SunSun vs Fluval vs EHEIM

I currently have been using AC 110 & AC 300 (old AC 70) HOB filters for my 75 G & 120 G I am currently setting up. I am thinking about adding a canister to my tanks as well for more filtration.

I have observed several canister debates. This my take away from the debates. Fluval is a forward thinking hi tech company that makes good stuff but, it is fancy & over priced( FX6 / FX5 / G6 / G3). I also observe people saying the Fluval stuff breaks down from time to time & you come home to leaks or puddles on the floor( G3 & G6). This seems to occur during power failures. To be honest I fell in love with the Fluval G3 when I saw it first come out a few years ago. I was planning to purchase one back then but held off because of the price & lack of long term user reviews.

The EHEIM observation is that is basic no thrills stuff that seems to work and is very reliable. I don't see EHEIM users complaining as much as I see Fluval users complaining. The EHIEM stuff just seems boring. I mean that in a good way. You normally see the same models for sale year after year. You don't really see them taking about new technology like Fluval. It seems as if they are saying " if it is not broke, then don't fix it". That being said I still like that Fluval is always pushing boundaries.

My last observation is that SunSun users seem to be the happiest. They did not spend nearly as much money as the Fluval or EHIEM users but believe they got a great value for their money. I have observed SunSun users saying just be careful when you handle the canister because the build quality is not as robust or high quality as the other canisters so if you mishandle it, it is easy to break one of the parts. SunSun seems to work best for experienced canister users who don't need instruction because the instructions you get with your canister are awful. SunSun users also seem to use their own home made media options. SunSun users seem happy because of the strong value they get, inexpensive price, easy priming, and UV sterilizer. Even if SunSun users broke a part they could order a whole new canister and still have paid less than someone who purchase a Fluval or EHIEM.

Please let me know if my observations are on track. It was not my intention to offend any users of any brand of canister. I am asking the question to get some guidance before I kick out my $$$$$. I have been very happy with my AC HOB filters. I just know I am pushing it with 75g and 120g tanks being pushed to the max with fish. I love my ACs because they last for years and if I need to I can purchase just the part needed to fix the unit and not a whole new unit. I also like that the parts are easy to purchase. LFS often have them in stock and you can get them even cheaper on eBay or Amazon. I am looking for the same thing in a canister if I go that route. Please share your advice with me. Thanks in advance.




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I've used every AC model, Fluval 200, 300, 400 and FX6, Eheim 2213, 2215, 2217, eco. (spread out over the last dozen years). All of my tanks are typically "overstocked" at any given time.

AC110-(or any model): bullet proof, not much else to say. I think I've replaced one impeller? They really seem suited to be dedicated mechanical filters.

Eheims: All around good filters, never had one break. I once ran one for 18 months straight without taking it apart... granted the flow was next to nothing but it never burned out. The catch is that they have relatively low water turn over for the price and you really need multiple canisters for anything 75g plus. Which is annoying and expensive.

Fluval 200,300,400's, never had one break, similar in performance to the standard eheims but again you need multiple canisters and for that reason I got rid of all of them and got an FX6.

FX6: Fantastic, simple, huge, crazy flow rates, easy to clean, PAIN IN THE A$$ to get started after cleaning. In the end its worth it but every single time I break down this filter I have to take it all apart 5 times to get it running again. Fill every tray with bio and use another filter for your mechanical or the flow rates will drop annoyingly fast.

All that being said I personally will never purchase another big name filter besides the AC110 or 70 and even then I'd go used. I've officially converted to the Holy Church of Dump/Overhead Filters.

Maybe if I'm ever rich I'll buy an Eheim 2262 or the holy grail of canister filters, an Ultima series.

Oh and don't rule out sponge filters... what a mistake I made laughing at those goofy bubbling sponges for so long.

Robert, thanks for sharing your experiences. Since you do not want to spend big $$$$ have you considered SunSun? They seem to be a inexpensive knock off that works very well. If you have not heard of them check them out on Amazon. Just put SunSun canister in the search. The person who told me about them lives in our area. He has been using one for about 2 years with no issues. He is the 2nd person I personally know who has one and has the highest praise them considering the inexpensive price he paid for it. Also to get clarification are you now saying that unless you where you where getting something big like a FX6, you would just stick with your AC 110s instead of the smaller canisters that require multiple units to cover the tank?


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I had my SunSun for over a year now and it is died quit big deep media trays the spray bar and the intake are a little thin but the canister body is made very good I paid $60 for mine w/uv and I think it's as good as and Eheim. Go on youtube and you can see all about the SunSun and see for youself if you will like one or not

I have a couple of the Hydor Professional canisters and have had zero major issues so far. Come with lots of big baskets, tubing, spray bar if you want that instead of the regular output. One of them even pumps through a sizable tmc vectron uv sterilizer without too significant a drop in flow. It's downright filthy when I open it up to clean too. Nice and quiet too.

Thanks for sharing Karen. What SunSun model are you using? Also what formula or ratio did you use when selecting the model you purchased? For example did you do the straight GPH to your tank or did you do 2x or 3x times the GPH to your tank?


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jy731 thanks for sharing. I have recently been seeing an increase in Hydro products & advertising. Based in the advertising, packaging & products that I have seen it gives off a high quality even dare I say it, luxury like vibe.


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I've looked at Sunsuns and I prefer the design of, and will eventually purchase, an Odyssea CFS700 or larger model.

It all depends on how overfiltered you want to be and how infrequently you want to do maintenance. I can't stand my water being any less clear than it is after a water change so that required me to run an FX6, AC110 and 2 sponge filters on a 90g with once weekly 50% WCs...

If I did an overstocked 75 and 120 they would both have an AC110 and a large canister filter, either Odyssea CFS series or an FX6 (don't pay more than $280, be patient for the sales). I wouldn't rely on AC110s by themselves because I don't think they make great bio filters.

Seriously consider an Eheim 2262 for your 120g. Yes they are expensive but not only are they beasts but they also hold their resale value and can be used on much larger setups when/if you upgrade.

But I'm also a nut about filtration and always go over the top so take it all with a grain of salt.

Vinh2o said:

Robert, thanks for sharing your experiences. Since you do not want to spend big $$$$ have you considered SunSun? They seem to be a inexpensive knock off that works very well. If you have not heard of them check them out on Amazon. Just put SunSun canister in the search. The person who told me about them lives in our area. He has been using one for about 2 years with no issues. He is the 2nd person I personally know who has one and has the highest praise them considering the inexpensive price he paid for it. Also to get clarification are you now saying that unless you where you where getting something big like a FX6, you would just stick with your AC 110s instead of the smaller canisters that require multiple units to cover the tank?




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Robert, thanks for the additional feedback!


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I have 4 sun suns, I like them huge and strong flow, I've never had any problems with them. For the price I don't think you can go wrong.

Jason, thanks for sharing. Just curious what SunSun models are you using? Also is it easy to get replacement parts if you need them? Also are they available for a good period of time in the event you need a part or parts for an older model?


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You can get all the parts online they share parts with aquatop, and even some of the Marineland parts work since they are built in the same factory.

Thanks for the additional information Jason.


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I bought the aquatop version of the SunSun but will buy the SunSun on the next one. I have not had it for too long but read great reviews. It is stone quiet and easy to work with. It also moves some water. It is the Aquatop CF500. I believe that to be the duplicate of the 304B. For the money I think you can't go wrong in trying it. The only thing that I recommend after reading reviews is to get some silicone for the orings and you will have no issues. And for 170 dollars you could buy two and filter over 1000 gal/ hour.
Good Luck.

Welcome to the church! Pretty much all I've been using on big tanks for years (other than air-driven sponges and boxes). All of the benefits of a sump (and more) without the need to drill the tank (or dork with an overflow).

It's well known that I'm not a fan of canister filters - no matter the brand.

If you believe that removing crud from your tank on a regular basis is a good thing (and I do), then having to clean your canister filter to accomplish this is WAY too much work (for me at least). Pre-filters can help but, especially for high flow canisters, they can impact flow and require constant cleaning.

If I had to choose a canister, I'd choose the one canister that I have left running in my fishroom (powering a dump filter no less): an FX5. Lots of flow and relatively easy to clean. I have wide pore sponge and bio balls in it to minimize its role in mechanical filtration (I change the fluff in my dump filter regularly). That said, I got the FX5 as part of the package for a 180g. Would I buy one on my own? No way...

Matt

Gyarados said:

All that being said I personally will never purchase another big name filter besides the AC110 or 70 and even then I'd go used. I've officially converted to the Holy Church of Dump/Overhead Filters.

Oh and don't rule out sponge filters... what a mistake I made laughing at those goofy bubbling sponges for so long.

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if your looking for a large flow rate the cfs 500 and 700 are the way to go i have the 500 on my 150 and i clean it about every month it is just sponges on the inside at least the 500 model is so i run a DIY wet dry for all of the bio filtration. it is very similar to the fx5 and 6 from what i can tell.. i have never owned one of the fluvals. for 50$ i would say it is worth it. also my dad has on of the sun suns from what i have found the flow rate is less than advertised still strong though. lastly the marieanland c360 is a great canister i have running on my 55 right now i have had it for about a year super quiet and super strong flow. watch the petsmart or petco sales they go on sale a lot.

I've never done it, but the YouTube videos showing the tilt, shake, and manual priming of the Aquatops and sunSuns made me skittish on buying one. Also, I've heard that the trays, lid latches, and other components are not that durable and tend to break if not careful.

My FX5, although double the price even when bought used, is self priming and a workhorse with 500+ gph. Filtration is a crucial element in your set up, and I would rather be more economical in lights, power heads, air pumps, etc. Spend the extra dinero and go with FX5. Just my .02

This video is almost making me a true believer in the FX6. Check it out.

http://youtu.be/yVx_862p9u0

He ran it for a long time with out cleaning it. It looks like a sewage plant on the inside of the FX6 but the tank was still fairly clean. You can fast forward to the 5 minute mark if you just want to see how dirty it was inside.


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Clean looking water doesn't mean that the water has healthy parameters...

Matt

Vinh2o said:

This video is almost making me a true believer in the FX6. Check it out.

http://youtu.be/yVx_862p9u0

He ran it for a long time with out cleaning it. It looks like a sewage plant on the inside of the FX6 but the tank was still fairly clean. You can fast forward to the 5 minute mark if you just want to see how dirty it was inside.


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Great point Matt! Did you check out the video? If not, go to the 5 minute mark where he opens it up. Yuck Yuck Yuck.


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