Odyssea CFS 500 Can-filter review and circumference modification
- Thread starter CWO4GUNNER
- Start date
You used sand in your aquarium that your cat crapped in and pissed? Gunner stretching a dollar i am all for but that is going a bit far for me. I was eating dinner and got sick when I read that 
I'll buy you some clean sand LOL
I'll buy you some clean sand LOL
I gave up speculation and assumptions long ago and prefer to be in the know through research and development. The biggest problem with carbon is that most of the stuff they sell for aquarium use is low grade bituminous carbon and the grit is way to small, good carbon is just not fashionable and main stream but other then that the facts that speak contrary to what some argue is indisputable, why relive it.
As far as trying to make something disgusting out of taking advantage of the ammonia that my cats deposited on stored aquarium sand to cycle my tank, well that is truly the pot trying to call the kettle black, 100 fold.
As far as trying to make something disgusting out of taking advantage of the ammonia that my cats deposited on stored aquarium sand to cycle my tank, well that is truly the pot trying to call the kettle black, 100 fold.
Someone asked me today. "Gunner: since you have both the sunsun and this Odyssea, which one do you think is a better buy?"
For which my answer was:
For the price the Sunsun was hard to beat for stacked basket convenience and Sunsun was a good compromise as an auxiliary filter I could afford fast. Also as far as basket filter design goes I believe the Sunsun is as good if not better then any of the big name brand stacked basket design filters in its class costing hundreds more.
Having said all that, anyone who has read my threads on the superiority of circumference filter technology and design knows that there is really no comparison to circumference filter efficiency and load capacity in both mechanical and bio filtration capability. Add to that the benefit of a bottom submerged pump design over a dry top lid design which is much more difficult to start and keep primed and the choice is clear.
Up until my personal discovery of the CFS500 and its easy mods which turn it into a virtual little brother of the FX5 circumference filter for the price of a Sunsun, the choice for me became obvious. I regret not following my intuition and tested the CFS500 a year ago and saved my self time and money becasue now Ill be replacing both my Mag 350 and Sunsuns with the CFS500 and will need to sell those other filters. With my mods the CFS500 is the 1st 120 gallon capacity circumference filter I have owned that can be changed out in 5 minutes by squeezing out a sponge and tossing OFF and ON a new poly-quilt batting which I believe will show to have substantial polishing (displacing my Mag 250's) and endurance (6 month) capability.
So for me the CFS500 for only $58 shipped with its powerful bottom pump and simple modification making it a circumference powerhouse filter, has changed everything. So when you ask me about comparisons one TV commercial comes to mind. "THIS" being the CFS500 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfJnqbudMzs *Incidentally my 2nd CFS500 arrived yesterday.
For which my answer was:
For the price the Sunsun was hard to beat for stacked basket convenience and Sunsun was a good compromise as an auxiliary filter I could afford fast. Also as far as basket filter design goes I believe the Sunsun is as good if not better then any of the big name brand stacked basket design filters in its class costing hundreds more.
Having said all that, anyone who has read my threads on the superiority of circumference filter technology and design knows that there is really no comparison to circumference filter efficiency and load capacity in both mechanical and bio filtration capability. Add to that the benefit of a bottom submerged pump design over a dry top lid design which is much more difficult to start and keep primed and the choice is clear.
Up until my personal discovery of the CFS500 and its easy mods which turn it into a virtual little brother of the FX5 circumference filter for the price of a Sunsun, the choice for me became obvious. I regret not following my intuition and tested the CFS500 a year ago and saved my self time and money becasue now Ill be replacing both my Mag 350 and Sunsuns with the CFS500 and will need to sell those other filters. With my mods the CFS500 is the 1st 120 gallon capacity circumference filter I have owned that can be changed out in 5 minutes by squeezing out a sponge and tossing OFF and ON a new poly-quilt batting which I believe will show to have substantial polishing (displacing my Mag 250's) and endurance (6 month) capability.
So for me the CFS500 for only $58 shipped with its powerful bottom pump and simple modification making it a circumference powerhouse filter, has changed everything. So when you ask me about comparisons one TV commercial comes to mind. "THIS" being the CFS500 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfJnqbudMzs *Incidentally my 2nd CFS500 arrived yesterday.
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Let me add a few more words to my last post to give balance to my enthusiasm over the CFS500. My enthusiasm is over the results of of the CFS500 performance as a result of my modifications. If your going to use the CFS500 in its stock configuration with the incorrect oversize O-rings that make it very difficult to connect and disconnect and maintain the stock surface surface area of 80 square inches where the top of the filter is only exposed, then in my honest opinion your probubly better off with the Sunsun becasue at least it is mod free ready and has about the same exposed in-line surface area as the CSF500 stock. Also for those that just prefer in-line stacked-basket filters, the Sunsun is the clear choice.
But for those with an elementary understanding of "geometric surface area filtration" and hydraulics, the CFS500 with its modified 300 square inches of surface area, bottom pump design, relative high GPH, and ease of maintenance for $58 make it a very exciting filter for those that can appreciate and MOD it. Like the FX5 this filters industrial roots is not for everyone.
But for those with an elementary understanding of "geometric surface area filtration" and hydraulics, the CFS500 with its modified 300 square inches of surface area, bottom pump design, relative high GPH, and ease of maintenance for $58 make it a very exciting filter for those that can appreciate and MOD it. Like the FX5 this filters industrial roots is not for everyone.
Hi shipmate. My main motivation is always trying to find cost effective improvements to offset tasks to enjoy the fish keeping part of the hobby more then the exercise without compromising anything. The FX5 even at $200 is a chunk-of-change Id rather not part with if I can find a close alternative. While the CFS500 even in its modified state is only 1/3rd as powerful as the FX5 IMO, 1/3rd is far closer then the Sunsun or Magnum 350 comes to that sort pf design performance. The CFS500 is in the same neighborhood as the FX5 for 1/4th the price while all the others Mag350 and Sunsun included are still good filters but in comparison are still on the other side of the tracks and outside that neighborhood IMO.
I had a look at one of these today .... it has no ...repeat ZERO media capacity apart from the sponge. Its basically a large block of foam with the pump stuck in the middle down the bottom. A $5 foam block pond filter would have exactly the same effectiveness as this filter. Modded or not this filters real life bio performance is going to be awful. And the taps are so cheaply made I can see why they break.
You might have liked it Gunner but we thought it was junk and won't be stocking it.
You might have liked it Gunner but we thought it was junk and won't be stocking it.
The gray lid taps as you call them are made to the exact specs as the FX5. You need to read and try to understand the facts in my review including how and why geometric surface area works. Albeit, if not knowing is easier then perhaps your better off not trying to make it work. Roger :thumbsup:, time to move on.
One other thing! People are are getting this canister doing the mod without using the new O-ring and the Orange gate-valves are not fitting. So let me repeat myself again like a have in a few PMs:
The reason why there is a gap is gap between the orange valve and lid ports is because like I specifically pointed out in my review the 2 o-rings on each of the gray lid IN/OUT ports are incorrect and oversize. You can still force the orange valves clasp all the way down past the last O-ring so there is no gap but you run the risk of braking the Orange valve and gray ports especially when you try later to take the Orange valves back off, it will be even more difficult. Read the last few post of my review and find the new O-ring parts number available at Lowes or Home Depot and spend the $1.16 for two packs of 2 proper o-rings. This is the most important part of the MOD, risk using those 4 O-rings wrong size O-rings and risk braking the lid.. I have validated this problem using the FX5 as well, those O-rings are wrong and I have been talking with the vendor to try and get them changed. This has nothing to do with the integrity of the canister just like the the wrong size shoe laces have nothing to do with the shoes. Use the right brain and change them and the problem will disappear like night and day.
One other thing! People are are getting this canister doing the mod without using the new O-ring and the Orange gate-valves are not fitting. So let me repeat myself again like a have in a few PMs:
The reason why there is a gap is gap between the orange valve and lid ports is because like I specifically pointed out in my review the 2 o-rings on each of the gray lid IN/OUT ports are incorrect and oversize. You can still force the orange valves clasp all the way down past the last O-ring so there is no gap but you run the risk of braking the Orange valve and gray ports especially when you try later to take the Orange valves back off, it will be even more difficult. Read the last few post of my review and find the new O-ring parts number available at Lowes or Home Depot and spend the $1.16 for two packs of 2 proper o-rings. This is the most important part of the MOD, risk using those 4 O-rings wrong size O-rings and risk braking the lid.. I have validated this problem using the FX5 as well, those O-rings are wrong and I have been talking with the vendor to try and get them changed. This has nothing to do with the integrity of the canister just like the the wrong size shoe laces have nothing to do with the shoes. Use the right brain and change them and the problem will disappear like night and day.
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