# Odyssea CFS 700 with UV light



## R6RaVeN37

After much debate and research I picked up one of these filters, and I am so impressed  with it that I thought I would do a little mini review of it here. I will try to keep it short, but there are some things I definitely want to point out, so please bear with me 

I have had this filter up and running for a couple days now and it is a beast. The flow is great and it is super quiet. Once I got it set up I just filled it with water, put the lid on, and started it. No priming or anything needed. My water has cleared up drastically and in a very short time. I can't express how pleased I am with this filter.

*Specs according to box:
700 gph flow rate
Rated for 75-120 gal tanks 
48w pump
9w UV Sterilizer
Unit Dimension: 11.50" Diameter x 20.00" Height
Parts and tubing adds 4" in height
Media included (except bio media. More on this later)*
*Price: $89.90*

Now before I get into anything else on this filter let me just say a few things. First, I am using this as a secondary mechanical filter and not my primary, so the lack of included bio-media was not an issue for me. That being said, if someone so desired they can easily remove some of the other media in the filter and replace it with bio-media. Ok, so with that out of the way I would like to say I have done quite a bit of research on this filter and saw some negative reviews and unhappy customers, *BUT* the more I kept researching I found some very cheap and easy fixes for all of the issues that people had. So what I am trying to say is this filter will need some cheap and easy fixes right out of the box. Ok, I know some of you are sticking your nose up right now and saying "why would I buy a filter that I have to mess with right out of the box", but believe me when I say the small amount of time and money to "fix" this filter are *completely* worth it!
Any other comparable filter (gph wise) would cost at least 2 to 3 times as much, so IMHO it is well worth it to do the fixes and save a bit of cash for other things 

Now for a little more specifics on the filter. It works in the same way as the Fluval FX5, in that the pump sits in the bottom of the canister and pulls water down and through the different stages of filter media, and then pumped back up the return tube to the outlet on the lid. One note on this. I found a thread in another forum that has a modification to all the media that will allow water to be pulled in from all sides of the media rather than just down through it. I have not done it to mine yet, but I might in the future. This mod can be found at http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/sh ... ification&.

The pump sits on a fine black sponge, and the pump body is surrounded by a coarse black sponge (this helps prevent the pump from clogging). Above that there is a white sponge, blue sponge, a layer of floss, and then a blue pad on top. There is a hole in each sponge for the return tube, and the center of the sponges have a hole in the center for the UV light to go in.

The canister









The filter stack









The lid, UV light, and pump









The water shutoff valves are pretty much identical to the FX5 and go on the same way.








The o-rings on the ends of the shutoffs should be removed before installing the hose, as the o-ring will "roll up" and cause a leak if you try to install the hose with them installed. The valves can be pretty sticky at first, but just open and close them several times BEFORE you put them on and they free right up. Here is where we come to the first fix. Many people broke the "nipples" on the lid when trying to install the shutoff valves, which was due to the o-rings on the "nipples" being too large and having to use excessive force to install or remove the shutoffs. These should be replaced with the o-rings in the following picture (from Lowes for 58 cents for 2). Once the new o-rings are on the shutoffs slide on nice and easy. 









Here is a pic of the new (right) o-rings and the old (left)









Here is a pic of the intake tube and outlet (which is omnidirectional like the FX5). The o-rings on these should be removed as well for the same reason they were removed from the shutoffs. The intake is HUGE and has a sponge cover, which will hopefully house some beneficial bacteria.


















The next issue that people had was the lid of the filter developing stress cracks around the plastic nuts that hold the lid. The bottom of these nuts have a small surface area which exerted high stress on a small portion of the lid causing the cracks. To solve this problem I just installed some large diameter washers with rubber spacers between the bottom of the washer and the surface of the lid. This should distribute the stress more evenly over the lid and prevent the stress cracks. Here are some pictures.


















A quick word on the hoses. The filter may come with the green rubber hoses, or like mine, with the gray ribbed hoses. If you get the gray ones be aware that the ends are different sizes. The larger end goes on the shutoffs and the smaller end to the inlet tube or outlet tube.









Here is a pic of it all together and running on my tank.









Well that pretty much covers the specifics and the fixes I spoke of. I can't really think of anything else right now, but I am sure I have missed something :lol: . I f I remember anything else I will add it, or if anyone has any questions feel free to ask.

Overall I am very pleased and impressed with this filter, even with having to do the few minor inexpensive tweaks. For the price it is hard to beat. So much for being short  . Hope this helps anyone considering one of these or who are in the market for a low priced canister filter.


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## du3ce

thats pretty cool they made a see through one, i have the cfs 500 with a diy spray bar


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## 13razorbackfan

Looking at the pics it looks as the the water is filtered before it reaches the pump. Is that right?


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## R6RaVeN37

Yes 13razorbackfan, thats right. The pump "pulls" the water down through the different levels of the media before it enters the actual inlet of the pump, and then is pumped back through the clear tube on the pump to the outlet fitting on the lid. So in essence there is no possibility of bypass of any water.


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## 13razorbackfan

R6RaVeN37 said:


> Yes 13razorbackfan, thats right. The pump "pulls" the water down through the different levels of the media before it enters the actual inlet of the pump, and then is pumped back through the clear tube on the pump to the outlet fitting on the lid. So in essence there is no possibility of bypass of any water.


I am thinking of buying one for some of my smaller tanks. Just can't beat the price. Might as well give it a shot.


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## R6RaVeN37

That was my thought with these filters. Just make sure you do the fixes or you may run into problems. Check out the link I posted about the mods for these, lots of good info. I am going to pm you the link to where I got mine. They also have a 500 gph model with no UV light, an 1100 gph, and 1400 gph  models with the UV light.


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## 13razorbackfan

R6RaVeN37 said:


> That was my thought with these filters. Just make sure you do the fixes or you may run into problems. Check out the link I posted about the mods for these, lots of good info. I am going to pm you the link to where I got mine. They also have a 500 gph model with no UV light, an 1100 gph, and 1400 gph  models with the UV light.


Wow...1400gph? That is a lot. Just finished reading the thread. I am not sure the mods he made are going to work the way he wants. The sponges are all different right? Top sponge being more coarse and the bottom being the most fine?

Shoot me a pm so I can look at the prices. Thanks


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## R6RaVeN37

Yeah, that 1400 model must have some insane flow! His media mods seem like they would work in theory, but theory and reality are two different things, that's why I haven't moded mine yet and am hesitant to do so. The sponges are different but not very noticeably, except for the top blue pad, the white floss pad under that, and the very bottom sponge that the pump sits on. The arrangement of the media seems to be opposite of what you think it would be, but it seems to work fine. I suppose you could reverse the arrangement of the sponges if you wanted.

Pm already sent :thumb:


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## Mschn99

Im trying to tell from your pictures, this filter looks like you could literally just fill the whole thing up with bio balls, put a small layer of foam on top, and have one monstrous bio filtration canister. Is this correct? Im considering this could be a spectacular secondary filter for my 220. It and an FX5 would be a ton of filtration.....both mechanical and bio.


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## JimA

Nice review! I would also be interested in making it more bio than mech, doesn't look like it comes with trays? Bioballs in a canister I don't believe are as efective as a bio material like matrix or other? Anyway for the price it's a decent deal. I have been running 2 aquatop 400s for over a year now with no problems. While there is a lot to be said about a good quality filter like Eheim or a FX5 they are spendy but also proven and each are quirky in their own right with pro's and cons!


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## R6RaVeN37

Mschn99 said:


> Im trying to tell from your pictures, this filter looks like you could literally just fill the whole thing up with bio balls, put a small layer of foam on top, and have one monstrous bio filtration canister. Is this correct? Im considering this could be a spectacular secondary filter for my 220. It and an FX5 would be a ton of filtration.....both mechanical and bio.


Yes, you could do that, or just leave the coarse black foam that surrounds the pump, then all bio media and the foam on the top like you said. That way at least you have something surrounding the pump to prevent anything from possibly getting in there.



> doesn't look like it comes with trays? Bioballs in a canister I don't believe are as efective as a bio material like matrix or other?


No, there are no trays. You wouldnt have to use bio-balls, you could use any type of bio-media, you would just have to leave the coarse black foam that surrounds the pump and you would be good.


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## Mschn99

Looks like im going to be buying 3 of these. Too bad the 1100 and 1400 gph models are so tall, i would love to have that flow but neither of them will fit under either of my stands


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## R6RaVeN37

Yeah, the one 700 I have wouldnt fit in the cabinet under my stand, so i just have it sitting off to the side of the stand. It doesnt look horrible there, lol.


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## Mschn99

R6RaVeN37 said:


> Yeah, the one 700 I have wouldnt fit in the cabinet under my stand, so i just have it sitting off to the side of the stand. It doesnt look horrible there, lol.


I think all three of my stands are tall enough to accommodate the 700. Any chance i could get you to measure height and the widest diameter? Im worried it wont fit under my 220 with the FX5 too. Im putting a 72x16deepx18 tall divided tank under it for one of my grow out tanks so i only have 2x2 of room. im hoping they will both fit put diagonally in a 2x2 square


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## R6RaVeN37

> Any chance i could get you to measure height and the widest diameter?


No problem. From the bottom to the top of the red valves it is 23 inches tall, and the widest diameter is where the handles are and that is 12 inches.


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## Mschn99

R6RaVeN37 said:


> Any chance i could get you to measure height and the widest diameter?
> 
> 
> 
> No problem. From the bottom to the top of the red valves it is 23 inches tall, and the widest diameter is where the handles are and that is 12 inches.
Click to expand...

and if its not too big of a deal, whats the diameter of the body of it. Its taller than my FX5 so the top of it would be above the lid of the FX5...so the body is the important measurement after looking at it closer.

On a side note, im thinking about building a custom intake bar, and custom spray bar. Plumbing both filters into each, but at each end. Double the intake, double the ouptut. Thinking its going to be a 5" intake bar with a 4" spray bar....both powered buy a filter at each end.


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## R6RaVeN37

> and if its not too big of a deal, whats the diameter of the body of it.


It is 9 inches


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## R6RaVeN37

Just a quick update on this thread. I now have three of these filters. One has been up and running for a year, one has been running for about eight months, and the other I just got up and running on my new 150 gal tank tonight. So far these filters have been great. They keep the water nice and clean/clear and are quiet. No leaks or other issues. I took the top two small sections of sponge out of all of the filters and replaced it with 2 liters of Seachem Matrix in each one. Here is a pic.


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## Mschn99

whats the life of the UV bulb?


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## R6RaVeN37

Mschn99 said:


> whats the life of the UV bulb?


Not really sure. The UV light has a seperate on/off switch, so i dont leave mine on all the time, just turn it on for a while here and there usually after water changes. Both the UV lights on the older ones are still going strong.


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## Graffiti

Raven - thanks so much for the detailed pics and write up. I"ll be ordering two of these and now know what cheap little parts to replace it with out of the box so it will last me for years ill be throwing about 2 liters per canister of matrix lie you did as well from the get go. Sounds like we are going for a very similar setup lol, odyssea canister filter and beamworks led lighting, nothing better then quality products built on a budget! Thanks again.


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## R6RaVeN37

Graffiti said:


> Raven - thanks so much for the detailed pics and write up. I"ll be ordering two of these and now know what cheap little parts to replace it with out of the box so it will last me for years ill be throwing about 2 liters per canister of matrix lie you did as well from the get go. Sounds like we are going for a very similar setup lol, odyssea canister filter and beamworks led lighting, nothing better then quality products built on a budget! Thanks again.


No problem, glad to be of help. I am super happy and impresed with these filters so far. As long as you do the little fixes I mentioned I think you will be happy with them as well. I usually go by the motto "you get what you pay for", but so far these filters and the BeamsWork lights have proven me wrong, much to my delight I might add, lol.

If you have any other questions about the filter just let me know.


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## kdwellssr

I have my Odyssea 700 up and running in my 60 gallon tank. Very happy with it. I need to keep the light on regularly or the water will start to cloud after about 3 weeks. Is there something wrong that I need to be taking care of? Is there any way of reducing the water flow. In this tank the water is returning to the tank at a high speed causing quite a turbulence? I installed the filter as is without any filtration changes at this point. I previously had a different type filter and the water seemed to remain a bit cloudy. What does the UV light actually do?


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## zebraluv

You can turn the return valve to partially shut to slow down the water return. Or you could just turn the output nozzle down a little lower in the water. My fish like the extra current though, helps keep the feces floating to get picked up.


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## ozman

yea i looked at these available here in oz, but at the time had not bought my cabinet and was very concerned at the hight of these...very tall filters for most cabinets.


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## MeCasa

I just bought a 150 gallon and it came with the 500 version of this filter. The original owner had two bags of ceramic inside the filter which I guess would be the Bio additive. The owner swore by the pump and the only problem he had was the O rings leaking which is mild. He ran this in conjunction with an under gravel system.

I'm using sand so I was going to add another 500 but after reading this post I'll buy a 700 and mod exactly as you did...why re-invent the wheel after you've done such good work 

Is this too much, not enough, not correct? I haven't had an aquarium for twenty years and I'm amazed at all the new high dollar options available.

Thanks for a good post


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## MeCasa

I just ordered mine from Aquatraders, they showed in stock and sent me a shipped email

Then two days later I got an out of stock email. Now they are saying they have a shipment coming in on the 25th, I'll call Monday and if it hasn't shipped, I'll cancel my order and find another. They also say Free Shipping and they charged me $10.99, not sure I like this company. I usually notice things like that but this one snuck by me.


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## Demasoni1

Looking into another canister, saw this and am liking it. Could you PM me with the link?


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## MeCasa

Heading your way, these people have the same price as Aquatraders and a 99.5% favorable on ebay with a jillion sales

Not being able to post links sux


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## R6RaVeN37

Havent been on here in awhile and just read all the posts. Glad i could be of some help with these filters. Just an update, all three of mine are still running strong with no problems. The two on my 150 gal keep the water crystal clear. Hope anyone who ordered one of these is as happy with it as I am.


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## kdwellssr

Got my first small issue with my CF700. The motor started to get louder. sounds like a old air pump ... If I close off the return water supply valve the sound gets less and less the more I close valve. any ideas? I haven't tried anything yet as I thought it was the air pump til yesterday when U unplugged the air pump and humming was still there.


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## kdwellssr

Figured out my issue was need to clean. Not sure why because it wasn't very dirty. Can someone tell me if the Canister will be totally full of water when running?? Mine is not so I'm wondering can it be somehow I got the top on backwards. It primed ok and it is running ok... and quiet. But when I look at the canister I can see the water is only about 3/4 full. Also will the shut off valve turn completely 360 degrees? My outlet does but my inlet does not. I did mark them to be sure to get them back on correctly but didn't mark the shut offs. I really don't want to take it apart again to check it and find I have it all together properly but will if I don't get a reply here. What would happen if the lid was installed backwards? I would think it just wouldn't prime and run.


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## kdwellssr

Has anyone had a issue with the light bulb protector in the CFS700? The plastic netting that surrounds the UV Light has broke in mine. Can anyone tell me where I can get another one or has someone built something that will work?


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## dnblack

Thanks for this very nice review. The intake hose on my CFS 500 was leaking like mad and I was about to buy a new hose, then read your comment on the O ring on the intake valve. Sure enough, it'd come out of the groove and was the cause of the leak. Like you, I've replaced the O rings on the connector side of the valves (way too thick). I'm using cut-it-yourself coarse filter media at the top of the filter canister which is just as good as the pads sold by AquaTraders. And by the way, don't expect any support from AquaTraders about the fat O-rings. They're perfectly aware of this problem but the only "support" they offer is to buy a new pair of valves.


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## soccerman58

Hi
I have to agree with a previous poster - drawing the water down through the fine pads first seems like a recipe for clogging everything up with silt in pretty quick time. I actually have turtles - I don't know about Cichlids, but turtles are very messy eaters and that is what generates a lot of particles in my tank - turtle poo not so much.
I have a 75 gallon with no plants or sand and a Fluval 406 can't keep up.
I actually ordered one of these and I plan on replacing the middle filter with some bio balls and maybe a layer of carbon - but I'd be interested in opinions about the filter media.
Thanks
Phil


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