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My Review: SunSun "Outside Filter" HW-302

260K views 762 replies 253 participants last post by  Remmy 
#1 ·
Many of us have seen these filters popping up on Ebay and other aquatic sites, but few people have taken the plunge(and admitted it) on this and other forums. When searching for reviews of the SunSun filter/product line, usually all you find is other forum members asking for reviews and a little speculation about the quality of said products. The thought is simple--you get what you pay for....

Or do you? Having looked around for a good canister filter to replace my obnoxiously loud AC300, I pondered many options. I tossed around the idea about Eheims, Fluvals, and the like. I have used Eheims and the Magnum series in the past, and while happy with both, I was never impressed, especially when it came to cost.

About the subject tank:

This tank is only sorta planted/sorta riparium/most about the fish(a midas and pictus cat). It is a standard 75g, 4 foot with inert white sand, a boatload of snails, driftwood, small rock pile, a koralia 1 for circulation, and a pretty rambunctious Midas Cichlid.

This tank was initially filtered by an Marineland biowheel and an AC300. They became so noisy you could hear them inside my bedroom with noisemaker running... Being in the livingroom, next to our 10 month old sons wall, this just wasn't acceptable to us(my wife informed me that it was to be fixed... or it would find itself fixed in a pile next to the dumpster...).

I set out exploring my options. I know Eheims are great filters. The trouble is the sticker shock involved. They are great, but they are not THAT great. Fluvals are good too, but I just wasn't impressed with the price point. The Marineland C Series is nice, but again, the price is still not all that impressive. I'm sure all of you think I'm crazy at this point. You are all willing to spend this money on these filters, but I just wasnt--not after seeing that there ARE other options out there.

This brought me to the Ebay Special SunSun filters. I looked through every auction, over, and over. I read feedback, checked out the few reviews out there, and was uneasy at first. Not because of poor reviews, cause there really aren't any--but because there just aren't many reviews at all. I decided it was worth the risk and you can all thank me for it!

I went with buying from someone domestic on Ebay. The item shipped from N. Cali and arrived in 4 business days via UPS Ground. It was packed well, in a nice think shipping box, inside was a standard package with really, really piss poor English. The grammar makes zero sense. It is essentially a big box of Engrish Fail. Bad grammar aside, the box is also the closest thing to directions you get with it... SO look close! This brings me to the negative things first:

  1. Directions are non-existent
  2. The intake and spray bar are a little flimsy, but solid enough. I have no intention of using them as a hammer.
  3. One of the filter baskets is a little too snug, but with some manipulation it came out fine.
  4. Did I mention no directions!
  5. The surface extractor seems to be useless if you run water up to the top. If you used this with a rimless tank it would be fine. It is too short for my water level.

It took me a bit to figure out how to hook up hoses, but once I did it was a no brainer. The Quick disconnect for the hoses works as a shut off just like on the JBJ Reaction series and the Marineland C Series. Flip it and you can pull the hoses off, take the lid off, and head to the sink to do maintenance. The three baskets plus prefilter tray are more than spacious. I have a prefilter, carbon, ac 110 bio media bag, another filter floss, a basket of beads as bio media, then a basket with filter wool.



Now lets go over the positive sides:

  1. Primer works great and quick.
  2. Baskets have plenty of room
  3. On/Off quick release is super handy. One lever shuts off and disconnects both inlet and outlet.
  4. This filter is silent. Dead silent. I even leaned it up to my stand, put it on blocks, did everything I could to make it make noise. It doesn't make a sound. My wife thought something was broken when she came back from work because it was so silent.
  5. The Filter housing itself is strong--feels identical to that of the marineland or jbj.
  6. The latching system is idiot proof
  7. The flow is great
  8. THE PRICE!!!!


After one week of using this filter I am sold. At a mere 55 dollars shipped, this filter blows the competition out of the water. There are also several models with higher flow than the one I list here, but this does the job for me. In combination with my Koralia 1 in my 75 G tank, it more than does the job. Some might say I need more flow, but it IS doing the job. Please ask if you have questions, and I will continue to post my experiences.


For the money, I really don't think there is any competition. This filter seriously rocks my socks off. I have used the "great" filters out there and can't find a logical reason yet to spend the extra money. The quality seems solid enough that I am not concerned about product life, despite having owned it for a short while.
:proud::proud::proud::proud::proud:
 
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#309 ·
New to using canister in general and I wanted to know how you would clean it? Do you just lift the flow control tab on the Sun Sun to block the water from going in and out and take that part out so water doesn't go on the floor? Then proceed to carry the canister itself out for cleaning?
 
#310 ·
Yes and no, the tab is not a flow control on the sun sun be cause it closes the intake and output simultaneously. It should not be used for flow control because one would only want to restrict the output to reduce flow not the input. For cleaning though it works great, a little water spills out when you disconnect the hose assembly but just a little.
 
#319 ·
I just ran into a 530gph sunsun. Maybe I'm just slow(most likely...) but this is the first time I've seen this model :)
(Not allowed to post ebay links but it's $78.99 + $25 shipping($104 total) Model HW304-B

Too bad the shipping is $25 vs $15 for the 265gph model

For the people who have already purchased one of these canisters(any model)...
1) Was signature required?
2) Is it still running well after a period of time? Would it be audible from 5 feet away if it was placed in a metal stand(no doors)?
 
#320 ·
I have had the 302 model for almost 2 years now. I don't buy pads for it. Instead, I use polyfil. A big bag from Walmart is 4 bucks and lasted me over a year.

As for needing a signature, I don't remember.

Mine is still running well. I also have it set up in an open metal stand. It is just slightly audible if you get your ear up close to it but you definitely cannot hear it from a couple feet away. Be forewarned that priming these are a pain.
 
#321 ·
I think I am also going to "bite" and buy one of these for my 40GH. Quick question though, what size Hydor inline heater should I buy?
 
#322 ·
Yeah, I might get one of these also. I want to try a canister and I have never had one before. I always thought these were a piece of crap, but I guess thats wrong.
 
#327 ·
#328 ·
One more thing... I want the flow rate of the filter with the UV. Is the OK? Does it work? Or is it determinal to the filter?
 
#332 ·
It's cool. It happens to us all.

1. Yes. Even though I've never had a major reason to use it when I have the water seems clearer. I wanted UV for green water and/or killing anything messing with the fish, but I haven't had a single problem since putting the Sunsun on that tank.

2. Zero flow reduction for me. The way it is integrated into the canister design doesn't affect the flow rate at all. The Sunsun I have with the UV on it has 4 media trays so it's really tall and powerful. I have it on a 35 gallon hex and haven't cleaned it in at least 7 months. The flow has slowed, but still breaks the surface of the tank so no point in cleaning it yet.

3. It can't hurt to buy the filter w/UV, but not required to be happy with your Sunsun purchase.
 
#336 ·
It's cool. It happens to us all.

1. Yes. Even though I've never had a major reason to use it when I have the water seems clearer. I wanted UV for green water and/or killing anything messing with the fish, but I haven't had a single problem since putting the Sunsun on that tank.

2. Zero flow reduction for me. The way it is integrated into the canister design doesn't affect the flow rate at all. The Sunsun I have with the UV on it has 4 media trays so it's really tall and powerful. I have it on a 35 gallon hex and haven't cleaned it in at least 7 months. The flow has slowed, but still breaks the surface of the tank so no point in cleaning it yet.

3. It can't hurt to buy the filter w/UV, but not required to be happy with your Sunsun purchase.
Thank you very much for the response. UV it is! :biggrin:
 
#333 ·
Got my "Perfect" (the 264gph one) a week ago and I'm loving the sound (or complete lack) of it. Originally I put some of the media from my previous HOB AQ70 to transfer some bacteria, but found that the flow was very low. Using a highly accurate flow-checking method (1L bottle and a phone in timer mode, trying not to drop the phone in the tank) and ended up with about 55gph.

I then removed the extra media and left just the 3 cotton pads that come with the canister and checked again, and came up with about 140gph.

The tank rim is about 4 1/2 feet off the floor (where the canister is), so the water has some extra climb. I'm not thrilled with the flow rate, but I think the elimination of sound, lack of surface agitation (CO2 diffusion issues), and overall much cleaner look more than make up for it, especially since the Perfect was just a few dollars more than the AQ70 was. Overall, very happy with my new toy!
 
#334 ·
Hey guys, I'm seriously looking into purchasing one of these bad boys. My only question is, should I go with the 303 or upgrade to the 304 for a 55 gallon? I know this is opinion based, but I'd like to get a consensus on the topic. Thanks in advance for any insight you can contribute. Cheerz!
 
#335 ·
Well, a 55g is 4 feet long. So, the question becomes this: Are you going to use two filters, one on each end, or are you going to try to use one filter to circulate water from one end to the other? On 4 foot tanks, many people opt to use two smaller filters instead of one larger filter. It boils down to a matter of preference. If you are going to try to use one filter to circulate water across 4 feet and then back again, I would go higher than the 303. With two filters, you could circulate your water well with even currents instead of having a super strong current in one area and a weaker current in the other.
 
#337 ·
Well you got me sold after reading this whole thread. Can't find filters or supplies period here in Japan since I can't speak or read Japanese. There's only one fish store around base and even then its hard trying to explain what your looking for. While I'm ordering off Ebay is there anything else I should get to go with it such as this poly-fil stuff everyone speaks of, bioballs, etc.
 
#339 ·
What is the tubing size for the 265GPH Sunsun? It is 5/8in right? Would the filter it be enough with a good powerhead for a well stocked 40g breeder?

Sorry for all the questions!
 
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