EcoSphere Closed Aquatic Ecosystem, Pod

I received one of these as a gift about three years ago. I am a hard core believer in "research what you must care for" as once you take a living thing in and state "I shall care for it" you are responsible for a life. Or several, in this case. Rather quickly, I learned that these shrimp are "Halocaridina rubra" AKA "Opae Ula" AKA "Hawaiian Red Shrimp". They are found in small wild pools in the lava rock all over Hawaii. Rather disturbingly, their habitat has been reduced by roughly 90%! Yet people still continue to collect them from the wild. As of now, I have yet to hear a confirmation that the Ecosphere company is, in fact, captive breeding these creatures. If they are, in fact, wild catching these, even from a pool on their own property that they help to maintain, this may have a rather strenuous impact on what is left of the population of these shrimp, given the number of these spheres and "BYOES" they ship out annually.

The sad fact is that the only people truly giving a representation on the current quantity of these available in the wild are the people who are catching them in order to sell to the general public--and of course, it is in their best interest to state that they are plentiful in the wild, as their livelihood depends on it. Granted, this is pure extrapolation, but I think it is, at the very least, a point worthy of consideration before you purchase one of these kits.

These shrimp are slow breeders with small clutch sizes, and a rather high "infant mortality" so to speak. In short, they are a species which much be protected when possible, and encouraged to breed-be it in captivity or in the wild, in the hopes of creating a sustainable population that our children and our children's children will be able to enjoy.

Keep in mind when purchasing an ecosphere that, regardless of all other facts, the very limited environment dramatically discourages breeding and prevents perpetuation of a species that is currently undetermined in status.

Now, skipping the biology and ecology lesson, and on to the ecosphere itself.... As I studied the limited literature and information available on these shrimp, I learned that although there is the odd ecosphere which reaches just that right balance of diatoms, algae, bacteria, shrimp, etc., the vast majority are nutrient starved, and the ecology inside of them, at the microscopic level, becomes damaged and even destroyed. Then you are left with a couple of shrimp that are incredibly hardy, attempting to live in water that is high in ammonia, nitrites, and/or nitrates, with little to no oxygen for breathing, and eating forms of algae that are in fact, not at all nutritious for them. Because these insignificant seeming little creatures have adapted to such an incredible fluctuation of natural habitat in the wild, they are able to withstand starvation for months and even years.

Look at it this way: The average Opae Ula shrimp life span is roughly ten years, with some living upward of 20. Ecosphere happily informs you in the informative brochure that if you take care of them well (ie: set them in the appropriate light and temperature) they will average a whole 2-3 years! So.....1/3rd of their expected lifespan......

Not so good, in all honesty.

The instructions then go on to explain that on occasion customers excitedly announce their shrimp going 8-20+ years. Which really, that's fantastic! But this is the exception, not the rule.

These shrimp are, slowly but surely, starving inside of these closed systems. If the correct bacteria and algae do not grow (and often they do not) then these poor little creatures will shrink a small bit each time they moult their exoskeleton. According to several sources I have read, they will, in fact, consume themselves at a very slow and painful rate.

Again, not to say that some spheres will not survive 20 years plus ND prove this wrong, but, sadly, the vast majority of spheres are going to slowly decline, taking the living denizens inside down with it.

All of this said, I received my little ecosphere, containing four opae ula shrimp, and I chose to believe that I would balance the lighting and the temperature perfectly, since I honestly couldn't figure out how to get the shrimp out. Fast forward two years, and my first shrimp dies. What a wake up call. I felt terrible. All the shrimp were on the small side when I received them, as I had been hoping for closer to the ten year mark from these fellas. I immediately got online once more and researched all that I could. This time I learned how to remove the plug, and so I did. The three remaining shrimp were decanted carefully into a 2.5 gallon cube aquarium that was carefully balanced to match the specific gravity of the water inside the sphere, with a small airstone and an LED light. I will state that when I tested the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate of the water inside of the previously sealed sphere, I was absolutely appalled. I have zebra danios that couldn't have lasted an hour in that water.

In any even, I started off with only the water from the ecosphere, and daily added about half an ounce of the newly mixed sea water, in an attempt to not shock these delicate little creatures. Now that everyone is happily adjusted, I can monitor the amount of food available, do roughly one 50% water change a year, and care for these fascinating little animals interactively, rather than passively. I can respond to their needs and keep a close eye on the quality of their water, and thus, their life. Low and behold, my three shrimp have become roughly ten shrimp in less than a year (exact counts are tough, as they now have many hiding places and I am never sure that some aren't tucked away and hiding! Far more natural and comforting to them than complete exposure as they are subjected to in the spheres!). In fact, I am almost certain that those little reddish jiggy looking things that I noticed in the tank yesterday are, (I hope), more larvae.

Please, I encourage potential owners of ecospheres to research these shrimp and learn what you can before you purchase. If you still choose to purchase them, fine! But please, do make an informed decision.

In all honesty, I have to seriously wonder about the honesty of any company that simply states that they are giving you "ocean shrimp" and does not provide you with a latin species name to look up information and a natural history on the organism. Particularly when it is a company that claims to be encouraging an awareness of ecology, who is selling a species that is so vulnerable in the wild as these little fellows. If they were truly a company encouraging the thoughtful preservation of our ecology, it seems to me as though they would be attempting to inform new owners of as many facts as possible about their new pets; not hide what they are to prevent you from purchasing them cheaper elsewhere. (or whatever reason they have for not telling you exactly what kind of shrimp they are).

I wish potential owners the best of luck with their fascinating new aquatic denizens, regardless of how you choose to get your hands on them and welcome them into your home, and I sincerely hope you give these thoughts some consideration.

Cheers, and happy shrimping!

The EcoSphere got here today. It was very well packed, little chance of it breaking in transit. I noticed that the shrimp were not moving when I got it, but after about an hour they were swimming around energetically. I realized the water was just cold from shipping, after warming up they were fine and happy. =) All in all, it's really cool and a good conversation piece. I'm pleased with the purchase.

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This item arrived within 3 days without special shipping, and over the weekend. It was packaged securely and the contents appeared to have traveled well.

When we opened the box-WOW-what a surprise. The pictures are amazing and accurate but do not do it justice at all. Quality, quality, quality. I purchased the small pod (oval) and it contained a good layer of white stones, shells, 3 pink and 1 grey shrimp. I recommend reading the booklet, it contains alot of information. It literally takes 2 minutes and gives a complete overview, especially regarding the lighting and cleaning. My family is very excited to have this and have been watching it all day. It requires no care for a ton of enjoyment.

This has been way beyond my expectations for an unusual and unexpected gift for our house. I will provide an update as time goes by but for now, feel extremely satisfied with this purchase.

UPDATED ON 9/15/2012 (4 WEEKS) The shrimp are still alive and moving around. The algae has maintained its same size and no build-up. Again, just read the booklet and there is no maintenance required for such an unusual gift. Everyone that visits our house from youth to adult is amazed and continues to watch it. Something that I noticed is that our pod has more gravel and a variety of shells more so than the pictures show.

I would highly recommend this purchase for anyone-quality product with tons of enjoyment and no maintenance.

UPDATED ON 2/22/2013 (6 MONTHS) All the shrimp are still alive and moving around. The algae has maintained its same size. About a week ago, I noticed a few smaller than pea size spots on the glass. I read the booklet regarding the spots and got the small booklet with the magnet. You just put the open exposed magnet GENTLY at the bottom to find and attach the inner magnet. I say GENTLY because you might not see it before it shoots up to your magnet and might injure a shrimp. I had about 5 spots and gently rubbed them out. It took maybe a minute. Again, just read the booklet for proper care then there is literally no maintenance required.

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This is a very interesting thing to have sitting on your desk--mine came with four small shrimp that I found actively swimming around in my unit the second I unpacked it. The idea that these things will live on their own in this sealed containment unit for YEARS is truly fascinating.

The merchant takes a lot of care in shipping this item; since there are live creatures swimming around in this thing, it has to be shipped via one-day shipping, which costs about $20. But trust me when I say that it is totally worth the extra cost.

Looks like the customer support for this is pretty extensive, though I have not had to contact them myself (doesn't look like I'll have to any time soon.)

I'm more than happy to contribute to the small list of reviewers that have all given it the full 5-stars. You will not regret it either if you give it a chance, I think. Especially if you're an Earth Science Major like I am.

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We have had our EcoSphere for over a year, and it may be one of the best gifts I've ever purchased. I gave the EcoSphere to my husband because he can be so hard to shop for. I was ecstatic when it came and he absolutely loved it. The sphere itself is minimalist and beautiful. It looks exactly like the photo pictured. The shrimp are active and lively, and still alive and kicking after more than a year. With the right amount of sunlight and at the right temperature, the EcoSphere stays perfectly balanced. I have never had to maintain it at all. The instructions do say that sometimes the sphere will get dirty or be overgrown with algae if it's in too much sunlight, however, it comes with a magnet on the outside, and one on the inside of the sphere to clean the interior of the glass. After all this time, we will still pull it out to impress guests. It's definitely a conversation piece. The instructions also had a warranty for the sphere if the shrimp died, where you could send the sphere back for replacement. However, I don't foresee this being an issue. If you think someone you know would like this, or if you're thinking of getting it for yourself, I would highly recommend the purchase. In fact, I wish we would have splurged for a larger sphere.

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TOM TM1198 Aquarium Hatch N' Feeder Brine Shrimp Hatchery

I purchased this thinking how wonderful it would be to feed my fish fresh brine shrimp. I should have listened to the guy on a youtube video showing how to make your own brine shrimp hatchery. I did after the fact. The one I made works better.

This thing looks hi tech but it doesn't work very well. The amount of shrimp produced is adequate but the delivery system is weak. Very little comes out. The only good thing is the mini Turkey baster they give you to do your own feedings. I still use that with my home made hatchery. Complete waste of money.

This thing is not small.. It might look like it but it is almost 9" tall and % 1/2" in depth..

But it works.. If your water conditions are within range you can see the baby shrimps after 16 hours.

Sometimes the salty water can be mixed into the fish tank which is not nice so you need to be careful when removing the hatchery from you tank to avoid mixing the salty water.

Also the piece that connects the suction piece and the hatchery doesn't perform that good. I understand you have to be able to dislodge it but its grip is too low. If there is movement in the water you can see the hatchery moving with the water.

Other bad side is the outlet..There is nothing wrong with the outlet but my 3 mollies in the tank figured out where the shrimps are coming from and they literally guard the outlet which the baby shrimps are released to the tank. :)

The sure enjoy it a lot. Other than the size the hatchery is OK.

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Can't get many shrimp to grow and the instructions aren't helpful at all. Doesn't want to sit flush and says to use a bubbler but hardly any shrimp hatched.

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Good 'ol sea monkeys.

The hatchery works great I use it in a 75 gallon with 3 red eared sliders, a dozen or so large goldfish and a dozen plecos.

I figured I'd give my goldfish something to do through the day besides swim away from slow turtles, and randomly eating a sea monkey seemed like a good idea.

Mess is minimal, cleanup isn't hard. All byproduct 'gook' is left in the hatchery, wash it and scrub a little and it's good as new.

The suction cup is STRONG, I need a flat object just to unstick it... however the clip which holds onto the hatchery isn't that secure.

If your tank is filled with docile fish, it'll be fine, but if you've got something larger, like a few lumbering turtles, it can relatively easily be knocked out of the clip.

Overall, great product. I'd buy another one for any tank I have in the future to keep the sea monkey cycling up.

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Make sure you have a 30 gallon tank and you will not create a strong saline environment in the tank. The hatchery will be a couple of degrees cooler.

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Hagen Nutrafin Waste Control Bio Aqua Cleaner, 4 ounces 120 ml

This NutraFin Waste Control product has really made a difference in my life! I have two medium-large fish tanks (29 and 26 gallons). The larger tank has some large Freshwater Clown Loaches who are darling but who eat a lot and make a lot of waste. I use this product and its companion product by the same manufacturer Cycle and the water stays clear and the fish seem happy and healthy. I make small water changes about once a week and have extra sponge media in two filter boxes for each tank. I enjoy my fish tanks much more now.

I have a big fat Oranda whose about 8 yrs old in one tank and a Fancy goldfish who is 9 yrs in the tank next to his. I swear sometimes they have pooping competitions. They eat a lot of different things like veggies fruits and sometimes worms or shrimp. This stuff works to get out the sludge on bottom, it eats it up and keeps ammonia levels down. They each are in a 55 gallon tank by themselves but they are big and poop giant foot longers. This stuff helps maintain a healthy aquarium and naturally too.

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I have used three Nutrafin products in tandem (Cycle, Waste Control, AquaPlus) since first setting up my aquarium almost 12 years ago. They are the only water conditioning products I have ever used. My goldfish who lives in this tank is now 11-1/2 years old and still healthy. It seems to be working well and I have no reason to try any other products.

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Coastal Pet Products DCP83519 Latex Rascals Long Legged Monkey Dog Toy, 16-Inch, Green

I got this to replace the old Voss Toys monkey that ripped. It is not quite as large as the old monkey. Maybe 70% the size of the first one. It seems to be holding up well but it is not as well loved as the first monkey which was the #1 favorite toy. Granted there were a lot of new toys to compete with but this monkey is not as great as the first monkey.

Received the items on time. They float which makes them perfect for our pets.

The are not a pull toy and are too large for smaller dogs. The dogs love them.

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Most dog toys are destroyed in 5 minutes. Not so the latex monkey. They get destroyed only after about 5 months of rough play, morning, day and night. My dog loves his latex monkey: he runs around flinging it here and there... shaking it all about. He has such a blast with it! He is now onto his 5th or 6th latex monkey. All the previous ones were disemboweled and trashed (even though I let him play with the empty floppy exoskeleton for a while). I am sad that the LARGER version of this monkey has been totally sold out all over the internet, so his current monkey is the small 16" version. I hope that when this is sold out, more latex monkeys will be produced.

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We purchased the latex monkey at the recommendation of a friend who said this was her dog's favorite toy and it was indestructible. Unfortunately, our green monkey only lasted 20 minutes and our dog easily chewed off the thumb. Expensive toy to only give 20 minutes of joy. Would not recommend this for strong chewers. Seller experience was great...very speedy.

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Aqua Nursery - 5.25 in. x 4 in. x 4.5 in.

After reading the one-star review, here are my two cents:

This product worked for me.

Don't put the mother in this nursery until the mother is due.

This product saves baby fish by pumping water from the bottom of the mother's pen into the nursery pen for the baby fish. When the fish are born, the fry are sucked down and up into the nursery pen.

Use a gang valve to adjust the air powering the vacuum so that it doesn't overwhelm the mother.

Pretty amazing, and the best concept for a consumer-level birthing pen that I have come across. Interesting to watch, too.

The plastic is the same brittle plastic that other nurseries use.

The small nursery pen should only be used temporarily before transferring the fry to a larger nursery with nylon netting.

Biggest piece of Junk I have bought for my aquariums. Very disappointing since most of my equipment is from PENN PLAX and I have been pleased in the past. However this item causes too much stress on mother and babies leading to death of mother, babies or all. It is MUCH SMALLER than pictured or quoted. Not worthy of ONE STAR. Would send back but not worth the shipping.

PLEASE AVOID AT ALL COST!

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The product description states this "is a completely automatic system" that "creates a constant circulation." That is not even remotely true. This unit is simply a set of two very small, connected tanks that creates no circulation of any kind. If you want the water to circulate, and thus do what this product is supposed to do, you will have to purchase and attach a separate pump. Unfortunately, there's very little guidance on what kind of pump to purchase or how to hook it up. You will also need a gang valve, a check valve, and several sections of tubing, but, again, there's little in the included instructions to help you (not even an illustration of the final assembled unit).

Based on the misleading product description, and the fact that this item is completely useless without them, a pump with valves and tubing clearly should have been included with this set. A great idea that was very poorly executed. That being said, if you purchase the additional four items and get everything hooked up properly, it works fairly well.

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Zoo Med Laboratories AZMAFE1 Earthworm Flake, 1-Ounce

I keep & breed a wide variety of fish, including Pearl Chromides (who'll eat anything), furcata & gertrudae rainbows, hillstream loaches, ocellatus shelldwellers, etc. The hillstreams are probably the most challenging to feed well enough to get into spawning condition, as their natural diet consists of diatoms, some algae, & very tiny inverts -& the food must be on the surface of rocks or the substrate. They tend to be very reluctant to eat commercially prepared foods, but they love these earthworm flakes. I can't grow diatoms fast enough to keep well-supplied, but feed them ew flakes every day as part of their feeding regimen, & have had them spawn in a setup i had a couple of years ago, and I've had a group of 6 in a 55g tank for about a year now, & I started seeing baby hillstreams a couple months ago.

The high protein ew flakes are also a good addition to the rainbows' diet, since they feed on insects & insect larvae in the wild & need a high protein diet. Rainbows generally spawn like crazy all the time, but if they don't get enough protein in their diets they tend to eat the eggs & fry. My furcatas are in the same 55 as the hillstreams (bottom half of tank is river rocks with a power head providing current over/through them, top half has tons of riccia & java moss). Starting with 1 male & 4 female furcatas, I now have at least a couple dozen babies of varying sizes. The furcatas aren't usually too wild about flake food, but they also happily snork down the earthworm flakes.

I definitely recommend this food as part of a good aquarium fish diet. [I also feed live microworms, white worms, Grindal worms (when I can get 'em), baby brine shrimp, & fruit flies, as well as frozen daphnia, rotifers, bloodworms, & mysis (for the larger fish).]

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Laguna Multi Hose Adapter, 1/4 to 1-Inch

Perfect for what I needed. I had trouble finding this in hardware stores. I had to connect a half inch hose to 3/8th. Seems simple enough. But had to find it here on Amazon. Fairly priced.

This item arrived quickly in outstanding condition, and does exactly what it promises. It connects different size hoses and does not leak, even after repeated movement and attachments to different devices. An outstanding value!

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these require hose clamps but none are included. they should include them with the package!! Otherwise they fit the hose well.

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This is a pretty straight forward product. Its pretty durable compared to others I have seen. It is what it is!

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The tiered fitting is not tapered and ends up leaking no matter what is done. Very poor design that does not seal properly, even with tape under it and double clamped over. Waste of money.

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Boyd Enterprises ABE16705 Chemipure Filter Media for Aquarium, 10-Ounce

Chemi-pure is a bag of active carbon with ion absorption resins mixed in. It is a chemical filter that provides chemisorption and diffusion of gases, and the ion absorption resins as the name implies absorb dissolved ions in the water through a process known as ion exchange. It doesn't do anything for cloudy water but it isn't designed to, so I'm not sure what the last guy was expecting. It's like buying hand lotion and saying it doesn't do anything for sweaty armpits. For cloudy water he should have relied on frequent small water changes, or a diatomaceous earth filter.

For what Chemi-pure is specified to be used for, it is my favorite chemical filtration for my Malawi's. I typically stick two 10oz bags in the top bucket of my Eheim canister filter and fill the gaps with filter floss. On a rule of thumb, one 10oz bag is good for 40 gallons or less. It lasts about 3 months max.

the product is good in the filter canister for about 6 months. it is great also for fresh water fish tanks, but mainly to keep salt water marine life tanks.

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Use this product for both my tropical and african mbuna cichlid tanks keeps water crystal clear and lasts longer than regular charcoal media. I keep in my overstocked cichlid tank for 4 months and 6 months in my tropical tank works great hasn't harmed any of my fish remember you still need to perform routine water changes but this product is a great assist to keeping water quality balanced recommend this product.

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I only use once in awhile. Seems to help clear up my tank. A little on the expensive side though.

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Our water has lots of problems like most places out West, so we have an R.O. system, but the PH is still not right unless I use Chemi-Pure in my filter instead of plain charcoal. I can tell the difference in fish behavior! They are much peppier when I use this in the filter, no hole-in-the-head disease, and clearer water, too!

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Kent Marine Reef Salt Mix

the only issue I had with the salt was some of the bags where broke open which I figured happened during shipment.

Kent marine salt is a high quality salt that mixes easily. My corals are doing great good growth great colors. On my LED pro tank I had to add buffers and alkalinity boosters but on all my other tanks are doing great without it. I hate adding suppliants to my tanks and with Kent I don't have to all parameters are in spec. the vender that sold this item provided quick delivery.

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After trying several salt mixes over the years and finding them ALL lacking in some respect, I went online to get advice about the best mix for a very densely populated reef tank. The consensus seemed to point to Kent Marine Reef Salt Mix. After having used it for over 2 months, I must say that the consensus was right. It mixes instantly, has no residue and maintains remarkably high and consistent levels of calcium, magnesium and trace elements ( I have not had to supplement at all ).

And, most importantly, my animals are thriving.

Clearly this mix is the best and it isn't even the most expensive!

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The best deal is the boxed salt. This salt is low cost. Will write more once I have fish in my tank. Come in 4 separate bags, about 14 lbs each.

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Great stuff, can't go wrong with Kent Marine Salt. Cheap price, great product, works perfect for my reef tank. BUY!

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Odyssea 500 Watt Submersible Digital Aquarium Heater

We are having problems with this one. Not sure why. It got us through the winter though. I am not sure why it is intermittent. I thought it was because I submersed it...but I see that it is supposed to be submersible. Still, the fish live and winter is over, so it is a pass.

LIKES:

BIG BRIGHT RED LCD display, easy to read

Heats up pretty fast. I used 2 on my 150Gallon tank with Tilapia.

DISLIKES:

too long (length)

if it get's unplugged or powered off, you have to set the temperature again

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Mag Float-130A Magnetic Cleaner - Acrylic - Up to 125 Gal.

I followed the instructions. I cleaned the outside of my tank. I rinsed off the brand new "magnet" even though it was new with fresh tapwater (the side that goes in the tank). I then floated it inside the aquarium before putting it on the side of the tank. Stupid me started right down the front rather than the side. Yes, it scraped off the algae. It also scraped up the acrylic. I did not notice until I got to the bottom of the tank and looked at the path it made. Out of the package ten minutes and my tank is scratched to all_____. To say that I am not a happy camper would be the biggest understatement in the world. I have a product to get scratches off the outside of the tank. I have no idea how to get scratches off the inside of the tank.

We had one of these before, a smaller one, and really liked it. It is very convienant and actually fun to use for my son. You just float one side in tank, put the outside one near and they magnetically go together. Occasionally you just "scrub" the outer one, moving it back and forth, up and down. Easy! It really cleans the algae and keeps it clean after that. We keep ours there all of the time and use when needed.

If I had to get one over again, I would order the small one and not the medium size. It's a little big for our 10 gallon tank but that was my fault as it did list it was for larger tanks.

As far as the seller, they were very quick and had no problems at all with anything. I would use them again.

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This is a great little item for fish tanks either fresh or saltwater tanks just place magnet on tank glass and swish film away.

It is amazing the first time you use it It seems like the glass is clean but when you make your first swipe across the glass you will notice that there is actually a small film on the glass underneat where you just wipe Amazing have one for all 9 tanks in house. Have both for Glass or Ayriclic tanks

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this is item is just what i needed to help me to keep my tank in clear vision. i did put some of the white filter medium on the inside and out to keep the unit from scratching

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This baby works really good in keeping my tank clean from algae and buildup on the inside of the tank, didn't scratch it at all. The magnets are really powerful and will do the job intended for. Highly recommended, will buy again!!!

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Petco Rustic Cube Aquarium Ornament

I bought 2 tall rustic cubes and one small cube and set them up in the middle of my 60 gal aquarium. I bought live plants and placed them in the various holes on the cubes and then put a bubble disc in the two taller cubes to hide them while giving the tank a cool effect. I love these cubes and would recommend them to anyone that is looking for a unique piece for there tank.

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Nature's Pure Series Seamless Glass Aquarium Sphere 10x8 in - 1.5 Gallons

We bought three of these for our beta fishies. The glass is beautiful and the quality is good. We decorated each differently with colorful gravel and plastic plants. They are gorgeous! The size is great for one fish and they are easy to wash. We've had them for a while and so far, no breakage. The bowls are very noticeable and we got many compliments. They do get heavy when we need to change the water, but we don't need to clean them too often because they are big (takes time for the water to get dirty). Fish and humans are very happy!!

Not much more to say. The glass was definitely a bit of a splurge compared to acrylic, but looks so much nicer, stays cleaner over time. Shipped securely. Smooth edges and no visible flaws in glass. Feels sturdy thickness.

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Nice and large, this fish bowl is attractive and displays my son's fish nicely. It goes well on one of our coffee tables.

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Great buy, wonderful size. I'm going to be using this for my chinchilla's dust bath for when I get him. Exactly what I was looking for. I'd recommend this even as a regular fish bowl.

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This is a wonderful container for a terrarium. It has a nice shape and size. The glass has a good thickness to it. Its hard to describe without touching it but it has a really great feel to it.

Marina Naturals Foreground, Rock and Plants

I purchased two of these one small and one medium sized. I placed them in my tank and they looked great for the first couple of weeks. Then, brown algae began forming on the faux foliage (which unfortunately occurs on my fake plants). I removed the decorations and used a soft bristle toothbrush to gently scrub off the algae. The foliage fell right off, and I can assure you that I did not scrub hard. Considering what I paid for these items I couldn't believe how easily these glued pieces fell off.

After two cleanings, there is hardly any foliage left on either decoration only the 'rock' and a clear gummy substance where the faux moss used to be. I would only recommend purchasing this product if you expect never to have to clean it. Extremely disappointed.

I have this rock placed in a 2.7 gal tank in the corner below the heater. It looks nice, although the plastic is a bit rigid and I worry about it harming my betta, he doesn't seem to be bothered by it at all. It's not as large as it looks as the photo, which I was happy about as my tank isn't that big. I washed it with hot water before adding it into the tank and one of the plant pieces fell off, not a big deal. I wasn't being too careful with handling it.

Overall nice tank decoration.

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when it says small it really means small i was thinking it would be lil bigger then it is and i think its kinda ugly looks good in the pic but looks like crap in my tank not worth the price

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Cat Dancer 805 Bowtie Chaser Interactive Cat Toy, 2-Pack

My cats love it so much it is quickly played with and easily lost under the appliances until I find it for them again.

My cat loves these things! They are by far her favorite toy to play with. The only problem is she keeps dropping them in her water dish and the bow thing gets ruined... hence the reason why I needed to buy more!

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Aqueon LED Aquarium Light Fixture, 30-Inch

Strong and stylish construction. Easy to install. Better than marineland's led because it's bulb can be replaced or upgraded. Daylight feature is nice and bright with just one bulb and the moonglow option is a nice feature, something marineland does not have. Overall, excellent purchase of a aqueon product.

I ordered this along with an extra daylight bulb and a "colormax" bulb.

So far I couldn't be happier. Easy to set up with the extra lights, fits well on the tank, bright as hell. It's hard to make a direct before-and-after comparison because my fluorescent fixture died a while ago and I've been using a single incandescent plant growing bulb while waiting for this to show up. I can say that it's MUCH better than a single 60w plant incandescent bulb, for whatever that testimony is worth.

The moonlight feature is pretty cool. I had been using a blue LED bubble strip as a night-light of sorts, but I'll likely unplug that and use the moonlight function on this light instead. It's much more diffused and less abrasive than what I had.

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What an amazing light for a tank, much brighter than the florescent lights. Little pricey yet, but to me, was worth it. I am using this on a salt water tank.

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Best aquarium light I ever had! Makes my tank stand out and look clear! High intensity light really brings out your fish colors.

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I was setting up a new 29 gallon aquarium for the kids in the living room and I didn't want to go with the traditional light fixture that uses fluorescent tubes since I wanted something more energy efficient and aesthetically pleasing. I started looking at LED light fixtures and found that most of the ones available were still expensive and priced out of my budget. To that end, I was going to purchase the Marineland Single Bright LED Lighting System, but then when I saw Aqueon had a modular LED light fixture. After considerable research, I went with the one from Aqueon for the following reasons:

Pros:

+ Modular design; allows you to expand up to two additional LED strips for a total of three.

+ Cost; Affordable compared to other brands which costs at least 1.5 2x or even more.

+ Sleek, stylish, and clean contemporary design without much weight.

Cons:

"Moon Glow" accent or mode is powered by just two blue LEDs and can't be controlled independently such as a timer as it is operated on a 3-way power switch (Moon Glow, OFF, and Regular LED mode), unless you modify it as some have done.

The illumination and light penetration from the Aqueon LED light fixture is bright, on a 29 gallon tank (30.3" x 12.5" x 18.8"). While I am not using any "live" plants (for now), based on my research, the single LED light fixture is apparently sufficient for those who are planning to have low-light plants. You can always supplement the fixture with additional LED strips thanks to the modular design of the fixture.

Note: I have uploaded several photos on the LED light fixture as it pertains to my setup.

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Snoozer- Pet Couch - Small

The size that I ordered from their description was off by 2 to 4 inches on every dimension, and the quality was marginal at best.

I have had this bed for my cat before and she loves it. The only reason I am replacing it is my puppy ate the last one. It has high sides and is soft and comfy. Teething puppies will tear up the foam.

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This bed doesn't provide much support, and at 24 x 12 x 15 inches, is a quite small for my 11.5 lb. cockerpoo who can't stretch out in it. Even curled up, she completely fills up this bed. I bought it in hopes that she would sleep in it instead of trying to sleep on my bed. She seems to prefer the floor or rocking chair to this bed which she only uses for only small part of the night. Considering returning it.

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Exotic Environments T-Rex Skull Aquarium Ornament, Large, 10-Inch by 6-Inch by 6-Inch

My Cichlids love swimming in and around this thing! Highly recommend if u like exotic aquarium pieces! You won't be disappointed!

I chose this item for my plecostomus to hide in since it keeps harassing my turtle and thought a new house would distract the monstrous fish. Unfortunately the mouth isn't wide enough to accommodate its girth so it just takes up space and looks cool. Combined with the aerator and red flourite it creates a cool look. I think I'll try the alligator skull as that looks big enough to let the fish swim through.

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I have had this in my 55 gallon and most recently my 90 gallon, each time I used it as the center piece. I love the way it looks in the tank, never breaks down and clouds water, and the fish love swimming in it. I would highly recommend this to anyone who needs new decorations for their fish tank.

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I enjoy watching the fish swinm in and out of skull, its a great hiding place for the fish as well!! Looks great in the tank as well!

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I purchased this item for my son's snake enclosure. We had seen the same item at our local pet shop for $36.95 and I was not willing to spend that kind of money on this item. I was so happy to find this when I got home and for much less than the store. My son has a baby California King snake who needed a hide/shed helper/ climbing apparatus. As soon as I placed this into the enclosure the snake was weaving in and out of the holes, rubbing his head against the rough texture, and hiding in the base of the jaw. Within 24hrs he had successfully shed, due to the texture of the T-Rex skull (it was his first shed and they are notoriously the hardest for a snake to accomplish). The skull is large enough that the snake can still enjoy it through adulthood! I would recommend this item to anyone looking for either fish tank decor or Reptile needs.

Aside from the snake being happy my son is absolutely thrilled! He wasn't happy about having to walk away from this item in store and when he came home to find it in the snake tank he about died! He is quite the dino expert and swears that this is a super detailed replica "it even has the orbital notches and the nasal cavity!! Mom this is the coolest thing EVER!!!"

All in all everyone is happy Especially mom who was able to give the munckin what he wanted without breaking the budget!

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Mag-Float Glass Aquarium Cleaner in Grey

Handy, convenient, and did a good job of cleaning the glass. Would be nice if it came in other colors.

the added blade does not work too well good magnet

i would recommend this product to friends and family.. ..

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There's not much to say about a glass cleaner it either works or doesn't. This one does work well, the magnets are very strong be careful not to get pinched accidentally. My only small little gripe is that I'd like other colors as the whitish color is one scares the fish, two visually unattractive if you leave it on all the time like I do. Lets get some black, dark green or dark grey. Other than that it's great. Also helps that it floats if it comes off.

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Mighty Massive Rabbit Dog Toy, Brown

The manufacturer brags about how the product is made. Oh the attention they pay to the construction of the seams. How they protect them. I gave the toy to my German Shorthair Pointer. One head shake of the toy and stuffing was showing Upon inspection, the seam attaching a front leg to the body had already failed. It is a simple single stitched seam. Wow, what ordinary construction. What a weak seam. And on top of that upon further inspection the thread did not really break. The seam failed due to poor workmanship. These are dog toys intended for larger dogs, I suggest the manufacturer actually watch a variety of dogs play with them. This is not rocket science.

Bought the pig Mighty Massive Piglet Dog Toy and a rabbit from a local Costco for my two destructive chewers. My Pug and Pomeranian usually destroys most toys within a day or two due to their tug of war and sharp teeth. These have no tears or rips into the material anywhere so far.

Pros

Very solidly made. Stitching feels reinforced like advertised to withstand their tugging

Except for the ears most parts are sewn into the main animal so it will be less likely to be ripped off in sections.

Fur on fabric is a good material that it doesn't come off when rubbed or scratched like some other toys.

Cons

Heavy hard for them to carry far (might be better for larger dogs with bigger mouths)

Squeaker is at an awkward place so humans and dogs have a hard time getting it to squeak.

I would not buy if paying amazon pricing, but at the deal found at costco it would be better than any other toy from the pet shop for that same price.

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Our 20 pound corgi ripped the teeth off within five minutes and that was where she started pulling the stuffing out. It's been less than an hour and there's stuffing all over the room and she ripped the hair off its back too.

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