HelplessNewbie Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 (edited) I am expecting to soon receive a Sunsun hw-303a canister filter as part of a package deal. I have no experience with these. Trying to decide if I should sell it. So, I have some questions: 1. If I placed it in a sealed pail (with hoses sticking out if the lid) to protect plastic from uv and electronics from rain, can I safely use this under my covered porch with a prospective small tub-pond? Also, will there be benefit in covering the exposed parts of the hoses to protect from uv? 2. Can I keep it in storage and only take them out occasionally to use for additional quick mechanical filtration (don't care about biological, as ai am happy with ugf, sponges and hob), or is it just as much work as water change (using long hose and pump) with gravel vacuuming? 3. What are things I should watch out for when testing that the unit is functional? Edited July 30 by HelplessNewbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOLANANO Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 On 7/30/2024 at 12:09 PM, HelplessNewbie said: 1. If I placed it in a sealed pail (with hoses sticking out if the lid) to protect plastic from uv and electronics from rain, can I safely use this under my covered porch with a prospective small tub-pond? Also, will there be benefit in covering the exposed parts of the hoses to protect from uv? 2. Can I keep it in storage and only take them out occasionally to use for additional quick mechanical filtration (don't care about biological, as ai am happy with ugf, sponges and hob), or is it just as much work as water change (using long hose and pump) with gravel vacuuming? 3. What are things I should watch out for when testing that the unit is functional? 1) I don't see why not. Honestly you probably don't even need the pail considering its water proof and there aren't any electronics on the outside of the filter. 2) You could but it would be kind of a pain to set up and take down. 3) SunSuns leak. They may not leak right away but eventually they will leak. Mine lasted over 2 years before it sprung a leak and I think a decent amount of the longevity I had with it is that I opened the top as rarely as I could. In the 2 years, I probably opened it like 4 times to clean it every 6 months. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted July 30 Author Share Posted July 30 On 7/30/2024 at 2:27 PM, NOLANANO said: 3) SunSuns leak Is it just the inevitable leak with canisters, or this particular brand? I don't think I want to keep it, if a leak is to be expected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOLANANO Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 (edited) On 7/30/2024 at 1:39 PM, HelplessNewbie said: Is it just the inevitable leak with canisters, or this particular brand? I don't think I want to keep it, if a leak is to be expected. IDK. I have only ever had a SunSun and everyone told me it would leak and then it eventually did. Its a really good filter otherwise, I rearely had to clean it and my water was crystal clear. And with it being kept outside, I would think that leaking would be less of an issue than an indoor filter. I was also told that all I needed to do was replace the O rings and it would have been fine but I switched to a HOB filter once it sprung a leak for peace of mind. I also have Nano fish in a planted tank so the cannister was overkill anyway. Edited July 30 by NOLANANO 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 O rings are a wear item on canisters. In the Fluval 07 series they recommend cleaning the filter monthly, and cleaning and lubing the o rings and then to replace the O rings yearly. I suspect if you do that the liklihood of a leak goes down exponentially… But a lot of people only want to service their cNister filters every 6 months and then say what a chore it is…. Monthly it takes roughly half an hour for everything from the time I close off the Aquastop valve till I am priming the filter. That includes bleaching and cleaning the glass lily pipe intake… 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony s Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 And sometimes they do leak unexpectedly. It's like everything else, sometimes things just fail. Maybe you pinch an o-ring putting it back together. to fight that, you keep it in a shallow tote and get a cheap moisture alarm from a lowe's. Which of course, won't work outside. Luckily my fx2 has not leaked in 2.5 years yet. (quickly crossing fingers and knocking on wood) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted July 30 Author Share Posted July 30 Thank you all for the input! I'll give it a 2 month trial on the patio, so in case it leaks, nothing is damaged as @NOLANANO mentioned. @Pepere @Tony s, what type of lube to use for the o-ring? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 On 7/30/2024 at 4:53 PM, HelplessNewbie said: what type of lube to use for the o-ring? Fluval recommends food grade silicone grease. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dacotua Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 I put my canister filter under the aquarium (in the cabinet), with the canister filter in a large plastic pan. I bought a water alarm from amazon. I put the sensor into the plastic pan so that if it ever leaks, the alarm will go off letting me know. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted July 30 Author Share Posted July 30 On 7/30/2024 at 7:06 PM, Dacotua said: I put my canister filter under the aquarium (in the cabinet), with the canister filter in a large plastic pan. I bought a water alarm from amazon. I put the sensor into the plastic pan so that if it ever leaks, the alarm will go off letting me know. This is a great idea! I have automation and leak sensors for our tanks, so it won't be an issue. It won't help at all if I use automation to switch off power to the canister filter, will it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 On 7/30/2024 at 7:22 PM, HelplessNewbie said: It won't help at all if I use automation to switch off power to the canister filter, will it? Shutting off the power to the filter would not-stop most leaks. The head of water from the tank will be pushing the water out. Shutting the power to the filter for an extended period of time will suffocate the beneficial bacteria though… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted July 31 Author Share Posted July 31 On 7/30/2024 at 7:39 PM, Pepere said: The head of water from the tank will be pushing the water out. This might also mean it will drain my tank to the level of the intake pipe, right? So, the catch basin needs to accommodate the total volume that could be drained, right? I am thinking of the scenario when we are away on vacation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllFishNoBrakes Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 On 7/30/2024 at 8:12 PM, HelplessNewbie said: So, the catch basin needs to accommodate the total volume that could be drained, right? That would probably be the most ideal, but I’m not putting a 20 gallon tank under or behind my 29, considering the intake pipe is low in the 29. Like most, I have a plastic Tupperware that my canister sits in with a water alarm. If I’m out of town, someone is watching the dog. If it sprang a leak while the dog sitter is at work… well… that’s just a risk I have to take to have a canister. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattP Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 (edited) I have a few canisters which are placed in a plastic bins as a safety measure should they spring a leak. I don't use a lid though. Some of the bins I've used were selected to nicely fit underneath the aquarium stand but also spacious enough for the canister to sit in. When it's time to clean the canister I just disconnect the hoses and jank the canister out of its bin. When my canisters have leaked in the past it's always started as a slow leak and slowly filled the bin up buying me lots of time. One time I ran a leaky canister filter for several months and just used my water changer hose to drain the bin before it got too full. Eventually I replaced that canister. Currently I don't have any leaky canisters which is nice. The bins are there should the inevitable day come when the gasket start to fail. There's sand substrate in my aquarium which has got onto the gasket before and caused slow leaks. the sand can destroy those gaskets too so it's good to be careful and avoid it getting onto the gasket. Edited July 31 by MattP 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted July 31 Author Share Posted July 31 Not sure I mentioned that this unit is used (and has no manual). Will get one online soon. Maybe I should've started with it. Hehehe. Here it is operating while filled only with water (no media): video. I couldn't get the priming feature to work well. I had to let the outlet hose drape below the canister until the water started coming out. Are these occasional bubbles the kind I should worry about that means a slow leak it imminent? It is in a dry tub, so I can see if any water collects. Boy, is it loud and hummy! Here is what the canister registers decibel-wise: Decibels may be amplified by the tub, though. Anyway, not comparing apples to apples, here is my 65 gallon with 1 large diy air driven sponge filter and ugf with 3 uplifts driven by 1 airstone and 2 pumps: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattP Posted August 1 Share Posted August 1 (edited) "Boy, is it loud and hummy" this seems a little different from my experiences trying canister filter but Ive never used a sun sun hw-303a. To me it seems the canisters are pretty quiet. I'd describe is as making less noise than a hob. But most the rhe noise from hobs comes from the waterfall. I have recently added a few diy waterfall diffusers to my hobs to quiet down their waterfalls. The nice thing about caniisters is their output can be placed right below the water the make it nice and quiet. Perhaps the impeller on the sun sun is just a little louder. I've always wanted to try one of those sun sun canisters.. perhaps it will get a little quieter after it's filled up with media. right now I have an old hydor pro 350. I used to have a 450 size too but that ones kaput. Hydor is a defunct company now but that 350 size canister is still going. It's doubtful I'll be able to get a new gasket for it though. Edited August 1 by MattP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted August 1 Author Share Posted August 1 On 7/31/2024 at 8:49 PM, MattP said: Perhaps the impeller on the sun sun is just a little louder. I was also thinking it might need cleaning. What is the best way to clean the impeller? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepere Posted August 1 Share Posted August 1 On 7/31/2024 at 10:09 PM, HelplessNewbie said: was also thinking it might need cleaning. What is the best way to clean the impeller? If you get the owners manual online there should be instructions on how to remove the impeller. If hard water deposits on it and parts, vinegar will dissolve them.. otherwise soak till softened and wipe down, q tip and brushes to the impeller well. if impeller is still noisy, it is a wear item and replacements should be readily available. my Fluval 07/canisters are the quietist filters I own. Quieter than a hob or air pump… 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted August 1 Author Share Posted August 1 @Pepere, thank you! I will check in a few days. Need rest first. I would describe the sound like a dehumidifier or AC unit. Besides checking the motor, we will also "burp" the unit, in case air is trapped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted August 12 Author Share Posted August 12 (edited) My SunSun 303a doesn't have the clear pipe attached to the lid/pump housing shown in this guy's video, am I missing a part? Edited August 12 by HelplessNewbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted August 12 Author Share Posted August 12 (edited) On 8/11/2024 at 8:20 PM, HelplessNewbie said: My SunSun 303a doesn't have the clear pipe attached to the lid/pump housing shown in this guy's video, am I missing a part? Oh, I found out it was the glass housing for the uv filter, which my model does not have. An improvement of ~10 decibels, after cleaning out the impeller, lubricating the o-rings and adding filter media: Still not quiet. Will test later with a mat under it and it placed inside a bin. Edited August 12 by HelplessNewbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted August 12 Author Share Posted August 12 I just discovered chips where the hose adapters interface with the lid, and those little clips missing, both just like this guy shows in his video. Except for bubbles when initially starting up and when tipping the canister to "burp" the air, I haven't yet noticed a slow leak. Am I just asking for trouble by trying to use this thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelplessNewbie Posted August 14 Author Share Posted August 14 I wish this Sunsun has carrying handles and wheels. For someone with limited energy, this thing is hard to wrangle. I have another question: is a prefilter sponge on the intake tube a bad idea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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