TOM Aquarium Rapids Mini Canister hang-on-the-tank C-80, 80gph

I'm using this for a 10gal heavily planted freshwater tank. It's very quiet and the spray bar discharge is excellent for my plants. The output stem arrived broken but Amazon sent me an entire new unit and TOM sent a replacement part, excellent service from both. The best feature is the ease in using custom filter materials. I use an AquaClear 300 sponge on one side and BioMax in the other. Seems to do the trick. No stop valve to help maintenance, as in more expensive canister filters, but at this price it's understandable.

UPDATE: My shipping charge for returning the original unit were also refunded, Amazon's return policy is excellent!

UPDATE 2: Jan. 2012, it leaks, replaced it with a Finnex 360. It's a little larger, we'll see how long this lasts.

I got this to use with a 2 gallon betta tank. The plan was to use it as a filter and also increase total amount of water. It seemed perfect as the spray bar would avoid causing a current which my betta does not like. For some reason i just assumed that it would have a flow control, but, as it turns out, there is no flow control and the spay bar sprays water much like that in a kitchen sink. Its way too powerful for smaller tanks. Dont bother with this for tanks 5 gallons or less. The quality of the hoses are suspect, they dont seem like they would last. I got the palm azoo instead for my 2 gallon betta and its perfect! The flow control turned all the way down provides a gentle filter output.

Buy TOM Aquarium Rapids Mini Canister hang-on-the-tank C-80, 80gph Now

11/02/2010 CORRECTION. I did exactly as the buyer "Professor Bubba" suggested in review of "Zoo Med 501 Turtle Canister Filter" : I replaced the filter that came with pump with a nylon bag ($1.50) purchased at pet shop filled with over-the-counter activated carbon (got the entire carton for $6.50)and could not believe the results. It's been two weeks so far and water is clear. Thank you Bubba. ..and Yes this filter seem to be capable of producing crystal-clear water.

---------------

10/05/2010

CONS: The filter never produces crystal-clear water, it always murky. Filter requires cleaning weekly. Perhaps it's just not powerful enough for a 10 gal tank.

PROS: Whisper quiet. Quick and easy set-up and maintenance.

Read Best Reviews of TOM Aquarium Rapids Mini Canister hang-on-the-tank C-80, 80gph Here

Initial thoughts:

The filter is dead silent. I switched from a HOB Whisper filter to this canister filter.. and wow. After leaving the room it's being used in for several hours and walking back in, I thought it had stopped workingI couldn't hear a thing!

The filter media included is so-so. Though I haven't been able to see how well the ceramic media works, I can already tell that the other included media wasn't all that great. Read up on what kind of filtration you want(chemical, mechanical, biological, etc.) and make your own media.

SO FAR, the only con I have:

The hoses. They're tragically short and hard to manipulate. You can't bend them into place at all. I may switch out the included hose for a different one.

I spent a good quarter of an hour wrestling with the hoses to let the water distribute through my TEN GALLON tank as efficiently as possible, and it's still not what I want. Oh well.

Overall, it's easy to modify this little canister with your own filter media, it's silent, and it's powerful.

----EDIT----

I've had this sucker running for a month, so it's time for an update.

The hoses seem to have loosened a bit, so that's kind of nice. I'm still planning on replacing them with longer and more flexible tubing if I can.

No leaks, no damage, the impeller is still running smoothly without any noise.

You'll want to make a media basket for the ceramic. I'm working on a plan to make a partition for the side that gets the water from the tank so the pipe leading in isn't so difficult to shove back in after cleaning. Again, if you're going to get this filter, prepare to play around with the filter media.

ALSOthis little guy does NOT have a shut off valve. Be warned! Not only can this make things messy but it can be difficult to prime the filter again. I'll add shut off valves when I replace the hoses so I don't get fish water all over my dorm. If you don't build one, get a bucket or cut a gallon milk jug in half to catch any water that comes out and QUICKLY lift the top of the filter above your tank to stop the water flow!

So far, it's working great on my little planted tank. It's perfect for my Betta boy and his Corydoras catfish friends. My bio load may be small at the moment, but it's keeping the water wonderfully clean with minimal maintenance on both the tank and the filter.

Overall, this filter has some major flaws, but it is great for the price you pay.

----Last edit----

The filter has been running strong for almost a year now. Still silent and still good at what it does. If I have any complaint it's that this little guy has ruined HOB filters for me.

Admittedly, I never bothered with replacing the tubing, but I will update if I do.

Want TOM Aquarium Rapids Mini Canister hang-on-the-tank C-80, 80gph Discount?

Ok first off this canister filter has great potential i bought one on sale when i saw the carbon bag in it i immediately tossed it out (garbage). how to set it up : first get a peice of bio foam and cut it to fit snug on top of intake side then put some aquarium cotton , then cut a polishing pad to size then u have the ceramic rings at the bottom on the return side i put in a marine land activated carbon bag wrapped it around the return tube , wallah pro filtration five stage filter in seconds i use it for my 20 g long marine tank and the water is crystal clear for a whole month !!!then flow starts to slow down no problem just do ur monthly maintenance and flow will be back to normal. Great product Cheers!!!!