Anyone Used Topfin Filters From Petsmart?

[Logan Bright]

Has anyone ever used petsmarts topfin filters? If so what was your experience like?

 

[CanadianFishFan]

Has anyone ever used petsmarts topfin filters? If so what was your experience like?

Depends what your using it for and what tank size. The one that comes with the 5 gallon is made for a 10gallon and has way to much current! In a ten gallon it works great for some fish. DO NOT use for bettas as their fins can get stuck in the filters!!! Also to start it you have to fill it up with water and then plug it in.

 

[Logan Bright]

Depends what your using it for and what tank size. The one that comes with the 5 gallon is made for a 10gallon and has way to much current! In a ten gallon it works great for some fish. DO NOT use for bettas as their fins can get stuck in the filters!!! Also to start it you have to fill it up with water and then plug it in.

But is it as good as other filters like Aquaclear and Marineland?

 

[CanadianFishFan]

But is it as good as other filters like Aquaclear and Marineland?

Never will be! Aquaclear has many sizes and different things to put in it. As Well as marineland. I haven't used them as i have sponge filters for my bettas and one for my community tank but i researched it and they seem awesome!

 

[Algonquin]

I have a Topfin 10 on my 10 gallon (just completed fishless cycle so no inhabitants yet). It is nice and quiet, and self-primes pretty quick after being turned off for water changes (great when the power goes out briefly too!) I've got a pre-filter sponge on the intake so I don't have to worry about anyone;s fins getting sucked into it.
The only downside is that the media compartment is tall and thin (as opposed to a more 'boxy' compartment in my Aquaclear) so you have fewer options for what media you put in there. I've currently got 2 of the floss cartridges that are designed for it, plus a tall flat plastic screen with bumps (this is supposedly the bio filter) and I've added a trimmed piece of a Fluval flat square sponge that I'm seeding for eventually cycling my 20 gallon. That's pretty much all that will fit in there.
That said, it's done a great job of keeping the tank clean (as much as possible anyway) during my fishless cycle. I've stirred up the sand a bunch of times, and had some plants die in there, but it's done a great job.
If I was buying a stand alone filter in the future, I'd likely go with the Aquaclear, it does a great job too, but only real difference to me is the amount of space in there for media.

 

[Fashooga]

I'm not really big on them. They are too skinny. I also think that the stuff they provide to you for your tank isn't rated high enough for the tank. So if you have a 20g tank and it came with a Topfin 20 filter, it's just not good enough to support the tank.

It's really, you get what you paid for.

 

[Algonquin]

I guess it depends a certain amount on what your stocking is. If your tank just has a single betta, for example, a basic filter like these are quite sufficient for the small bioload of the tank. If you've got lots of poopy fish and snails in there, different story

 

[leftswerve]

Never will be! Aquaclear has many sizes and different things to put in it. As Well as marineland. I haven't used them as i have sponge filters for my bettas and one for my community tank but i researched it and they seem awesome!

So a top fin will suck a betta's fin up but an AC won't ? There's some logic.

 

[ASHLEY R COOK]

Has anyone ever used petsmarts topfin filters? If so what was your experience like?

They are ok. But I don't like the media inserts.
Also put a prefilter on the intake of any filter to keep it from sucking up fins or little babies ECT.
I have an aqua clear also and i love it so much more than my top fin

 

[Mike1995]

i used to have one of the topfin 75 hobs. Wasn't terrible but after awhile stopped working. Sand got stuck in it and quit. They're kinda made of cheap material too. Media isn't very good. They do however have crazy high flow and seem to keep tanks clean.

 

[CanadianFishFan]

So a top fin will suck a betta's fin up but an AC won't ? There's some logic.

Like i said ive never used a aquaclear. Same rules go with putting some nylon over it or a sponge on the intake.

 

[Logan Bright]

So if I have a penguin 100 Marineland filter and I replace it with a top fin, will it hurt my tank?

 

[leftswerve]

All I can say is: It's not the filter brand that will hurt your tank.

 

[CanadianFishFan]

All I can say is: It's not the filter brand that will hurt your tank.

Well the tank cant be hurt but the fish can. Bettas fins and some filters are a disaster. Thats why i ask what type of fish for what filter.

 

[leftswerve]

Well the tank cant be hurt but the fish can. Bettas fins and some filters are a disaster. Thats why i ask what type of fish for what filter.

Ok, what model top fin, and remind me the tank size? Sorry if you mentioned the size of the top fin earlier, I missed it.

 

[Logan Bright]

Ok, what model top fin, and remind me the tank size? Sorry if you mentioned the size of the top fin earlier, I missed it.

Top Fin 20

 

[leftswerve]

Without knowing exactly which model 20 Topfin is fine. The HOB Topfin Silentstream 20 HOB says it filters 100g per hour. That is a 10x roll over on a 10 gallon. Probably good for normal fish, maybe a little high for a betta, especially a new one. I have used Topfin hobs, I have used the topfin 10 HOB and a little internal by them. As to quality, it's not a good as a name brand only in name. The design is comparable to quite a few others on the market. The Aquaclear is best for cusomization, the marineland are pains to deal with the wheel, and the Topfin HOB is not customizable but will do the job.
As for fins getting sucked in, meh not so sure about that with a healthy fish. Unless you put a rather large filter on a small tank, maybe.
The key is a healthy fish. Size the filter for the tank. Everyone on Fishlore has an opinion on brand name.

 

[Logan Bright]

Without knowing exactly which model 20 Topfin is fine. The HOB Topfin Silentstream 20 HOB says it filters 100g per hour. That is a 10x roll over on a 10 gallon. Probably good for normal fish, maybe a little high for a betta, especially a new one. I have used Topfin hobs, I have used the topfin 10 HOB and a little internal by them. As to quality, it's not a good as a name brand only in name. The design is comparable to quite a few others on the market. The Aquaclear is best for cusomization, the marineland are pains to deal with the wheel, and the Topfin HOB is not customizable but will do the job.
As for fins getting sucked in, meh not so sure about that with a healthy fish. Unless you put a rather large filter on a small tank, maybe.
The key is a healthy fish. Size the filter for the tank. Everyone on Fishlore has an opinion on brand name.

So now that I replaced the marineland, what do I do with the biowheel?

 

[Fashooga]

Toss it...unless your going to use the filter somewhere else no need to keep it.

 

[leftswerve]

So now that I replaced the marineland, what do I do with the biowheel?

Deal with it. It is your bio home for bb