Sunsun Hw-505a

[Faster]

I was going to get a watsea-800 canister filter, but due to circumstances I had to choose betweenSUNSUN HW-302 or HW-505A and I got hw505A.

My decision was based on functionality that it has an external pump that is inside the aquarium, (not in the canister and runs quieter, so they say) then a pump inside the canister, so I will see.

Tank is about 150 litres or 35 gallons and having the pump inside the tank doesn’t really bother me.
Cheers, will report back in few days how it works...

 

[Coradee]

I’m not familiar with that model but once you’ve given it a good test you could write a review

 

[grump299]

IMO the sun sun hw302 would be a better choice for the fact it is a larger canister with large baskets for lots of media and it is about the same for flow rates as the sun sun hw505a at 1000 lph or 250 gph. For being quitter I can’t say but the sun sun 302 is completely silent I use one on my tank.

 

[Faster]

IMO the sun sun hw302 would be a better choice for the fact it is a larger canister with large baskets for lots of media and it is about the same for flow rates as the sun sun hw505a at 1000 lph or 250 gph. For being quitter I can’t say but the sun sun 302 is completely silent I use one on my tank.

I see your point, I didn’t actually check the sizes, thinking they are probably the same, only difference was motor placement and 4th basket. Also another factor was people having problems bleeding air out...

Since the 505 doesn’t have motor inside, seems an advantage, if it breaks it can be replaced being a separate unit.

I also liked the fact there are 4 baskets and what I plan on doing is put coarse foam in lowest basket, fine foam in 2nd basket and the upper 2 filled with lava rock.
Is that a good plan?
Or is there a better way of utilising the 4 baskets?
Thanks

 

[grump299]

That sounds good I would go with
Bottom up
1-course and medium sponge
2-fine sponge and filter floss
3-lava rock
4-matrix or biorings not completely full just incase you may need to add a chemical media at some point in future (ie carbon,purigen)

 

[grump299]

As a little further research on the 505a I see there could be a problem with the pump being on the intake with all the gunk from the tank going through the pump first could block the impeller up faster this could be fixed with putting a pre filter sponge on the intake..

 

[Faster]

Thanks for the tips grump299 .

Yes, you’re right about the intake. It has a basket but debris could eventually block the impeller. Didn’t think about that...

Oh well, will have to watch it and I hope the impeller can be easily cleaned. Maybe a small coarse foam “hat” that will fit over the intake might do the job.
What is filter floss? Or equivalent to it, what does it do exactly?
Cheers

 

[grump299]

Filter floss is used as a water polisher to catch really fine particles that did not get stopped by the sponges befor it gets in to your biological media..

 

[Faster]

Thanks will check this out

 

[Faster]

HI all,
filter arrived few days ago and I had time to examine it and put everything together “dry”, before actually installing in aquarium.
I got the SUNSUN HW505A with external pump.

Filter came well packed with all accessories and parts to set it up and run. (Coarse and fine foam, ceramics rings, charcoal spheres and I added a basket full of lava rock.

Canister and all the hardware seems very nice quality, all snaps together with a nice solid feel to it, the lid has to be “pride out” with two levers, one on each side. The in/out connectors (on top of lid) felt so smooth and easy to turn that I started to worry if it won’t leak. It didn’t.

All intake and output plastic tubing fits snugly together, so far so good.
Output is 16mm hose
Input/return is 12mm hose, both clear green
The flexible hoses are mounted onto plastic connectors in a reversed installation, meaning the nut is screwed in as far as it goes, hose is slipped on after over the “barb” and nut is backed OUT into the flared out back, to secure the clear hose in place. Interesting idea that had me scratching my head because I couldn’t figure out how is the nut ever going to fit over the tube. It doesn’t. In a way you are unscrewing the nut to make the seal.

Yesterday I installed the filter in tank.
I boiled the plastic tubing for an easy installation and lubricated main gaskets with silicon grease (food grade) to make sure all is water tight.

All went well, except the output U tube that hangs over the top of aquarium is too short to fit vertically. Why didn’t they make it longer? (But it could be my aquarium that has a hood too high)
Same size as the output that attaches to motor with short thick tube.
Motor runs silently, basket is about 5cm off the bottom of the tank.
So far I am really pleased with it, hope the plastic will not get bridle and develop leaks in the rotating connectors.

EDIT:
It comes with a VenturI kit that consists of small screw-valve, black T tube,~6mm diameter and silicone hose 4mm about a foot long. To use it, the little rubber plug in the middle of the motor has to be taken out and in its place goes the T-tube with the silicon hose attached perpendicularly to the smaller inlet. The valve regulates the air flow, since the tube is on the pressure side of pump, it forces water out through and draws air in.

Clever design, just like the “reversed” hose clamping where the screw-nut is backed out over the hose and tighten the hose over the barb.
I’m surprised nobody mentions this in their installation. I was scratching my head and cursing the manufacturer for supplying wrong parts. There is NO way to put the nut over the hose .
I am used to undo the nut, put the hose through, push the hose on the fitting and screw nut in and as it tightens, it compresses the hose against the main body. Not so clever IMO.

Anyway, great filter in my opinion, just hope it lasts.
Cheers ....sorry for long post.

 

[grump299]

Glad it works good for you.

 

[Skavatar]

So far I am really pleased with it, hope the plastic will not get bridle and develop leaks in the rotating connectors.

A small mystery gadget, the motor has a small rubber plug 6mm that can be removed and in its place can go a small “T” tube with both ends open! and one end can have a small tubing with screw valve, something like you find in filters to add air, “Venturi” type but this thing has the intake open?? and is on the output side, going to filter. Maybe to reduce flow? I don’t know and the manual doesn’t even mention it.

I received mine (403B I think, 525gph)
yes, the plastic is brittle, on the output, I cracked the plastic while pushing the spray bar onto the adapter. but it still stays on and works.

on this video around 14 minute mark she talks about this venturI part. (she says its not on the manual, and the dog flops over lol). she goes on to say that the pump/motor can be placed either inside or outside of the tank. so i'm thinking if you put it inside the tank, then you add an airline to it?

 

[Faster]

Hey Skavatar , thanx for replying, lol that video... I watched it and she improvises as she goes along and she somewhat butchered the installation, because she didn’t figured out what are all the parts for.
She shouldn’t have cut the rigid intake tube, (pump is meant to be close to surface, the plastic pipe with basket reach down, (there are 2) depending on height of aquarium) and the output side of pump is joint together with the short stub of black soft tube (~2” long) that joins the plastic “U” coming out to 16mm hose. (She never used that part)
It serves as a flexible joint to absorb vibration.
She did a rigid connection, but it works for her...

I figured out the VenturI part, it is on pressure side of pump, (after the input) and the T connector fits in to pump, the hose fits on the right angle part and as water is being pushed out, it creates vacuum and draws air in. Interesting design, why didn’t they say anything in manual?

 

[Faster]

And here it is in action: sorry the iPad photo is not the best