Aquatop SP7-UV Submersible UV Filter

[Rusty_Shackleford]

I have just received this product and I can't say how well it works yet.
This is my second attempt at a UV clarifier, I ordered one previously from a different manufacturer and it arrived non functional, so I returned it and ordered an Aquatop.

I was initially impressed with their customer service as I received an email two days after ordering asking to confirm my order. They did this because the shipping address and billing address were different and they wanted to make sure this was a legitimate order and not some type of scam. I appreciated that and thought that was a nice bit of customer service to be looking out for the customer like that.

I ordered and paid for the product on 3/16/25. On 3/17/25 I got the previously mentioned customer service email. On 3/19/25 I received notification my order had shipped. However I noticed they shipped it via USPS not via UPS as I had selected and paid for. This is a problem because I do not receive USPS mail at my home address, I have a PO Box for that. So as a result my product would get to the post office and marked non deliverable and would be returned to sender. I contacted Aquatop and notified them of the issue.
They apologized and admitted it was their fault. They said they would put a return on the package and when they received it back they would ship it to me via UPS as originally intended.
The original product was delivered back to Aquatop on 3/26/25. Later that day I got an email with a tracking number showing the product had shipped back out via UPS. Aquatop also said they had thrown in an extra sponge prefilter ($8.99 price)for the unit at no extra cost because I was so patient and understanding.

I received the product today, 4/2/25.
I opened the box and immediately realized they sent me a used unit, not the new unit I paid for. The outer housing had water spots on it. The sponge prefilter had a hole big enough for me to stick a finger through, and the UV bulb had brown scorch marks on it. I promptly took photos, emailed them to Aquatop customer service, waited 5 minutes then I called them.
The customer service representative apologized and stated "I don't know how that happened" Their solution is to ship me new parts to replace the used ones. But they want to ship it to me via UPS. I said no, but you can ship it to me FedEx overnight at your expense. They refused.

I'm not sure how effective their product is, or if it works at all. I hope it works better than their customer service. This will be the one and only Aquatop product I ever buy just based on my experience with them.

 

[gwand]

A seller via Amazon sent a used Fluval 300 watt digital heater instead of a new one. I returned it and they sent me another used heater. Unbelievable. Of course at that point I requested a refund. This just happened last week.

 

[jaylach]

I've never even heard of Aquatop but that has nothing to do with whether they are good or bad. Did you check reviews? I always do but look mostly at the 1 & 2 star ratings as I want to see where people had issues, not the happy campers.

I remember several years ago I ordered a digital rear-view mirror for my car with front and back cameras. The thing worked when on external power but also had a battery that refused to charge. I contacted and they right away did a refund and didn't even want me to return the mirror. Of course, being a geek, I took the thing apart and saw a connection to the battery that was not mounted. Plugged it in and the unit worked perfect. I demand getting what I pay for but also believe in fair exchange. I contacted them again telling the story and saying that, while I wanted compensation for fixing I would be happy to pay half the original price. They refused saying that they blew it and the thing was mine with no charge. That is good support and I'd be happy to deal with them again.

Then there was my Canon EOS Rebel T7. I bought it through B&G Photo. The thing would just not see an SD card at all. Of course I contacted B&G and they would replace but wanted me to pay for return shipping. Contacted Cannon directly and they said that they would fix for free but not replace as I didn't buy directly from them and I would have to pay shipping. Of course I was not happy and went a little ballistic on both saying that, when I had my computer business, I would never even consider charging shipping for a client to return a faulty system. Back and forth Blah, Blah with both and the end result was that B&G agreed to send me a free shipping label and replace. Cannon also agreed to send me a free shipping label but would fix, not replace... fair enough. The really funny part is that there was never actually anything wrong with the camera but, rather, the SD cards I was trying were just setup with the wrong file system. I followed with a couple of apologetic emails.

I guess the moral is to not just take what an outfit's support tells you. If you feel it is wrong fight back. Actually a good tactic is to threaten with a negative review as to support. Not always, but often, they will cave in just to avoid the negative review.

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

I've already been in touch with the CA BBB. I've read reviews, I always look at reviews and ratings. I'm the type of guy that researches before purchase. Once my wife got so mad at me because I took a month to research a new flat screen TV before purchasing. If I'm gonna spend my hard earned money, I'm gonna spend it once and spend it right. Unfortunately it seems with these UV clarifiers they are all crap (made in China), or of poor design, unless you are willing to spend a couple hundred dollars for an external unit, then you need to buy another pump to use it. I don't expect to use this UV unit for more than a couple of weeks, I just need to clear some green water.
The other thing that's disappointing is it seems this is the only fish forum allowing reviews of equipment. I think every other forum owner is scared of being sued so nothing negative about anything is allowed.

 

[Essjay]

I think every other forum owner is scared of being sued so nothing negative about anything is allowed.

On this forum you can say negative things as long as you give personal evidence to back it up. Saying "this thing is useless, don't buy it" isn't allowed but saying "I've had problems with this thing; in my tank it did this/didn't do that" is allowed.

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

On this forum you can say negative things as long as you give personal evidence to back it up. Saying "this thing is useless, don't buy it" isn't allowed but saying "I've had problems with this thing; in my tank it did this/didn't do that" is allowed.

Yeah I understand that. That's why I made a point to say I don't know if the product will work. It is currently running in my tank and the UV light is on, however it did come with a used bulb (no idea how much use). Once I receive all my replacement parts, next Wednesday between 9:30 am and 12 noon, I will have a newer, proper unit to determine it's effectiveness. Now the way my luck works is all the algae in the green water will be dead on Wednesday morning before the replacement parts arrive. Lol
I'll certainly update this thread if the product clears the green water as intended.

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

Update: It's definitely working. After less than 48 hours running I can absolutely see a difference in water clarity. I'll post pics when the lights come on.

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

Less than 48 hours, big difference.

 

[gwand]

Now that is impressive!

 

[MaloK]

I had to try a couple different brands before having something that works great. The problem wasn't the effectiveness of the products, It was durability... Some worked just a few hours before dying.

So I bought something more expensive made in USA and since then the light shows no signs of wear.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

The worst equipment we use in our tanks are the heaters. So, some time ago Ii ralized to buy a cheaper brand but more of them worked pretty well for me. So I oen a lot of Auqatop heaters. When I was buying they were much cheaper (price-wise) than they are today. Aquatop is not a premeir product maker. However, their heaters have worked OK for me. I have the best brands and the cheapest brands fail. So I go cheaper.

However, I would urge you to head over to American Aquarium Products. They have an absolutely excellent information on UV and everything you need to know about UV units for a start. Then they also sell some of the best ones available, IMO. It is where I bought mine many years ago.

Here is the infor page: https://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/sterilization.html

Here is the products page: https://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/uvc-sterilizers.html

UV is more complex in temrs of understanding what one should get and why and then how to use them properly. It is important to get the right size unit, the correct bulb as well as knowing the flow and trunover rates you will need for any given applicationnd and water volume.

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

Day 3

Not crystal clear, but getting there.

I've spent many hours on the AAP site as well as all their linked pages and research. I did not purchase from them for 2 reasons.
1. They only had one model of submersible UV filter. It's a 5 watt and probably a little underpowered for my tank. Cost: $80
Every other unit they sell is an external model which starts at $160, plus the cost of hoses and a pump to run it.
2. AAP repeatedly bad mouths and disparages every other product out there in order to sell their own products. I don't like that especially when they are selling the same thing. So how could that be true?
Here is the 5 watt AAP sells.

Here is the 7 watt I got from Aquatop

Now please tell me how these are not the same, from the same manufacturer in China? AAP puts their label on theirs, Aquatop does the same. So how is AAP so superior? In the minds that's all.

 

[MaloK]

That's excellent results...

Some peoples would have paid to have green water like you had

When it's cleared out, immediately rinse your sponges to remove it from your system instead of letting it decompose there.

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

That's excellent results...

Some peoples would have paid to have green water like you had

When it's cleared out, immediately rinse your sponges to remove it from your system instead of letting it decompose there.

Believe me I thought about shipping bags of green water if someone wanted it.
I have been removing the sponge prefileters and filter cartridges every 2-3 days to rinse them and get that green crap out of the system. All it takes is one cell to start it all over.

 

[MaloK]

Believe me I thought about shipping bags of green water if someone wanted it.
I have been removing the sponge prefileters and filter cartridges every 2-3 days to rinse them and get that green crap out of the system. All it takes is one cell to start it all over.

Good move. For me it's more the secondary impact it can have.

Whats caught in the filter is 99% dead. But in large quantity it has great chances to provoke a chemistry swing.

So clearing them off is the best way not to have a low oxygen / high ammonia output impact from the massive bacteria generation that it will occur if left to decompose in the filter.