Whoa...best filter ever???? Aquael website: www.aquael.com/ Aquael Hypermax 4500 video (Aquaman Aquatics): ua-cam.com/video/3JrNT2IMJHA/v-deo.html 00:00 Intro 01:35 Top of filter and pre-filter 04:40 Looking inside the filter 08:00 Recommended set up 14:36 A few more figures 16:28 Tank size recommendations 18:00 The competition 20:49 Cost and availability 23:03 Intake pipes 23:37 The state of the aquarium hobby 26:43 Turning down Faustian pacts This is for sure an awesome filter which will take the place of 2 x FX6 filters as far as flow and how much media is contained in the filter (easily 10kg) - That makes it suitable for normally stocked tanks up to 1000 litres (263 US gallons) or heavily stocked tanks of up to 500 litres (132 US gallons) if you're expecting to achieve a full cycle (reduction in nitrate) when using the Biohome Ultimate. The one negative I've noticed is that the supplied pipes are all cut to around 1.5m (5 feet) long so you may have to extend some of the pipes if you are wanting to have the inlets and outlets at different sides of the tank. If you're using a spray bar on one outlet and a standard outlet on the other that should not be a problem but ideally the two intakes would be at different sides of the tank to reduce the chance of dead spots. The pipe is readily available from good aquatic stores so it's not a huge problem but some extra length on the supplied pipes would have been nice. Is there a better filter available? Have you used this filter? please let others know in the comment section - thanks for watching. Filter Kits, Foams, Biohome, Biogravel etc: www.filterpro.co.uk (FilterPro site has links to Biohome suppliers in other countries) Booster filter for canister filters: geni.us/2bj1 Trojan Horse Treatments video: ua-cam.com/video/1YCtMYZQlig/v-deo.html Thousand Yard Stare channel: ua-cam.com/channels/1pgJBGQrUfCUAhk63U5u5A.html VERY IMPORTANT: *Avoid using water conditioners which claim to bind / remove / detoxify ammonia, nitrite and nitrate as it will have a pronounced starving effect on the bacteria. When bacteria is starved the population will be low as it grows in line with the available 'food'. A normal conditioner will allow the bacteria to fully populate the whole system and take away the 'need' to add more bacteria after maintenance / water change. Most people get conned into regularly using bacteria additives and that is simply to mask the side effects from a damaging conditioner and a failing filter. A normal conditioner like Tapsafe, Aquasafe, API Stress Coat etc. is all you need when a tank is properly set up, a filter is suitably sized (and properly set up) and Nature is allowed to so what Nature does.* See below for notes on how much media is recommended for different stocking scenarios. The Q&A page of the FilterPro site has extensive notes on recommended treatments and how filtration works. Follow me on Odysee: odysee.com/$/invite/@PondGuru:0 Contact me on 07772848730 / sales@filterpro.co.uk *******(I don't do texts)******* You can check out my efforts to create a new system to navigate Agenda 2030 / 50-in-5 on my Thousand Yard Stare channel: ua-cam.com/channels/1pgJBGQrUfCUAhk63U5u5A.html The following videos will be useful for learning more about filtration and filter media: Sizing a canister properly and filter set up: goo.gl/om19un Looking INSIDE different filter media: goo.gl/hZWS6c Bacteria and filter media: goo.gl/123gAF How to clean an aquarium: goo.gl/bPMhvh Aquarium tips / filtration playlist: goo.gl/pXgqVj A full cycle is completed by bacteria - the aerobic part of biological filtration which processes ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate followed by an anaerobic part which processes nitrate into soluble nitrogen which bubbles off to the atmosphere. Therefore it requires a suitable amount of excellent quality filter media to be able to provide the environment for both aerobic AND anaerobic bacteria - that is what Biohome filter media does perfectly but even with such good media there are limitations and we recommend the following amounts for different stocking scenarios: (1 US Gallon = 3.8 litres) (1kg = 2.2 lbs) Average community tropical aquarium = 1kg per 100 litres Average coldwater aquarium = 1kg - 1.5kg per 100 litres Predator aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres Large cichlid aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres Malawi / Tanganyikan aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres Marine aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres Average mixed fish pond = 1kg per 200 litres Average koi pond = 1kg per 150 litres RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS ON AMAZON: goo.gl/jMaBWy INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/pondguru_outdoors/ Some of the links above may be to my affiliate programs on Amazon and Ebay so they will throw a few pennies my way if you make a purchase - it costs you nothing extra and helps towards keeping the lights on in my bunker.
Hello !!! Great video as usual ! I was thinking when you'll have the chance to review this filter !😉😉😉🙂 They have available in Poland and in some countries from Europe the updated version, with built-in 2 heaters ! That one has more features available both on a digital display and also with a special wifi Aquael app for smartphone. 😉
@@mrtommyw19 Unfortunately everything I've tried sending to ROI has been held up, messed with and returned by AnPost. I have no idea what the problem is and although I've tried to find out with couriers they are baffled too. I've sent a few items to NI which were collected by people in ROI but that's only an option if you live near the border - sorry about that but it's cost me a fortune in failed deliveries since the covaids plandemic. That's what kicked it off and for some reason ROI is the only country I still have problems sending anything to.
Been waiting for this .After watching the video you did on the ULTRAMAX 2OOO I replaced my EHEIMS and never looked back so thanks for that video .Better built , more power ,quite, better priced .I would recommend the brand all day long after using several filters over the years. AQUAEL have looked at the best of the rest on the market and have come up with the compete package .Is this the FX6 killer ? I think it definitely is .If I was ever thinking about buying a new FX6 this video has blown it out of the water into second place .one word BRILLIANT .Another great video to the channel ,and comments from those watching and those needing the wright info before buying in a crowded market .Keep up the great content Richard, it is honest opinions and knowledge that viewers can rely on. ALL THE BEST ,CHEERS,
Thanks for the report on the 2000 - it is very important to share reports as I take quite a superficial look at filters in this series since I generally don't own them. As far as it being an FX6 killer it will take the place of 2 x FX6 so I reckon you're right there. Now it just needs to be made available widely with a good selection of spares.
Great review; This might be the one-stop solution for most aquarists for their 100+ gallon tank. Most significant feature is the "twin inlets and outlets". This can solve the circulation issues in large tanks which would've otherwise be possible only with an additional filter. This Beast is definitely going to be a 'game changer' and will make the Top Heads run for their money. Fluval, Oase and Eheim would scratch their head on making quick upgrades and features. Aquael brand is trusted with long term in this business. Much better aesthetics and built quality when compared to the least expensive Chinese brand Sunsun; though they also do a decent job at low price.
Yes, that's a great summary of where Aquael are (potentially) at now. The only fly in the ointment is that Aquael aren't in many shops compared to the more established companies (Fluval and Oase) - Eheim have pretty much shot themselves in the pocket with the pro4 and pro5 series of filters. I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't learn the lessons from the pro4 as it was a financial disaster but they doubled down on the same mistakes and that's a very arrogant business stance which has cost them by losing even more customers to their rivals (Fluval and Oase). If Eheim are still in business for their next generation of filters they have to do something really special to prevent going out of business.
@@pondguru Absolutely. This phenomenon happen to many giants; like Nikon and Canon in photography. Sony was nowhere in the list at a time and these two Giants were enjoying the duopoly. But, there comes a twist (tornado). Sony made a huge leap with tons of features and made the Giants look dumb! Nikon almost went out of scene! Canon caught the pulse and scrambled all they could and matched up with newest tech. Nikon gasped and returned backed to scene after a while. Why all this happened, simple, “don’t fool around people, give them for what they pay for; not just some minor tweaks here and there year after year!”
@@srijithps 100% - give the customers what they want and listen to their feedback when developing new products. Unfortunately the arrogance of established companies is going to destroy them. EHEIM - R.I.P.
Thanks for reviewing. I have ran an Aquael Ultramax 2000 alongside a Fluval FX6 and the Aquael was definitely the best of the two. Easier to clean, quieter and just better all round to work with. Cheaper as well.
Good one - thanks for the feedback. It is so important to share proper information online in an age where there are so many fake (paid for) 'reviews'. Instead of the internet being a source of learning and knowledge it has devolved into something more akin to Goebbels propaganda, lol
Being running this filter now on my 700 litre South American cichlid tank for 4months it’s awesome quiet, easy pre filter change; and as powerful as 2x FX6 what more can I say 👌
What a monster! I really like the design of the pre-filter. My Oase Biomax can be a little cumbersome having to remove the whole filter from the cabinet in order to have enough top clearance to pull out the long pre-filter cylinder. Thanks for the great video Richard!! :)
This is the best filter on the market hands down. I have it 9 months and it's unreal. Bought all media from yourself and setup as shown. Couldn't ask for more. Best purchase I've ever made involving my aquarium!!
That is great - thanks for the report. I love it when people take the time to comment abiout their experience of running the filter featured in a filter video since it helps others to make an informed decision about a future purchase. Filtration is 95% of fish keeping so setting a suityably sized filter up properly is essential unless the tank is lightly stocked and heavily planted.
No worries and big thanks to Aquael for sending it to make the video. It's not often a company will send something knowing that you're going to be 100% honest while making the video. They gave me no direction or notes as to what to include in the video and I appreciate that. Most companies now want fame-seeking fannies to parrot nonsense for a fee and that's not what I'm about.
In my opinion this has to be the best filter ever made, a fantastic piece of kit for any aquarist, what a christmas present to win and own, also with a great review as usual.
Picked up the ultramax 2000 after your recommendation, running it with two adult terrapins and ten small fish for over a year now and its never missed a beat in 350lts tank Water is always clear and the pump still remains quiet. Clean the pre-filter every 7 days, 60% water change every 12 and main filter cleaned every 21 days.
I was going to comment that the maintenance and amount of water changed seems to be excessive until I re-read the comment and saw that there were 2 adult terrapins in the tank - now the maintenance makes sense, lol Best of luck with the tank and I'm glad that filter is working well for you.
I just wanna thank you for recomending this filter to me. Thanks for answering my questions. The filter is running now and I love it. All the media of two fx6 goes in this one and I still have 1 basket to fill to have it the same as in this video. Love the pre filter. And love that its so easy to turn of and on. I turn it of for a couple of minutes when my goldies get there food. O and the power consumtion is also lower thats always nice. ❤ Keep up the good work
Thanks for the great report and I'm glad that the filter is working well for you. It is definitely way more efficient to run the 4500 compared to 2 x FX6 filters which are quite heavy on power consumption.
@@pondguru yeah no problem, just can't beat actual real feedback. I have the eheim 1200ltr really decent filter just takes ages to start up properly once cleaned out, been looking at buying one from Germany because they hypermax link it's the one with a heater god know why they don't sell them here
Thank you so much for showing this filter Richard.I am very interested in this as I already own an Ultramax 2000 from Aquael which has been working very well and I highly rate it. Currently I have an Aquael ultramax 2000 and an eheim pro 3 on a heavily stocked tank and one of these would replace both of them (and save on energy and money too). I have been watching your video's for a good while now and I know you cut through all the bull dodo and give good sound advice.Keep doing what you do!
That is one well thought out and built filter. Would definitely be on my shopping list when I upgraded to my next tank. Great video, as always, thanks.
I love the aquael products nearly everything is Aquael at home, like, filter, heather, lamps. I very love this filter, just little bit pricey, so i wait a year when the price is more friendly i'm deffinietly buy it.
Awesome Filter, hoping to put my hands on this next year for my 750L tank. And as always very helpful review, watching you channel with Junior to teach him also about other filters, that we do not have, and we have quite a few hooked up to our tanks and racks.
I was looking into this as I was running a biotherm 850 & 250 & while they're good I wasn't completely happy with them, I have family that live in Poland so got the Hypermax 4500 link, as well as the dual outlets it has 2x 150w heaters built-in and app control & all I can say is wow!!! If they can incorporate the same tech into their smaller filters they'd literally take over the filtration market, basically 2 filters in 1 & 2 heaters built-in... this imo is now the benchmark in filtration and how all external filtration should be it really is phenomenal!! Runs silent, heats up well & the flow rate is 2nd to none, well done Aquael (I put a short video of it in operation on UA-cam but it's crappy so my apologies 😂)
Competition is important for this hobby as we want companies to always develop better equipment. However the downside I see with this filter in the UK is spare parts Aquael is not well supported by most aquatic shops, you may find the odd tank, heater or micro filter. Fluval really has done the due diligence with making spare parts easily available. For the record I run a very big custom tank 206gal with X2 FX6s and a 407 to run a skimmer and UV steriliser for the moment I don’t see this product taking the FX6 spot as a better filter as pipework not the best and to many inlets and outlets if you run more than one of these which I would, also being on those roller wheels that thing must vibrate something chronic.. great video showing the breakdown, I think the future is going to get very interesting now as there are starting to be some new serious contenders for big filters for big tanks. Sure there are problems with cost of living crisis and everything getting more expensive, even bills.. however there is always going to be fellow hobbyists with big tanks and big ideas. Take care and have a great Christmas with your family..
Yes, for big tanks currently running 2 x FX6 filters (there are many of them) you can afford to sell the FX6 filters and use the money to buy 1 x Hypermax 4500 and have much cheaper electric costs going forward. The spares are currently a concern but I hear that the filter is going to be launched either in December of January by one of the biggest UK wholesalers so spares should be available no problem when Aquael get into more shops and online sellers. The (manufactured) cost of living stripping of wealth that is going on now will only accelerate so the cheaper running costs of large tanks are the better. I hope you have a good Christmas too. We don't bother much with Christmas as far as gifts go but I like having a day or two off and all the food, lol
What a monster… I currently have 2 Aquael ultramax, full of Biohome ultimate, filtering a 450 litre discus cube and they are so good… quiet and reliable… I got them after watching your review of the ultramax 2000. I was so bewildered at the choice of external filters that your sensible guide made my mind up… you were also instrumental in pointing out the benefit of using AllPondSolutions booster cannisters, and I use these on both my ultramaxes as prefilters to maximise on the Biohome ultimate in the ultramaxes. They are so easy to disconnect and wash out the sponges so as to leave the biohome alone to do its stuff of fully cycling the water. Id love this baby… I’m just about to set up another 450 litre tank for Altums, so this would gladden my heart… thanks again for all the advice over the years.
No worries and I'm glad your filters (and media) are working well for you. I'll have to get my finger out and make a video once I decide how to do the competition / give away.
@@rajadey4919 both returns enter either side of a reverse flow undergravel filter… this keeps the sand healthy and dissipates the flow. That said I do have two circulating pumps to make sure that there is some water movement and to keep debris from the bottom… i angle these against the glass to prevent too much movement, but my discus do enjoy the gentle flow.
This is one of my dream filter! I have 2 Ultramax 2000 and i really wanna upgrade to just this single baby is amazing and hope will be available for purchase in my country also soon. Wounder full video as always.
Yes, a sump for a big tank will always be preferable but for people running multiple canister filters on big tanks it can take the place of 2 x FX6 quite easily.
That looks like a good filter. I’m just getting into the hobby myself. Bought a large used aquarium from Facebook and I’m about to start getting the rest of the equipment. Your videos have helped loads in terms of learning about filters. Obviously it’d be great to win, but even if I don’t, this would definitely be on my short list.
Nice one and it will be perfect for a large tank so the give away will probably involve entrants sending a video of their tank to enter. It doesn't matter if the tank is full or not at the time.
@@pondguru Sweet. I’ve never uploaded a video to UA-cam before, so I’ll have to look that up. All I know about my tank is that it’s 5 feet long 😂 I’ve tried a volume calculator and I think it’s 400 litres which is a big upgrade from the 40 litre tank I’ve been trying to learn with since April. On a bit of a tangent here … but would I be able to pick your brain about substrates? I’m going to try something like a Walstad method. I priced up aqua soil, but with everything needed to set up, it all got a bit eye watering. My idea was to mix regular compost with clay and sand to make a loam type of stuff and cap that with sand. I have hard water and high pH. After watching one of your videos about peat, I went down a rabbit hole. My loose understanding is that organic matter will acidify the water (so hopefully bring it down to around neutral), but that I need to cap with sand to stop too many nitrates leaching out. A side benefit of the soil base is that it’s good for some plants (only found out the other day that some plants don’t get planted in dirt, but get glued to logs and stuff) Before I start mixing the compost, sand and clay; I was wondering if you think this could work or would be a mistake?
@@carlwaugh5109 You may have already phoned up with this question? If not then just give me a phone any day 9-5 as I've got about 50 comments to reply to on this video alone - I can answer a nation of questions very quickly by phone which is why I give my number out all the time. 07772848730
Bought the bt version 2 weeks ago. Wish I had this years ago. FX6 doesn't touch the sides. Literally silent and control the flow. The amount of media is ridiculous!!! Nothing comes close!!
I don’t think I have ever missed any of you mr videos Richard. Great series and amazing filter! Totally agree with the comments about the decline in our hobby but we need to fight that and keep up looking after our fishy friends and keep the hobby growing regardless of all the barriers.
When the barriers are economic something has to give and the engineered cost of living wealth stripping going on now will only accelerate. However, having a filter with a huge capacity and low running costs is a massive step in the right direction to saving the hobby.
I have to say that filter looks amazing. The analysis and brake down of what it can do is as always spot on and i look forward to seeing your next video. Would you ever consider a live stream? Q&A Would you also consider doing some DIY filters ? You inspired me to make my own movingbed filter out of a plastic spaghetti tupperware box. Keep up the fantastic work Richard
I have considered doing live streams as it would allow people all around the world to get real time answers to questions but I've no idea what I'm doing with computers and cameras - that's why I just give out my phone number so anyone with questions can phone up.
What a machine!! I have the Aquael ultramax 2000, and set it up how you did in a video. Only I used siporax, biomedia was a bit to expansive. But the 2000 runs on a 725 liter aquarium and is super silent. In the future I wil get me a 4500! Love your revieuws!!
@@pondguru yes it is, i never clean intern filter, only the pre filter every 2 weeks and than it is not that dirty. So thank you for your set up of the ultramax filter. It works perfect.
Wow, this is a monster, I have a Eheim 1200XL and is has been working for about 8 years now and great got all your bimedia in it. Would love to get this to upgrade. seen for about £270.
Kudos for not only giving the filter away, but giving so much biohome away with it 👏👏 one lucky person is going to win this. Keep banging out the videos if you can, I've missed them! 👍
No worries - I won't tell my wife that I'm giving it away or how much that package is worth as she doesn't understand that the only thing you take into Heaven is what you give away, lol
@@lpoolck17 I will check it out but I guarantee she won't be interested - I've tried to explain The Matrix for the last 20+ years and even though the middle of the film has a huge exposition dump which laid exactly what the matrix is in the middle of the film it's still a mystery to her unfortunately. We watch very different films - Opposites attract and while my wife enjoys watching rom-coms I'm going wild over The LIghthouse, November, Beau is Afraid, Midsommar and all manner of obscure European horror films knowing that I'm wasting my time trying to explain how amazing they are. Luckily my daughter likes the same films as me so I don't have to watch them all alone now.
@@pondguru haha, I'm glad your daughter has similar tastes to you. I also cannot do rom-coms. I'll have to check those films out, you cannot beat a bit horror. The ones I've watched are more mainstream like hostel or some Japanese horror films.
@@lpoolck17 There is a world of great horror films outside the Hollywierd studios so I wish you all the best searching. I like folk horror and many of the films classed as 'elevated horror' draw on Greek myths which I'm quite familiar with. Beau Is Afraid is an amazing film which is basically The Odysee / Heroes Journey undertaken by someone who is woefully under-prepared for the monumental task and the resulting failure is heart breaking to watch since as a viewer you're basically rooting for someone who is destined to fail. Depending on how you view life it's either a 10/10 or a 0/10 film - some people will get it and some people won't. If you want a great start with European horror then November (2017?) is a brilliant film about love which will never be reciprocated - it is filmed in black and white but has more vibrancy than any colour film I've seen and the implementation of Latvian tradition and superstition is used so well. Last time I watched it I spent almost the whole film crying like a baby as it is so beautiful and I resonate with it completely - my daughter kept looking over at me and shaking her head. She enjoyed it but it didn't hit as deep with her as it did with me. I love that one.
Definitely need this to replace my faulty all pond solutions EFX+ that I have been battling with air ingress. Top man for giving it away fully loaded to a lucky subscriber 👍
The filter looks fantastic something I'm definitely interested in, I currently run an FX6 in one tank and the previous model to this aquael In another tank, and to be honest really Just the odd little niggle, for the fluval FX6 the only issue I have found is the drain valve can have a habit of leaking via the seals, and also the seals in the stop valves at the top apart from that they are fantastic filters, as for the AquaL previous model to the one shown in the video that would be the prefilter, what should be a simple pop the top off and lift the filter out is a bit of a mess to be honest, you pop the top off to get to the pre-filter and it just absolutely gushes water everywhere which is not what you want so whenever to breathe you still have to remove the filter from under your tank and put it near a sink, on paper the prefilter is a great idea and yes it works it's just the fact the amount of pressure in there gushes water as soon as you released one clip which is a shame. The question I have now though is how do we all enter into this competition to win this absolute specimen of a canister filter 👍👍👍👍
That is a great report - thanks for that. It's beneficial to anyone reading to get reports from people who have used any of the products featured in any of the videos. Unfortunately the give away has ended for this filter but it ran for a week or so - I just sent the filter plus 10kg of media out to the winner today. It's a major bummer but because I don't play the Google game of having a 'join' button or 'support the channel' link or selling any T-shirts or other crap Google has pretty much destroyed my channel since early 2020. Even if you subscribe and hit the bell to be informed of new uploads Google will only send notifications of new uploads to approx. 3% of my subscribers so the '150K subscribers' is a fake number as hardly anyone gets to see the videos now. God bless Google, lol If I was making videos saying how great trannies are or supporting the fascist ADL, BLM or WEF I'm sure my channel would be resurrected and promoted in the 'recommended' section but I won't sell my soul - what you see is what you get and I wouldn't have it any other way as you only take into Heaven what you give away.
There is also a Wi-fi version of this filter, but it is really expensive. I think about 2 things. One incovenience so far is lack of nice inlets and outlets for this filter. It uses 19/25mm hoses, and so far, I haven't found stainless steel or glass ones for this size. Another thing, but this is obvious, is the weight when this is full of water and media. To perfection, it could have a tap/valve on the bottom to drain it. Over all it is an animal of filter and I know 2x 720 liter tanks where it works just fine 😉 Thank you Richard for the review. The fact that you didn't modify any hardware in this filter tells more than words.
An impressive design! Thank you Richard for all the valuable content you create and really hope your channel grows more for your honesty. Not to mention you were responsive to my emails when i first started in the hobby and helped me cycle my first tank 😀. I also have a an idea, may be we can utilise one of the 5 baskets to have more biohome media ( I know we have 10Kgs already 😀 ) instead of the sponges. i think we can utilise the pre-filter compartment to include may be 2 grades of sponges. while utilising the suction inlets to host the coarse sponge. This way i do not have to open the whole filter every 1/2 weeks to clean the clogged sponges
It would probably work to have a finer grade of foam in the pre-filter and the coarse foam in / around the intake points and in low stock conditions that would work very well.
Absolutely amazing filter , i really enjoy your videos and have done for many years even in your shop days and being from ashington the shop wasn't too far away , i also have your bio home media in every tank i have , i am always looking for things that can give my fish the best quality of life , regards of media and food and such like , so thanks you for giving up your time to show us new products and your honest opinion because that matters,
No worries and I'm glad you appreciate the videos. The longer I am on UA-cam the more I know I made the right decision to turn down all the branding / advertising offers - when I see other channels selling out it breaks my heart. Just like Ali G I is keepin' it real Aiiiiii!
@@leemaclauchlan Not everyone appreciates it - if you've ever posted a link to one of my videos on a ('sponsored') forum of facebook page it will be deleted quite quickly by moderators (fannies). It's amazing how much information is suppressed by companies interested in selling you unnecessary chemicals, lol
That filter is an absolute BEAST! I would love to have one of these on my 720 liter tanks, but... it seem to be 70-80 cm high plus the inlets and outlets and hoses on top of that. I would love to see a filter of that capacity, but with 2+2 baskets side by side, making it maybe 50 cm high, but 50×25 cm instead of 25x25 cm area! I can see how it would possibly need sturdier plastic and maybe more clasps to hold on the top, but it woulf fit under most aquarium this size, while this beast need an unusually high base to stand on to cover it.
It's deceptively short (approx. 50cm tall) and I hear you about the side by side idea. I have drawings I did an age ago for a modular canister filter but I've never taken it beyond the drawing stage. I should just send the ideas to Aquael and let them get on with it, lol
Wow that is a beast. Great videos. Watched and pimped every filter I have that you have reviewed, and few others based on your system. Even have the biohome in them too. Keep making videos. 😊
Ive been running an Aquael 1000 on one of my smaller tanks after the Eheim I was using packed in and been well impressed impressed with how quiet it was and thw prefilter idea is absulotely awesome. I think I'll be getting the Hypermax to replace the 2 Eheim 2028 I'm currently using as they are getting tired and noisy with age. Great review as always keep up the good work.
Hi Richard. How are you, Sir? I have to be honest, I have never seen an external cannister/filter quite like this One. That is a beast. Out of appreciation to you for taking the time to produce this content and sharing such great insight on that filter, I have given your video the 541st like to say thankyou very much for sharing. I knew you were going to mention Fluval because of there FX range. I too think that they will come out with a new Filter that will at least match this beast or better than it. Take care, Sir. 👍🏼🙂👍🏼❤️
All is good apart from every day seeming to have less free time than the last. Yes, Fluval are bound to respond positively to this rival product so I'm interested to see what they do with their next design.
@pondguru I'm glad you are well. Sorry you have less time now for yourself. Hopefully, you can get a break soon. It would be exciting to see what they would bring out. I have often thought about contacting them to help by giving them some ideas. Fluval have been in business for donkey years, and therefor, they have a lot of experience and knowledge, so they might surprise us after all. Anyway, I hope you have a great Weekend, Sir. 👍🏼🙂👍🏼❤️
@@ultimatefishkeeping I could quite happily live on the Mediterranean sea as the climate is so good. However, I'd rather live way up North on a Scottish island and build the ultimate end of the World bunker, lol
Great video been wanting to see a review on this filter with a really honest opinion… running several fx6 on a 10ftx30x30 tank with some other filtration to keep the water clear this looks like it will do the job nicely will try it out … thanks mate 👍
What a awsome filter i am in the process of setting up new to me 180cm tank and was going to purchase 2 fluval fx6 but now serriously going to look for 1 of these, thank you for your informative videos all of my filters at the moment i have set up as you advise with bio home ultimate water has always been spot on thank you
That is great to hear and for a 180cm tank this will certainly take the place of 2 x FX6 filters at half the price and less than half the running cost so it is a serious consideration, especially with the crazy cost of electric now (it will increase again next year). Best of luck with the new tank.
Oh my - I feel like I should be paying you some sort of confirmation for you being subjected to so many instances of by boring voice. That has to have caused some psychological damage, lol
@@pondguru Lol, can't be all that bad, three or four years after building my system and I'm still watching your vids for any nuggets of knowledge you might let slip. You keep it up and for what it's worth, I'll keep watching
I appreciate the conversions you do for us guys across the pond. One day we’ll join the bandwagon and use the metric system. Hopefully not in my lifetime. That thing is a monster of a canister filter. Does it come for a 70 Gallon Aquarium? I enjoy your videos, so stay cool!
I'm currently running 2x Fluval 407's on my 140 gallon cichlid tank but looking for a single filter to do the job and after this review I know where my limited pennies are going. Thanks buddy.
Groovy - it's a much more sensible choice since the Hypermax 4500 will easily hold between 10kg-13kg of media (depending on how it is packed in). Either way it's easily big enough for a 532 litre (140 US? gallon) cichlid tank as that will give you 2kg of media per 100 litres (26 US gallons). 2 x 407 filters would only allow for around 6kg of media so it's nowhere near what this one 4500 filter can accommodate.
@pondguru oh no it proper gallons buts it's actually a custom made 148 gallon tank I just always put 140 lol. Filter arrived yesterday and I have to say while I'm shocked at how big the unit is I'm shocked at how small the unit is for its capacity especially when compared to an FX6. Waiting for extra pipe to arrive tomorrow as there isn't enough and then fitting on Saturday
@@trigger852011 The FX filters have those huge foams around the outer part of the trays with the media being in the smaller central part of the tray. That gives them great mechanical filtration but inferior biological filtration, especially considering the size of that range of filters.
Wow, someone is price gouging there - that price equates to £581 which is madness. However, with the way the countries are going now there are probably crazy import taxes.
There are loads of cheap tanks available now. Just saying, lol A big tank generally comes with big running cost so having a filter which can handle the size of tank and stock but is efficient could well be a game changer since it takes the place of 2 x FX6 filters.
I bought a 4500 a month or 2 ago tho I haven’t even opened it yet. I have to get the filter media. Im not in a hurry tho because my 125 African peacock tank only has 10 cichlids in is atm.
Great video as always. I purchased the 2000 3 years ago based on your recommendation and its still going strong! would love something like the 4500 as a replacement
i have this buddy and it is amazing how it works and it is tottaly silent ….. working into mine angelfish and discus tank …. only one thing i changed is - that i removed grey foam and putted inside biofiltration into it Matrix from Seachem 9 liter ….. amazing
Nice one mate, & what an awesome power house of a filter, puts may fx4 to shame lol... I may look into one of these now ive seen your review, as im having my brother-in-laws 600lt tank off him in a few weeks, & was gonna go fx6... 👍
This will basically take the place of 2 x FX6 and it is currently cheaper than one FX6. I'd wait until this filter is available in the UK (hopefully early next year)
Another great video! I've seen the beast myself at Vivariumbeurs earlier this month, what a beast. It would be a great fit for my tank (900 liters/ 240 gallons). Currently I've the Fluval FX6 which is doing fine, but it would be good to improve the flow in my tank and reduce the sound that the Fluval FX6 is making. However, keep up the good work, enjoying your videos and have a great holiday season!
It is a vastly affordable filter and is currently under the cost of 1 x FX6 while easily holding more than 2 x FX6. I'll have to get going on the give away video as Christmas is coming.
Been looking forward to this video I always listen to your opinion on all the filters you do but this is one i was wanting so I don't have to run 2 filters on my Discus tank. Great video as always mate
It literally does the job of 2 x FX6 for under the cost of one of them (and way less electricity costs too). I would love to see it available all over the world.
@@pondguru yeah definitely I've never really liked the fx filters. I like the old style eheim like the one I have and the other aquael ultramax which I was going to buy until I seen this coming out. Hopefully they will be available and easier to get in UK without the price being stupid high like the one I have seen. That hypermax is a game changer in my opinion Richard I'm just glad you done a video on it, as I said I watch all your videos and listen to your opinion before I'll buy one so thanks mate
Nice! I was actually waiting for this to come. Once even requested it. There isn't really a way to compare it to any other filter on the market right now. Thanks for the review. PS: I don't understand why people are keep talking the Fluval FX, or Fluval in general... It is one of the worst possible choices out there. If you dive a bit deeper into physics and engineering, you will find out, that it is one of the crappiest filters possible. It seems to me, that Fluval had those empty buckets laying around, not knowing what to do with them...And so they decided to stick a power head on them, put a lid on... And there you have it. Oh yes, and don't forget the pretty box, with all the false claims on it. I mean... How could you say, that the main competition would be from FX6?! It's just way out of place. I use Ultramax and it is around a thousand times better than an FX6... From any point of vue.
I used the FX6 as an example since it is the most recognizable and most widely used filter for large tanks. Coincidentally the Hypermax 4500 holds twice as much media so that was also a convenient comparison. However, I agree that the filter closest in design and function to the Hypermax is the Ultramax. Thanks for watching and appreciating the video.
Wow!!!!what a slab of a filter Richard,packed with features and media capability,very impressive. I actually use aquael products their well priced and good quality!!👌👍
Loving everything about this filter but I think I would need a spare cabinet to put it in but hey I could live with that lol. Great review and still enjoying your videos.
Yes, if the winner of the upcoming give away is willing to pay the shipping I will send it anywhere. I'm not sure how I'm going to do the give away yet but I will have to decide quite quickly.
Took the plunge, set it up a few days ago ,Super quiet ,as with the other Aquael filter filters i also run (that being 2x aquael ultramax 2000).as for media capacity its the same as my Aquamanta EFX 600 aslso covered in your series of filters.The Hypermax edges ahead on sound level ,multiple inlet and oullet and higher adjustable flow if needed.Only negative is price for the entry level version is £370 .£70 to £100 more than FX6. I would still recommend paying the extra for the Hypermax (i also run an the FX6 still an excellent filter aswell ).All the best.
(my other channel) That is a great report and I'm glad to hear that the Aquael Hypermax 4500 is working well for you - It is very important to get user reviews so I thank you for that. Groovy.
It has a noise rating of between 24dB and 44dB depending on how much water is being pumped so that seems very quiet to me. I hope the weather is better in Italy than it is in the UK (I know it is, lol) as it's freezing here.
Lovely Job Richard👍 I picked up an 8ftx30"widex24"high aquarium last weekend for £125! Couldnt say no when i saw it on FB marketplace only 20 mins away! Its volume is 1133Litres or 300 US Gallons, and ive been umming and arring on what to use for filtration, ive got it running away with multiple sponge filters and a spare fluval 307 i had for now, but looking at this aquael hypermax 4500, looks like it may be a better option going for one of them rather than 2 fx6 filters that id dread cleaning out, and would be a cheaper way to go ay, aswell as having the twin in and outs 👍 Another great filter pimp as usual Cheers Aaron
(my other channel) That is a monster of a tank and I know how hard it must have been to move that since I gave an 8' x 2'6" x 2'6" tank away a few years ago and it took 6 guys to get it from up in my garden, down some big steps and onto the back of a flat bed truck. Best of luck with the set up.
@@ThousandYardStare yeah it certainly wasn't light! luckily enough I bought 8 triple sucker handles which were a god send, 5 of us managed to get it out of mateys window (was slightly sketchy) and 4 of us managed to get it in my living room through my window (luckily opens right up, didn't have to remove it like the chap I got it from), one of which was a young lady who is clearly a lot stronger than she looks! Can always rely upon my local fish shop workers to lend a hand so naturally repayed them in pizza of course!
Using Ultramax 2000 from the day I have seen your review years ago filled with biohome... Definitely looking forward getting this one day... I'm absolutely impressed with Aquael in general!!!!! Shame they don't sell those in any of the Aquarium shops nor chains therefore it's quite poorly known
That situation may change in the next month or two according to a few people I've spoken to in the last week. I'd love to see it widely available and I'm glad the 2000 is working well for you.
Been running an Ultramax 2000 (picked it up early in the UK) for around 2+ years now I think, Its not had any issues other than the clamp down nuts breaking (on the hose pipes.) One thing that did fail rather quickly is the Aqua EL UV units (I've had 2 go in the same ammount of time) so I'd stick to their filters and avoid the UV for now. Note the media is biohome Ultimate is 6 years old, initially was in a Oase Biomaster but the flow was too restrictive for me high tank, moved to the new Ehime which as richard reviewed was naff then moved to the ultramax and its been amazing!
That is good to hear and from this comment I think it was you I was talking to on the phone which kept getting cut off - all the best for Christmas and beyond, man.
Love the look of this, would run my goldfish tank a lot better than the two pond solutions ones I have. Thanks for all the work You do mate learned so much
That's an awesome filter and i really appreciate you for doing all pimp my filters you definitely teach us all something new on all of vids special on your oldest ones
I've been running this since March. Have a (amateurish!) review on my channel. Holds far more media than the FX6 and almost as much as the Eheim Classic 1500XL (which has no trays). And is more powerful than both. Very happy with mine so far. But Aquael's customer service is dire. They don't even respond to e-mails. So buy from a good dealer!
Yes, they need to get into more stores and get the customer relations going for sure but I think there may be positive changes regarding those points in the next couple of months according to people I've spoken to in the last week. Feel free to post the link to your video. The UA-cam spam filter will probably pick the comment with link up and put it in 'held for review' but I'll approve it as soon as I see it no worries.
@@pondguru Thanks. I hope they do. I'd say the U.S. division will be more customer focused. As you know they have far higher expectations than we do on this side of the pond. We may be left wallowing in the mire. Yes. I'm a pessimist by nature. 🙂 Take care.
@@awilderireland While they are free to say what they want the consequences are often not in line with 'free speech' ideals. I'd love to see a day where censorship was not a thing and when I know something has been censored and hidden it just makes me seek it out more since it's often 'dangerous information' which is censored - dangerous to the establishment but beneficial for me. Knowing what is planned for the years leading up to the magic date of 2030 is so important to allow us to navigate away from something which will inevitably lead to our harm or demise - the Deagle reports for 2025 are quite the reading, lol
I love your channel! I’m in the US , I just got my hands on a 220 gal aquarium, haven’t set it up yet but I’ve been researching and trying to figure out the filtration
They have available in Poland and in some countries from Europe the updated version, with built-in 2 heaters ! That one has more features available both on a digital display and also with a special wifi Aquael app for smartphone. 😉
@@pondguruIt's coming. There's a Polish UA-cam video of it filmed at a trade show last year. It's a h-itech WiFi job with a much higher price tag (I was told by a commenter on my video). On sale now in Poland. Not my cup of tea. Too much to go wrong. But I'm sure some will dig it. 😊
@@awilderireland For sure - this enough and adding loads of other stuff to it seems a bit unnecessary. However, the heaters being contained in the filter is a good idea - you can keep wi-fi. It's just frequencies firing off to prevent proper sleep, lol
That thing is a monster finally a filter that holds alot of media and for large tanks That is definitely on my xmas list i hope i can get one in Australia
That will vary depending on the stock but it shouldn't be more than once a month unless the tank was ridiculously overstocked. The pre-filter will trap most of the heavy muck and since the trays are approx. 10" x 10" it will take a long time to clog the foams and fine pad.
What a fantastic giveaway, I just got a big tank 8ft long x 2ft wide and 2 1/2ft high. I was given this from a person who could no longer keep his fish and tank so it was a rescue. I got the fish In my tank atm and I'm now having to set up the new tank. Definitely would be handy to have a big filter like that. Always like watching the filter videos. You did one on a filter that I have the Eheim 2227 breathable still a fantastic filter if you can get one. My one still going strong.
@@PeterKnopp-ih8ie Yes, some people post negative comments on videos even if they've never owned or intend to own that particular filter but this one seems to have been met with universal acclaim - hopefully that will continue when it is properly available for sale.
@@pondguru I’ve managed to order one from Germany from a company called Aqarisk shop got good reviews £290.80 fingers crossed it turns up! Will update later Pete
The shipping would be crazy but if anyone enters and is willing to pay t he shipping I can send it. To be honest I haven't worked out how to run the competition / give away yet as I'm not on other forms of 'social' media where it would be easier.
Thought you were pimping a modded wheelie-bin at first... That is some beast for sure! I'd love to see them do such detailing on smaller canisters too (100-300ltr tanks), as they seem to have a faultless design here. And I'd buy one without skipping a heartbeat if they did...
@@PeterKnopp-ih8ie They do swivel and the exit flow is split between the two outlets so if you wanted one to be very slow you'd have to install an in-line tap.
Love your channel ❤️ Always good advice. Good Morning and thanks 😊 I have a 200l community tank running with an fx4 and an aquael 750 uv internal uv canister filter both running well
Love your videos 👌👌 I just ordered this filter after your video for my 180gallons tank , Will play with an Eheim 2080 and an fx6 . Never enough with filtration 😂😂😂 Thank you for the good work 🙏🙏
I have a video uploaded recently on my channel for the flow rate you can check it out 👌👌👌 This is by far the best filter I ever had and I have them all oase 600 fx6 Eheim 1200xl … Today just ordered the second hypermax…. Go for it it’s awesome filter
When you run the filter from 1/10 till 6/10 of its power it is total silence…. At 1/10is more powerful than an fx6….. At 10/10 max power it the same as Eheim on noise so is really quiet 👌👌
I use the Eheim (2080 )1200xl Normally noise levels on max 10/10 power. Imagine that my tank is 1,80 meters length and I use the hypermax half of its power & it’s still powerful. it’s a serious machine and if it holds for years will be for sure a game changer for the category of medium to XL tanks
It most certainly is a beast - it's almost like the design team worked with the brief of creating something to take on the FX6, got carried away then ended up making something which takes the place of 2 x FX6 filters.
the most important thing is not the flow without media but with an eheim 3 1200xlt wich i have and the fluval xl6 and the eheim beats the fluval easy in real wold aplication .
That is a great point and Yes - that is why I mentioned the actual flow (with media) in the video. Also, it is printed on the box. As far as I remember the actual flow rate is approx. 2600 litres per hour which is way under the 4500 lph the pump will apparently shift - I always say that any manufacturers claimed flow rate should be halved when you're working out turnover rates but from the nonsensical 'advice' I see on the internet forums nobody else seems to use that very simple rule. They all seem to use the full manufacturer's claimed flow rate which renders their conclusions about flow rates and tank turnover times to be incorrect ...... aaaaaahhhhh......, $cience, lol
Hi. I have just bought this pump and was wondering how you would put the in and outlet in a 530L (140 gallon) Discus tank. It is mostly the outlet that gives me concerns
Ideally the inlet and outlet would be on the same side as demonstrated in this video: ua-cam.com/video/PfJbU-E8YDI/v-deo.html (for a single intake and single outlet. However, the actual placement and best removal of muck will depend on how the tank is set up since any structure / plants will redirect and diffuse the flow. If you have intake pipes they would ideally be at opposing back corners and if you're using 2 outlets they would normally be a duck bill type outlet at one end of the back of the tank with the other outlet being a spray bar. For a well set up discus environment there shouldn't be any problems with too much flow since the 530 litre tank is a good size and it will (hopefully) be set up with plenty of structure (normally bogwood or similar) and well planted. All of that will diffuse the flow and provide a good living environment for the fish.
I think it may be available from a German site but hopefully through lots of shops soon in the UK - I was told yesterday that ALF (one of the UK biggest wholesalers) is going to stock and distribute Aquael filters from January but I can't confirm that information. Whoever does stock it first is going to clean up.
@@pondguruI was just waiting for your video and I just ordered it from Slovenia, import Austria €320 with discount, and there is that hypermax link wifi it is €570
@@robi017. With the cost of postage I actually make a loss on the postage for every sale in the UK but if you're outside the UK there are links to all the various distributors along the top of every page on the FilterPro website (flags are direct links)
Now that is a game changer I did use 3x fx6 on my large discus tank and they really are a pain in the arse to clean and the flow rate decreases quick even with eheim pre filters on . But this baby big pre filter easy to get at two inlets and outlets perfect I would defo buy these. I won’t however as now have a large sump which is paradise 😊👍 and Richard thank you for these videos they are excellant interesting
Whoa...best filter ever????
Aquael website: www.aquael.com/
Aquael Hypermax 4500 video (Aquaman Aquatics): ua-cam.com/video/3JrNT2IMJHA/v-deo.html
00:00 Intro
01:35 Top of filter and pre-filter
04:40 Looking inside the filter
08:00 Recommended set up
14:36 A few more figures
16:28 Tank size recommendations
18:00 The competition
20:49 Cost and availability
23:03 Intake pipes
23:37 The state of the aquarium hobby
26:43 Turning down Faustian pacts
This is for sure an awesome filter which will take the place of 2 x FX6 filters as far as flow and how much media is contained in the filter (easily 10kg) - That makes it suitable for normally stocked tanks up to 1000 litres (263 US gallons) or heavily stocked tanks of up to 500 litres (132 US gallons) if you're expecting to achieve a full cycle (reduction in nitrate) when using the Biohome Ultimate.
The one negative I've noticed is that the supplied pipes are all cut to around 1.5m (5 feet) long so you may have to extend some of the pipes if you are wanting to have the inlets and outlets at different sides of the tank.
If you're using a spray bar on one outlet and a standard outlet on the other that should not be a problem but ideally the two intakes would be at different sides of the tank to reduce the chance of dead spots. The pipe is readily available from good aquatic stores so it's not a huge problem but some extra length on the supplied pipes would have been nice.
Is there a better filter available? Have you used this filter? please let others know in the comment section - thanks for watching.
Filter Kits, Foams, Biohome, Biogravel etc: www.filterpro.co.uk
(FilterPro site has links to Biohome suppliers in other countries)
Booster filter for canister filters: geni.us/2bj1
Trojan Horse Treatments video: ua-cam.com/video/1YCtMYZQlig/v-deo.html
Thousand Yard Stare channel: ua-cam.com/channels/1pgJBGQrUfCUAhk63U5u5A.html
VERY IMPORTANT:
*Avoid using water conditioners which claim to bind / remove / detoxify ammonia, nitrite and nitrate as it will have a pronounced starving effect on the bacteria. When bacteria is starved the population will be low as it grows in line with the available 'food'.
A normal conditioner will allow the bacteria to fully populate the whole system and take away the 'need' to add more bacteria after maintenance / water change.
Most people get conned into regularly using bacteria additives and that is simply to mask the side effects from a damaging conditioner and a failing filter.
A normal conditioner like Tapsafe, Aquasafe, API Stress Coat etc. is all you need when a tank is properly set up, a filter is suitably sized (and properly set up) and Nature is allowed to so what Nature does.*
See below for notes on how much media is recommended for different stocking scenarios. The Q&A page of the FilterPro site has extensive notes on recommended treatments and how filtration works.
Follow me on Odysee: odysee.com/$/invite/@PondGuru:0
Contact me on 07772848730 / sales@filterpro.co.uk
*******(I don't do texts)*******
You can check out my efforts to create a new system to navigate Agenda 2030 / 50-in-5 on my Thousand Yard Stare channel: ua-cam.com/channels/1pgJBGQrUfCUAhk63U5u5A.html
The following videos will be useful for learning more about filtration and filter media:
Sizing a canister properly and filter set up: goo.gl/om19un
Looking INSIDE different filter media: goo.gl/hZWS6c
Bacteria and filter media: goo.gl/123gAF
How to clean an aquarium: goo.gl/bPMhvh
Aquarium tips / filtration playlist: goo.gl/pXgqVj
A full cycle is completed by bacteria - the aerobic part of biological filtration which processes ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate followed by an anaerobic part which processes nitrate into soluble nitrogen which bubbles off to the atmosphere.
Therefore it requires a suitable amount of excellent quality filter media to be able to provide the environment for both aerobic AND anaerobic bacteria - that is what Biohome filter media does perfectly but even with such good media there are limitations and we recommend the following amounts for different stocking scenarios:
(1 US Gallon = 3.8 litres)
(1kg = 2.2 lbs)
Average community tropical aquarium = 1kg per 100 litres
Average coldwater aquarium = 1kg - 1.5kg per 100 litres
Predator aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Large cichlid aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Malawi / Tanganyikan aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Marine aquarium = 1.5kg - 2kg per 100 litres
Average mixed fish pond = 1kg per 200 litres
Average koi pond = 1kg per 150 litres
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS ON AMAZON: goo.gl/jMaBWy
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/pondguru_outdoors/
Some of the links above may be to my affiliate programs on Amazon and Ebay so they will throw a few pennies my way if you make a purchase - it costs you nothing extra and helps towards keeping the lights on in my bunker.
Hello !!! Great video as usual ! I was thinking when you'll have the chance to review this filter !😉😉😉🙂 They have available in Poland and in some countries from Europe the updated version, with built-in 2 heaters ! That one has more features available both on a digital display and also with a special wifi Aquael app for smartphone. 😉
@@marcianpetrescu They have really gone to town with this one and I hope they get a wide release.
@@pondguru hi Richard does this come with a EU Plug if so I would need an adaptor ?
Hi, I'm trying to order Biohome ultimate from your website but its saying that it won't deliver to Ireland. Is this correct?
@@mrtommyw19 Unfortunately everything I've tried sending to ROI has been held up, messed with and returned by AnPost. I have no idea what the problem is and although I've tried to find out with couriers they are baffled too.
I've sent a few items to NI which were collected by people in ROI but that's only an option if you live near the border - sorry about that but it's cost me a fortune in failed deliveries since the covaids plandemic. That's what kicked it off and for some reason ROI is the only country I still have problems sending anything to.
Been waiting for this .After watching the video you did on the ULTRAMAX 2OOO I replaced my EHEIMS and never looked back so thanks for that video .Better built , more power ,quite, better priced .I would recommend the brand all day long after using several filters over the years. AQUAEL have looked at the best of the rest on the market and have come up with the compete package .Is this the FX6 killer ? I think it definitely is .If I was ever thinking about buying a new FX6 this video has blown it out of the water into second place .one word BRILLIANT .Another great video to the channel ,and comments from those watching and those needing the wright info before buying in a crowded market .Keep up the great content Richard, it is honest opinions and knowledge that viewers can rely on. ALL THE BEST ,CHEERS,
Thanks for the report on the 2000 - it is very important to share reports as I take quite a superficial look at filters in this series since I generally don't own them.
As far as it being an FX6 killer it will take the place of 2 x FX6 so I reckon you're right there. Now it just needs to be made available widely with a good selection of spares.
Great review; This might be the one-stop solution for most aquarists for their 100+ gallon tank. Most significant feature is the "twin inlets and outlets". This can solve the circulation issues in large tanks which would've otherwise be possible only with an additional filter. This Beast is definitely going to be a 'game changer' and will make the Top Heads run for their money. Fluval, Oase and Eheim would scratch their head on making quick upgrades and features. Aquael brand is trusted with long term in this business. Much better aesthetics and built quality when compared to the least expensive Chinese brand Sunsun; though they also do a decent job at low price.
Yes, that's a great summary of where Aquael are (potentially) at now.
The only fly in the ointment is that Aquael aren't in many shops compared to the more established companies (Fluval and Oase) - Eheim have pretty much shot themselves in the pocket with the pro4 and pro5 series of filters.
I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't learn the lessons from the pro4 as it was a financial disaster but they doubled down on the same mistakes and that's a very arrogant business stance which has cost them by losing even more customers to their rivals (Fluval and Oase).
If Eheim are still in business for their next generation of filters they have to do something really special to prevent going out of business.
@@pondguru Absolutely. This phenomenon happen to many giants; like Nikon and Canon in photography. Sony was nowhere in the list at a time and these two Giants were enjoying the duopoly. But, there comes a twist (tornado). Sony made a huge leap with tons of features and made the Giants look dumb! Nikon almost went out of scene! Canon caught the pulse and scrambled all they could and matched up with newest tech. Nikon gasped and returned backed to scene after a while. Why all this happened, simple, “don’t fool around people, give them for what they pay for; not just some minor tweaks here and there year after year!”
@@srijithps 100% - give the customers what they want and listen to their feedback when developing new products. Unfortunately the arrogance of established companies is going to destroy them.
EHEIM - R.I.P.
Thanks for reviewing. I have ran an Aquael Ultramax 2000 alongside a Fluval FX6 and the Aquael was definitely the best of the two. Easier to clean, quieter and just better all round to work with. Cheaper as well.
Good one - thanks for the feedback. It is so important to share proper information online in an age where there are so many fake (paid for) 'reviews'. Instead of the internet being a source of learning and knowledge it has devolved into something more akin to Goebbels propaganda, lol
Agreed. Much prefer my ultramax over my fx6 .
Being running this filter now on my 700 litre South American cichlid tank for 4months it’s awesome quiet, easy pre filter change; and as powerful as 2x FX6 what more can I say 👌
What a monster! I really like the design of the pre-filter.
My Oase Biomax can be a little cumbersome having to remove the whole filter from the cabinet in order to have enough top clearance to pull out the long pre-filter cylinder.
Thanks for the great video Richard!! :)
Yes, I never considered that the pre-filter of the Oase needed so much extra height to lift it out but it's quite obvious now that you mention it, lol
I just tilt it forward.
Slowly not to make everything wet.
Just a minor inconvenience.
@@dennisvanopstal7360i put wheels on mine 😂
This is the best filter on the market hands down. I have it 9 months and it's unreal. Bought all media from yourself and setup as shown. Couldn't ask for more. Best purchase I've ever made involving my aquarium!!
That is great - thanks for the report.
I love it when people take the time to comment abiout their experience of running the filter featured in a filter video since it helps others to make an informed decision about a future purchase.
Filtration is 95% of fish keeping so setting a suityably sized filter up properly is essential unless the tank is lightly stocked and heavily planted.
What a beast of a canister filter, the ROLLS ROYCE of filters, great video Richard, always appreciate this channel. 👍
No worries and big thanks to Aquael for sending it to make the video. It's not often a company will send something knowing that you're going to be 100% honest while making the video. They gave me no direction or notes as to what to include in the video and I appreciate that. Most companies now want fame-seeking fannies to parrot nonsense for a fee and that's not what I'm about.
@@pondguru
👍
Maybe more like a Land Cruiser. Rolls Royce would be ADA.
In my opinion this has to be the best filter ever made, a fantastic piece of kit for any aquarist, what a christmas present to win and own, also with a great review as usual.
I'm looking forward to giving it away and there is other stuff to give away too so there should be a few happy viewers at Christmas.
Getting the chimney cleaned for christmas just in case, ha ha.@@pondguru
@@57essex60 I'm not climbing up on any roof to drop things down the chimney - the front door will do, lol
Ha Ha@@pondguru
Picked up the ultramax 2000 after your recommendation, running it with two adult terrapins and ten small fish for over a year now and its never missed a beat in 350lts tank Water is always clear and the pump still remains quiet. Clean the pre-filter every 7 days, 60% water change every 12 and main filter cleaned every 21 days.
I was going to comment that the maintenance and amount of water changed seems to be excessive until I re-read the comment and saw that there were 2 adult terrapins in the tank - now the maintenance makes sense, lol
Best of luck with the tank and I'm glad that filter is working well for you.
I just wanna thank you for recomending this filter to me. Thanks for answering my questions. The filter is running now and I love it. All the media of two fx6 goes in this one and I still have 1 basket to fill to have it the same as in this video.
Love the pre filter. And love that its so easy to turn of and on. I turn it of for a couple of minutes when my goldies get there food.
O and the power consumtion is also lower thats always nice. ❤
Keep up the good work
Thanks for the great report and I'm glad that the filter is working well for you.
It is definitely way more efficient to run the 4500 compared to 2 x FX6 filters which are quite heavy on power consumption.
Any issues about this filter?
@@newphone890 Any issues will be highlighted in the comments below since I don't censor comments.
@@pondguru yeah no problem, just can't beat actual real feedback. I have the eheim 1200ltr really decent filter just takes ages to start up properly once cleaned out, been looking at buying one from Germany because they hypermax link it's the one with a heater god know why they don't sell them here
@@newphone890 its running for a week now and I love it. 😬
Thank you so much for showing this filter Richard.I am very interested in this as I already own an Ultramax 2000 from Aquael which has been working very well and I highly rate it.
Currently I have an Aquael ultramax 2000 and an eheim pro 3 on a heavily stocked tank and one of these would replace both of them (and save on energy and money too).
I have been watching your video's for a good while now and I know you cut through all the bull dodo and give good sound advice.Keep doing what you do!
That is awesome - thanks for the report.
Yes, this filter will take the place of your current filters so is potentially a game changer for big tanks.
That is one well thought out and built filter. Would definitely be on my shopping list when I upgraded to my next tank. Great video, as always, thanks.
Best of luck if you do upgrade.
Hi! It's nice to hear about our Hypermax 😉
Great product, but as a company you need answer people’s e mails
It is a proper beast of Filter and someone will win it for Christmas so thanks for sending it out.
@@PeterKnopp-ih8ie let us kno on which e-mail you have contacted us and we'll check what's going on.
@@AQUAEL25I will many thanks. Nice to see for once a quality filter to take on the big boys! 👌
I love the aquael products nearly everything is Aquael at home, like, filter, heather, lamps.
I very love this filter, just little bit pricey, so i wait a year when the price is more friendly i'm deffinietly buy it.
Awesome Filter, hoping to put my hands on this next year for my 750L tank. And as always very helpful review, watching you channel with Junior to teach him also about other filters, that we do not have, and we have quite a few hooked up to our tanks and racks.
I'm glad you found the video useful - thanks for watching and best of luck with the new tank.
I was looking into this as I was running a biotherm 850 & 250 & while they're good I wasn't completely happy with them, I have family that live in Poland so got the Hypermax 4500 link, as well as the dual outlets it has 2x 150w heaters built-in and app control & all I can say is wow!!! If they can incorporate the same tech into their smaller filters they'd literally take over the filtration market, basically 2 filters in 1 & 2 heaters built-in... this imo is now the benchmark in filtration and how all external filtration should be it really is phenomenal!! Runs silent, heats up well & the flow rate is 2nd to none, well done Aquael (I put a short video of it in operation on UA-cam but it's crappy so my apologies 😂)
(my other channel) Thanks for the great report - it is very important and feel free to post a link to your video here.
Best of luck with the tank.
ua-cam.com/video/vVO_-IE30_s/v-deo.htmlsi=NEH_Qoofvk7skbL0
Competition is important for this hobby as we want companies to always develop better equipment. However the downside I see with this filter in the UK is spare parts Aquael is not well supported by most aquatic shops, you may find the odd tank, heater or micro filter. Fluval really has done the due diligence with making spare parts easily available. For the record I run a very big custom tank 206gal with X2 FX6s and a 407 to run a skimmer and UV steriliser for the moment I don’t see this product taking the FX6 spot as a better filter as pipework not the best and to many inlets and outlets if you run more than one of these which I would, also being on those roller wheels that thing must vibrate something chronic.. great video showing the breakdown, I think the future is going to get very interesting now as there are starting to be some new serious contenders for big filters for big tanks. Sure there are problems with cost of living crisis and everything getting more expensive, even bills.. however there is always going to be fellow hobbyists with big tanks and big ideas. Take care and have a great Christmas with your family..
Yes, for big tanks currently running 2 x FX6 filters (there are many of them) you can afford to sell the FX6 filters and use the money to buy 1 x Hypermax 4500 and have much cheaper electric costs going forward.
The spares are currently a concern but I hear that the filter is going to be launched either in December of January by one of the biggest UK wholesalers so spares should be available no problem when Aquael get into more shops and online sellers.
The (manufactured) cost of living stripping of wealth that is going on now will only accelerate so the cheaper running costs of large tanks are the better.
I hope you have a good Christmas too. We don't bother much with Christmas as far as gifts go but I like having a day or two off and all the food, lol
After seeing this filter on your show I’ve been wanting one. I was finally able to get one here in the USA. 👍👍
Good one - best of luck with the tank.
Having watched pretty much all of your pimps and looking to get back into the hobby this filter is certainly on the list for filtration.
It has to be a serious consideration for sure but likewise it also needs to be widely available with spares - hopefully it will be soon.
What a monster… I currently have 2 Aquael ultramax, full of Biohome ultimate, filtering a 450 litre discus cube and they are so good… quiet and reliable… I got them after watching your review of the ultramax 2000. I was so bewildered at the choice of external filters that your sensible guide made my mind up… you were also instrumental in pointing out the benefit of using AllPondSolutions booster cannisters, and I use these on both my ultramaxes as prefilters to maximise on the Biohome ultimate in the ultramaxes. They are so easy to disconnect and wash out the sponges so as to leave the biohome alone to do its stuff of fully cycling the water. Id love this baby… I’m just about to set up another 450 litre tank for Altums, so this would gladden my heart… thanks again for all the advice over the years.
No worries and I'm glad your filters (and media) are working well for you. I'll have to get my finger out and make a video once I decide how to do the competition / give away.
This filter has a very strong flow rate. Discus and Altums particularly doesn't like high flow rate...any stress related problems with the fishes?
@@rajadey4919 both returns enter either side of a reverse flow undergravel filter… this keeps the sand healthy and dissipates the flow. That said I do have two circulating pumps to make sure that there is some water movement and to keep debris from the bottom… i angle these against the glass to prevent too much movement, but my discus do enjoy the gentle flow.
Thanks for another fantastic review. Chapter and verse above other sites. Thank You Richard.
No worries and I'm glad you find the videos useful as I put them out to help.
This is one of my dream filter! I have 2 Ultramax 2000 and i really wanna upgrade to just this single baby is amazing and hope will be available for purchase in my country also soon. Wounder full video as always.
Yup, one filter will take the place of two really good filters and cost way less to run.
@@pondgurui prefer running 2 filters instead of 1. Redundancy.
What a monster filter! I'm mostly on team sump now, but this is still impressive
Yes, a sump for a big tank will always be preferable but for people running multiple canister filters on big tanks it can take the place of 2 x FX6 quite easily.
That looks like a good filter. I’m just getting into the hobby myself. Bought a large used aquarium from Facebook and I’m about to start getting the rest of the equipment. Your videos have helped loads in terms of learning about filters. Obviously it’d be great to win, but even if I don’t, this would definitely be on my short list.
Nice one and it will be perfect for a large tank so the give away will probably involve entrants sending a video of their tank to enter. It doesn't matter if the tank is full or not at the time.
@@pondguru Sweet. I’ve never uploaded a video to UA-cam before, so I’ll have to look that up. All I know about my tank is that it’s 5 feet long 😂 I’ve tried a volume calculator and I think it’s 400 litres which is a big upgrade from the 40 litre tank I’ve been trying to learn with since April.
On a bit of a tangent here … but would I be able to pick your brain about substrates? I’m going to try something like a Walstad method. I priced up aqua soil, but with everything needed to set up, it all got a bit eye watering. My idea was to mix regular compost with clay and sand to make a loam type of stuff and cap that with sand. I have hard water and high pH. After watching one of your videos about peat, I went down a rabbit hole. My loose understanding is that organic matter will acidify the water (so hopefully bring it down to around neutral), but that I need to cap with sand to stop too many nitrates leaching out. A side benefit of the soil base is that it’s good for some plants (only found out the other day that some plants don’t get planted in dirt, but get glued to logs and stuff) Before I start mixing the compost, sand and clay; I was wondering if you think this could work or would be a mistake?
@@carlwaugh5109 You may have already phoned up with this question? If not then just give me a phone any day 9-5 as I've got about 50 comments to reply to on this video alone - I can answer a nation of questions very quickly by phone which is why I give my number out all the time.
07772848730
Bought the bt version 2 weeks ago. Wish I had this years ago. FX6 doesn't touch the sides. Literally silent and control the flow. The amount of media is ridiculous!!! Nothing comes close!!
Yup, there's nothing other than truth in that comment.
Whats BT like and app
I don’t think I have ever missed any of you mr videos Richard. Great series and amazing filter! Totally agree with the comments about the decline in our hobby but we need to fight that and keep up looking after our fishy friends and keep the hobby growing regardless of all the barriers.
When the barriers are economic something has to give and the engineered cost of living wealth stripping going on now will only accelerate. However, having a filter with a huge capacity and low running costs is a massive step in the right direction to saving the hobby.
I have to say that filter looks amazing. The analysis and brake down of what it can do is as always spot on and i look forward to seeing your next video.
Would you ever consider a live stream? Q&A
Would you also consider doing some DIY filters ?
You inspired me to make my own movingbed filter out of a plastic spaghetti tupperware box.
Keep up the fantastic work Richard
I have considered doing live streams as it would allow people all around the world to get real time answers to questions but I've no idea what I'm doing with computers and cameras - that's why I just give out my phone number so anyone with questions can phone up.
@@pondguru thanks for taking the time to reply to my comment
What a machine!! I have the Aquael ultramax 2000, and set it up how you did in a video. Only I used siporax, biomedia was a bit to expansive. But the 2000 runs on a 725 liter aquarium and is super silent. In the future I wil get me a 4500! Love your revieuws!!
That is a big tank and they water should be clean and healthy with that set up.
@@pondguru yes it is, i never clean intern filter, only the pre filter every 2 weeks and than it is not that dirty. So thank you for your set up of the ultramax filter. It works perfect.
Great video as always, thanks for tagging my video.
No worries, man - it's not often I can put a face to people I talk to on the phone..
Once seen never forgotten.
Some might say a face for radio 😅
Wow, this is a monster, I have a Eheim 1200XL and is has been working for about 8 years now and great got all your bimedia in it. Would love to get this to upgrade. seen for about £270.
Yes, for what it is the price seems to be very good.
Great video 👍 what a beast of a filter currently running the aquael 2000 with the set up u recommend , think i mite have to upgrade to 1 of these 😁
Good one - I'm glad that the 2000 is working well for you - thanks for watching.
Kudos for not only giving the filter away, but giving so much biohome away with it 👏👏 one lucky person is going to win this.
Keep banging out the videos if you can, I've missed them! 👍
No worries - I won't tell my wife that I'm giving it away or how much that package is worth as she doesn't understand that the only thing you take into Heaven is what you give away, lol
@@pondguru haha, watch the film 'pay it forward' together. That might get her onboard mate. Hopefully good things happen for you both 🤞👍
@@lpoolck17 I will check it out but I guarantee she won't be interested - I've tried to explain The Matrix for the last 20+ years and even though the middle of the film has a huge exposition dump which laid exactly what the matrix is in the middle of the film it's still a mystery to her unfortunately.
We watch very different films - Opposites attract and while my wife enjoys watching rom-coms I'm going wild over The LIghthouse, November, Beau is Afraid, Midsommar and all manner of obscure European horror films knowing that I'm wasting my time trying to explain how amazing they are. Luckily my daughter likes the same films as me so I don't have to watch them all alone now.
@@pondguru haha, I'm glad your daughter has similar tastes to you. I also cannot do rom-coms. I'll have to check those films out, you cannot beat a bit horror. The ones I've watched are more mainstream like hostel or some Japanese horror films.
@@lpoolck17 There is a world of great horror films outside the Hollywierd studios so I wish you all the best searching.
I like folk horror and many of the films classed as 'elevated horror' draw on Greek myths which I'm quite familiar with.
Beau Is Afraid is an amazing film which is basically The Odysee / Heroes Journey undertaken by someone who is woefully under-prepared for the monumental task and the resulting failure is heart breaking to watch since as a viewer you're basically rooting for someone who is destined to fail. Depending on how you view life it's either a 10/10 or a 0/10 film - some people will get it and some people won't.
If you want a great start with European horror then November (2017?) is a brilliant film about love which will never be reciprocated - it is filmed in black and white but has more vibrancy than any colour film I've seen and the implementation of Latvian tradition and superstition is used so well.
Last time I watched it I spent almost the whole film crying like a baby as it is so beautiful and I resonate with it completely - my daughter kept looking over at me and shaking her head. She enjoyed it but it didn't hit as deep with her as it did with me. I love that one.
Definitely need this to replace my faulty all pond solutions EFX+ that I have been battling with air ingress. Top man for giving it away fully loaded to a lucky subscriber 👍
Yes, that will be a hell of a Christmas present for someone. Thanks for watching..
The filter looks fantastic something I'm definitely interested in, I currently run an FX6 in one tank and the previous model to this aquael In another tank, and to be honest really Just the odd little niggle, for the fluval FX6 the only issue I have found is the drain valve can have a habit of leaking via the seals, and also the seals in the stop valves at the top apart from that they are fantastic filters, as for the AquaL previous model to the one shown in the video that would be the prefilter, what should be a simple pop the top off and lift the filter out is a bit of a mess to be honest, you pop the top off to get to the pre-filter and it just absolutely gushes water everywhere which is not what you want so whenever to breathe you still have to remove the filter from under your tank and put it near a sink, on paper the prefilter is a great idea and yes it works it's just the fact the amount of pressure in there gushes water as soon as you released one clip which is a shame. The question I have now though is how do we all enter into this competition to win this absolute specimen of a canister filter 👍👍👍👍
That is a great report - thanks for that.
It's beneficial to anyone reading to get reports from people who have used any of the products featured in any of the videos.
Unfortunately the give away has ended for this filter but it ran for a week or so - I just sent the filter plus 10kg of media out to the winner today.
It's a major bummer but because I don't play the Google game of having a 'join' button or 'support the channel' link or selling any T-shirts or other crap Google has pretty much destroyed my channel since early 2020.
Even if you subscribe and hit the bell to be informed of new uploads Google will only send notifications of new uploads to approx. 3% of my subscribers so the '150K subscribers' is a fake number as hardly anyone gets to see the videos now.
God bless Google, lol
If I was making videos saying how great trannies are or supporting the fascist ADL, BLM or WEF I'm sure my channel would be resurrected and promoted in the 'recommended' section but I won't sell my soul - what you see is what you get and I wouldn't have it any other way as you only take into Heaven what you give away.
There is also a Wi-fi version of this filter, but it is really expensive. I think about 2 things. One incovenience so far is lack of nice inlets and outlets for this filter. It uses 19/25mm hoses, and so far, I haven't found stainless steel or glass ones for this size.
Another thing, but this is obvious, is the weight when this is full of water and media. To perfection, it could have a tap/valve on the bottom to drain it. Over all it is an animal of filter and I know 2x 720 liter tanks where it works just fine
😉
Thank you Richard for the review. The fact that you didn't modify any hardware in this filter tells more than words.
Good one and I'm glad that the filter is working well for you as it is a real beast.
An impressive design! Thank you Richard for all the valuable content you create and really hope your channel grows more for your honesty. Not to mention you were responsive to my emails when i first started in the hobby and helped me cycle my first tank 😀. I also have a an idea, may be we can utilise one of the 5 baskets to have more biohome media ( I know we have 10Kgs already 😀 ) instead of the sponges. i think we can utilise the pre-filter compartment to include may be 2 grades of sponges. while utilising the suction inlets to host the coarse sponge. This way i do not have to open the whole filter every 1/2 weeks to clean the clogged sponges
It would probably work to have a finer grade of foam in the pre-filter and the coarse foam in / around the intake points and in low stock conditions that would work very well.
That looks like an incredible filter and made to last too. Very impressed, what a beast.
|For sure and I hope a decent UK wholesaler picks up Aquael to distribute them.
@MDBD2405 I didn't even know they made aquariums until a couple of days ago.
Absolutely amazing filter , i really enjoy your videos and have done for many years even in your shop days and being from ashington the shop wasn't too far away , i also have your bio home media in every tank i have , i am always looking for things that can give my fish the best quality of life , regards of media and food and such like , so thanks you for giving up your time to show us new products and your honest opinion because that matters,
No worries and I'm glad you appreciate the videos. The longer I am on UA-cam the more I know I made the right decision to turn down all the branding / advertising offers - when I see other channels selling out it breaks my heart.
Just like Ali G I is keepin' it real Aiiiiii!
@@pondguru absolutely and that's why people respect the time and effort you put in to it all
@@leemaclauchlan Not everyone appreciates it - if you've ever posted a link to one of my videos on a ('sponsored') forum of facebook page it will be deleted quite quickly by moderators (fannies).
It's amazing how much information is suppressed by companies interested in selling you unnecessary chemicals, lol
That filter is an absolute BEAST!
I would love to have one of these on my 720 liter tanks, but... it seem to be 70-80 cm high plus the inlets and outlets and hoses on top of that.
I would love to see a filter of that capacity, but with 2+2 baskets side by side, making it maybe 50 cm high, but 50×25 cm instead of 25x25 cm area!
I can see how it would possibly need sturdier plastic and maybe more clasps to hold on the top, but it woulf fit under most aquarium this size, while this beast need an unusually high base to stand on to cover it.
It's deceptively short (approx. 50cm tall) and I hear you about the side by side idea. I have drawings I did an age ago for a modular canister filter but I've never taken it beyond the drawing stage. I should just send the ideas to Aquael and let them get on with it, lol
I got this filter about 2 months ago, not had time to set it up yet.
I have the Ultramax 2000 for a few years, very good filter, zero problems.
Good one - thanks for the report and best of luck with the new filter.
Wow that is a beast. Great videos. Watched and pimped every filter I have that you have reviewed, and few others based on your system. Even have the biohome in them too. Keep making videos. 😊
Yes, the most apt word to describe it is beast for sure. Thanks for watching and appreciating the videos.
Ive been running an Aquael 1000 on one of my smaller tanks after the Eheim I was using packed in and been well impressed impressed with how quiet it was and thw prefilter idea is absulotely awesome. I think I'll be getting the Hypermax to replace the 2 Eheim 2028 I'm currently using as they are getting tired and noisy with age. Great review as always keep up the good work.
That sounds like a good plan - best of luck with the tank.
It will be much cheaper to replace the rotors of your echeim filters than to buy this craft - where out of 3 baskets you can use 2.5
Hi Richard.
How are you, Sir?
I have to be honest, I have never seen an external cannister/filter quite like this One.
That is a beast.
Out of appreciation to you for taking the time to produce this content and sharing such great insight on that filter, I have given your video the 541st like to say thankyou very much for sharing.
I knew you were going to mention Fluval because of there FX range.
I too think that they will come out with a new Filter that will at least match this beast or better than it.
Take care, Sir. 👍🏼🙂👍🏼❤️
All is good apart from every day seeming to have less free time than the last. Yes, Fluval are bound to respond positively to this rival product so I'm interested to see what they do with their next design.
@pondguru I'm glad you are well.
Sorry you have less time now for yourself. Hopefully, you can get a break soon.
It would be exciting to see what they would bring out.
I have often thought about contacting them to help by giving them some ideas.
Fluval have been in business for donkey years, and therefor, they have a lot of experience and knowledge, so they might surprise us after all.
Anyway, I hope you have a great Weekend, Sir. 👍🏼🙂👍🏼❤️
@@ultimatefishkeeping Same to you - it's going to be damn cold, lol
@pondguru Thankyou, Sir.
It really is.
This is One of those times when I would like to move to a hotter climate. 👍🏼🙂👍🏼❤️
@@ultimatefishkeeping I could quite happily live on the Mediterranean sea as the climate is so good. However, I'd rather live way up North on a Scottish island and build the ultimate end of the World bunker, lol
Great video been wanting to see a review on this filter with a really honest opinion… running several fx6 on a 10ftx30x30 tank with some other filtration to keep the water clear this looks like it will do the job nicely will try it out … thanks mate 👍
Take a look at the link in the description of this video. I installed one a couple of months ago
No worries and I hope they are soon widely available.
What a awsome filter i am in the process of setting up new to me 180cm tank and was going to purchase 2 fluval fx6 but now serriously going to look for 1 of these, thank you for your informative videos all of my filters at the moment i have set up as you advise with bio home ultimate water has always been spot on thank you
That is great to hear and for a 180cm tank this will certainly take the place of 2 x FX6 filters at half the price and less than half the running cost so it is a serious consideration, especially with the crazy cost of electric now (it will increase again next year).
Best of luck with the new tank.
Watched every video you've made so far and this is clearly in the top spot - filter looks great
Oh my - I feel like I should be paying you some sort of confirmation for you being subjected to so many instances of by boring voice. That has to have caused some psychological damage, lol
@@pondguru Lol, can't be all that bad, three or four years after building my system and I'm still watching your vids for any nuggets of knowledge you might let slip. You keep it up and for what it's worth, I'll keep watching
Great video, as usual. looks right a right beast, possibly a bit big for under tank use inside a cabinet
Maybe, yes - it is approx. 50cm tall plus the pipes so that's definitely a consideration.
I appreciate the conversions you do for us guys across the pond. One day we’ll join the bandwagon and use the metric system. Hopefully not in my lifetime. That thing is a monster of a canister filter. Does it come for a 70 Gallon Aquarium? I enjoy your videos, so stay cool!
I'm not sure what you mean by "Does it come for a 70 Gallon Aquarium?" so feel free to expand on that question.
I'm currently running 2x Fluval 407's on my 140 gallon cichlid tank but looking for a single filter to do the job and after this review I know where my limited pennies are going. Thanks buddy.
Groovy - it's a much more sensible choice since the Hypermax 4500 will easily hold between 10kg-13kg of media (depending on how it is packed in).
Either way it's easily big enough for a 532 litre (140 US? gallon) cichlid tank as that will give you 2kg of media per 100 litres (26 US gallons).
2 x 407 filters would only allow for around 6kg of media so it's nowhere near what this one 4500 filter can accommodate.
@pondguru oh no it proper gallons buts it's actually a custom made 148 gallon tank I just always put 140 lol. Filter arrived yesterday and I have to say while I'm shocked at how big the unit is I'm shocked at how small the unit is for its capacity especially when compared to an FX6. Waiting for extra pipe to arrive tomorrow as there isn't enough and then fitting on Saturday
@@trigger852011 The FX filters have those huge foams around the outer part of the trays with the media being in the smaller central part of the tray. That gives them great mechanical filtration but inferior biological filtration, especially considering the size of that range of filters.
Richard, hello from Australia Antonio, the FX6 here is $670 where the Aquael 4500 is $1100, just landed. great video as always.
Wow, someone is price gouging there - that price equates to £581 which is madness.
However, with the way the countries are going now there are probably crazy import taxes.
oh yes big time, not fair@@pondguru
On SALE in Australia from The Tech Den for $799.00
@michaelpozar1945 yes, I purchased there last one 3 weeks ago and got a bonus MarinePure 1.5L very happy
@@Tony-yy9cc cool - having some marinepure is definitely better than nothing.
Looks awesome, just wish my tank was big enough to justify this filter. Keep up the good work, love the videos.
There are loads of cheap tanks available now. Just saying, lol
A big tank generally comes with big running cost so having a filter which can handle the size of tank and stock but is efficient could well be a game changer since it takes the place of 2 x FX6 filters.
Another great video and a complete beast of a filter 🤤. That will definitely make someone’s Christmas but I do feel sorry for the postman 😂.
Yes, it will arrive with a claim for industrial injury when the delivery driver puts his (or her) back out during the delivery.
I bought a 4500 a month or 2 ago tho I haven’t even opened it yet. I have to get the filter media. Im not in a hurry tho because my 125 African peacock tank only has 10 cichlids in is atm.
Great video as always. I purchased the 2000 3 years ago based on your recommendation and its still going strong! would love something like the 4500 as a replacement
Good one - thanks for the feedback on the 2000. I like what Aquael are doing.
i have this buddy and it is amazing how it works and it is tottaly silent ….. working into mine angelfish and discus tank …. only one thing i changed is - that i removed grey foam and putted inside biofiltration into it Matrix from Seachem 9 liter ….. amazing
That is great to hear and hopefully the pumice will work well in there for you. It's a great filter.
Nice one mate, & what an awesome power house of a filter, puts may fx4 to shame lol... I may look into one of these now ive seen your review, as im having my brother-in-laws 600lt tank off him in a few weeks, & was gonna go fx6... 👍
This will basically take the place of 2 x FX6 and it is currently cheaper than one FX6. I'd wait until this filter is available in the UK (hopefully early next year)
Another great video! I've seen the beast myself at Vivariumbeurs earlier this month, what a beast. It would be a great fit for my tank (900 liters/ 240 gallons). Currently I've the Fluval FX6 which is doing fine, but it would be good to improve the flow in my tank and reduce the sound that the Fluval FX6 is making.
However, keep up the good work, enjoying your videos and have a great holiday season!
It would be a great fit for that tank as it basically takes the place of 2 x FX6 filters at less cost than one.
Simply amazing filter! I would love too own that cool filter one day.
Keep the videos coming (y)
It is a vastly affordable filter and is currently under the cost of 1 x FX6 while easily holding more than 2 x FX6. I'll have to get going on the give away video as Christmas is coming.
Have several filters have to say Aqueal filters are brilliant easy to prime,clean and quiet should be more popular
Good one - I'm glad the Aquael filters are working well for you. Thanks for watching.
Been looking forward to this video I always listen to your opinion on all the filters you do but this is one i was wanting so I don't have to run 2 filters on my Discus tank. Great video as always mate
It literally does the job of 2 x FX6 for under the cost of one of them (and way less electricity costs too).
I would love to see it available all over the world.
@@pondguru yeah definitely I've never really liked the fx filters. I like the old style eheim like the one I have and the other aquael ultramax which I was going to buy until I seen this coming out. Hopefully they will be available and easier to get in UK without the price being stupid high like the one I have seen. That hypermax is a game changer in my opinion Richard I'm just glad you done a video on it, as I said I watch all your videos and listen to your opinion before I'll buy one so thanks mate
@@alanpitkeathly6752 Yes you said it - this could definitely be a game changer and I too hope they get a wide release.
Nice!
I was actually waiting for this to come. Once even requested it.
There isn't really a way to compare it to any other filter on the market right now.
Thanks for the review.
PS:
I don't understand why people are keep talking the Fluval FX, or Fluval in general... It is one of the worst possible choices out there.
If you dive a bit deeper into physics and engineering, you will find out, that it is one of the crappiest filters possible.
It seems to me, that Fluval had those empty buckets laying around, not knowing what to do with them...And so they decided to stick a power head on them, put a lid on... And there you have it.
Oh yes, and don't forget the pretty box, with all the false claims on it.
I mean... How could you say, that the main competition would be from FX6?! It's just way out of place.
I use Ultramax and it is around a thousand times better than an FX6... From any point of vue.
I used the FX6 as an example since it is the most recognizable and most widely used filter for large tanks. Coincidentally the Hypermax 4500 holds twice as much media so that was also a convenient comparison.
However, I agree that the filter closest in design and function to the Hypermax is the Ultramax.
Thanks for watching and appreciating the video.
Wow!!!!what a slab of a filter Richard,packed with features and media capability,very impressive.
I actually use aquael products their well priced and good quality!!👌👍
That is great to hear - I like what Aquael are doing.
Looks great your media will make it even better.
It is a match made in Heaven for sure.
Loving everything about this filter but I think I would need a spare cabinet to put it in but hey I could live with that lol. Great review and still enjoying your videos.
It is approx. 50cm tall plus the pipes so should fit cabinets suitable for big tanks. Thanks for watching.
When i saw this filter, i was in love with the features. Perfect match for my 500l❤ send it to me in Portugal, i will pay for the shipping.😂
Yes, if the winner of the upcoming give away is willing to pay the shipping I will send it anywhere. I'm not sure how I'm going to do the give away yet but I will have to decide quite quickly.
Thanks for your usual efforts this filter is better than eheim 2080 XL it is made of good solid plastic.
Yes, the plastic is good quality and the design is great too - they really have produced a winner here.
Has anyone tried the hypermax 4500 with medium and fine sponges in the pre filter conpartment and just filled all 4 trays with biohome ultimate?
A couple of people have suggested it but I haven't had any feedback from them as to whether they tried it or if it worked better.
Took the plunge, set it up a few days ago ,Super quiet ,as with the other Aquael filter filters i also run (that being 2x aquael ultramax 2000).as for media capacity its the same as my Aquamanta EFX 600 aslso covered in your series of filters.The Hypermax edges ahead on sound level ,multiple inlet and oullet and higher adjustable flow if needed.Only negative is price for the entry level version is £370 .£70 to £100 more than FX6. I would still recommend paying the extra for the Hypermax (i also run an the FX6 still an excellent filter aswell ).All the best.
(my other channel) That is a great report and I'm glad to hear that the Aquael Hypermax 4500 is working well for you - It is very important to get user reviews so I thank you for that.
Groovy.
Very cool, i'm curious to see if it's silent...
Nice video as always, greethings from Italy ❤
It has a noise rating of between 24dB and 44dB depending on how much water is being pumped so that seems very quiet to me.
I hope the weather is better in Italy than it is in the UK (I know it is, lol) as it's freezing here.
I’m am definitely going to order this now i was going to get the fx6 but thanks to you and your videos once again mate I will be choosing this one
MONSTER FILTER
With Pre-Filter…..
Max Bio Filtration….
Fantastic For Large tanks✅
Thanks For the Lesson
Yup, it pretty much ticks all the boxes.
Lovely Job Richard👍
I picked up an 8ftx30"widex24"high aquarium last weekend for £125! Couldnt say no when i saw it on FB marketplace only 20 mins away!
Its volume is 1133Litres or 300 US Gallons, and ive been umming and arring on what to use for filtration, ive got it running away with multiple sponge filters and a spare fluval 307 i had for now, but looking at this aquael hypermax 4500, looks like it may be a better option going for one of them rather than 2 fx6 filters that id dread cleaning out, and would be a cheaper way to go ay, aswell as having the twin in and outs 👍
Another great filter pimp as usual
Cheers
Aaron
(my other channel) That is a monster of a tank and I know how hard it must have been to move that since I gave an 8' x 2'6" x 2'6" tank away a few years ago and it took 6 guys to get it from up in my garden, down some big steps and onto the back of a flat bed truck.
Best of luck with the set up.
@@ThousandYardStare yeah it certainly wasn't light! luckily enough I bought 8 triple sucker handles which were a god send, 5 of us managed to get it out of mateys window (was slightly sketchy) and 4 of us managed to get it in my living room through my window (luckily opens right up, didn't have to remove it like the chap I got it from), one of which was a young lady who is clearly a lot stronger than she looks! Can always rely upon my local fish shop workers to lend a hand so naturally repayed them in pizza of course!
That sounds like a good trade and I can imagine you breathed a huge sigh of relief when the tank was set in place.
PONDGURU,l love you 😂❤..Aquael and biomaster the perfect combination..
This is possibly the greatest filter and media combination for an aquarium filter featured in this series of videos.
Using Ultramax 2000 from the day I have seen your review years ago filled with biohome... Definitely looking forward getting this one day... I'm absolutely impressed with Aquael in general!!!!! Shame they don't sell those in any of the Aquarium shops nor chains therefore it's quite poorly known
That situation may change in the next month or two according to a few people I've spoken to in the last week.
I'd love to see it widely available and I'm glad the 2000 is working well for you.
@@pondguru yeap, best filter out of many I have tried. Hopefully Aquael will soon appear on the shelfs
@@zyzla87 I'm 100% inagreement.
Been running an Ultramax 2000 (picked it up early in the UK) for around 2+ years now I think, Its not had any issues other than the clamp down nuts breaking (on the hose pipes.)
One thing that did fail rather quickly is the Aqua EL UV units (I've had 2 go in the same ammount of time) so I'd stick to their filters and avoid the UV for now.
Note the media is biohome Ultimate is 6 years old, initially was in a Oase Biomaster but the flow was too restrictive for me high tank, moved to the new Ehime which as richard reviewed was naff then moved to the ultramax and its been amazing!
That is good to hear and from this comment I think it was you I was talking to on the phone which kept getting cut off - all the best for Christmas and beyond, man.
Love the look of this, would run my goldfish tank a lot better than the two pond solutions ones I have. Thanks for all the work
You do mate learned so much
Nice one and I'm glad the video was useful for you. All the best for 2024.
That's an awesome filter and i really appreciate you for doing all pimp my filters you definitely teach us all something new on all of vids special on your oldest ones
I'm glad you find the videos useful - thanks for watching.
I've been running this since March. Have a (amateurish!) review on my channel.
Holds far more media than the FX6 and almost as much as the Eheim Classic 1500XL (which has no trays). And is more powerful than both.
Very happy with mine so far. But Aquael's customer service is dire. They don't even respond to e-mails. So buy from a good dealer!
Yes, they need to get into more stores and get the customer relations going for sure but I think there may be positive changes regarding those points in the next couple of months according to people I've spoken to in the last week.
Feel free to post the link to your video. The UA-cam spam filter will probably pick the comment with link up and put it in 'held for review' but I'll approve it as soon as I see it no worries.
@@pondguru Thanks. I hope they do. I'd say the U.S. division will be more customer focused. As you know they have far higher expectations than we do on this side of the pond. We may be left wallowing in the mire. Yes. I'm a pessimist by nature. 🙂
Take care.
@@awilderireland That's because all the companies in the US are cared of being sued for using the wrong pronouns, lol
@@pondguru Kind of. They also have free speech in the US. Unlike the UK.
@@awilderireland While they are free to say what they want the consequences are often not in line with 'free speech' ideals.
I'd love to see a day where censorship was not a thing and when I know something has been censored and hidden it just makes me seek it out more since it's often 'dangerous information' which is censored - dangerous to the establishment but beneficial for me.
Knowing what is planned for the years leading up to the magic date of 2030 is so important to allow us to navigate away from something which will inevitably lead to our harm or demise - the Deagle reports for 2025 are quite the reading, lol
I love your channel! I’m in the US , I just got my hands on a 220 gal aquarium, haven’t set it up yet but I’ve been researching and trying to figure out the filtration
The only slight improvement they could make is to integrate a heater option.
They have available in Poland and in some countries from Europe the updated version, with built-in 2 heaters ! That one has more features available both on a digital display and also with a special wifi Aquael app for smartphone. 😉
Holy crap, that sounds amazing - Aquael are really going for it. I just wish they were widely available.
@@pondguruIt's coming. There's a Polish UA-cam video of it filmed at a trade show last year.
It's a h-itech WiFi job with a much higher price tag (I was told by a commenter on my video).
On sale now in Poland. Not my cup of tea. Too much to go wrong.
But I'm sure some will dig it. 😊
@@awilderireland For sure - this enough and adding loads of other stuff to it seems a bit unnecessary. However, the heaters being contained in the filter is a good idea - you can keep wi-fi. It's just frequencies firing off to prevent proper sleep, lol
@@pondguru Yes. Same page. Makes an espresso too. 😂
Love the series!! This is a awesome beast!! Thanks for sharing
No worries and thanks for watching.
That thing is a monster finally a filter that holds alot of media and for large tanks That is definitely on my xmas list i hope i can get one in Australia
I'm not sure about the availability in AU so it would be worth contacting Aquael to see what their plans are.
Very impressive. Thank you for the review.
I am curious how often you would have to clean the foams in the canister? Or will the pre-foam catch most of the muck?
That will vary depending on the stock but it shouldn't be more than once a month unless the tank was ridiculously overstocked. The pre-filter will trap most of the heavy muck and since the trays are approx. 10" x 10" it will take a long time to clog the foams and fine pad.
What a fantastic giveaway, I just got a big tank 8ft long x 2ft wide and 2 1/2ft high. I was given this from a person who could no longer keep his fish and tank so it was a rescue. I got the fish In my tank atm and I'm now having to set up the new tank. Definitely would be handy to have a big filter like that.
Always like watching the filter videos. You did one on a filter that I have the Eheim 2227 breathable still a fantastic filter if you can get one. My one still going strong.
Good one - I'm not sure exactly how to do the competition / give away yet but I'd better decide soon.
@@pondguru hi Richard . I’ve watched all your pimp my filter vids and nearly 300 comments and not 1 negative got to be near on a first 😊
@@PeterKnopp-ih8ie Yes, some people post negative comments on videos even if they've never owned or intend to own that particular filter but this one seems to have been met with universal acclaim - hopefully that will continue when it is properly available for sale.
@@pondguru I’ve managed to order one from Germany from a company called Aqarisk shop got good reviews £290.80 fingers crossed it turns up! Will update later
Pete
@@PeterKnopp-ih8ie Good one - it should be fine as loads of people in the UK use that site for filters.
Winning that filter would make my heart grow three sizes!!! and I would even pay the shipping across the pond.
The shipping would be crazy but if anyone enters and is willing to pay t he shipping I can send it. To be honest I haven't worked out how to run the competition / give away yet as I'm not on other forms of 'social' media where it would be easier.
Thought you were pimping a modded wheelie-bin at first...
That is some beast for sure!
I'd love to see them do such detailing on smaller canisters too (100-300ltr tanks), as they seem to have a faultless design here. And I'd buy one without skipping a heartbeat if they did...
Yes it is certainly a beast of a filter and when it (hopefully) gets a wide release it should do very well for Aquael.
@@pondguru do the double inlet and outlet valves come out singularly do they swivel also to redirect pipes
Pete
@@PeterKnopp-ih8ie They do swivel and the exit flow is split between the two outlets so if you wanted one to be very slow you'd have to install an in-line tap.
Love your channel ❤️ Always good advice. Good Morning and thanks 😊 I have a 200l community tank running with an fx4 and an aquael 750 uv internal uv canister filter both running well
I'm glad you find the videos useful - thanks for watching.
That filter looks amazing 🤩
It has the potential to take over for big tanks, no doubt about it.
Love your videos 👌👌
I just ordered this filter after your video for my 180gallons tank ,
Will play with an Eheim 2080 and an fx6 . Never enough with filtration 😂😂😂
Thank you for the good work 🙏🙏
How do ou like it so far? How is the noise?
I have a video uploaded recently on my channel for the flow rate you can check it out 👌👌👌
This is by far the best filter I ever had and I have them all oase 600 fx6 Eheim 1200xl …
Today just ordered the second hypermax…. Go for it it’s awesome filter
When you run the filter from 1/10 till 6/10 of its power it is total silence….
At 1/10is more powerful than an fx6…..
At 10/10 max power it the same as Eheim on noise so is really quiet 👌👌
@@johndouvris6589 That's really impressive stuff. When you say Eheim what Eheim?
I use the Eheim (2080 )1200xl
Normally noise levels on max 10/10 power.
Imagine that my tank is 1,80 meters length and I use the hypermax half of its power & it’s still powerful.
it’s a serious machine and if it holds for years will be for sure a game changer for the category of medium to XL tanks
Been looking at this after ordering an FX6 off a scammer and having paid i cant afford another one right now 😤. But this i need in my life!
I love my fx6 but this thing looks like a beast.
It most certainly is a beast - it's almost like the design team worked with the brief of creating something to take on the FX6, got carried away then ended up making something which takes the place of 2 x FX6 filters.
Jesus what a machine, Almost as big as the CERN Hadron Collider!!!!! Love it and would guess so would the fish.
It's decidedly less evil than the CERN Hadron Collider as it's not opening up portals to allow demons to invade our reality, lol
Fingers crossed that the filter will come to High Wycombe 😊
I really need to shoot the give away video in the next week or so as Christmas is coming fast - look out for that one.
the most important thing is not the flow without media but with an eheim 3 1200xlt wich i have and the fluval xl6 and the eheim beats the fluval easy in real wold aplication .
That is a great point and Yes - that is why I mentioned the actual flow (with media) in the video. Also, it is printed on the box.
As far as I remember the actual flow rate is approx. 2600 litres per hour which is way under the 4500 lph the pump will apparently shift - I always say that any manufacturers claimed flow rate should be halved when you're working out turnover rates but from the nonsensical 'advice' I see on the internet forums nobody else seems to use that very simple rule.
They all seem to use the full manufacturer's claimed flow rate which renders their conclusions about flow rates and tank turnover times to be incorrect ...... aaaaaahhhhh......, $cience, lol
This is dope❤… been watching for many moons… awesome review
I'm glad you found the video useful - thanks for watching.
Hi.
I have just bought this pump and was wondering how you would put the in and outlet in a 530L (140 gallon) Discus tank.
It is mostly the outlet that gives me concerns
Ideally the inlet and outlet would be on the same side as demonstrated in this video: ua-cam.com/video/PfJbU-E8YDI/v-deo.html (for a single intake and single outlet.
However, the actual placement and best removal of muck will depend on how the tank is set up since any structure / plants will redirect and diffuse the flow.
If you have intake pipes they would ideally be at opposing back corners and if you're using 2 outlets they would normally be a duck bill type outlet at one end of the back of the tank with the other outlet being a spray bar.
For a well set up discus environment there shouldn't be any problems with too much flow since the 530 litre tank is a good size and it will (hopefully) be set up with plenty of structure (normally bogwood or similar) and well planted. All of that will diffuse the flow and provide a good living environment for the fish.
I love you man, I was just waiting for your opinion, thanks to you I will buy this filter. Thank you
I think it may be available from a German site but hopefully through lots of shops soon in the UK - I was told yesterday that ALF (one of the UK biggest wholesalers) is going to stock and distribute Aquael filters from January but I can't confirm that information.
Whoever does stock it first is going to clean up.
@@pondguruI was just waiting for your video and I just ordered it from Slovenia, import Austria €320 with discount, and there is that hypermax link wifi it is €570
@@pondguruI was looking to buy your media, is the postage expensive 😢, I'll think about it a little more 🍻
@@robi017. With the cost of postage I actually make a loss on the postage for every sale in the UK but if you're outside the UK there are links to all the various distributors along the top of every page on the FilterPro website (flags are direct links)
@@robi017. Even the upgraded version is way cheaper than 2 x FX6 - good one.
Another great video Richard 👍
I'm glad you found it useful - for large tanks this filter is a beast.
@@pondguruchemical media top tray ? Richard
@@PeterKnopp-ih8ie The filter works bottom to top so the chemical media would be last in top tray.
That's bigger than my Fluvels 207 and 307 put together. Nice one
Yup, it's way bigger than multiples of either and both of those filters.
Now that is a game changer I did use 3x fx6 on my large discus tank and they really are a pain in the arse to clean and the flow rate decreases quick even with eheim pre filters on . But this baby big pre filter easy to get at two inlets and outlets perfect I would defo buy these. I won’t however as now have a large sump which is paradise 😊👍 and Richard thank you for these videos they are excellant interesting
No worries and I hope these filters become widely available as they seem to be a dream filter for big tanks.
They have updated top tray now
That is good to know - thanks for the news.