Aquatop CF400UV for $17

**reflexhunter** · 06-12-2012, 11:47 PM

Just set up one on a 29g, seems to work pretty well. I like the spray bar, being able to have one half pointing up and on down is kinda cool.

They rate this filter for a 125? I don't think it has enough umph for that, maybe two or three lol

Aboutnthe only problem I had was trying to figure out how to set up the media, I have never owned a top motor canister so was a little unsure. I put the sponge on the bottom with some leftover sponge from another filter then stuffed the next try with pot scrubbies I think I put 16 in there, on the last tray I used the pads it came with and one piece of batting on the top, I guess that's right it just seems backwards to me.

Super quite filter though, and the uv light is just a added bonus, don't know if it will really do any good, but I guess it can't hurt.

**Neatfish** · 06-12-2012, 11:49 PM

Can someone get a pic of this installed?

**fshfanatic** · 06-12-2012, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by Neatfish

I'm not sure if the water flow is adjustable but I don't see how it could hurt to have a good size filter for a little tank. Well if I do install it I'm going to have one clean looking 10g.

Sure it will work. But if you cant throttle the flow down you are going to blow the fish out of the tank.

**allaboutfish** · 06-13-2012, 12:09 AM

i dont think the flow is strong enough for me. my 2 cascades rated half of this put out a lot more but it was only 17.00 so i guess i cant complain.

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**sora1600** · 06-13-2012, 12:21 AM

Originally Posted by allaboutfish

i dont think the flow is strong enough for me. my 2 cascades rated half of this put out a lot more but it was only 17.00 so i guess i cant complain.

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Do you have the spray bar on? I have a lot of flow on mine but I do not have the spray bar on. Just one of the angle parts. My loaches love it and swim against the current.

The filter is quiet but not as quiet as my Eheim.

I wouldn't use this filter on a 10 gallon if your fish prefer slow, moving water. My loaches even have a hard time swimming near the output.

**allaboutfish** · 06-13-2012, 12:26 AM

Originally Posted by sora1600

Do you have the spray bar on? I have a lot of flow on mine but I do not have the spray bar on. Just one of the angle parts. My loaches love it and swim against the current.

The filter is quiet but not as quiet as my Eheim.

I wouldn't use this filter on a 10 gallon if your fish prefer slow, moving water. My loaches even have a hard time swimming near the output.

yea i have the spray bar on.

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**reflexhunter** · 06-13-2012, 12:31 AM

I took the spray bar off for a bit to adjust the spray bar so the elbow was at the top of the tank, it blew all the sand off the bottom of the glass, so I guess it loses a little going down the spray bar but it still has decent flow.

Time will tell on how well it filters.

**fshfanatic** · 06-13-2012, 1:15 AM

Originally Posted by reflexhunter

Aboutnthe only problem I had was trying to figure out how to set up the media, I have never owned a top motor canister so was a little unsure. I put the sponge on the bottom with some leftover sponge from another filter then stuffed the next try with pot scrubbies I think I put 16 in there, on the last tray I used the pads it came with and one piece of batting on the top, I guess that's right it just seems backwards to me.

It really depends on what media you decide to use.

Since it pull water from the bottom to the top, I would do as follows and I am assuming it has three trays from the picture on the box:

Bottom: Ceramic Noodles and a course filter pad
Middle: Chemical filtration or Bio media
Top Bio media topped off with more batting or fine filter pads for polishing.

Now, I would not run that UV all the time. I would only use it when I needed it, say green water, bacteria bloom for for treating ich.

**Nepherael** · 06-13-2012, 6:59 AM

AAF that's interesting to hear. I have my spray bar right on top of my cascade spray bar and there is a lot more flow coming from this filter (the cascade is a 700). That could be because of the size of the spray bar though. Since its rated at a higher gallonage thanmy cascade I'm considering switching the spray bars if at all possible or maybe just taking the spray bar off my cascade and using it like a power head.

Platy that is hilarious to me. We have a garden tub and a stand up shower and the garden tub (which we've never used once even though I keep wanting too) isacked with fish stuff. It's where we fill buckets for a water change and put moved gravel and other decor and stuff that we aren't using lol. Makes me feel better to know I'm not the only one

**Nepherael** · 06-13-2012, 7:02 AM

Originally Posted by fshfanatic

It really depends on what media you decide to use.

Since it pull water from the bottom to the top, I would do as follows and I am assuming it has three trays from the picture on the box:

Bottom: Ceramic Noodles and a course filter pad
Middle: Chemical filtration or Bio media
Top Bio media topped off with more batting or fine filter pads for polishing.

Now, I would not run that UV all the time. I would only use it when I needed it, say green water, bacteria bloom for for treating ich.

It tells you to put the sponges in the bottom. That's where your mech filtration will be if I'm not mistaken. Don't hold me to it because I'm not a genius about can filters I'm just saying that's what the directions said. Said sponges on the bottom, carbon in the middle, bio media on top but I'm not going to use carbon so I'll be doing two trays of biomedia

Edit: just read what you wrote a little closer and it sounds good actually. Sounds like the right way to go, I must not've read clse enough. I think for the bottom I would have a coarse and fine sponge though for more mech filtration at the start so not too much gunk gets in the rest