New top fin pro series filter

[Itsnottheskimmer]

Okay, I know the discussion went to needing a skimmer or not (my opinion, yes. You do. This one works well too.) I have this filter and the packaging shows it assembled wrong! The L shaped pipe is supposed to have the short end attached to the main stem of the filter and the long end points up with the floating ring placed over it. If assembled correctly this skimmer works amazing! I have two on two different set ups and it's probably the best filter I've ever gotten (I actually replaced a fluval with this filter and it dramatically improved the health of the aquarium). Please if you bought this or are considering buying it please assemble correctly. It's worth the 35 dollars and it really works. I'm trying to find a way to tell topfin because this is a marketing issue, not a product issue. I've added pictured to show how it should look and how it works. Inside the tube you can see waste debris build up in a slime. You can see air bubbles build around it and collect wastes. It does 100% work and I highly recommend if you are having issues with tank health and keeping nitrate and nitrites at 0 that you get a protein skimmer and an under gravel filter AND a regular media filter. All these systems help prevent KH crash, nitrate and nitrite spikes, PH spikes and much more. 

[sanford]

Full confession before I start, I have tried way too many aquarium filters than I would like to admit.  I tried a Top Fin Pro 30 to replace a Sicce shark internal filter and I liked it enough to replace a Tidal 110 with a Pro 70 and a Marina Slim 20 with another Pro 30.  So far so good.  The aquarium with the 70 also had an Ehiem surface skimmer that I've retired thanks to the adequacy of the built in skimmer on the Top Fin.  The intake on the 70 (I think they're all the same size) also conveniently accommodates the API Hydro filter sponge as well as the included sponge pre-filter.That makes it easy to seed your sponge filter with bacteria so you can set up a quarantine tank for new fish.

The two cage design of the media basket means you can add filter floss or sponge earlier in the filtration process without it being crushed by some of the heavier biomedia.  It also allows you to easily replace media in the lower cage if needed. I was at a local Petsmart the other day and the Pro HOBs were completely sold out (or they did not have time to restock the shelves).  All that was left were the media kits.  I got one of the media kits so I could use the sponge pre-filter on the intake of a fluval filter, it's a more elegant solution than the hollowed out block of foam I had before.

There are some cons as well. First, because of how the top of the media basket is configured, the top 4th of the top cage is not immersed.  You can "fix" this by adding extra media to the basket or spillway, but then you may get some bypass.  Second, it's not self priming.  That has not been an issue for me as I've used a timer to stop it for 30 min and restart, and the restart was problem free.  I've also found that Eheim 16/22 hose fits into the top of the intake, so I suppose you can run it off an internal pump if you like.  Third con, kinda ugly maybe?  Another tip is that the black intake pipe of a Fluval C4 fits the Pro so that if you don't need the skimmer, you prefer a black intake and happen to have a spare C4 intake, you are good to go.

Anyway, those are my casual observations so far, I guess the big question mark is longevity and serviceability. For that, only time will tell.

[toph907]

I have the 30 pro and love it other than the fact that my betta managed to get into the surface skimmer. Needless to say it my poor betta did not survive the experience. I’m planning on filling the side port with silicone, the the surface agitation should be enough to prevent any scum on the water surface.