

Sterilization - here is where it can get a little tricky

Freshwater Example
8 watt unit @ 30,000 μw/cm²
Max Flow Rate @ 640ish GPH possibly even higher
Capacity: 5 - 200 gallons

Saltwater Example (FISH ONLY SYSTEMS)
8 watt unit @ 75,000 μw/cm² to 90,000 μw/cm² will work best
Max Flow Rate @ 200ish & 250ish respectively
Capacity: 70 gallons

Saltwater Example (REEF SYSTEMS)
8 watt unit @ 30,000μw/cm² to 45,000 μw/cm² will work best (Otherwise you risk killing your planktonic food supply, that would suck!)
Max Flow Rate @ 640ish & 420ish respectively
Capacity: 70 gallons

So all in all UV Sterilization is not for the weak. No pun intended.
It is a great preventative tool and works for killing algae and if you wanna get tech with it kills much more.

If anyone has further questions I would be more than happy to go into further details.
What parasite needs this spectrum at this flow rate or to kill this bacteria we need this spectrum at this flow rate can be discussed at a later time or upon request.

MY NUMBER ONE RECOMMENDATION
BE CAREFUL OF PEOPLE WHO SPEW INFORMATION WITHOUT SPEWING ACTUAL NUMBERS.
USUALLY THIS MEANS THE INFO SHARED DOES NOT HAVE BACKING.

One more thing to be noted since I spewed as well

In regards to sterilization;
Flow Rate will decrease at the μw/cm² increases. More contact time is need to permeate said bacteria or parasite.
Algae has super thin cell walls and is easily penetrated by UV Light, so they killing algae or clarifying requires less contact time then say something with a thicker exoskeleton which will require more contact time through means of a slower flow.

Lol, I wasn't wrong in anyway at all. I made a generalized statement that was exactly correct and your specs proved exactly what I was saying... The effectiveness of a UV sterilizer depends on the flow rate and what you want done with it. I just didn't go into as mush detail as you. Nor was I misleading anybody, nor do I have a product to try and sell.... Thanks, come again!

I am really learning some Great Stuff Today!!!!! I love the Fish Box!!!!

TO:
TheGodParticle
Corporal/Specialist

I have dealt with fish people like you my entire life.
You still have yet to state any numbers or specs.

"In order for a UV to be effective water has to move through it very slowly if it does not then the UV is worthless"
Wow! How open-ended & wrong could this quote be????

"In order to know how well the UV works we need to know how much water the UV pushes through it per hr."
And this quote!!! No duh! what about the kill rate per square cm of a specific bulb.
And algae versus bacteria or parasites or a virus perhaps? Do you even know what μw/cm² means or how it is is applicable?

You call yourself a specialist? Is that because you have breed a clownfish? I bet money your are busy try to brush up on your UV knowledge.

I'll give you a head start; http://www.aquaultraviolet.com/

And for anyone else who is reading this, do your homework. Do not listen to self-proclaimed fish gurus who have kept maybe a few aquariums in there time. Listen to fact and seek reputable authors of fish books.

Support hard work & research thourgh purchasing literature and you wont have to be bogged down by a guy who calls himself TheGodParticle or refers to himself as the Corporal/Specialist.

Easy everyone we are here to learn. As for TheGodPartical being a corporal specialist its just a rank system based on posts in the forum. You BioTopic are ranked as a private. It doesn't mean anything other than that. Thanks for the helpful tips and detailed backing. As said we are all here to help and learn.

TO:
TheGodParticle
Corporal/Specialist

"In order for a UV to be effective water has to move through it very slowly if it does not then the UV is worthless"
Hmmm.... what about asking, "what is the application?"
Hmmm.... what about the kill dosage of the bulb? μw/cm² ring any bells?
Oh yeah, do not forget flow rate!!! Geez-us man, c'mon!
How about just for killing algae? Does the flow rate really matter? No discussion from you in regards to cell wall thickness of algae compared to skeletal structure or C. irritans or I. multifilis. Do you even know which is marine versus fresh?

"In order to know how well the UV works we need to know how much water the UV pushes through it per hr."
Well I guess we could always look up the specs of a unit. I am assuming from your limited knowledge and lack of experience you didn't even check the flow rate or the wattage of the bulb in regards to the said unit your were bashing. DO YOUR HOMEWORK before you decided to play ball with the pros. It takes maybe 3 minutes to get this info online. And you shot off your mouth with no knowledge, that happens to be easily attained via the internet, which you were using as you decided to spew your mouth.

I am here to correct bad info and for those who want to learn.

Back to my NewCastles.

How about appropriately ranking people not for fun but for their actual knowledge?
That seems logical.
Otherwise you might be misleading newbies or newcomers to your forum.

Is there any liability disclosure for this forum? For example, if I listen to someone on this site and my house burns down because I was told a drip-loop isn't important?

BioTopic wrote:

How about appropriately ranking people not for fun but for their actual knowledge?
That seems logical.
Otherwise you might be misleading newbies or newcomers to your forum.

Is there any liability disclosure for this forum? For example, if I listen to someone on this site and my house burns down because I was told a drip-loop isn't important?

First off the site is ran by the Admin, that would be the person to ask. If you took anything you heard off a forum and listened to it I am sure that would be your choice. What is expressed here on the forum is suggestions and experiences. I'm glad you know a lot about the UV sterilizers and Maybe a whole lot more, please share them with us but don't Bash USAFishbox or the members, I mean really a liability disclosure???? What forum has one???

I apologize for the forum disclosure thing. That was inappropriate. I was just trying to make my point. Bad advice can lead to bad things.

I apologize for "bashing" USAFishbox.
That is did not mean.

But I should be allowed to bash members and their opinions.
Especially if they are misleading or straight up wrong.
Members are allowed to bash products even if they do not own them, "...nor do I have a product to try..."
So I feel I should be able to "bash" members for inappropriately bashing. I have seen no corrective measure to right the wrongs of TheGodParticle/Corporal/Specialist.

CORRECTION:

I apologize for "bashing" USAFishbox.
That is did not mean.

I apologize for "bashing" USAFishbox.
That I did not mean. I should have worded that differently.

Again I apologize.

Sorry to the OP
As it stands I'm sure you both get the point , we are all here to learn about the hobby, We always encourage questions and debates on topics! After My post about rankings, we should of been back on track, The laundry has aired out...
I encourage you Bio Topic to create a new thread about UV and inform us on the subject in more detail.