Showing posts with label cleaning a fish tank. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cleaning a fish tank. Show all posts

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Kordon/Oasis (Novalek) AKD39744 Tidy Turtle for Aquarium, 4-Ounce

Kordon/Oasis AKD39744 Tidy Turtle for Aquarium, 4-OunceI was having trouble keeping my 150 gallon tank clear.

With a 6 lb RES and about 20 fish, the products I previously found were inadequate.

This product is definitely doing the job!

Friday, June 27, 2014

ZOO UNDERTANK HEATER MINI

ZOO UNDERTANK HEATER MINIit really heats nice but not too much pefect for pets who dont need sunlight

We use this product for our hatchling cornsnakes, and they are perfect for the task. We do use a thermostat to keep the temperature compatible with their needs, but the pads do a good job providing them with the warmth they need.

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Sunday, June 15, 2014

Como Aquaculture Air Flow Control 3 Way Aquarium Lever Valve Pump

Como Aquaculture Air Flow Control 3 Way Aquarium Lever Valve PumpWorks perfectly for my needs, strong quality construction, a nice weight to it and precise control levers. Two thumbs up!

No complaints here. I prefer metal valves over plastic just because they're more durable. Now that I think about it, I do have some valves with knurled and threaded adjustment knobs, and the ones like this with the levers can be a little touchy and harder to make fine adjustments with, but good over all, no leaks.

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Thursday, April 24, 2014

All Glass Aquarium AAG10005 Tank, 5.5-Gallon

All Glass Aquarium AAG10005 Tank, 5.5-GallonAll-Glass makes some of the best aquariums on the market. I spent about a year working at a boutique pet store, and All-Glass produced the best products we sold. In that time, I didn't see a single defective product or hear a single customer complaint about All-Glass. I even bought a complete 45-gallon setup (tank, stand, hood and light) when I established my own aquarium.

Yes, All-Glass aquariums cost a bit more than the acrylic tanks you can pick up at Petsmart, but it's worth it. For one thing, glass won't scratch like acrylic will. If you think algae looks bad, wait until your acrylic tank has accumulated a few years of nicks and scratches. The stands are also a bit pricey, but they're sturdy, level and attractive. Keep in mind that fresh water weighs around 7 lbs per gallon (salt water ranges around 10 lbs, depending on salinity), which doesn't even include hardware and gravel. Even a freshwater 5.5 gallon aquarium will weigh over 40 pounds and a 20 gallon tank can weigh anywhere from 150-200 lbs. A sturdy, level stand is an important part of buying an aquarium.

Glass isn't for everyone. It's very dangerous if it gets broken, which is always possible with young kids around. But if you have children old enough to be respectful around their pets, this 5.5 gallon aquarium is a great way to start. It's also an excellent option if you don't have much room/budget, or you're setting up a quarantine tank for your main aquarium. Either way, I highly recommend any All-Glass products.

Please do your research. You can get a tank like this at Petsmart (made of GLASS) for no more than $20, probably less. And with a tank so small, you really shouldn't be that concerned with getting a super high quality/expensive tank. Maybe if you are getting a 55 gallon you should be more concerned. Acrylic and glass have their advantages/disadvantages, and Petsmart actually doesn't carry very many acrylic tanks.

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Friday, March 21, 2014

Silicone 3 oz.

Silicone 3 oz.I got it in the mail. i repaired my fish tank. it did what it said. didnt leak or peel. sold my fish tank after it pased the test. this is some nice aquarium sealant.

This product just works, works well, works underwater, works in hot water (spa temp). If someone know of a better product for underwater use in a hot tub let me know!

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made a cool divided tank with it. 1/2 land with a glass divider held in place by the silicone, 1/2 land.

Read Best Reviews of Silicone 3 oz. Here

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Nutrafin Bio-Clear Biological Water Clarifier, 4.1 Ounces

Nutrafin Bio-Clear Biological Water Clarifier, 4.1 OuncesAs a relatively new aquariist, I made the mistake of doing a massive gravel vacuum, literally changing both of my filters, and doing a 50% water change at the same time. This, of course, led to a nitrate spike and, in turn, a massive bacteria bloom. My aquarium is in my office, so it's important that my aquarium look as clean and attractive as possible.

Essentially, I had been making the mistake of overfeeding my fish for a pretty long time. Typically, before using any product like this (which, let's be honest, you dont need to use unless there's some underlying cause you need to address first), you should make sure that you've already addressed the cause of the nitrate spike that you're suffering from. Then, to speed the process of getting things cleared, and only then, is it appropriate to use a product like this. For the sake of your fish.

This Nutrafin stuff is fantastic. I saw slight improvement after one day of using a tiny amount of this product. And after two days, my water is clearer than it has ever been. I use this in conjunction with the basic, mechanical-only Fluval U1 underwater filter and a Whisper 10i (which i probably don't really need) in my 10-gallon. In the Whisper, I use a bag of Seachem Purigen. I also have a bottle of Seachem Clarity, which I bought just in case I needed it, but will now probably send back because the Nutrafin Bio Clear worked as advertised. Give it a shot, just make sure that you know (and have addressed) the causes of your murky water before using a clarifier to cosmetically enhance your aquarium.

This product is truly one of a kind. I have used other types of water clarifier over the years but nothing compares to this. My water is always clean and clear but its only sometimes perfect. Half an hour after adding this I can see a big improvement, but the biggest difference is if you give it a day to work it's magic. It uses enzymes to digest certain nutrients and clear the water of that white bacterial cloud. This probably wont help if you have an algae bloom and its perfectly safe. If your using this on an aquarium that is new or overstocked you need to fix those issues first.

Also it is important to note that this is not a flocculation agent like 99% of other clarifiers. This removes white haze that is caused by bacteria. If your aquarium is dirty this will not help.

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this product is waste of money , it does not work at all. the cloudiness and foggyness stays there. dont buy it

Read Best Reviews of Nutrafin Bio-Clear Biological Water Clarifier, 4.1 Ounces Here

clears my 55 gallon aquarium in a couple of days after I accidently dumped a load of fish food in there. Of course i had to vacuum the gravel and change the filters.

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this is a good product it does what it should to do, but for some reason after a couple of weeks I have to throw away because it dosen't looks good .

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Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Lee`s Aquarium Tank Divider 10gal

Lee`s Aquarium Tank Divider 10galI bought this divider after my original (homemade) one broke and my two male bettas fought. My divider was made from those report cover binders much like what is in this product. The good thing about it though is that on the sides it is reinforced so the divider doesn't slip or have to be held up by gravel.

The screen that comes with this is really flimsy and not suitable for two male bettas, as it was clear and they could see each other well. I took the plastic canvas (purchased at a craft store) from my original divider and set it up with that instead. Works really well!

We had this product for less than a year before I noticed that fish were somehow breaching the screen. Further inspection revealed a huge gaping hole in the screen. When I removed the divider, the screen had tear marks and holes all over it, despite the fact that it had never been touched since being installed.

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This item fits perfectly in my ten gallon tank. It completely prevents the big fish from hurting the babies. Previously, I had a little fish fry cage within the tank, but that restricted the area that the babies could swim in. I also couldn't see my pets well, as the cage obstructed my view. Now the small fish have plenty of room to swim around and grow, and I can watch and enjoy them.

Read Best Reviews of Lee`s Aquarium Tank Divider 10gal Here

Great shipping easy to put togethrer and everything I expected. Works real great to separate the fish that I needed to be apart.

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This tank divider is comprised of 4 slotted strips of plastic, one plastic divider and 2 hooks. The dividers that go along the sides of the tank are more substantial than the ones that go across the top and bottom. The plastic divider is thin and flexible full of tiny holes to allow water circulation, and easily trimmed to fit your particular aquarium. My 10 gallon aquarium is a pretty standard rectangle, and this divider still needed a half inch trimmed off in order to fit correctly.

I am using this divider to separate two bettas. They can clearly see each other through it. But they are small fish and can't do much to get at each other. I could see where a larger fish could, were he so inclined, swim at the divider with enough force (and I don't think it would take too much force) to push it out of the slots and free himself. The photo on the box shows a larger fish. I believe that fish could easily overcome this barrier if it tried.

The hooks that are holding it at the top are the same weight as a heavy duty paper clip. My least favorite thing about his divider is that the clips extend over the edge of the aquarium in the front and back. In the back the clip exits the lid through the same hole as my tank filter. In the front, the lid no longer sits flush because there is a wire clip sticking out of the middle of the tank. That's pretty lame.

However, what it comes down to is that it is effective (for my fish), to stays upright and doesn't move or fall over, and so far shows no sign of failing (it's been only a week).

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Nutrafin Cycle Biological Filter Supplement

Nutrafin Cycle Biological Filter Supplement, 16.9-OunceThis product works amazingly well for being a 'quick fix' for cycling, but make sure you SHAKE the bottle... shake it, shake it, shake it.

Day 1 you'll (shake the dickens out of it) dump in a ton of the stuff as directed, by day 2 I've seen the ammonia spike that signifies the beginning of cycling. Day 3 it says you're done... and you have cycled the aquarium... ammonia and nitrite drop to zero and nitrate is at a safe level (under 5 ppm) by day 4 in my experience, but when you add fish, don't be surprised if you see a 'mini-cycle' where the ammonia and nitrite spike a bit. The tank and fish are fine but consult a forum or fish store if you're worried. One review on here stated they tried replacing all of their water to fix an algae problem?... not what this product is for. This runs through the 1-4 week process of initially cycling the tank within 3 days, doesn't make it impossible to make mistakes.

I will say I have some reservations about the "immediate stocking" part... I would suggest setting the aquarium up, pop an aquatic plant in there and maybe a pinch of fish flake (for some organic matter to break down) and use Cycle for the 3 days, THEN introduce fish SLOWLY, just a couple at a time if they're small, for bigger fish like cichlids, only one at a time... unless you have a very well established tank, dunking a bunch of fish will spike ammonia to really dangerous levels and might kill all of your fish. This being said, I have thrown 3, 2" fish into a 10 gallon tank of treated water, added Cycle, and it did work... it just isn't exactly humane, as the cycling can be hard on the fish's gills, slime coat, etc. This was about 2 months ago and all of those fish are still fine.

API Stress Zyme8 OZ. is another version of this product, but does it over the course of 2 weeks. I've used it as well and it seems to do the job well also, so if 3 days sounds too good to be true (though somehow it is true), you may want to give it a try (I've used Cycle and Stress Zyme together in factdidn't change anything, Cycle did a 3 day cycle and Stress Zyme caused it to cycle again so I wouldn't recommend mixing them.

Essentially, despite what so many fish fans say, this stuff does work... but only if you shake the heck out of the bottle (it stirs up the bacteria). I have used it, currently use it, and will continue to use it both for setting up new tanks and keeping the beneficial bacteria level up in my established tanks (I have 4, 3 fresh, 1 salt). Follow the directions and remember to SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE that bottle!

I had tried a competing product, by Tetra, and did not have good results. Ammonia stayed high, algae bloomed, fish died. Went to my local fish store and the kind lady suggested this. So glad she did. Within days I had ammonia dropping, nitrite rising, then dropping and nitrate rising. My tank was cycled in three days. I was able to add more fish a couple days later and didn't have a spike of ammonia.

I remember the old days of having to wait a month, or more, for a new tank to cycle. This is so much better, and more humane for the fish, too. I recommend this Nutrafin Cycle!

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I setup a brand new 75g, let it run for 2-3 days before I went an bought 2 jaguars(3"). Before I left out to go get the jags I shook the Nutrafin cycle bottle for 2mins (arm was super tired) and added the first treatment. I followed the directions on the back to a T and I never had a problem. It's been about a month now and everything is still going well, I just add Nutrafin cycle once a week and with water changes. I think I like this stuff better than stress zyme (if they even serve the same purpose). I got Nutrafin cycle from amazon.com almost %50 cheaper than what my LFS was selling it for.

Read Best Reviews of Nutrafin Cycle Biological Filter Supplement Here

This should be one of the first products you buy when setting up an aquarium. This has the good bacteria you need to help speed along your cycle process. You could do it the long way but try this you won't regret it.

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I'm very new to keeping aquatic pets, but after over a month after starting, my fish, shrimp, snail and plants are healthy and the tank is stable

I got a 5 gallon acrylic tank kit with some substrate and a rock and started dosing with Cycle from day 1. After a day or two, I bought some marimo moss and a couple of red shrimp from a local shop and added them into my new tank. Within a week, after doing partial water changes every other day, it seemed like my tank finished cycling with trace amounts of ammonia, no detectable nitrites and a build up of nitrates.

Now it seems that without any cycling product, it typically takes about a month to fully cycle a new aquarium. It took me a week with Cycle and no algae bloom!

I do add a little bit of Cycle in after doing water changes, but only because I have so much left (I think I bought the 16 oz bottle) and its shelf life is relatively short due to live bacteria inside. I don't think it's necessary, but I did recently buy a new filter and it certainly didn't hurt.

Definitely worth checking out.

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Saturday, January 11, 2014

biOrb Life Aquarium

biOrb Life 60 Aquarium, 16 Gallons, Piano BlackI bought two biorb aquariums, the Life 60 (16 gallon) and the Life 30 (8 gallon) 4 months ago and haven't had any problems (both are a freshwater setup). They look sharp and everyone notices them right away when they come over. The tanks come with ceramic media, filter, air pump w/ one way valve, air stone, and LED lighting. The amount of ceramic media that came with my tanks seemed low so I purchased more. If you are an experienced aquarists you should have no problems keeping fish in these tanks. I would consider both my tanks to be over stocked and in 4 months still have not lost a single fish. I have found replacement filters and air stones at all my local pet supply stores. The supplied air pumps have big rubber feet and don't make much noise. The LED lighting is amazing and gives you half a dozen setup options. I use the 14 hour day setting, it gives you 12 hours of full day light with an hour sunrise transition and hour sunset transition then 10 hours of moonlight. The top of the tank has two small holes, one is for feeding and I also use it when obtaining water sample with a pipette, the other is a small notch at the back that I use to pass the power cable for my heater and the cable for my digital thermometer through.

UPDATE (1 Year): Just wanted to quickly update my experience with these tanks. It has been a year since I bought them and my fish are healthy and still no loses. I am still using the supplied air pumps with out any noise problems. If you are careful you shouldn't have to worry about scratching the acrylic, my tanks still look as good as the day I bought them. Only drawbacks are the small feeding holes and you can only get one hand/arm through the top of the tanks when setting up and cleaning, this can make it difficult when trying to reach the bottom of the 16 gallon tank because of how tall it is.

I have had this this fish-tank (the 8gal Bio Life) for a few weeks now.

I added the ceramic media, and conditioned the water with Stress Coat and Stress Zyme, Installed the filter which was a breeze! and let it run without fish for over a week so the tank could settle.

I also made sure that the temperature was stable for the fish that I wanted to keep. I live in Jamaica, where it is mostly warm, but we have a air-conditioner in the living room where the tank is so it can get a bit cooler than normal.

All other water parameters were good, meaning Ammonia, PH, Nitrate, and Nitrite Levels were all good.

Now it was time to add the fish, Not to overload the tank, I am starting out with a group of 4 Neon Tetras (I will add 4 more in a month to make it a school). I know they are not the recommended starter fish for a New Tank, but I thought I would give it go seeing that all tested conditions were good.

I have to say I was a bit worried at first with all the information on the Net saying how hard Tetras were, and that you definitely need a heater etc. etc., I has been over a week, and I am glad to say that my fish seem very happy, and tank is doing fine! and without a heater. I even grew some brine shrimp to give them a treat, and they ate them readily!

I really love this tank it is not only beautiful to look at, it is so convenient in every way! Here are my Likes and Dislikes:

Likes:

Beautiful A Work of Art

Convenient Adequate Filter System So Far

Convenient Feeding Hole.

LED Lighting to mimic real light situations and saves energy.

It's Acrylic which is stronger than glass! Also, not many people realize, but Acrylic does not Conduct the Outside Temperature to the Water inside the tank very readily because Acrylic is a poor heat/cold conductor. So it keeps your water at a more stable temperature than a glass one. (see for yourself, place ice inside a glass, and place some in a plastic cup which one can you feel more cold on the outside? The Glass of course.

Comes Complete with almost everything that you will need to start (You will still need a Net, a fish tank water changer/cleaner, and more fish food and water conditioners, and replacement media)

Note: To save on buying replacement filters, buy just one more Replacement Bio-filter, and some Bulk Activated Carbon Pellets, and Some Diamond Blend or other Ammonia Removing Product. So when you need to change the filter you can, rinse the sponge filter in some of the tank water removed (not to kill the good bacteria), and replace the carbon and ammonia stones with what you bought, and you can vary the amount of each depending on your tank conditions.

Dislikes:

LED Light should have a 24HR Moonlight setting

Could have a diverter air valve inside so that you can connect other air stones, etc, without having to push an air line through the top.

Overall I really like this tank, and thinking of buying the 16gal.

I will followup this review, as I have the tank longer if anything out of the ordinary happens.

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After purchasing the biUbe 9 gallon aquarium for a bedroom (and loving it) here on amazon.com, we decided to get the biOrb Life 60 for our living room. I would say it's an in between tank (better than those little Sponge Bob tanks but not as good as a regular 20 or more gallon tank with optional filtration). The upright design makes it a perfect addition due to limited amount of space. We set it up as a small freshwater tropical tank for some Glofish. It fits nicely in the corner and is the first thing you notice when you walk into the room.

The tank comes with everything you need to set it up. If done correctly, it makes a beautiful aquarium for our small tropical fish. I like the upright design of the tank and the fact that it is flat (as opposed to the biUbe which is round and distorts my fish) so you can see the fish clearly.

Pros:

Nice upright design for those looking to save space and can't fit a long rectangular aquarium.

Comes with everything you need to get started. Directions are clear to follow.

The light is nice and bright just like the fluorescents you see in those nice big tanks.

Cons:

Overpriced. I brought mine on sale, and though I love the look of the tank, I think they are way overpriced.

The air pump that comes with the tank makes a buzzing noise and doesn't last long. I use mine as a spare and purchase a Rena 100.

It's acrylic which maybe stronger than glass, but scratches very easily, so be careful when maintaining.

There is a limited amount and types of fish you can keep in these.

So basically, if you have the room to fit a big tank in your house, than get a bigger cheaper one (the bigger the tank, the easier it is to maintain). But if you are like me and don't have a lot of space and would like to keep a small amount of fish in a designer aquarium, than the biOrb Life is right for you.

UPDATE: After having the tank for a couple of months I wanted to update my experience with this tank. The one complaint I have is the top of the tank. The opening is a bit small which makes it a little hard to do regular maintenance and leaves little room for any added filters and such (the little opening in the light fixture is just big enough to fit the cord from the heater). I added an internal filter for some extra filtration because I like to over filter my tanks, so my light fixture doesn't fit perfectly in the opening due to the extra cord coming out of the tank (no big deal though). Also, because of how deep the tank is, I find siphoning the bottom to be somewhat difficult. This is something I can deal with. Other than that, so far so good.

Read Best Reviews of biOrb Life Aquarium Here

PLEASE DO NOT BUY THIS TANK. Save yourself some grief. We lost so many of our beloved fish in this tank and we're experienced fish keepers.

This review is for the 16 gallon tank but, I'm pretty sure it applies to the other sizes.

Pros:

Great looking tank. That's it.

Cons:

Inadequate filter system

Inadequate lighting system

No additional filters, lighting or feeders in the market that are made specifically for this type of tank

Very difficult to balance the tank due to all of the above

Our experience:

Plants wither and die.

Fish are unhappy and we lost a lot of fish due to difficulty in balancing tank.

We bought a standard tank and transferred the other fish and they are thriving in that tank. The standard tank has been low maintenance and the fish and plants are thriving.

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I bought the 12 gallon BioOrb Tank in Feb from Amazon. After 1 month, the fish tank exploded and the water, rocks, and fish ended up on my living room floor. I have pictures.

Worst tank ever. Don't be fooled by the slick design, that is if you care about your floorboards and furniture.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Zoo Med ReptiTherm® Under Tank Heater, Small

Zoo Med ReptiTherm® Under Tank Heater, SmallI've been keeping reptiles for nearly 20 years and have used a variety of different products, including various brands & sizes of undertank heat pads. In my opinion, the heat pads made by Zoo Med are some of the best (I only say this because there are a few other brands I have not tried personally). In the very least, they blow the ones made by Exo-Terra out of the water.

Before I go on, I want to emphasize that if you use these heat pads on the bottom of any caging, you MUST raise the bottom level of the enclosure to prevent it from pinching the cord of the pad. Most heat pads in general come with little rubber "lifters" to do this for glass tanks, and the instructions also go over this. If you do not follow this step, the pinching WILL cause the heat pad to malfunction, either getting too hot or not at all. In addition to the pinching, excess heat will build up underneath the enclosure, causing the heated area to get dangerously hot as well. And obviously, use a thermostat or rheostat.

I have never had an issue with one of these heat pads not getting hot enough or too hot when using them on a glass tank, and have yet to use a Rheostat with on a glass tank [I wager its because I always lift up the caging to prevent the pinching & overheating issue mentioned in the previous paragraph].

One thing I like about these heat pads is that they are relatively easy to remove and re-position, even on another enclosure if need be. I know the manufacturer advises against this, but if you peel it off slow and carefully, there shouldn't be an issue (especially if you are using correctly in the first place* see second paragraph). I have used the same heat pads for years on multiple enclosures as needed, of course, using a rheostat.

Also, the manufacturer recommends only using these pads on glass tanks. However, I have pushed the envelope and used them on plastic tubs and other non-glass caging. I have never had any major warping or overheating because I use a rheostat. I'm not suggesting anyone attempt this; I'm only saying I have good success using these pads on non-glass caging using the ZooMed rheostat.

I genuinely feel that if one follows the directions well, especially regarding raising the bottom of the enclosure and using a thermostat of some kind (both of which the instructions advise), they will not have issues with this product.

Recap...if you just let the bottom of the cage rest on & pinch the cord of the heat pad, you WILL have problems. If you try using this heat pad to heat an aquatic tank filled with water, you WILL have problems. If you choose not to use a thermostat, definitely check the basking area routinely with a thermometer to make sure the heat pad is staying at the optimal temperature.

Another thing is that for most caging, it is recommended that the heat pad should only occupy 25-30% of the bottom surface area of the enclosure. Remember to use this advice when choosing the right size for your reptile and caging. And if the heat pad is the right size for your cage, but your reptile is too large to warm itself on it, then its time to upgrade the caging!

We've had hermit crabs for years now this year with the cost of heating fuel, I wanted to keep the temps down in the house I can put an extra sweater on the kids but what about Hermie I and II? I bought this little item slapped it on the side of their tank (outside) put their water bowl on the inside close to the heat and whalla perfect warm humid environment. Even though the house is usually below 70 Hermie I and II will come out and play they did move their hermie huts to be a bit closer to the heat source but not directly next to it. I haven't even noticed my electric bill going up at all but my gas bill (heat) has certainly gone down and thats a good thing !

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I use it on my 20 month old corn snake's "bedroom". (I hate the word "cage" so I call it her bedroom, it's really a 20 gallon fishtank.) It's just the right heat, anything bigger would get too hot for a corn even in a 55 gallon tank. Anything much stronger could cause burns. When she moves to the 55 gallon "bedroom", I'm going to use two of these next together so that she gets the same temperature she's used to and won't run the risk of burns. I've never had any problems with her getting a respiratory infection (yes snakes get colds too, they're also more prone to them when they're too chilly) and I think that this product is partially responsible for her good health.

Just a side note--when it gets really cold in the winter, I will actually move her so that she's on the heat pad right before I go to bed. It's kinda like tucking a child in for the night. It's easier for a warm reptile to move to the cool spot than for a chilly reptile to move to the warm spot.

Another side note--you need to put it at one end of the tank. Reptiles need a warm side and a cool side, that's most often reffered to as a temperature gradient. IMPORTANT: it goes on the OUTSIDE of the tank. I've heard of people putting it inside the tank and having their "scaly babies" get burns. Also, DON'T put the water dish over the heat pad, put it on the cold side, if it sloshes the heat pad will be ruined. By ruined, I mean it overheats and burns the reptile.

Read Best Reviews of Zoo Med ReptiTherm® Under Tank Heater, Small Here

I bought this for keeping my hedgehog warm at night, since my house stays around 65F. Item work well for the size of it, I mean it does say "small" in the description, so you cant expect it to heat the entire tank. I have it plugged up to a temp regulation plug, set for 72F. I soon as I installed it on the bottom of the tank, my hedgehog nudged his house directly over it. Worked out exactly like I hoped it would!

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This heater adequately heats a 20L for our two sliders, but meets only the bare minimum. We will be looking for an alternate heater for this winter.

One thing about this product is when they say small, they really mean small. I was surprised by the size of the product when it first arrived since it looked like it could barely heat a 10 gallon let alone a 20+ gallon tank. However, since we only fill our tank halfway, that could explain how it was just enough. Keep in mind though that this heater does not have a set temperature so it will continue heating until it is unplugged so you do not want to up size and risk overheating. Which is another reason we will be looking for an alternate. If they added temperature control, it would have been perfect.

The heater is great for the short term. It is still working though we've moved twice and it's gotten banged around quite a bit.

The fact that it goes under the tank is nice since it saves space from our already crowded tank with basking ramps and the water filter. It does not harm the surface we put it on.

Lastly, the heater has an adhesive top that sticks to the tank so you cannot remove it easily. Once removed, I don't think it could be reused as well. It is also thin enough that it doesn't put our tank at an angle which is nice.

Overall, this product was just okay. I do recommend this if you are on a low budget and want a decent heating unit. Something decent is still better than nothing.

UPDATE***9/25/2011

I just bought the medium sized heater for the tank and threw away the small sized ones. Now their habitat's like a spa. I hardly see them bask for extended periods of time any longer. What a worthwhile investment! I'm ecstatic it saves so much room inside of the tank and transfers heat more efficiently than the in-tank heaters. Again, as I mentioned above, please be careful as these do not have temperature control. I carefully monitored my tank temperature for 2 days until I was sure it was safe to keep permanently on.

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Saturday, October 19, 2013

Aquarium Dukshin DP-07EA Battery Operated Water Change Pump for fish tank Cleaning (10L/min)

Aquarium Dukshin DP-07EA Battery Operated Water Change Pump for fish tank CleaningProduct as described

F a s t s h i p p i n g

T h a n k y o u ! . .

I had to say it is a very useful water pump for all people have aquariums. It is enough to say that changing water for your aquarium became very easy with this pump.

The first one I bought had leakage in the tube but when I submitted a complaint they sent me a new one. I am quite happy with it.

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The battery powered water changing pump, really hard to search for. They used to sell this kind of stuff in pet stores. Now you can barely find it on line. Its great, works well. Its a bit expensive and it shipped from Hong Kong. Which took two weeks. I want to get another one just because I have a 75 gal fish tank so it takes longer to empty. Keep in.mind when you her toward the last inch of water you'll have to use a bucket to get the last of it. Gravity is your enemy there.

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Sunday, September 15, 2013

Elite 6-Inch Mini Thermostatic Heater

Elite 6-Inch Mini Thermostatic Heater, 25-WattBetter in than some, worse than others. The dial allows you to set the temperature and is good at keeping the temp. consistent which is great. However, aside from the actual heating is the construction. Because of its shape it will not work for a anything smaller than a 2.5 Mini Bow or for tanks w/o straight sides.

This is not because you can't control the temp. finely enough, but because the large mounting piece needs to be above water, outside of the tank and attached to a straight edge. While the package does say non-submersible, I didn't think there would be so much of it that wasn't submersible, and the thumbnail for this isn't helpful at all. The water line is also very high. You will have to keep a careful eye on evaporation.

Also, when the water temp. is close enough to cause the heater to shut off, there is a period of hesitation where the heater is almost on but not quite. When this happens, there is a buzzing sound. It reminds me of old horror movies when the characters turn on the bare bulb in the basement or in the defunct asylum.

I bought two of these because they were cheap and would seem like a good fit for my aquariums, a 5 gallon and a 10 gallon. There wasn't much information provided, which would have helped me out and kept me from buying it--it's not the kind I needed, or so I thought.

*Unfortunately it's not submersible. (I didn't realize not buying submersible would mean needing to reach a water line indicator.)

*This heater's range is 67 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Even though the range is low, when I had the heater on the first few hours, it got the 5 gallon tank water over 90 degrees. I've kept it in the 80's range as much as possible.

*It requires the tank to be full to cover the water line indicator (I'm breeding snails so I can't have the tank full if I want my snails to lay their eggs on the tank's glass, and if I want to keep them from escaping). The water line indicator also rises above my power filter, so I'll never be able to get the water to the height it's asking.

*The power cord is much shorter than I thought it would be. I had to get an extension cord to plug it in. The picture on the back of the packaging suggests to make a drip loop, but the cord is barely long enough to do that, and the top of the aquarium is only a couple feet, give or take, from the socket. Very inconvenient.

*It's only good for aquariums up to 5.5 gallons. I haven't tried my second heater in the 10 gallon yet, mostly because the cord is so short, and the tank is much farther from the socket.

*Temperature control knob seems really sensitive, and even turning the knob a quarter of an inch seems to cause the temperature to shoot up. But as soon as the desired temperature is attained, it will maintain.

Overall it's a decent product especially considering the price. I was surprised and thankful it worked so far outside of its range.

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Seeing how there was just a dial and no numbers to see, it was kinda hard and just plain guesswork when I started to use it. I'd scroll the dial to the left and wait awhile(just to make sure it wasn't on high setting already and fry my fish), and then scroll the dial to the right little by little. This took a span of a couple days before I finally got felt some heat coming from the water. I measured it by feeling the amount of warmth I got from it compared to my other aquarium that had its own heater and already set at 75F. So far it's been consistent and doesn't seem to fluctuate too much or at all in temperature. :) Nice buy I say!

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I don't know if this product is actually capable of heating the water correctly because it is very difficult to use and you have to have just the right set up. First of all, it has to hang on to the side of your aquarium, so this means that you either can't have a hood, or you have to have a hole in your hood large enough to accommodate the heater. The original aquarium I wanted to use it with didn't have that, so I didn't even try to use the heater with it.

Also, the heater has a minimum water level which is extremely high. You will have to keep the aquarium completely full to use it, which means often top offs to fight evaporation AND the risk of fish jumping if you can't use your lid due to the fact that there isn't a space for the heater.

Despite these two inconveniences, I recently bought a five gallon aquarium that I could use this heater with. I got it all set up and then unwrapped the cord . . . it's less than three feet long! Way too short to reach the plug from the top of the aquarium on top of a table.

So, if you have a small tank with a hood with the proper opening, the lip of the tank narrow enough to hold the heater, are diligent with your top offs, and have a nearby electrical outlet for the plug, then you might get this heater to work for you. I'm going to have to put this on the shelf and spend more money on a submersible heater with a decent length cord.

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I didn't buy it from here but i got it from my local pet store. I have been using this in my 10 gallon tank for about a year now and it has not failed me yet. The temperature knob is very sensitive and touchy so it takes a little work to get the temperature set correctly. Other than that i have no complaints, it works great and has a great price.

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Monday, August 26, 2013

Aquarius Aq360-2g Gloview 2-Gallon Aquarium Kit

Aquarius Aq360-2g Gloview 2-Gallon Aquarium KitI bought the Petco version of this aquarium. It is small. It was able to house 1 goldfish and 2 african dwarf frogs. The included filter is not very good, as this was expected for a very inexpensive kit.

I tried to use a Tetra Whisper In-Tank Filter 3I, 1 to 3-Gallon, which wasnt very effective. Your best bet is to get a decent HOB. The cutout in the cover is very small, so make sure the filter will fit. My AZOO Mignon Filter 60 works great, but is too big for the cutout.

Eventually, I ended up returning this tank and got a Aquarius Aq15005 Aquarius 5 Rounded 5-Gallon Aquarium Kit, which gives you a lot more room for the same price.

This product came with a visible crack in the bottom. I then ordered a similar replacement product from the same manufacturer and the pump did not work properly on that one.

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I like this product because it was easy to assemble and my fish likes it. But my only dislike is that it is kinda small

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Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Teddy Tank Chocolate Brown Bear Betta Fish Tank 8-Piece Premium Package

Teddy Tank Chocolate Brown Bear Betta Fish Tank 8-Piece Premium PackageJust because a betta CAN live in a tank this size doesn't mean they SHOULD. YOU can live in a carboard box, but you'd probably hate it. Betta's need five gallons of water to be happy. Tanks like this are cruel.

This was a gift for my grandson. I really wanted to give him something unique. He really enjoys it as a fish aquarium.

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Friday, July 19, 2013

AquaClear 20 Ammonia Remover, 2.1 Ounce

AquaClear 20 Ammonia Remover, 2.1 OunceIt really serves its purpose of maintaining cleanliness in the tank. And also removes the odor and the turgidity of the water.

This is the best Ammonia media i have ever bought and lasts a long time. Simple to use but don't forget to rinse with water before putting in filter!!!

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