A patented, revolutionary aquarium filter with a unique instant reverse-flush total dirt removal system. Works on the same principle as an under-gravel filter but unlike an U.G-filter, the Aqua Genie can evacuate all accumulated detritus from filter by direct flushing and prevent build up of waste to minimize the load on bio-filter. Helps to reduce most reasons and need for chemical filtration.
When used properly, can effectively slow down production of nitrates and phosphates. Drastically reduces scale and frequency of eventual large water changes. Once bio-filter is established (5-6 weeks) nitrates will still be produced from the fish-wee and more frequent or bigger flushing may be needed to keep these nitrates down. Extremely easy, fast, effective, stress-free operation.
Very efficient mechanical air-driven filter with large capture-grill. Driven by full body length air-curtain and water vortex. Can not be tampered with or entered by fish, has been used successfully in live-bearers breeding tanks.
High flow biological filter, bacteria on filter marbles. Very reliable substrate of never-to-be-replaced marbles. Maximum oxygen to water ratio resulting from large air curtain. Each flush will remove the organic and in-organic debris up to even under 5 micron in size, leaving behind the beneficial bacteria. Keeps fish always happy and healthy in the best water conditions.
Best in small to medium size tanks up to 1m in length and at least 35cm high. Larger and specially longer tanks should use two Aqua Genie filters placed at each end of the tank with an air-stone or air-curtain between them for maximum water movement and optimum debris capture.
The first model VA01 on the market since Dec 2006 is 21cm high, 16cm wide (left to right), 6,5cm deep (front to back), with a water-flow turnover of about 800-1000lt per hour and works as well in cold-water tanks, tropical-fish tanks, marine or live-reef tanks.
A demonstration of the VA01 and the prototype canister and hang-on filters has been uploaded on YouTube. To watch, please
CLICK HERE
Setup -
Flush -
Testimonials received from our customers survey (April 2008)
From Catherine Chatterton,
I moved over from a more traditional filtration system in my tropical fish tank about 4 months
ago. The unit is easy to use and install and much easier and quicker to maintain then my previous multi filtration unit. I just need to get a bit more movement in the tank and the unit would be perfect!
From Margaret Neate,
First of all, I am glad I bought the Aqua Genie filter, because it has saved me much time and effort in tank-cleaning.
From Allan Murray,
Thank you for the opportunity to provide some feed back on the Aqua Genie system. In my humble opinion, the simplicity of the system is it’s uniqueness, it is very easy to operate and most importantly, it works! The product is a winner only waiting to be revealed to the world.
From Antoinette,
The floating material is indeed filtered out by the Aqua Genie so it appears to help clear finer material out of the circulating water. Quality of the water appears to be maintained in good condition for longer.
From Justine O'Leary,
I have a 200 lt tropical aquarium and was a bit concerned that it may not be effective in such a large tank. I am happy to say that I had no reason to worry and my genie has been more than effective in keeping my tank clean! It is really simple to install and maintain. I was amazed at the amount of waste that comes out of a back-flush. I have also found it the easiest way to do my water changes - by connecting the back-flush pump, I can easily keep the water flowing out of the tank, saving time and mess with all the buckets and jugs! I have been very happy with my purchase and have recommended to many others.
From Mick Foster,
I purchased the Aqua Genie for my daughter, to use in her fish tank. The tank is outdoors, and is too large for this smaller filter to be practical. The filter performs flawlessly, and we were shocked by the large volumes of waste it collects overnight. Back-flushing the filter is easy, and the waste product is used to water and fertilise her garden plants. We are waiting to buy the medium or large unit, when it comes into production.
When the filter arrived, both my daughter and I commented that we might have been gullible, and could not imagine a plastic container half full with glass marbles being an effective filter. We were wrong, there is more to the design of this apparatus than is apparent to the eye. I have never seen a another type filter rapidly remove the volume of muck that this one does.
From Jennifer Marsh,
My father is very happy with the filter and it keeps his fish tank nice and clean.
From Ken Breasley,
Your filter must be the one I have used, because I have got 3 of them now.
Keep up the good work. Yours truly, Ken
After this survey, Ken bought 2 more filters in June.
From Brad Chaplin, River N Rift Aquatics.
I am wrapped with this product I have 12 already installed and more to arrive. My fish room consists of over 100 tanks and all of these will be converted to the aqua genie. It is already cutting down on cleaning time and has kept all by products of fish keeping to a low.
The idea of solid waste removal is great as it allows it to be removed with minimum fuss and time, no more gravel vacuuming. Even better is, I use a sand substrate and this filter does not remove it like other filters and gravel vacuuming. In my 30 years plus of fish-keeping and breeding I have never come across a filter that is air driven as affective and efficient as the Aqua Genie.
Also I will be setting this filter up with valves for simple one step cleaning and this will be attached to drainage to allow easy removal of the waste products. Will post up photos when done. All I can do is praise this Australian invention. By the way due to the lack of nitrates in the water thanks to the removal of solid wastes I have been able to breed some harder to breed species, and the algae contents of my tanks are diminishing.
From Marianne Abson,
The benefit of the Aqua Genie is that it is so efficient, water changes are reduced, water remains clearer, filtration is better, fish are definitely happier and live longer. To date I have not even had the slightest inkling that additional filtration is required.
I enjoy watching the clown loaches chasing each other through the bubbles of the air current and have noticed the fish appear much happier ( if it’s possible to have happy fish!!) and am very pleased with your filter. If there is anything I can do to promote the filter please do not hesitate to ask.
From Glenn in ANGFA Forum
The Aqua Genie is a breeze to set-up with this only taking a few moments once you've understood the directions and filled it with the marbles supplied. The myriad of tiny glass marbles (designed to maximise surface area) will hold the bacteria colony once established. By the time the filter is placed onto the floor of the aquarium the protruding aspects (pipe connection and end cap) of the filter body will be comfortably hidden and anchored by the substrate used and the overall intrusion into the aqua-scape will be diminished. The weight of the marbles guarantee that the filter would not be toppled or moved if used on a bare bottom tank.
Upon connecting the air-line a generous air curtain rises briskly through the flue which is more than adequate for surface agitation oxygenation. This bubble curtain is quite impressive also adding a pleasing aspect to the aquarium on both low and high air-pump outputs. When operating close observations will reveal water borne pollutants being slowly drawn into the filter as they pass by. I doubt any small fish, other than 'exceptionally small' fry, could find themselves swept into the filter as the intake flow is passive enough to prevent such. Deposits upon the aquarium floor would need to be vacuumed or stirred into the water column so that they may find their way into the filter.
A small 'sugar grain' sized substrate is recommended when using the Aqua Genie so particulate matter will not embed itself into the substrate. The supplied piping and hand pump quickly and effortlessly allows the pollutants collected in the filter to be flushed out during the recommended 4 to 5 second flushing. This method could also be easily employed for general siphoning such as water changes. Thus far I must admit to being impressed by the Aqua Genie. It is currently in operation in an aquarium of breeding Bitterlings.
From Brad Chaplin. Professional fish breeder.
Did the second clean out today since the valves and piping was set in place. It is taking less than 5 minutes to clean all the 20 filters in the row. It is definitely making work a lot easier. By the way have now bred another couple of species of fish that haven’t had much luck with and both are filtered by the Aqua Genie. I don’t think I can say enough about this filter. Also bred some Julidiochromis Regani in one tank that has not bred in the 2 years I have had them, so it is definitely making the water cleaner.
Summary of the advantages noticed by customers: qoutes
- "Easy to use and install and much easier and quicker to maintain."
- "Simplicity of the system is it’s uniqueness."
- "Has saved me much time and effort in tank-cleaning, work effectively."
- "Had the clearest water."
- "Very easy to operate and most importantly it works."
- "It appears to help clear finer material out."
- "Amazed at the amount of waste that comes out.
- "The easiest way to do my water changes."
- "Saving time and mess."
- "large volumes of waste it collects."
- Back-flushing the filter is easy."
- "Idea of solid waste removal is great."
- "Is a breeze to set-up."
- "Is so efficient."
- "Water changes are reduced."
- "Water remains clearer."
- "Filtration is better."
- "Fish are definitely happier and live longer."
- "Bubble curtain is quite impressive."
- "Sensitive fish species are easier to breed."
Here are some TESTIMONIALS
Testimonial 1 ) From Peter Turner, Mornington, VIC
Can't say enough in praise of the Aqua Genie which I purchased some months ago.
Have told a few of the local aquarium outlets they should stock them. Hope they do for the good of their customers.
I hope all is going well with the Aqua Genie because it is a fantastic product.
Testimonial 2 ) By Braddo, Queensland fish breeder in a post of: Addicted 2Fish Forum
Ok by now you would have read the review in the AAM3 magazine, not a real good review from my point of view after trying these filters myself. But I must point out if you look at the pictures the filter was set up totally wrong even though the reviewer had the instructions. So if you cannot set the filter up the way it is designed it is not going to work the way it is designed.
With the 2 filters I have set up here, I don't even put my hands in the tank to reverse flush them. As you can see in the AAM3 article his hands were wet because of his incorrect set-up. The way he has set it up is actually also taking away from the filters efficiency hence the cloudy water. In my opinion this filter is one of the best if not the best air driven filter on the market and has actually outperformed my power filters as well.
Our comments: The magazine very courageously admitted making an error in the set-up of the filter, see Alex Cooney's note on page 6 of the next issue (AAM4), and they allowed us to show the correct way in our advertisement of this last edition.
Just imagine now how good the review would have been if this mistake would not have occurred!
Testimonial 3 ) By Mark ZY9 in the: Queensland Aquarium Forums
In my box filters all I have ever used is some marbles that I used to play with as a kid and filter wool and the filters work a treat and keep the tanks clean there is no other media in there . they do work and work well.
And Braddo's response to this:
Mate anything that has surface area can be used as a media. In fact if you seriously looked in your tank everything in there holds bacteria even the glass sides of your tank. All you do is run your hands over the side of the tank and feel the slimy layer that is containing bacteria which will filter your water. As the water moves around the tank it helps oxygenate these bacteria. The filters though concentrate these bacteria and this is why they are necessary. Where if you just have an air-stone the bacteria will still be there but in less concentration therefore not as efficient.
Marbles actually have a huge surface area for their size because they are curved. Because they don't compress or break down it makes them ideal for water flow. They also don't clog like lots of other media made from porous materials. Hence why they are easy to clean.
The only difference in using this filter with marbles and a box filter is you don't have to remove the filter to clean it. I have attached a valve to the external pipe which all I do is turn on and it backflows with out losing pressure like normally. I will try to take photos and show the amount of detritus it removes.
When you have over a hundred tanks anything that makes cleaning easier is well worth it but whether you have one tank or a hundred if it cuts cleaning time down and is less messy it is a miracle in my book.
I only carry on about this filter so much because I have tested it with other filters including sponge, under-gravel, internal power filters and even a trickle filter and find it as efficient but much easier to clean and use.
Our comments: Good news for Braddo: We also have invented a new ball valve which is much easier to use than normal ball valves. This new valve (not yet in production) will allow to flush-clean, manually or by remote control, hundreds of Aqua Genie filters in a few seconds, simultaneously. Large commercial set-ups used by breeders or shops will save hundreds of man-hours per year and still have tanks with individual filters each.
