# SunSun or Aquatop?



## hawk1 (Oct 8, 2011)

I was wondering if I should replace my Magnum 350 with a Sunsun or Aquatop canister, the cf -500 I believe is the number. I have nothing against the Magnum, I just want to make sure I have enough filtration in my tank. I have a 55 gallon with 12 three to four inch mbuna and one bushy nose pleco being filtered with the Magnum 350, and an Eheim 2217. Would the Sunsun/Aquatop be any better then the Mag? I know the Mag picks up alot of ****. I just wanna make my fish happy! :dancing: :fish:


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## Pseudeotropheus BB (Jan 24, 2013)

If your Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate readings are fine this will answer your question. The Magnum is a fine filter if you are using the bio-wheel however if you are simply using the canister it is best suited for a polishing filter. If in fact you are using the bio-wheel in conjunction with the 2217 this should be plenty of filtration for this tank. The benefit of adding the SunSun or Aquatop would be additional biological filtration however unless your plan is to add additional fish or your water parameters are out of wack there really is no reason to add one.


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## jcabage (May 29, 2012)

Like BB said, water quality (and to add, tank cleanliness) are really the only factors to consider when choosing filtration. A lot of people will suggest a magic turnover rate to shoot for - In the end, if you are turning over 4x the tank volume in an hour, or 20x the tank volume, if the water is good and the tank is clean... well, the water is good, and the tank is clean.

To note: We have an aquatop and a magnum 350 running on two separate tanks, and I can say the magnum is much more impressive than the aquatop (in relation to the size and rating of the respective filters). Honestly, the 350 is a beast, and the CF500 seems to be kind of "meh" for what should be quite the powerhouse.

I pack the magnum's central "carbon" cavity with ceramic, and have no issues running a decently stocked 75 with this filter alone, supplemented with some power heads.

Just my $.02 though :wink:


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## JimA (Nov 7, 2009)

I think the Sunsun and Aquatop are basically the same unit from the same mfg? I use to have a mag 350 and while it worked well, I got really tired of the connection to the hoses, it was also a pain getting all the air out which made it noisy. I just didn't have patience for it and It, ended up giving to a guy in need with little funds. I have had 2 aquatop 400s running for almost 3 years now without a hitch, one handle to a tray broke as they do have some fragile parts to them if you are not careful when cleaning the canister. I am also running a FX5 I picked up of C,list for cheap no problems either..


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## clhinds78 (Jul 27, 2012)

jcabage said:


> Like BB said, water quality (and to add, tank cleanliness) are really the only factors to consider when choosing filtration. A lot of people will suggest a magic turnover rate to shoot for - In the end, if you are turning over 4x the tank volume in an hour, or 20x the tank volume, if the water is good and the tank is clean... well, the water is good, and the tank is clean.
> 
> To note: We have an aquatop and a magnum 350 running on two separate tanks, and I can say the magnum is much more impressive than the aquatop (in relation to the size and rating of the respective filters). Honestly, the 350 is a beast, and the CF500 seems to be kind of "meh" for what should be quite the powerhouse.
> 
> ...


I for one really like the aquatop. I have a cf400uv on my 75G tank and it does great job keeping the water crystal clear. It could have a little better flow rate, but for $120 I couldn't ask for more from it. Plus its nearly silent and I've heard the 350's can be quite noisy.


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## jcabage (May 29, 2012)

clhinds78 said:


> I for one really like the aquatop.


You definitely aren't the only one who likes aquatop. Our CF 500 does a good job on a lightly stocked 125. I simply said the magnum was a more impressive filter, which I do believe to be the case.

In other words, *I wouldn't replace the magnum *(especially running alongside an Eheim) on a 55 gallon tank. OP: I would say you have some great filtration going already.



JimA said:


> I use to have a mag 350 and while it worked well, I got really tired of the connection to the hoses, it was also a pain getting all the air out which made it noisy.


I would have to agree with this :roll:


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## Boertjie (Aug 22, 2013)

Sunsun, Aquatop, Allpond Solutions are all identical. All made by the same company sold under several names world wide.

I recently bought a Sunsun 404B (Aquatop CF500UV / All Pond Solutions 2000EF) for my 55 gallon and it is awesome!

It does have small issues, like most products, but overall it's very good. It holds a massive amount of media, has a crazy flow rate and the additional benefit of the built in UV.

After all the research I did before buying it, I don't think there is another filter on the market that offers the same value for money.

Whether you actually need another filter is the only questions, but I don't think many fish keepers have ever worried about to much filtration?


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