Pimp My Filter #86 - Aquael Hypermax 4500 Canister Filter

[@pondguru]

Whoa...best filter ever???? Aquael website: www.aquael.com/ Aquael Hypermax 4500 video (Aquaman Aquatics): kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXvVf4dofrJ9fqM 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: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4qmpYCPj7afn8k Thousand Yard Stare channel: kzbin.info/door/1pgJBGQrUfCUAhk63U5u5A 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 / [e-mail] *******(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: kzbin.info/door/1pgJBGQrUfCUAhk63U5u5A 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.

[@marcianpetrescu]

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. 😉

[@pondguru]

@@marcianpetrescu They have really gone to town with this one and I hope they get a wide release.

[@PeterKnopp-ih8ie]

@@pondguru hi Richard does this come with a EU Plug if so I would need an adaptor ?

[@mrtommyw19]

Hi, I'm trying to order Biohome ultimate from your website but its saying that it won't deliver to Ireland. Is this correct?

[@pondguru]

@@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.

[@mediscusnut7994]

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,

[@pondguru]

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.

[@christianlawson1278]

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.

[@pondguru]

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

[@happy45man]

Agreed. Much prefer my ultramax over my fx6 .

[@PeterKnopp-ih8ie]

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 👌

[@johnbrand1893]

What a beast of a canister filter, the ROLLS ROYCE of filters, great video Richard, always appreciate this channel. 👍

[@pondguru]

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.

[@johnbrand1893]

@@pondguru 👍

[@OriginalMindTrick]

Maybe more like a Land Cruiser. Rolls Royce would be ADA.

[@AquaPeet]

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!! :)

[@pondguru]

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

[@dennisvanopstal7360]

I just tilt it forward. Slowly not to make everything wet. Just a minor inconvenience.

[@charles_king]

​@@dennisvanopstal7360i put wheels on mine 😂

[@matthewdawson7996]

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 KZbin but it's crappy so my apologies 😂)

[@ThousandYardStare]

(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.

[@matthewdawson7996]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rIeykGB_ephjldUsi=NEH_Qoofvk7skbL0

[@srijithps]

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.

[@pondguru]

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.

[@srijithps]

@@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!”

[@pondguru]

@@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.

[@57essex60]

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.

[@pondguru]

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.

[@57essex60]

Getting the chimney cleaned for christmas just in case, ha ha.@@pondguru

[@pondguru]

@@57essex60 I'm not climbing up on any roof to drop things down the chimney - the front door will do, lol

[@57essex60]

Ha Ha@@pondguru

[@LeroyL113]

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

[@pondguru]

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.

[@newphone890]

Any issues about this filter?

[@pondguru]

@@newphone890 Any issues will be highlighted in the comments below since I don't censor comments.

[@newphone890]

@@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

[@LeroyL113]

@@newphone890 its running for a week now and I love it. 😬

[@barbarawiddowson635]

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!

[@pondguru]

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.

[@ronj9460]

Thanks for another fantastic review. Chapter and verse above other sites. Thank You Richard.

[@pondguru]

No worries and I'm glad you find the videos useful as I put them out to help.

[@TheSparkysdog]

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.

[@pondguru]

Best of luck if you do upgrade.

[@kierendorrington7699]

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 👍

[@pondguru]

Yes, that will be a hell of a Christmas present for someone. Thanks for watching..

[@JohnMonk-p2v]

Well done Richard ! A VERY GOOD OVERVIEW OF A FANTASTIC NEW FILTER ! BALANCED , AND UNBIASED ASWELL AS PROFESSIONAL VIDEO ! YOUR A STAR RICHARD !

[@pondguru]

I'm glad you found the video useful - thanks for watching.

[@wojciechgoj]

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.

[@pondguru]

I'm glad you found the video useful - thanks for watching and best of luck with the new tank.

[@paulbekier1317]

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.

[@pondguru]

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.

[@SuperBuckley]

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!!

[@pondguru]

Yup, there's nothing other than truth in that comment.

[@cheekonv]

Whats BT like and app

[@aquamanaquatics6393]

Great video as always, thanks for tagging my video.

[@pondguru]

No worries, man - it's not often I can put a face to people I talk to on the phone..

[@aquamanaquatics6393]

Once seen never forgotten. Some might say a face for radio 😅

[@mrdave9315]

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.

[@pondguru]

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.

[@AQUAEL25]

Hi! It's nice to hear about our Hypermax 😉

[@PeterKnopp-ih8ie]

Great product, but as a company you need answer people’s e mails

[@pondguru]

It is a proper beast of Filter and someone will win it for Christmas so thanks for sending it out.

[@AQUAEL25]

@@PeterKnopp-ih8ie let us kno on which e-mail you have contacted us and we'll check what's going on.

[@PeterKnopp-ih8ie]

@@AQUAEL25I will many thanks. Nice to see for once a quality filter to take on the big boys! 👌

[@ange_delon]

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.

[@Les-OZZYTHEOSCAR]

That looks like an incredible filter and made to last too. Very impressed, what a beast.

[@pondguru]

|For sure and I hope a decent UK wholesaler picks up Aquael to distribute them.

[@pondguru]

@MDBD2405 I didn't even know they made aquariums until a couple of days ago.

[@silitekmodder5681]

What a monster filter! I'm mostly on team sump now, but this is still impressive

[@pondguru]

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.

[@chriscowsill4622]

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 😂.

[@pondguru]

Yes, it will arrive with a claim for industrial injury when the delivery driver puts his (or her) back out during the delivery.

[@mircea1986]

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.

[@pondguru]

Yup, one filter will take the place of two really good filters and cost way less to run.

[@charles_king]

​@@pondgurui prefer running 2 filters instead of 1. Redundancy.

[@mattphillips6714]

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..

[@pondguru]

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

[@haythame78]

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

[@pondguru]

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.

[@MisterDoctorE]

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.

[@pondguru]

Good one - thanks for the report and best of luck with the new filter.

[@martinjackson4990]

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 😁

[@pondguru]

Good one - I'm glad that the 2000 is working well for you - thanks for watching.

[@lpoolck17]

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! 👍

[@pondguru]

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]

@@pondguru haha, watch the film 'pay it forward' together. That might get her onboard mate. Hopefully good things happen for you both 🤞👍

[@pondguru]

@@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.

[@lpoolck17]

@@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.

[@pondguru]

@@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.

[@ColossalKoi]

This is dope❤… been watching for many moons… awesome review

[@pondguru]

I'm glad you found the video useful - thanks for watching.

[@erikfeddes7799]

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]

That is a big tank and they water should be clean and healthy with that set up.

[@erikfeddes7799]

@@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.

[@Chimpski]

Watched every video you've made so far and this is clearly in the top spot - filter looks great

[@pondguru]

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

[@Chimpski]

@@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

[@wardraven8755]

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.

[@noodlesandwich8773]

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

[@pondguru]

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.

[@noodlesandwich8773]

@@pondguru thanks for taking the time to reply to my comment

[@carlwaugh5109]

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.

[@pondguru]

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.

[@carlwaugh5109]

@@pondguru Sweet. I’ve never uploaded a video to KZbin 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?

[@pondguru]

@@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

[@ilcancelliere6010]

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.

[@pondguru]

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.

[@NeilAnderson-Moll]

Looks awesome, just wish my tank was big enough to justify this filter. Keep up the good work, love the videos.

[@pondguru]

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.

[@senseiross8498]

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. 😊

[@pondguru]

Yes, the most apt word to describe it is beast for sure. Thanks for watching and appreciating the videos.

[@markeggleton8713]

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 👍

[@aquamanaquatics6393]

Take a look at the link in the description of this video. I installed one a couple of months ago

[@pondguru]

No worries and I hope they are soon widely available.

[@SuperBaloa]

Simply amazing filter! I would love too own that cool filter one day. Keep the videos coming (y)

[@pondguru]

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.

[@jamiesmith5846]

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.

[@pondguru]

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.

[@nathanstott8395]

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

[@raptor660r316]

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 👍👍👍👍

[@pondguru]

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.

[@jc49fishniner4lif7]

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

[@pondguru]

I'm glad you find the videos useful - thanks for watching.

[@mediscusnut7994]

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.

[@ThousandYardStare]

(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.

[@josemontalvo4532]

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!

[@pondguru]

I'm not sure what you mean by "Does it come for a 70 Gallon Aquarium?" so feel free to expand on that question.

[@dosser1969]

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

[@pondguru]

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.

[@oscarsartori-um9xz]

Love the series!! This is a awesome beast!! Thanks for sharing

[@pondguru]

No worries and thanks for watching.

[@alanpitkeathly6752]

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

[@pondguru]

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.

[@alanpitkeathly6752]

@@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

[@pondguru]

@@alanpitkeathly6752 Yes you said it - this could definitely be a game changer and I too hope they get a wide release.

[@taza626]

Just got this for my 5x2x2, to replace the 2 fx6 filters. Couple of questions: would you recommend having all trays with biological media, and in the pre filter have sponge and filter floss at the top? To me that would make maintenance even easier, would it not? Also, been watching your videos on flow and where to position the intakes and the return. Would you have all 4 on the same side?

[@pondguru]

You could try it with something finer in the pre-filter. I know that plenty of people prefer to use the fine filter foam in the Oase Biomaster filters then fill all the trays with media instead of sacrificing the bottom tray for foams and fine pad. That means you clean the pre-filter more often but such it is a simple task it is popular. That could also work for the Hypermax filter. With regard to the positioning of the intake and outlet pipes just experiment to see what works best for you. As soon as you add any sort of structure and plants it alters the path of the water flow so there is never a right and wrong place.

[@darrencooke3293]

Whoa what an amazing looking filter do they make a small filter that would be better suited to a 200L aquarium?

[@pondguru]

They make a few different filters and the smaller versions of this one would be the Ultramax 2000 or Ultramax 15000 - I have done a video on the 2000 in this series of videos.

[@neilgater2213]

what a beast. i'm running a Ehime Pro 3 at the mo with the twin inputs my only concern with that filter is can all the pipes be removed similar to the Ehime Pro 3 which makes it easy to drag out of my cabinet

[@pondguru]

Yes, they are removed in exactly t he same way so no worries there.

[@trigger852011]

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.

[@pondguru]

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.

[@trigger852011]

@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

[@pondguru]

@@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.

[@nicksavage4763]

MONSTER FILTER With Pre-Filter….. Max Bio Filtration…. Fantastic For Large tanks✅ Thanks For the Lesson

[@pondguru]

Yup, it pretty much ticks all the boxes.

[@barryjames3747]

I have an Eheim 330 Incpiria, sitting in situ in the front room, waiting for the decorating to be finished. I have an eheim 1200xlt ready to use, which looks quite considerable. Would this Aquael be complete overkill for the 330? could I complete the "full cycle" with either of these filters on my 330ltr, using your Biohome ultimate? With the aquael it appears you can restrict the flow using the power, rather thanmechanical flow restriction, which I guess means cheaper running costs too. This is the feature that mostly makes me want to try this filter. I have just replaced fluval with Aquamanta, so I would love to try the Aquael. Keep you vids coming please.

[@pondguru]

If you already have a 1200XLT I'd say keep that for the 330 litre tank since it will easily hold 6kg of media which by the time you get a good substrate and structure in the tank will give you 2kg per 100 litres, covering you for a heavy stock. This 4500 is probably overkill for a 330 litre tank and certainly unnecessary if you already have a good suitable filter for the tank. I covered the 1200XL in a video a while back - just search Eheim 1200XL on my channel and it should come up.

[@str675r5]

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.

[@pondguru]

Good one and I'm glad that the filter is working well for you as it is a real beast.

[@elgezouliabdul4973]

Thanks for your usual efforts this filter is better than eheim 2080 XL it is made of good solid plastic.

[@pondguru]

Yes, the plastic is good quality and the design is great too - they really have produced a winner here.

[@jasoncarty2175]

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!!👌👍

[@pondguru]

That is great to hear - I like what Aquael are doing.

[@SoCalMike2]

Very impressive. Thank you for the review.

[@SoCalMike2]

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?

[@pondguru]

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.

[@BobTweedie-h4o]

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.

[@pondguru]

That sounds like a good plan - best of luck with the tank.

[@kdwyd]

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

[@Vonbek606]

Great video, as usual. looks right a right beast, possibly a bit big for under tank use inside a cabinet

[@pondguru]

Maybe, yes - it is approx. 50cm tall plus the pipes so that's definitely a consideration.

[@palleoverby1]

Do you have to use dual in/outlets or can you block one set ???

[@pondguru]

As far as I know you have to use them all but you could put an in-line tap in to cut the flow off or restrict the flow no problem.

[@Gynnad]

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!

[@pondguru]

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.

[@mgl63823]

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.

[@pondguru]

Yes, for what it is the price seems to be very good.

[@johnmaude5065]

That filter looks amazing 🤩

[@pondguru]

It has the potential to take over for big tanks, no doubt about it.

[@peterdoherty8873]

Looks great your media will make it even better.

[@pondguru]

It is a match made in Heaven for sure.

[@leemaclauchlan]

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,

[@pondguru]

No worries and I'm glad you appreciate the videos. The longer I am on KZbin 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]

@@pondguru absolutely and that's why people respect the time and effort you put in to it all

[@pondguru]

@@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

[@joshjell9198]

Richard, what are the dimensions of the filter who compared to Large Ehiems and fx-6?

[@pondguru]

It is approx. 50xm high (plus pipes) x 36cm x 36cm - I haven't got other filters here to compare that to but for what it does and what it holds it's relatively compact - there's no wasted space.

[@davidoconnor8311]

That's a beast of a canister filter 😮. Would it be possible to run 2 aquariums of this. With it having 2 intakes and 2 outlets.

[@pondguru]

Assuming both tanks were linked together, yes. If they weren't linked together or flowing into each other (to balance the water level) it wouldn't work.

[@davidoconnor8311]

@@pondguru A I get what you mean. I was thinking if both tanks where separate could it have worked. I guess not lol. Thanks for the info. Love the channel and the work you do. And trust us we really do appreciate the work you do. I set up my own fluval 407 canister like your video and its running perfectly 👌

[@pondguru]

@@davidoconnor8311 That is great to hear and I always like to get feedback on how the filters are running with the Biohome. Likewise I like to get reports back when things aren't working properly as I like fixing things - there is no reason why any tank wouldn't achieve a full cycle and the fixes are generally very straight forward.

[@MrDanAng1]

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.

[@pondguru]

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

[@timwaagmeester1987]

Is it possible to have 2 filters like this on a 2 meter discustank? Or is the flow to hard?

[@ThousandYardStare]

(my other channel) As long as one of the filters uses the spray bar and the other filter has the standard outlet there will definitely not be too much flow. There will be an excellent turnover of water but the flow won't be too much for discus in a 2m tank. There will also be excellent filtration and perfect water if the filters are upgraded with good filter media.

[@timwaagmeester1987]

@@ThousandYardStare thank you for the response..I am using 2 Eheim 1200 with biohome and I am thinking about changing the filters (definitely not the biohome because it’s perfect) is it necessary to adjust the flow to the lower setting in combination with the spray and standard outlet or full flow?

[@pondguru]

@@timwaagmeester1987 If the filters you have are doing a good job then I wouldn't spend the extra money to buy 2 totally new filters. As long as you're not using something which starves the bacteria (e.g. seachem prime) the filter media you have will be fully populated with bacteria and the water quality should be great. With the 4500 filters you have the option to reduce flow rate and reduce electric costs but you won't know if you need to do that until you set up filters on the tank. Until you set up new filters it's impossible to say if the flow should be restricted or diffused through a spray bar.

[@timwaagmeester1987]

@@pondguru thank you..water quality is fine but with approximately 850 liter the Eheim 1200 could be a little bit bigger..maybe I can add another smaller filter with some more biohome 😉

[@pondguru]

@@timwaagmeester1987 You can never have too much filtration, lol

[@Akhi_Fins_and_Felins_]

Absolutely fantastic video, buddy. Keep up the good work. I have done all my filters from the FX6 to the Old Aqueal to eheim the way you have done it on your videos and believe me dear friend the tank and the fishes are thriving. Where was this filter from. I wanted to buy one. It's not in the description below. Please can you let me know. Thanks ❤

[@pondguru]

Thanks for watching and I'm glad the filters are working well for you. At the time of making this video the filter was not available in the UK but it is now. In a later video titled 'Hypermax 4500 - now available in UK' I used this link in the description as I knew Urmston had some of the first delivery: urmstonaquatics.com/aquael-hypermax-4500-external-filter.html Best of luck with the tanks.

[@Akhi_Fins_and_Felins_]

@@pondguru Thank you so much buddy

[@AB-Aquariums]

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

[@ThousandYardStare]

(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.

[@AB-Aquariums]

@@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!

[@pondguru]

That sounds like a good trade and I can imagine you breathed a huge sigh of relief when the tank was set in place.

[@cristi4441]

PONDGURU,l love you 😂❤..Aquael and biomaster the perfect combination..

[@pondguru]

This is possibly the greatest filter and media combination for an aquarium filter featured in this series of videos.

[@andytaylor2723]

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

[@pondguru]

Good one - thanks for the feedback on the 2000. I like what Aquael are doing.

[@alessandroguida8583]

Ogni quanto consigli di pulire il filtro esterno , lavare le spugne e cambiare la lana perlon ?

[@pondguru]

Basta pulire il filtro quando il flusso di ritorno rallenta, solitamente ogni 4-6 settimane. Tuttavia, la dimensione del serbatoio e dello stock determinerà l'intervallo di tempo tra i giorni di pulizia. Basta prolungare l'intervallo di pulizia il più possibile in base al serbatoio e alla velocità con cui il filtro si intasa.

[@ultimatefishkeeping]

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. 👍🏼🙂👍🏼❤️

[@pondguru]

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.

[@ultimatefishkeeping]

@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. 👍🏼🙂👍🏼❤️

[@pondguru]

@@ultimatefishkeeping Same to you - it's going to be damn cold, lol

[@ultimatefishkeeping]

@pondguru Thankyou, Sir. It really is. This is One of those times when I would like to move to a hotter climate. 👍🏼🙂👍🏼❤️

[@pondguru]

@@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

[@brianhaig1971]

Nice one do you think you could share the inlets and outlets between 2 tanks

[@pondguru]

Assuming both tanks were linked together, yes. If they weren't linked together or flowing into each other (to balance the water level) it wouldn't work.

[@wayneferrer8101]

Wow now that's fantastic I will be looking out for one 👌

[@pondguru]

Hopefully it will be widely available soon as it's a fantastic filter.

[@markiemark1869]

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... 👍

[@pondguru]

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)

[@toddmiller1933]

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

[@pondguru]

Nice one and I'm glad the video was useful for you. All the best for 2024.

[@bagpuss6867]

I have a 600l aquarium with Mbuna Cichlids and I am thinking of purchasing one of these beasts to replace an oase 850T which is just not powerful enough. I have enough width/depth space to accomodate it in the cabinet but is 62cm height space enough clearance for the hoses? Thanks :)

[@ThousandYardStare]

(my other channel) That should be OK since the in / out fittings are angled and the height of the filter is approx. 50cm as far as I can remember but it would be worth checking with Aquael for the exact dimensions.

[@billsmith582]

Do we have to use both inlets and outlets? Can we switch off one?

[@pondguru]

Ideally both would be used but you can cap one off with a shut-off tap if necessary.

[@PeterKnopp-ih8ie]

Another great video Richard 👍

[@pondguru]

I'm glad you found it useful - for large tanks this filter is a beast.

[@PeterKnopp-ih8ie]

@@pondguruchemical media top tray ? Richard

[@pondguru]

@@PeterKnopp-ih8ie The filter works bottom to top so the chemical media would be last in top tray.

[@lizcasxmp2]

Wow! This filter is incredible. I had orginally planned to replace all 5 of my FX6 with the eheim 2262 but now I am reconsidering!!! What's your opinion on these filters running along side the tank? My Rubbermaid stock tanks are on the floor (not sitting on stands) will this run efficiently along side the water level next to the tank?

[@pondguru]

You will probably get way more than the stated 'with media' flow of 2600 litres per hour if you're not siting the filter under the tank. Any filter will run no problem to the side of the tank as long as the filter is slightly lower than the tank water level otherwise it may be a pain to prime.

[@phillmarsden6653]

Would people recommend using this filter to link two Separate tanks together?

[@pondguru]

It would be impossible to maintain the correct level in the tanks unless they were joined by a suitable sized pipe. Separate, no. Linked, yes.

[@greenwarrior8971]

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

[@pondguru]

I'm glad you find the videos useful - thanks for watching.

[@chrisweston3029]

What’s the chances of this fitting in a cupboard on the tank? My tank is 5ft and the fx6 just fits and no more.

[@pondguru]

It is 50cm tall plus the pipes so while it's not massively tall it may not fit some cabinets.

[@bernardwillman8043]

Woulf this filter be great for reptilr like caiman lizard with heavy bioload ? I used fx6 and eheim but even there cant compete with the bioload of a caumsn lizard , i know there are bead filters and other filters thay would probably work alot better am surr hypermax is way stronger then fx6 just curious do think this filter will do slot better job ? Thanks 👍

[@pondguru]

This filter basically takes the place of 2 x FX6 filters as it pumps way more water and holds twice as much media - it is definitely going to do a better job than a single FX6.

[@NameName-do9hj]

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

[@pondguru]

I'm not sure about the availability in AU so it would be worth contacting Aquael to see what their plans are.

[@KrisTubbritt]

Hello. Im setting up a 300 litre heavily stocked cichlid tank. Would you suggest the aqael, FX6 or one of the big Eheim filters? thanks

[@pondguru]

The FX6 will only hold 5kg of media, the Eheim 1200XL will hold around 6kg of media and the Hypermax 4500 will hold 10kg+ of media so I'd say go for the 1200XL or the Hypermax. Personally I'd say Hypermax 4500 since it is much easier to clean compared to the 1200XL and it has 2 x inlets and 2 x outlets so you will get less dead spots in the tank, especially if (ideally) the tank has lots of good rock structure as habitat for the fish.

[@johnchambers1573]

I have a few questions Richard. When servicing will it spill water and can it be used with just two pipes.. Leaving 1 return and outlet turned off. Other question is it possible to change the big return strangers to basic one's.

[@pondguru]

If you have an in-line tap on an outlet and inlet I'm sure you could operate it with only 1 x inlet and 1 x outlet but I'm not sure why you would want to do that. It will have too much pressure going through one set of fittings if it is run at full power and it will be a waste of the filter potential if it is turned down too far. I don't know what you mean by 'big return strangers'.

[@johnchambers1573]

@@pondguru I'm thinking of using it for a 5ft reef aquarium 500 litres. Strainer is too much like the fx one's that look ugly. It is a toss up between the hypermax 4500 and two oase biomaster 850's

[@mark5817]

Have several filters have to say Aqueal filters are brilliant easy to prime,clean and quiet should be more popular

[@pondguru]

Good one - I'm glad the Aquael filters are working well for you. Thanks for watching.

[@charlie10tango39]

Winning that filter would make my heart grow three sizes!!! and I would even pay the shipping across the pond.

[@pondguru]

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.

[@frachiascio5027]

Very cool, i'm curious to see if it's silent... Nice video as always, greethings from Italy ❤

[@pondguru]

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.

[@robi017.]

I love you man, I was just waiting for your opinion, thanks to you I will buy this filter. Thank you

[@pondguru]

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.

[@robi017.]

​@@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.]

​@@pondguruI was looking to buy your media, is the postage expensive 😢, I'll think about it a little more 🍻

[@pondguru]

@@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)

[@pondguru]

@@robi017. Even the upgraded version is way cheaper than 2 x FX6 - good one.

[@jackcarr1813]

Hey mate, just checking that you still think this highly of the hypermax? Any outstanding issues experienced in the last 12 months? I have just purchased one online instead of a fx6 after watching your videos 😅

[@pondguru]

I get the filters sent to me to show how they could be set up for this video series so I generally don't own the filters shown in the videos. However, if you scroll down through the comments you'll see people reporting their findings after medium to long term use. That is the most reliable source of information since it is from users of that particular filter. Best of luck with the tank.

[@jackcarr1813]

@pondguru Cheers mate! Consistent good reviews. It arrives tomorrow so I will post my thoughts in a few months time for others to read. Appreciate the video, it really sold it to me after others were recommending.

[@pondguru]

@@jackcarr1813 Nice one - that's exactly what the comment section is there for and I'm always appreciative of anyone who takes time to post a report on any filter they're using as it does help others.

[@PijanyZboj]

@@jackcarr1813I have one for over the year 1 output ends have to be glued or silicon, pop out by itself 2 grey clips broke after 6 months Recently after cleaning on half power water flow is bigger then was new when set to 80% power it shut down itself keeping on low flow for now

[@ronaldbell446]

Great Vid as per lovely filter

[@pondguru]

Yup, proper beast.

[@ruicomprido2113]

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.😂

[@pondguru]

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.

[@drdoolittlefishhobbyist6055]

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.

[@pondguru]

It is approx. 50cm tall plus the pipes so should fit cabinets suitable for big tanks. Thanks for watching.