# Sunsun canister filter??



## joker1535 (May 23, 2010)

Anyone ever used a sunsun canister filter? They look just like marineland filters. They probable get made in the same factory in china.


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## fenster58 (Apr 23, 2010)

i've got one...works well...pretty quiet, but nothing beats my eheim filters for that.


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

I have seen that filter under many different names lol especially on Ebay. I hear they are ok, but you get what you pay for lol If your looking for a good priced canister filter, I recommend checking out the new Aqua Nova line IPU has. Great prices and seems to be a quality made filter


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## mikebike (Sep 8, 2010)

It looks like a copy of my Cascade 1000.

Cascade 1000 Canister Filter by Penn-Plax - AquaCave
I gues it depends on price and what comes with it, and the availibility of replacement parts/media


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## joker1535 (May 23, 2010)

Anyone ever used a 2026 eheim? What's it rated for?


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

I've not used one but I believe they are rated for up to 100 gal/ 172GPH. Looking at some of the reviews on them, it seems alot of people end up with leaking problems.


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## pisces (Apr 22, 2010)

*i have not used this before, but i know it make in China !! there is i find forum! hope can give you some information!* 
http://www.piranha-fury.com/pfury/index.php?/topic/193701-sunsun-304b/
*Hey hey I just replied to another thread and mentioned this filter, and I thought I should go ahead and tell everyone about it since IMO it is a great filter at an even greater price. I can't give you a long term report on this as I have only had it for a week, but I did a LOT of research before buying and it seems many people have been running them for years with no problems at all.
This is my first canister filter, I have always been HOB until now.
This canister is basically the same as a Marineland C-530, aside from a few cosmetic differences, and all the specs are the same, EXCEPT the SunSun 304b comes with a UV sterilizer and a surface skimmer which the Marineland does not. The Marineland retails @ Drs. Foster & Smith for $254 plus shipping. I paid $120 total for my SunSun and it can be bought for less, and some sellers even include ceramic rings for you so find the best seller and order from them.
SunSun is a Chinese manufacturer that makes parts for Marineland and other companies, and it's products are widely available in Asia, Australia, and Europe (from what I have read). Apparently these filters and some of their other products are also appearing in shops in and around Cali as well. Here is my initial review on the SunSun 304b:

First Impressions:
Well I must say that my initial impressions of this filter are very good. Instruction manual is in Engrish, and is a pretty entertaining read LMFAO. The canister is huge, which is great of course, and the plastic for the canister body and lid are very thick and sturdy. In/Out plastic fittings could be a little sturdier in my opinion, but work fine, just exercise care when installing the tubes. I am not known for my finesse but I managed not to break anything.
The rubber seals were coated in grease so a good cleaning is recommended before use (Duhhh).
Assembly was super easy. It has 4 media baskets and they are huge! I crammed a crapload of media in there and there's room for more. It comes with a sponge pad and 4 floss pads for media. I spent $3 on pot scrubbies and $11 on a box of Fluval ceramic rings to fill it up so no big deal. I will add more ceramic rings over time but it has plenty of bio-filtration in there. For replacement floss and sponge pads I will either cut my own or buy the Marineland ones since they are the same, except the SunSun pads have holes cut out for the UV lamp.

Operation:
I had a little trouble getting it primed until I realized the water level in the tank was a little low and it might be easier if the water had less vertical space to travel up the tube to get the siphon action going. Once I topped off the tank it siphoned fine and filled up right away. Plugged it in and after a couple minutes purging a little air it was running really quiet and pumping out a ton of water. I'm impressed so far. The surface skimmer that comes with it is great and works like a charm, keeping the top of the water crystal clear, whereas before there was always a little scum. Also, in spite of me running 3 AC110's on my 135 gallon Pygo tank, there always seemed to be particulates in the water which was a little annoying. The morning after I put the SunSun on the tank the water was the clearest it has ever been in this tank. I have since discovered that adding a single layer of polyester batting over the sponge in the AC110 acts as a great microfilter and keeps the water much clearer on the other tanks I run AC's on. Anyway back to the SunSun.
One of my worries with canisters was what would happen if there was a leak? I imagined 100 gallons of water on the floor because of a cracked seal or something, so I was always a little hesitant to buy one, even though I have only heard a few stories where something like that has happened. However, this filter has a surface skimmer which will break the siphon if the water level gets too low. This is a nice feature because it means if there is a problem its only gonna be 40 gallons on the floor instead of 100 and the fish will ok cause they'll have more water.
There's also a spray bar and plenty of suction cups to attach stuff in the tank.
I don't think I'll need the UV sterilizer anytime soon but it's great to have!

Parts: Parts can be ordered direct from SunSun if anything ever breaks. Many of the Marineland parts should be interchangeable with this filter.

Conclusion:
Well built, quiet unit that pumps out tons of water and holds a TON of media. I don't really have anything bad to say about this filter, I think it's great. Some sturdier plastic fittings would be nice but they are basically the same as on the Marineland C-530 and they work fine so no complaints really. Especially for less than half the price of a C-530.
I would recommend it, and I plan on picking up a couple more soon. If you want to buy one, do a search for "530 canister filter" on ebay. It is the white one with a UV sterilizer. This is an unbiased review, I am not a seller or anything, just wanted to share since I think its a great deal. I am happy to answer any questions about this rig!
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