Top Fin 60 HOB

[tcarswell]

Company
Top Fin
Model
Top fin 60 HOB
Link to product description
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752295
http://i545.photobucket.com/albums/hh367/tcarswell_photo/DSC03236.jpg
Price range
39.99 Seen it for sale once at 35 $ US
Pros
Decent mechanical filtration and the bags hold a lot of carbon. Also you can shut off flow during feeding. Long intake tube reaches to bottom of tank. 300 GPH for cheap. This is a decent filter to use with a good bio filter such as an eheim classic
Cons
NO biological filtration (Or place to add biological filtration). The first one I got (pictured above) Leaked out of the motor compartment. This could have caused a fire. The build quality is trash in my opinion. The second one I got works fine and has since I started using it but this filter simply will not cut it as the only filter on a tank. Being as it only filters mechanically with a cartridge stuffed with carbon. It is also noisy and it varies from filter to filter but all in all its a noisy one. Be warned
Star rating (1-5 with 5 being the best)
2 stars
How long have you used the product?
5 months
Build quality and value for your money.
Terrible build quality. First one leaked out of the energizer compartment. When I went to take it back they said this happens semi often :banhim: They exchanged it for another one. For the money if you get a good one and your only expecting decent mechanical and chemical filtration then I would say its a decent choice. It is however not even close to as efficient as the aqua clear series of power filters.
Other comments

This filter is a good addition to a slower flow canister or a tank that already has good bio. As it turns a lot of water through the cartridges. If your just looking for mechanical and chemical filtration and want a good flow rate its a good value.

I would recommend against it still if you can afford an aqua clear power filter I have 2 aqua clears running they are quieter and have much better mechanical and biological filtration.

Here is a picture of it running
http://i545.photobucket.com/albums/hh367/tcarswell_photo/DSC02036.jpg

[BettaFishMommy]

i have this same filter on my 55 in conjunction with my Rena XP3. it is a little bit noisier than my aquaclears, but i like the range of flow adjustment it has. wouldn't know on the Canadian price for this filter, as it came part of a new tank deal from Petsmart and i didn't look at what it cost by it self.

you can add bio media to it, so that it is not just mechanical filtration. simply open up the white bag part and toss some biomax in there, not enough to stuff the white bag, but you do want to put enough for the bacteria to 'live' on. i did that after shaking out all the carbon and have the flow going at about 75% or so.

just thought i'd add my two cents to this product review.

[Jack1243]

How many gph is it?

[tcarswell]

300.... Search button is your friend

[RodInCALIFORNIA]

whisper 60 filter parts are interchangeable with it I use to have alot of these filters, when I first started out. No they arent the best but they do a decent job if this is what you can afford at the time.

[thorpbrian]

I have two of these on my new 55. They are a bit noisy but work well enough. I like the multiple flow adjustments on them. Personally I have cut fluval sponge media to fit in front of the bio bag for better bio filtration. I also have bags full of peat moss behind the bio bag to help lower ph for my amazon biotope. So these have plenty of space to add bio filtrationl. You could even put bio balls in the reservoir since there is enough room.

While not top of the line these filters server their purpose. I got my 55 running with stand and 600 gph filtration for just under $400 with everything being new. I'm sure I'll get my money's worth out of these as I seem to have not got a leaking model. As with everything if you tank care of these filters they'll last long and you'll get your money's worth.

[Jack1243]

no it isnt.