Is this canister filter good?
- Thread starter gustavo85
- Start date
I've been using the 302 for about 8-10 months now with no problems. As previously suggested, you'll need to add more filter media other that what's provided. I've found a few things that work very well. For the main filtration I use poly-fill that can be found at Walmart. It's the stuff you would use to stuff pillows or teddy bears. I also use two thin high density pads bought from the LFS to catch finer particles. Lastly I use some porous ceramic rings and porous rock for bio filtration. It all works together very well. The majority of the filth will be caught in the poly-fill. It's so cheap that I just through it away whenever I change the media (once every couple months). A few people have noted that the bottom basket gets stuck. I have the same issue but it isn't really that big of a problem. I put all my bio media in the bottom basket (porous material). The porous material isn't really designed to filter out much debris so I don't typically remove the bottom basket as there isn't much sitting in the bottom of the filter any ways. After removing the dirty poly-fill I simply but the basket back into the cannister and stuff it full of new poly-fill and rinse out the polishing pads. Lubricate the rubber seals and critical parts every now and then and you should be fine. Well worth the money.
This filter will match the rest of the "HIGH End" filters on the market. Fluval, Rena, Ehiem..and it will save you a lot of money.
Going to be buying one when I upgrade to a 75gallon myself.
My fluval 305 is pretty good. Does a great job filtering but it is just on a 50 gallon along side a cascade 300. I don't think I would put it on a bigger tank myself.
Tell us how you like the sunsun. Maybe even do your own review about.
Tell us how you like the sunsun. Maybe even do your own review about.
CWO4GUNNER
USN/USCG 1974-2004 Weps
I have two perfectly functioning Fluval 404/405 that are currently on my project table. I can tell you that in their stock configuration they are probubly the worst designed filter with respect to basket and sponge media configuration design that I have every seen, bypassing up to 60% of unfiltered water strait through the canister. Even the impeller housing is designed for by pass.
My 1st Modification was to create easy connect adapters to the impeller housing and canister body to allow the use of standard 12x5 inch pleated micron cart filters which drastically increased effective filtration considerably. However as simple and effective as that mod was I found a micron polisher requires much more frequent bleach baths every 4 to 6 weeks, in addition a micron polisher on the floor rather then as an easy accessible HOB (Mag 250) made frequent cleaning more of a hassle then a help IMO. I want at least 3 to 5 months with 75% GPH endurance with outstanding filtration performance and the black Poly batting's to prove it.
So I have been slowly piecing together my 2nd Fluval 404/405 Mod which totally eliminates the sponge and sponge slot and the entire canister minus 1 inch is completely occupied by a custom made plastic mesh basket that will be capable of holding course media on the inside and poly batting on the outside 360 degrees, top and bottom. Similar in concept to the Magnum 350 but far larger, effective, and simple to use. The impeller housing will also have a much better ring seal that will prevent bypass around the impeller housing. In the end plastic mesh baskets will simple screw on and off for chnage out replacement and Poly-batting change out without the whole "hazardous waste cart bleach-chem-bath routine" the repeated exposure of which to my lungs hands and face membranes on a routine bases has gotten really old even with the with the Mag 250. Sounds silly but as a former level 1 HAZMAT responder and coordinator I can tell you that this type of hands on physical exposure to bleach is not good, sooner or later you run a much higher risk of just 1 cell mutation followed by cancer, then when not exposed on a routine bases. Anyway that will be finished behind a few other projects I'm currently juggling.
OH and to the PO I say, if the convenient and familiar use of stacked basket canister filters is most important to you, then the Sunsun HW302 is your top filter.
My 1st Modification was to create easy connect adapters to the impeller housing and canister body to allow the use of standard 12x5 inch pleated micron cart filters which drastically increased effective filtration considerably. However as simple and effective as that mod was I found a micron polisher requires much more frequent bleach baths every 4 to 6 weeks, in addition a micron polisher on the floor rather then as an easy accessible HOB (Mag 250) made frequent cleaning more of a hassle then a help IMO. I want at least 3 to 5 months with 75% GPH endurance with outstanding filtration performance and the black Poly batting's to prove it.
So I have been slowly piecing together my 2nd Fluval 404/405 Mod which totally eliminates the sponge and sponge slot and the entire canister minus 1 inch is completely occupied by a custom made plastic mesh basket that will be capable of holding course media on the inside and poly batting on the outside 360 degrees, top and bottom. Similar in concept to the Magnum 350 but far larger, effective, and simple to use. The impeller housing will also have a much better ring seal that will prevent bypass around the impeller housing. In the end plastic mesh baskets will simple screw on and off for chnage out replacement and Poly-batting change out without the whole "hazardous waste cart bleach-chem-bath routine" the repeated exposure of which to my lungs hands and face membranes on a routine bases has gotten really old even with the with the Mag 250. Sounds silly but as a former level 1 HAZMAT responder and coordinator I can tell you that this type of hands on physical exposure to bleach is not good, sooner or later you run a much higher risk of just 1 cell mutation followed by cancer, then when not exposed on a routine bases. Anyway that will be finished behind a few other projects I'm currently juggling.
OH and to the PO I say, if the convenient and familiar use of stacked basket canister filters is most important to you, then the Sunsun HW302 is your top filter.
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What i do to help reduce bypass is lightly stuff the remaining open space of the filter baskets with Poly-Fil. works like a charm. the bottom basket is just Poly-Fil, second basket is Eheim Ehfisubstrat Pro with the stock filterpads. Third (top) basket is Ehfisubstrat Pro and Quilt Batting for Polishing. mine has been up and running since July and ive yet to fully clean it out. all ive done is replace to bottom media about once a month to keep the debris from building up and breaking down too much. everything is fine and dandy still 
CWO4GUNNER
USN/USCG 1974-2004 Weps
Otherwise for $7 more and a couple mods that are so simple it takes the same skill and time as flossing your teeth. Im talking about the filter in the link below that is far and away outstanding compared to the Sunsun or any other clone or name-brand inline basket canister for that matter. In Mechanical, biological, polishing and endurance, this filter simply blows the "stacked basket top motor canister" completion away with both barrels IMHO.
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=239484
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=239484
