# AquaTop (SunSun) CF400UV vs Eheim 2026 experience



## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

Right off: I'm an Eheim fan with 3 2026 and 3 2075 in use.

I was looking for a new filter to replace an Eheim 2026 on a (over-planted and over-stocked) 40B and decided to give SunSun a shot. The Eheim and Eheim tubing and piping (30" long spray bar) were not cleaned since first installed, about 5 months ago with no apparent flow degradation.

I cleaned the existing tubing and piping and left it in place.

Setting up CF400UV was quick and simple. One small nit was that you can install the media containers and the pump head 2 different ways: but only one will allow it to latch (with Eheim you can do it only 1 way). I had to remove all 3 trays and re-install.

While setting up, it hit me that the mechanical media in CF400 goes on the bottom, while in Eheim it goes on the top. This means that for a quick clean I will have to remove all 3 trays in CF400 (including the biological media) while with Eheim (especially 2027) I just have to replace the top foam.

The priming came next: after 15 mins of pumping I did get the flow going - right on my feet. Turns out the Quick Disconnect was not fully sealed (cannot do this with Eheim). Removed the Quick Disconnect From CF400 - water is now coming from both tubes - turns out you can remove the disconnect with the ball valves partially opened (cannot do this with an Eheim). Ok, I'm an idiot with 2 left hands, but still... Double-checked everything, plugged the disconnect back - got flow with no leaks.

Flow. CF400 is rated at 370 gph, Eheim 2026 is at 250 gph. Same tubing, same piping, just switched the filters: the flow from CF400 does not seem to be any higher then from Eheim 2026. <Scratch head>.

I let the new filter run for 14 hours overnight and then decided to try to improve the flow by removing the white foam from the bottom. Mindfull of my wet experience the previous night, I disconnected the Quick Disconnect making sure that the ball valves are fully closed. No leaks. Good. I pick up the CF400 to take it to the kitchen sink and get several gallons of water all over the floor - apparently the water gushed from the pump head seal. Not good (never happened with Eheim).

Put CF400 in a bucket, remove the foam, back to tank, re-connect - the flow is just about the same.

*My personal conclusions for the moment:*

*Price:*
CF400UV + 1 extra Spray Bar kit + CA tax: $107.73 total 3 days ago
Eheim 2026: $185 total 6 months ago
Eheim 2075: $210 total 2 days ago

Eheims come with all media, CF400 does not (+$28 for 2L Substrat Pro, +$32 for 2L Ehfi Mech) (to keep media across 2 filters consistent).
After additional media, the cost of CF440 is now $167.73, which is $17.27 below Eheim 2026 and $42.27 under Eheim 2075.

*Flow:*
I cannot tell the difference between 370 gph CF400 and 250 gph Eheim 2026

*Build and material quality:*
Eheim's is clearly better

*Ease of operation:*
I'd rather just change top mechanical filter in Eheim than to remove all media buckets from CF400

*Fool-proof Design:*
My pants and my floor are still wet after dealing with CF400. IMHO, the design of CF400 Quick Disconnect is way sub-par

*Bonus Features:*
CF400 has 9w UV (not useful for me)
Eheim 2026 and 2075 have adjustable flow control (very useful to me)

*Long-term reliability:*
2 of my Eheim 2026 have been in continual use for over 10 years now with no issues
CF400 - the jury is still out

*Support*
Without concrete cases, I still expect AquaTop's support to be better then Eheim's

*PERSONAL CONCLUSION:*

Given all of the above, especially my disappointment with no apparent flow advantage, ~$40 extra for Eheim 2075 over CF400 would be money well spent for me personally.


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## WVDiscGolfer (Nov 29, 2011)

Just beginning in the hobby...I have a cf500 on a 55g. It's moderately planted with very few fish at the moment. 

Question:

How often should I clean the mechanical media vs. the bio media? I know to use tank/dechlorinated water.

Thanks!


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## Daximus (Oct 19, 2011)

Nice review! 

I'm sorry you had all those issues getting it primed and whatnot, probably due to the Quick Disconnect not being fully seated. My CF-500 was a one pump operation to prime. I say was because after I made a custom spray bar sometimes now I have to fight with it to prime on occasion (which might have contributed to your issues as well). Never had any leaking issues like you had...I was probably way to nervous with it being my first canister, so I took things really, really slow. 

I have nothing to compare the flow too, but I sort of figured the advertised numbers were quite high given the cost of the unit. A CF-400 would definitely not cut it on my 90, though their specs make it sound as though it could. Glad I disregarded their recommendations and went with the larger CF-500. Again though, you used a custom spray bar...this could have effected it's flow, but I doubt it. I trust your judgement enough to agree it ain't pumping as advertised, I just wish you would have given it the old bucket test. 

Not sure I follow your pricing logic when comparing the media...but then again I'm a cheap fellow who wouldn't dream of spending what you spent on media when quilt batting and pot scrubbers will suffice. Again, different buying habits/priorities for different folks.

Which I think would sum up any official review if the CF-500 if I had done one. You have to know what your getting when you buy an Aquatop. It has some flaws, it's missing some bells and whistles, and it looks like R2D2. It's quirky but functional. Don't expect Dom Pérignon quality when you're on a Kool-Aid budget.


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## youjettisonme (Dec 24, 2010)

Interesting review. I've had the exact opposite experience. It's been 9 months now for me. I have experienced exactly zero leaks, and it has never failed to prime on first attempt. Further still, where my Eheim Pro3 puttered out a little flow wise after only 6 months, forcing me to add extra flow, my SunSun has lost zero steam, still blasting the flow with only two cleanings in all those months. 

I recently bought a 403b (the new model) for my latest 90p, and I'll be happy to report back what I find. Still my personal experience with Eheims have been hit and miss. The classics have never let me down, but two Eccos and a Pro3 have caused plenty of trouble. At the price points offered, I don't expect to switch back unless I start experiencing some of the frustrations you detail in your post.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

So, I have been running this sucker for about a month now and I'm getting a diff issue: the thing barfs air every 1 - 2 mins. I checked and re-tightened all connections with no positive results. It's obviously sucking air from somewhere.

Seeing that the prices went up by about $20, the filter is becoming even less attractive to me.


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## youjettisonme (Dec 24, 2010)

What is the downside of sucking a little air every couple minutes? 

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

Noise, for one.


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## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

Good to see a review from someone with experience with canisters. I guess is many of the _extremely_ glowing reviews come from people who have been using HOB filters.


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## youjettisonme (Dec 24, 2010)

prototyp3 said:


> Good to see a review from someone with experience with canisters. I guess is many of the _extremely_ glowing reviews come from people who have been using HOB filters.


Why would you guess that? I had many Eheims before I ever bought my SunSun. I now own 2. The flow on my 304 is as stellar as the day I bought it. I've still yet to ever have a leak. In regards to flow, I can't say that about any of my Eheims as they have all slowed down, some dramatically, over time. I do love the overall quality of Eheims, but I have also had 2 Eccos fail for no apparent reason. So far, my 403b is on par with the 304. No complaints, no issues, no leaks. 

I have to say that I have experienced the bubble effect that the OP mentions. I get about a second or two of bubbles about every 20 minutes or so. But noise? I can't understand how that would bother anyone. It's a complete non-factor.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

youjettisonme said:


> But noise? I can't understand how that would bother anyone. It's a complete non-factor.


Maybe try it 10 ft away from your bed? With a wife that is a very light sleeper?


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## xxbenjamminxx (Aug 8, 2011)

I have the SunSun 304b (next bigger size) and havent had any issue what so ever with it burping air unless my water level gets low enough to allow the surface skimmer to bottom out and take in air through that. Maybe give that a look?

Im sorry to hear that your not digging the filter and as an owner of a 2075 myself I do agree the mech filter tray on top is nice, but as far as priming, I thought the SunSun was better, and it runs just as quiet as my Eheim does. They are both on the same tank, one on each side, and the Eheim is actually the only one I hear now. It does need a cleaning pretty bad though. 

Hope you get it straightened out though.


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## youjettisonme (Dec 24, 2010)

OVT said:


> Maybe try it 10 ft away from your bed? With a wife that is a very light sleeper?


That makes sense. I live on a busy street corner in a big City so I imagine I'm mostly just immune to any noise. I know that when I visit the in-laws in Tahoe, sometimes it's too quiet for me to sleep.


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## woomdawg (Dec 8, 2011)

I have had my AquaTop CF-400 for two weeks now and I did have the same exact problem as you, but i found that mine was user error I did not have the quick disconnect seated all the way down and got my self a little bit wet when I fired it up. I had a hard time priming but that was user error as well, I had not trimmed all the tubing to the proper length and it had trouble pulling a prime through a loop lol. But once I identified my problems and fixed them this filter has been awesome. I have heard complaints about the intake and spray bar being cheap and flimsy....but really wtf it is not a structeral part no load is placed on top of these parts, I see no problem. for the money I would buy one again.


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## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

youjettisonme said:


> Why would you guess that?


It's based on reading the forums. Many of the SunSun owners clearly say it's their first canister filter.


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## youjettisonme (Dec 24, 2010)

prototyp3 said:


> It's based on reading the forums. Many of the SunSun owners clearly say it's their first canister filter.


Interesting. From all the reading I have done plus the people I know who use them, it has been the exact opposite... Experienced keepers looking for alternatives to the same old stand-byes.

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2


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## Chlorophile (Aug 2, 2011)

youjettisonme said:


> But noise? I can't understand how that would bother anyone. It's a complete non-factor.



:eek5::eek5::eek5::eek5::eek5::eek5::eek5::eek5::eek5:

Haha people have very different priorities. 

Noise... it is the number 1 factor for me, I am a silence enthusiast. 

If my filter was burping air once a minute I would go crazy.

Computer has the quietest fans on the market, and they are undervolted. Computer case is full of padding and baffling. 
Aquariam cabinets also lined in egg shell foam. 
Dense rubber block placed on top of eheim to absorb very mild rattling noise.


I do love this statement though, I am going to put it in my signature...


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## In.a.Box (Dec 8, 2011)

I have to disagreed with ovt.
The only thing ill agreed on is Eheim material quality is better.
I been running my sunsun for months now without any problem.
I sleep at night like a ninja with no sound.

BTW I disagreed with protype as well.
I myself own 4 fx5 on my 500 gallon.

People who having problem with the sunsun 
Are just doing something wrong.


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## youjettisonme (Dec 24, 2010)

In.a.Box said:


> I have to disagreed with ovt.
> The only thing ill agreed on is Eheim material quality is better.
> I been running my sunsun for months now without any problem.
> I sleep at night like a ninja with no sound.
> ...


This is my take exactly. I am pretty sure that just about everyone in my local club who has tried one feels the same way. Eheims put out great quality. SunSun gives you huge bang for your buck. To just say "well, that opinion doesn't count... It must be some neophyte who would have a take like that" is just plain incorrect. 

It feels as if some people have a personal stake in getting the word out that SunSun's are just junk. Hey, more power to you. The more you can get people to believe that, the more Eheims will stay overpriced, and the more SunSuns will stay under-priced. Better for the people who read the directions on the SunSun packaging, get a good seal on their hoses, and grab a great filter at a fraction of what it should cost. 

And the noise? If you are a "noise enthusiast" then by all means, get the quietest unit you can find. I would imagine it would be worth the money for you.


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## In.a.Box (Dec 8, 2011)

about the noise there isn't any.

all im saying is my first sunsun work out great for me and been doing so for month now.
BTW i have not clean the sunsun yet been running since i hook it up. crystal clear water for me and that speak for me. any filter that can do the job of a $200-300 filter is in my book of top filter anyday doesnt matter how the filter is build. 

the material use to build the sunsun is crap not going to lie about that but think again if the material was high grade plastics the sunsun wouldnt be in the range of $50-100.
by using cheap plastics and making the filter work is a smart thing to do. 

if these sunsun can hold up with my fx5 you'll be seeing more sunsun in my fish room.


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## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

I keep reading issues and admissions of poor materials. Well those materials are keeping water off your floor. In my opinion, peace of mind is worth an extra $50. There are other areas to cut costs if budget is a concern. And you shouldn't have to "do it right" with a canister. They should be designed to minimize user error or oversight as much as possible. I don't want to have to baby a piece of equipment because it's poorly constructed. 

I'm not going to tell anyone how to spend their money. But you usually get what you pay for. If the trade offs and cost/quality ratio is acceptable to you, great. I just cringe when I see them recommended as being better than other more time tested brands.


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## Chlorophile (Aug 2, 2011)

I don't own a sunsun so I can't
Comment on it but I will say my eheim 2213 is noisy, my 2211 is quiet, and I question when someone says there is no noise very seriously.
Many people listen to very loud music, have tinnitus at a very young age, etc, and may consider something to be silent that others would find noisy.

I think if the plastics are cheap there will be noise from resonance and vibration.
If there are leaks that's a huge detractor.


The price difference is small in my book, but if ovt's experience is a rare occurrence then there's not much point in paying more.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

I do not own stock in either company and have no interest in promoting one over the other.

In the OP I said that I own 6 eheims. I received a CF400UV and an Eheim 2075 a day apart.

My personal conclusions and my personal experiences are my own. What you do with your money is none of my business.


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## carpalstunna (Mar 22, 2012)

well I have a sunsun showing up on wednesday (not my first canister) so we will see how it does. I doubt very much is lives up to the proposed flow they are saying but thats ok because it will run in tandem with my marineland c-220 basically its brand name twin. And for 50 dollars (what I paid) and I already have the extra media I got free with my marineland. Id say I cant really go wrong. Thanks for some of the tips and tricks though, I will learn from your frustrations.


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## woomdawg (Dec 8, 2011)

So when you all say "sunsun" do you mean aquatop? I could not find sunsun when i was looking for a filter but was under the assumption it was not Aquatop.


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

Yes aquatop and sunsun are the same, however aquatop released a video of knockoffs of their pumps which looked like a sunsun, the supposed difference is the true aquatop has a 3 prong plug. either way, I had a cf500 for quite a while with no issues.

The only thing that ever seemed cheap to me was the spray bar pieces, not a huge deal. however I would like to see reviews on their series of canister I have only seen people use the cf myself included

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2


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## humblepie (Jan 31, 2012)

NWA-Planted said:


> Yes aquatop and sunsun are the same, however aquatop released a video of knockoffs of their pumps which looked like a sunsun, the supposed difference is the true aquatop has a 3 prong plug. either way, I had a cf500 for quite a while with no issues.
> 
> The only thing that ever seemed cheap to me was the spray bar pieces, not a huge deal. however I would like to see reviews on their series of canister I have only seen people use the cf myself included
> 
> Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2



LOL, that 3 prong is a gimmick. I took apart the housing and the ground wire isn't connected to anything. I will state that much at least. Still it works well enough.


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## carpalstunna (Mar 22, 2012)

hooked it up last night. It was a sunsun brand and had a 3 prong outlet, so much for that aquatop. Thanks to the what not to do list I had it hooked up in about 20 minutes. The one pump prime worked fine and it ran super quiet, no leaks. Looks like a got a good one.


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## NWA-Planted (Aug 27, 2011)

humblepie said:


> LOL, that 3 prong is a gimmick. I took apart the housing and the ground wire isn't connected to anything. I will state that much at least. Still it works well enough.


thats a little terrifying! was that on a sunsun or aquatop branded model?

I wish I had the extra money I would like to check out their AT, EF, and DF models to see what difference there is if any

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## y84k (May 31, 2007)

prototyp3 said:


> I keep reading issues and admissions of poor materials. Well those materials are keeping water off your floor. In my opinion, peace of mind is worth an extra $50. There are other areas to cut costs if budget is a concern. And you shouldn't have to "do it right" with a canister. They should be designed to minimize user error or oversight as much as possible. I don't want to have to baby a piece of equipment because it's poorly constructed.
> 
> I'm not going to tell anyone how to spend their money. But you usually get what you pay for. If the trade offs and cost/quality ratio is acceptable to you, great. I just cringe when I see them recommended as being better than other more time tested brands.


I couldn't agree with you more... I'm a big fan of using something that is trusted so I dont end up with 20 gallons of water on my floor and hundrends of dollars of fish dead after coming home one day. Thats worth the extra $50 to me as well. If I ever change what I use now it will be an ehiem... but I just replaced a very old and used Fluval 304 with a 306. It worked perfectly right out of the box and is super quiet.

Like he said, everyone is different and we are all going to disagree with each other til the cows come home, so do your research and buy whatever YOU want :hihi:


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## hbosman (Oct 5, 2006)

Yeah you could ruin hundreds, if not thousands of dollars worth of flooring with a leak. Even with a better quality filter, I think its good to keep the filter in a bucket. It only has to leak once. There are sensors that could be used as well. I would if my aquarium wasn't in the basement. keep those gaskets clean and lubricated.


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## youjettisonme (Dec 24, 2010)

I had a Hydor Inline leak a few weeks ago, dropping 5 gallons on the floor. It doesn't matter a product's reputation... anything can leak. The bucket trick is smart though. I have also kept my Eheim Classics in buckets.


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## samamorgan (Dec 31, 2011)

youjettisonme said:


> It feels as if some people have a personal stake in getting the word out that SunSun's are just junk. Hey, more power to you. The more you can get people to believe that, the more Eheims will stay overpriced, and the more SunSuns will stay under-priced.


From my point of view, it seems just the opposite. You are fighting for something from your singular experience when a multitude of other experiences I have personally read on these forums state some definite quality control issues including: weak plastic, air leaks, seal alignment issues, far less than advertised flow rates, poorly designed disconnects. This doesn't include the end user problems like filter cleaning or media changing. These are actual issues documented by users on these forums and you're implying that they have a personal stake in bashing an obviously inferior product.

Then theres that statement about SunSun being so much cheaper. But as the OP stated, after he bought all the media for his filter, the cist difference was ~$20. Don't go to starbucks or buy that 6 pack of Black Butte Porter (slurp) and you've made up the cost difference. In today's economy, $20 is chump change. And don't give me that crap about $20 being a lot to some people. If $20 is a lot to an aquarist, he's in the wrong hobby. That's probably about half the cost of my average run to the LFS.

Nobody said anything about them being junk. Every post i have seen is saying something along the lines of "Hey, theyve got issues. I'll take my extra $$ and get something i don't have to worry about, and you should too". After all, money you spend is your vote for what product you think should win. Hence why grocery stores still carry wonder bread.


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## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

Yeah, unfortunately you're going to find a few lemons in any brand or product line. It's about risk management though in my opinion.

So when we read about issues with Eheim filters, we need to remember they are sold in every Petco, Petsmart, online retailers, eBay, and local fish stores across the country. When we read about issues with SunSuns, they're sold through an obscure website and eBay. It's a numbers game. 20 bad Eheims out of 1,000,000 are better than 20 bad SunSuns out of 10,000. 



youjettisonme said:


> I had a Hydor Inline leak a few weeks ago, dropping 5 gallons on the floor. It doesn't matter a product's reputation... anything can leak. The bucket trick is smart though. I have also kept my Eheim Classics in buckets.


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## youjettisonme (Dec 24, 2010)

> From my point of view, it seems just the opposite. You are fighting for something from your singular experience when a multitude of other experiences I have personally read on these forums state some definite quality control issues including: weak plastic, air leaks, seal alignment issues, far less than advertised flow rates, poorly designed disconnects. This doesn't include the end user problems like filter cleaning or media changing. These are actual issues documented by users on these forums and you're implying that they have a personal stake in bashing an obviously inferior product.


I am not the one starting a thread just to bash Eheim filters. In fact, I own Eheim filters as they run on 4 of my 6 tanks right now. Also, to say "from your singular experience" is just disingenuous and you know it. There is an entire thread about SunSuns on TPT. It is far from a whine fest either. In fact, people tend to love their SunSuns, and it's not just because of price. What's cheap and flimsy? The spraybars and intake/outake plastic. That stuff is garbage. However, I use my canister filters with glass or acrylic lily pipes so it's a non-factor for me. I don't use the green Eheim pipes either. 

Less than advertised flowrate? This is a WAY larger issue with Eheim than it is with SunSun. In fact, flowrate is the biggest selling point. Search Eheim flowrate on Google and you will have a seemingly infinite amount of complaints. They aren't hard to come by. I get that Eheim is the gold standard, and I keep and like Eheims as well, but they are far from impeccable. 



> Then theres that statement about SunSun being so much cheaper. But as the OP stated, after he bought all the media for his filter, the cist difference was ~$20. Don't go to starbucks or buy that 6 pack of Black Butte Porter (slurp) and you've made up the cost difference. In today's economy, $20 is chump change. And don't give me that crap about $20 being a lot to some people. If $20 is a lot to an aquarist, he's in the wrong hobby. That's probably about half the cost of my average run to the LFS.


The difference between what I bought and what I could have bought was $120 this go around. If that's chump change to you then congratulations. 



> Nobody said anything about them being junk. Every post i have seen is saying something along the lines of "Hey, theyve got issues. I'll take my extra $$ and get something i don't have to worry about, and you should too". After all, money you spend is your vote for what product you think should win. Hence why grocery stores still carry wonder bread.


Every filter has issues and requires maintenance. Just because it says Eheim doesn't mean that you haven't a care in the world.


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## youjettisonme (Dec 24, 2010)

prototyp3 said:


> Yeah, unfortunately you're going to find a few lemons in any brand or product line. It's about risk management though in my opinion.
> 
> So when we read about issues with Eheim filters, we need to remember they are sold in every Petco, Petsmart, online retailers, eBay, and local fish stores across the country. When we read about issues with SunSuns, they're sold through an obscure website and eBay. It's a numbers game. 20 bad Eheims out of 1,000,000 are better than 20 bad SunSuns out of 10,000.


I get that. If prices between an Eheim Pro3 and the SunSun were identical, in this one case I would still buy the SunSun. In most cases? I'd employ your logic and purchase the tried and true. The only reason I write about SunSun at all is because it's one of the rare times when the off-brand, less known merchandise has, for me, outperformed the gold standard. That's the only reason it's noteworthy for me. 

That said, people are notorious for buying a lot of crap and buying it often. Take McDonald's for example. Are they the best hamburger because they have outsold everyone? That's an extreme example and like comparing apples to Buicks, but "most popular" does not always mean best on its face. It's every other factor that counts.


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## zonamav (Feb 27, 2004)

Using expensive and overpriced media in the aquatop calculation doesn't seem fair. 

You could put cheap or diy media in there and come up with a much more appealing price difference with similar performance.

Fwiw, the key for me to avoid leaking with any canister is greasing rings each time I open it. 

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk


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## In.a.Box (Dec 8, 2011)

Why compare filteRs?
There nothing to compare. All filter are build 90% the same and run do the same crack.

I hate people who compare aqueon with aquaclear (hob)
People comparing sunsun with Eheim(canister)

It's all about being smart, play smart. 

Don't matter what kinda of crack you buy there only one rule.
*Handle with care*


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## woomdawg (Dec 8, 2011)

In.a.Box said:


> Why compare filteRs?
> There nothing to compare. All filter are build 90% the same and run do the same crack.
> 
> I hate people who compare aqueon with aquaclear (hob)
> ...


+ 1

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

In.a.Box said:


> ...I hate people who compare aqueon with aquaclear (hob)
> People comparing sunsun with Eheim(canister)
> ...


I can feel the love.
If you have constructive comments useful to other, say it. Otherwise, please keep you hate in a box.


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## BS87 (Apr 9, 2012)

hbosman said:


> Yeah you could ruin hundreds, if not thousands of dollars worth of flooring with a leak. Even with a better quality filter, I think its good to keep the filter in a bucket. It only has to leak once. There are sensors that could be used as well. I would if my aquarium wasn't in the basement. keep those gaskets clean and lubricated.


This is exactly what I will do if i ever "graduate" from a 29G with an aquaclear 50. Stick the canister in a large bucket, and hook it up to a float sensor so if the bucket fills with more than X gallons of water, it shuts the filter off (I'd rather have to replace $$ worth of fish than $$$$$$ worth of flooring, sorry purists).


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## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

BS87 said:


> This is exactly what I will do if i ever "graduate" from a 29G with an aquaclear 50. Stick the canister in a large bucket, and hook it up to a float sensor so if the bucket fills with more than X gallons of water, it shuts the filter off (I'd rather have to replace $$ worth of fish than $$$$$$ worth of flooring, sorry purists).


Killing the power to the filter won't stop the leak. Your tank will continue to drain until it reaches the strainer of the intake which will break the siphon.


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## BS87 (Apr 9, 2012)

prototyp3 said:


> Killing the power to the filter won't stop the leak. Your tank will continue to drain until it reaches the strainer of the intake which will break the siphon.


Well then, this is why I haven't "graduated" yet. Clearly some more learning to do since I haven't even understood the basics of operation! :icon_frow


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## Chrome (Feb 26, 2012)

prototyp3 said:


> Killing the power to the filter won't stop the leak. Your tank will continue to drain until it reaches the strainer of the intake which will break the siphon.


That's why you always drill a small hole in both intake and return lines just below the water surface. small hole is all it takes to break the siphon.


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## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

Chrome said:


> That's why you always drill a small hole in both intake and return lines just below the water surface. small hole is all it takes to break the siphon.


Have you personally done this? Priming isn't an issue where sumps are used and this is typically done to the return line. I don't think having an open hole high on the intake tube would make priming fun..


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## hbosman (Oct 5, 2006)

prototyp3 said:


> Have you personally done this? Priming isn't an issue where sumps are used and this is typically done to the return line. I don't think having an open hole high on the intake tube would make priming fun..


I haven't done this either. I should. It would just be a matter of adding enough water in the tank to cover the holes though, I think.


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## hbosman (Oct 5, 2006)

I like my Rena XP2. The media is square so I can easily cut my own. No issues trying to pull the trays apart. Alot of the parts are the same with other XP models. I've been using since 2004 and yes I had a leak once. The bucket it sits in was full and water over flowed onto the carpet. Rena's can leak past the o rings in the quick disconnect if they get too dirty, old, brittle etc. So I remember to put vasoline on the o rings anytime I service the filter. Anyway, point being, ALL filters can leak and... will eventually. Generally, they all use similar soft plastics for O rings and gaskets. O rings and gaskets have to be cleaned and lubricated or, they will leak. Spending an extra $70.00 for an Eheim or Rena won't prevent that.


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## Chrome (Feb 26, 2012)

prototyp3 said:


> Have you personally done this? Priming isn't an issue where sumps are used and this is typically done to the return line. I don't think having an open hole high on the intake tube would make priming fun..


Yes
I use a small piece of tape, or some other object that fits the hole to seal it. once its up and running, remove the seal.


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## jomari (Mar 29, 2010)

Chrome said:


> Yes
> I use a small piece of tape, or some other object that fits the hole to seal it. once its up and running, remove the seal.


can you explain just a tad more on this by chance? 

is it above the water line or below water? id love to see this work on my setup as well just in case. not a bad idea by the way. thank you!


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## Chrome (Feb 26, 2012)

A small hole below the water line. If you have leak, the hole allows air to enter and thus breaks the siphon. You take the risk of burning up your pump if you have a leak or don't pay attention to your water level. But if you have a leak, You will save most of your carpet or floors because only about 3-4 gallons of water will drain before the siphon breaks vs half your tank volume. If everything is running fine though, as long as you keep an eye on your water level, everything should be fine.

To prime it, just find something to seal the hole air tight, I have used tape, lids of pens, little rubber cones, anything small enough to fit the hole and still seal it. once primed, you just remove it for normal operation.


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## jomari (Mar 29, 2010)

thank you very much for the great advice, 

so, pardon my ignorance... but do you do it on BOTH the intake and out as well? 

i love that you can fix it afterwards with a good 'seal' like you mentioned...

absolute genius.

thank you again for the tip...


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## HunterX (May 19, 2012)

Does anyone know where to get replacement parts for the AQUATOP CF400?
I bought two from someone off of plantedtank.net. When they came both UV Bulbs were broken and the second was missing all the plumbing. Basically it only came with the canister. The box was pretty beat up so I think the plumbing might have fallen out of the box during delivery. 

I need to order everything for it except the filter.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

http://www.truaqua.com/


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