Showing posts with label exotic fish aquarium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exotic fish aquarium. Show all posts

Monday, November 3, 2014

Seachem Betta Basics 250ml

Seachem Betta Basics 250mlI bought this based on reviews. After 1 day of the water change, the water became chunky, looked like white pulp floating

and my fish became very inactive. Seemed like he stayed at the top trying to breathe. I went back to Aqueon betta bowl conditioner plus, I have had no trouble with burning the fish as prev reviews read. The fish store said the only way that happens is using to much water conditioner based on the volume of water.

Ideally suited for treating soft tap water or deionized water. However, it can't soften your water or remove alkalinity. Even if you have a water softener in a hard water area, you will still have highly alkaline water, which can lead to fish kills. In such cases, use betta basics to buffer deionized water from the grocery store during your weekly water changes.

Buy Seachem Betta Basics 250ml Now

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Loving Pets Grill-icious Bite Size Dog Treats, Beef, 22-Ounce

Loving Pets Grill-icious Bite Size Dog Treats, Beef, 22-OunceI am always looking for healthy dog treats... no by-products, no preservatives, mostly meat protein, no wheat, no gluten, and made in the USA. I found these by accident (in a small, pricey package), but when I read the content information and my dog went "ape" over them, I did what I often do... I went on line to find a better, cheaper source. Amazon again came through. This 22-once package is a bargain in more ways than one.

We have been fans of the Loving Pets products for a while & once again they knocked it right out of the dog park with the Grill-icious Beef Treats. This bag is incredibly large & lasts much longer than their other products e.g. duck / beef / lamb / pork strips kinda hard to find the Lamb Strips. These are made in USA & my dog absolutely loves them.

Buy Loving Pets Grill-icious Bite Size Dog Treats, Beef, 22-Ounce Now

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Marineland Classic Aquarium Kit, 4-Gallon

Marineland Classic Aquarium Kit, 4-GallonI got this to house a male platy. The filter was VERY loud and produced such a strong current that he was having a hard time swimming around. Since this filter does not have any way to adjust the flow, I installed a small sponge filter and tried to unhook the filter that came with the tank. Well, the joke is on me because the lighting and filter system is on the same circuit, so you cannot unhook one and still have the other. I would not recommend this to anyone and wish I'd never gotten it.

Just bought this the other day to house my two little fancy guppies. This is my first aquarium purchase ever, so I had no idea what to look for/watch out for. It's a little cumbersome to set up with the LEDs and the filter; there are no markers for what plugs into what (though the directions tell you there are).

The water flow/current is an issue. When I feed my guppies, the food quickly gets whisked away by the current from the water coming into the tank. They find the food eventually, but there's a lot of water movement at the top of the tank due to the filter assembly pouring the filtered water back into the tank. Guppies are top of the tank dwellers, so they have a tough time up there since there's so much movement. I do see them hanging out behind where the water splashes out since there's less water movement back there. I need to find some way to adjust the flow; sadly, there's no built-in way to slow down the outpour of filtered water back into the tank. I'm thinking of shoving some kind of sponge in there to break up the current.

The filter isn't loud, but the splashing water is. I could hear it when I went to bed last night. Small house, but still, that's some loud water!

The plexiglass is fine, but know that it does scratch easily. When the tank is full, there is some bow to the sides, but it's very minimal. Knowing what I know now, I'd opt for glass next time.

It's a nice-looking tank, I will say that. The LEDs are nice (you have a "day" light and a "evening" light; unfortunately, YOU have to turn it off each night see next paragraph) and it's a nice simple, clean design. Nice size for a desk or kitchen table or counterop. Setup took about 20 mins. and I initally put the tank on the little plastic stand backwards. If the back parts don't all nicely notch together, you've likely got your plexiglass tank on backwards.

Light and filter are on the same power cord, so you can't put the aquarium on a timer since when the unit is off, light and filter are off. You also cannot power off the filter assembly via a button; you have to unplug it. Also, since the top (light hood) has the LEDs wired into it, you cannot remove the top entirely... you have to sort-of balance it on top of the filter box when you need to do something like change water or clean.

Also, the little clear aquarium cover doesn't snap in, it just sits in a notch on top of the LED light hood, so every time I go to take the light hood off for water changes, the clear aquarium cover falls off. Drives me nuts!

Even though it's been a few days, I can say I WOULD NOT recommend this tank if you're getting a fish like a Betta or a top-dwelling fish like a fancy guppy. The little missing touches are what makes this tank a little frustrating. For the price, it was OK, but but there are better options out there and I'm kickking myself for not doing more research on tanks.

Buy Marineland Classic Aquarium Kit, 4-Gallon Now

I used this tank for a reef tank with 2 clownfish. Some of the other reviews say that the flow is too strong for their tank however, for me it's perfect! It eliminates the need for a powerhead. Also I have a lot of experience with nano tanks so I recommend you knowing a few things before getting this. I myself changed the tank a lot with lighting by added more LED's. Also with the filter I like it. It is powerful and works well. I had enough room to put in bio from my other reef in the tank to skip the cycle and with the combined filter pad and a bio wheel keeps my tank clean. I do see the problems that others have faced, but with my experience iv been able to modify and combat those problems. So overall this is not for a beginner especially if you're doing a saltwater tank.

Read Best Reviews of Marineland Classic Aquarium Kit, 4-Gallon Here

i had this tank set up for one week. it is now in the garbage. assembly is a hassle. you can't simply take the lid off to clean the tank or do water changes or feed frogs because it is connected via the cluster of wiring. the wiring is a nightmare. you can't shut off just the lights or just the filter or put a light on a timer because they're on the same circuit. the tank is acrylic which means if you put any sort of ornamental rocks in the tank you're likely to scratch it. its also super thin and not very sturdy. if you manage to get the lid to sit on correctly (mine was warped) you will soon find that condensation drips from the lid to the outside of the sides of the tank. the water from the filter is also loud and annoying. i got a 5.5 gallon kit from petsmart for $30 on sale, and the only thing i didn't like was the light, and i swapped the bulb out for $10 and i love it. opt for that route, and avoid this trainwreck

Want Marineland Classic Aquarium Kit, 4-Gallon Discount?

With numerous aquaria throughout our home, we thought it would be fun for our son to have a starter setup in his bedroom. Having had good experiences in the past with Bio-Wheel designs and Marineland products, we opted for this entry level kit. Assembly was tricky due to a lack of color-coding on the various male/female electrical couplers. Through trial-and-error, we solved this step. The kibosh was turning on the filter. It sounded like our Rancillio coffee grinder. I turned it off, inspected the impeller, found it to be of the lowest quality. Cheap, bent, cavitating wildly. I expected the Bio-Wheel to make some splashing noise, but the impeller could be heard downstairs in our living room. And we expected our son to SLEEP with this aquarium in his bedroom? Transferred his fish to a quarantine tank, boxed this kit up and made it go away. Purchased a Fluval Spec, all is good in our world.

Save 35% Off

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Fluval EDGE Digital Aquarium Thermometer - 64 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit

Fluval EDGE Digital Aquarium Thermometer - 64 to 86 degrees FahrenheitI have one of these on all of my aquariums and they all work well. However, beware that they do not under any circumstances give an accurate temperature reading for the tank. I use them as a quick glance guide to make sure that the heaters are working to keep the water temp. in a certain range [since all my heaters are hidden from view behind plants]. Generally, these are off by +/3-5 degrees depending on the temperature differential between the ambient room temp. and that of the aquarium water itself. They seem to be most off when the room is cooler than what the aquarium water temp. should be. So, if you have a very sensitive system which must be maintained at a certain temp. [such as reef aquariums], do yourself the favor and don't rely on this to give you an accurate reading of the water temp. The best tool for this task is an in-aquarium thermometer.

This product definitely works, no doubt about that. I really think they could of done a better job giving you a more accurate temperature. I've noticed it's accurate within 2-4 degrees. The thermometer has such big jumps in the intervals, it goes from 64-68-72-75-79-82-86.

Other than the fact its not extremely accurate it works perfect for what I need. I just use it for a quick glance to ensure my heater is working, which is all I really need. I have a more accurate one I picked up locally that I can look at for more accurate reading.

Buy Fluval EDGE Digital Aquarium Thermometer - 64 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit Now

I agree with other reviewers that the temps this thermometer gives are not anywhere close to accurate, and they range from +/3 degrees from the actual water temperature. In addition, the spread of the temperature gauge is waaaay too much. Don't make the same mistake i did, enlarge the picture and look closely. The gauge goes from 64 degrees to 68 to 72 (etc, etc). What aquariast only wants to know the temp of their tank to within 4 degrees? Couple that with the margain of error of the thermometer and you're looking at a reading that is potentially 7 degrees different then the actual temp of the tank, which is more than enough to kill most fish. This thermometer is total garbage, which is exactly where i'm going to put mine.

Read Best Reviews of Fluval EDGE Digital Aquarium Thermometer - 64 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit Here

It's a good sticker thermometer for it's price, although glass is more accurate. But the guy earlier shouldn't have left a one star which is quite misleading...rating is for the item not for the description. Fluval products are reliable and produces positive results.

Want Fluval EDGE Digital Aquarium Thermometer - 64 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit Discount?

Not as good as shown in the picture, the numbers are barely readable so as colors. I don't recommend this one, get ATI Aquarium Thermometer it's much better.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Elite Carbon Cartridge for Hush 35 Power Aquarium Filter, 2-Pack

Elite Carbon Cartridge for Hush 35 Power Aquarium Filter, 2-PackPrice is right considering you can't seem to find these in the stores anymore. Only drawback is having to spend

$25 for the free shipping, but I'll have filters for quite some time now.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Aqua Ultraviolet AAV10040 Quartz Sleeve UV Sterilizers for Aquarium, 40-watt

Aqua Ultraviolet AAV10040 Quartz Sleeve UV Sterilizers for Aquarium, 40-wattThe sleeve is is what i wanted, though it does not state it comes with the rubber seal. If it would state that I would not have had to purchase the rubber seal the site offers as bought with. That is a little deceptive.

This sleeve arrived on time and was packed well. I installed it and everything is working perfectly. My pond looks perfect.

Buy Aqua Ultraviolet AAV10040 Quartz Sleeve UV Sterilizers for Aquarium, 40-watt Now

Monday, July 14, 2014

Sicce Voyager HP4000 Power Stream Pump

Sicce Voyager HP4000 Power Stream PumpI decided I needed more water movement in my tank, and this thing definitely did the trick.. gotta be careful where I aim it cause it's pretty intense. I have a 200 gallon tank and this thing can pretty much circulate the whole tank on it's own.. I"m also running 3 Koralias, but this one is way nicer (better be for the price)!

Save 19% Off

Friday, July 4, 2014

Mini Heater - 10 Watt

Mini Heater - 10 WattBecause that's what my tank was at when I came home today. The ambient room temperature is 68.9F, and the aquarium thermometer is reading a clear 92F. It's a good thing I haven't put any fish in there yet.

I have been using this heater for months know in my Fuval Spec III (2.6 gal.) and have no complaints. I have red cherry shrimp and two blue danio babies ;) This heater is slim in design and fits into the back pump compartment of the tank (with a lot of room to spare). It does run on the warm side. In the back pump compartment of the tank it stays at a constant 79 Fahrenheit. However in the living space of the tank it stays about 77-76 which is fine. NOTE: I have only used this heater during winter months. When it warms up outside I will likely not use it as cherry shrimp don't like it to be too warm.

If anyone doesn't know what I mean by the "pump compartment of the tank" just look up some of the Fluval aquarium filtration systems and how they are built in to the tank.

Hope this helps ! For me this heater is PERFECT !!!

Buy Mini Heater - 10 Watt Now

I bought this heater for a 2 gallon tank that houses one Betta fish. I live in Southern California, so the ambient room temp is around 70 degrees, but wanted to get the water 6-8 degrees warmer for his comfort. I bought this heater and thought with its claim to hold a constant 78 degree temp I'd be set. I left for a weekend and when we came back the water was 90 degrees! (Thankfully our Betta appears to be alright) I definitely do NOT recommend this heater. It's far too hot for a small tank.

Read Best Reviews of Mini Heater - 10 Watt Here

I live in Northern California and just got a betta a few days ago as a christmas present. He's in a one gallon tank for now. I noticed the next morning he was not moving and thought he may be cold. After googling and realizing they are supposed to be kept between 70 and 80 degrees, I freaked out and bought this heater from a shop around the corner (it was the only one they had) along with a thermometer. THEN I decided to read the reviews on amazon. I panicked after seeing all these terrible reviews and didn't know what to do. I didn't want to boil my fish but, now that i had a thermometer, i knew my fish's tank was 58 degrees! I figured he would prob die from freezing before i could get another heater so i just held my breath and plugged this one in and went to bed.

Next morning he was 74 degrees!! YAY! All was right with the world. I worried about him while at work but came home and he was still at 74 degrees! I think this product works just fine if you actually live in a cold climate. If you live in San Diego, well then you probably don't need a heater in the first place.

Want Mini Heater - 10 Watt Discount?

We got this heater because our betta fish, Marco, needed to be warmer. We plugged it in and went to the zoo. When we came back, Marco was laying on the ground dead and the water was at 92 degrees! Marco was my favorite fish!

Save 40% Off

Tuffy's Junior Bone Dog Toy

Tuffy's Junior Bone Dog Toy, Blue CamoFell apart in less than one month of use by my dogs.

Very disappointing

Would not recommend it to anyone.

I have bought other Tuffy's with no issue. This one is not a quality toy.

Update

Amazon replaced the toy. Thanks Amazon.

However, they toy fell apart this time within 48 hours of use by the dogs.

Now my dogs are not huge nor vicious. They are rat terriers and a toy should

last longer than one or two days.

Advice don't buy.

Most reviews for this toy have been dogs destroying this within a day or 2. This toy IS rated for dogs under 20 lb. And the 15 pound beagle is of course stronger than my dog. If your dog has a destructive nature, sure, it can be torn up. But if you have a calmer dog with non destructive tendancies, this is perfect for you. My dog is a 3 year old bichon. He weighs 9 pounds. He is super destructive on wal mart's cheap toys. And you think something won't get ripped to shreds and he can destroy it. But with this very bone, I got it for him in December and this is March 30th. He chews on it and plays with it every day and the black seams around the edges are still tight and not fraying in the least. I cut the little black string off of it before I gave it to him. The string isn't there for the dog to chew on. Someone said their dog bit it of and swallowed it. DON'T leave it on there. Duh. Don't let the other reviews make you not want this. It should say 10lb and under and not 20 but you know your dogs disposition so just use your best judge of character.

Buy Tuffy's Junior Bone Dog Toy Now

We originally bought a Tuffy's Ultimate Bone toy, which is durably made, but it was too big for our beagle so we thought we'd give the Junior Bone a try.

The Junior Bone is an "8" on Tuffy's scale, but there's a big difference between its durability and the Ultimate Bone's "9:" Within minutes of getting the toy, she ripped the loop off the end and swallowed it, and a 1/2 hour later she's ripped open the stitching and is tearing it apart.

I don't recommend this toy because of the durability issues; but even if held up, the squeaker takes quite a bit of force to activate, which makes it less appealing.

Read Best Reviews of Tuffy's Junior Bone Dog Toy Here

My dog tore though this thing in about 15 minutes. He is not a big dog either, just a little 15 pound dog. I was very disappointed to see this thing not make it past a day.

Want Tuffy's Junior Bone Dog Toy Discount?

I have a Corgi. He's a bit over 20lbs.

He likes to chew.

We haven't had much luck with toys before this one. Sure, some Costco toys were great: they were snakes with ropes inside but he was easily able to take out the squeaker and rattler. Which he promptly did.

This toy gives him no easy access to the squeaker, and feels extremely sturdy. There's no easy ripping and tearing on this toy.

Friday, May 30, 2014

Underwater Galleries AUG6311 Cichlid Stone Square, Small

Underwater Galleries AUG6311 Cichlid Stone Square, SmallThese are some nice hide-out for your cichlids. Not any of my cichlids have damaged their fins since i put these stones in my aquarium,

I bought one of these a few weeks ago for a 55gal tank where I inted to house community fish, including a couple of dwarf cichlids. This is for them. I liked it so much that I wish I had purchased two. Hence, I purchased this second one for my quarantine tank for the timid fish. I just set up the tank and waiting for it to cycle so I don't know how the fish are going to like it.

This looks and feels as if it was a real rock that I found on a walk. It arrived promptly as described. I recommend it as a part of your decor for the timid and cave-dwelling fish. It looks good in the tank, too.

Buy Underwater Galleries AUG6311 Cichlid Stone Square, Small Now

its not what i ordered though, 24 hours after i ordered they changed the picture to what i got in the mail. the picture they showed when i ordered was 3 rocks with 3 holes, this is only 1 rock with 1 hole. its still nice, but its not what i ordered

Read Best Reviews of Underwater Galleries AUG6311 Cichlid Stone Square, Small Here

I put two of these in my 15 gallon tank for my blue ram cichlids, they apparently don't give a rat's ass about them, since they never go in them. In fact, none of my fish do, but they do look neat next to this statue that is in the tank made of the same material. I'm keeping them in there just in case the cichlids change their minds and start using them. They are nicely made.

Want Underwater Galleries AUG6311 Cichlid Stone Square, Small Discount?

I got one for each of my betas and one in particular likes to have his private time in there. It doesn't look overly fake and even the 2 identical ones we got are slightly different.

Save 14% Off

Monday, May 5, 2014

Aquarium Automatic Fish Food Tank Feeder Timer Home BLK

Aquarium Automatic Fish Food Tank Feeder Timer Home BLKVery cheaply made and its sure not to last long but it works for now and gets the job done!

I love this feeder! And as a PETCO fish expert I have been highly recommending it to my many many aquatic customers. I have been using it (personally) for 5 months already and have not had to change the batteries at all. It gets the job done and is very durable. I do not have to worry about feeding my freshwater fish every day, because this feeder does it for me. Also another advantage to using an automatic feeder it that fish love to be on daily schedules, and when they are fed at the exact time, every single day, they love it even more. I have noticed that when it is nearing the time for them to be fed, my fish start swimming up at the top of the tank anticipating for their food to drop. Another great advantage to using this type of feeder is that you can choose the portion size of food you would like to be dropped into the tank for every feeding. Also you can choose whether you would like your fish to be fed once a day or up to 4 times a day. And if you have baby fish in your tank this will help you out a great deal. When I had baby platies in my breeders net, it was very hard for me to make sure they were fed 4 times a day. Sometimes I wasn't even home for a couple of the feedings, but with this automatic feeder my worries went away.

I highly recommend this product for all levels of aquarist. I think you should definitely buy this product!!

Buy Aquarium Automatic Fish Food Tank Feeder Timer Home BLK Now

Fits a bit odd on the hood. took a little tweeking to get the right amount of food distributed but after a week on vacation the fish are still alive!

Read Best Reviews of Aquarium Automatic Fish Food Tank Feeder Timer Home BLK Here

Worked ok for me to be gone for a week. It is cheaply made, but what do you expect at this price?

The only con for me was that the food adjustment had to be on the first notch or it dumped in way too much food. I am using small pellet food. This may be better suited for flakes.

Want Aquarium Automatic Fish Food Tank Feeder Timer Home BLK Discount?

set the time for feeding and just forget about it. Now I can go on vacation without the worry of losing my fish.

Save 55% Off

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Rio Plus 2500 HP Aqua Pump, 782 GPH

Rio Plus 2500 HP Aqua Pump, 782 GPHJust wanted to update everyone on the pump. As of 4-4-13 it is still running great, with no noise. Don't hesitate to purchase this. Same product local fish stores are selling, only cheaper.

I ordered the Rio Plus 2500 HP Aqua Pump for my 90 gallon pre-drilled fish/reef tank and have had it running about 1 month. I did a lot of research, which included calling local fish stores to see what they recommend. For the quality and price you can't beat this. The only small problem I had was it was a little to large for my wet dry when I had the bottom plate on with the suction cups. I removed the bottom plate and suction cups and set it on the bottom of the wet/dry.I didn't want any noise so I placed a piece of the filter sponge (About 1/4 in thick) under it and what do you know "No Noise". Also, don't worry about pressure, because it pushes the water great through the tank. So much water movement, it is moving my sand around. This is an excellent product.

This pump is a little bigger than I expected, but. It has a heart and soul and it has a good amount of flow even with 4-5 feet of head on it. I bought two, and one is pushing just fine against nearly 8' of head and delivering water.

I needed to fill a swamp cooler from a clean water reservoir on a regular basis and it will move what water is needed in a moment, no more muss fuss or bucketing. And no hesitation or feeble trickle at 8' of head.

I have also set up a multi unit stepped goldfish holding/breeding setup with 100-300 gallon units (5 and climbing)and a barrel filter plus an end pond holder with plants of around 600 gallons and one is easily delivering the water from one end to the other with excellent flow and turnover against about 4-5 feet of head. I did have to fit a custom made mesh (7 holes/inch) 'strainer basket' on the intake to slow down the water speed at the surface of the basket (not restricting my inflow) and catch some of the loose (algae and other detris) material and prevent a fish from being vacuumed to the intake... but this pump is doing an awesome job.

The number of attachments included looks like 'what the (bleep)' but I was very grateful when I started assembling and found things like the garden hose attachment.... that is one great plus. A very large number of items to tailor intake and outflow to whatever task you need to set it up for is a very BIG plus with this pump.

I have not seen what my electric bill will be for running two of these but I am sure it will be a lot less than what I was using before that were also not as powerful in output and much bigger.

I am a little worried about the impeller but it seems to be well made and putting out. Time will tell if they will stand up.

For the money this is a (deleted) um... heckuva ... pump.

Buy Rio Plus 2500 HP Aqua Pump, 782 GPH Now

this pump is very quiet and and when its on it has great waterflow however I wouldnt buy it again bcause I have only had it for 2 to 3 wks and I have had to unplug it 2 timeseach time I had to unplug it it was hard to get it to get going againmy husband had to take it completly apart and put it back together to get it to come back on now I feel like I need to have a pump for backup because it seems this one could go out at any minute I have it on a 55 gallon reef aquarium and cant afford for it to go out but there are times when I put say an anenome in my tank that goes missing and I'm afraid it is going to get sucked up and want to be able to unplug the pump for a minute you cant do that with this onewhen it happened I googled it and found that is a very common problem with this pump-I am going to spend the extra money and get an Ehim

Read Best Reviews of Rio Plus 2500 HP Aqua Pump, 782 GPH Here

This pump has been working awesome for about three weeks now. I am using it as a return pump on my 90 gallon reef tank and it does and excellent job and creates a little extra needed flow for the tank. It was a good price too!

Want Rio Plus 2500 HP Aqua Pump, 782 GPH Discount?

Lots of mounting options and attachments for every setup imaginable!!! Build quality is good as well as size and appearance.

Save 41% Off

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Easy Life USEC 0250 EasyCarbo

Easy Life USEC 0250 EasyCarboI purchased this as a $3 or $4 add on item for Prime. I like the container and the price better than Excel. If they came out with a more innovative (maybe squirt type) bottle, I'd guess that they can give Seachem some real competition. How do I know this is the same as Excel? This stuff smells the same and looks the same, so it's an assumption on my part. My plants are really flourishing with Easy Carbo as well. Before you purchase though, make sure you check the price of the larger bottles(500ml, 1000ml) of Easy Carbo.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

EcoPlus Commercial Air 3 - 35 Watts Single Outlet

EcoPlus Commercial Air 3 - 35 Watts Single OutletLots of air. The unit looks and sounds strong (it is not quiet). The manifold that came with mine leaked air badly. The seller sent another promptly that leaked a lot less (I sealed that one myself).

Time will tell if it has endurance, but I like what I see. Any pump that moves this much air can not be "quiet".

This product have been working for 10 day ,and smell good.

has a low sound, not hot too much

it is great product.

Buy EcoPlus Commercial Air 3 - 35 Watts Single Outlet Now

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Advanced Nutrition Tropical Flake Fish Food

Hartz Wardley Advanced Nutrition Tropical Flake, 3-OunceI have used wardlys beforehand found it a good product . Tetra Min isn't the only food, but it costs more than almost All other brands

this food is terrific. it does not cloud the water and the fish eat it readily. The container is ginormous and a real bargain for the price.

After having this food for a month I am absolutely sold on it. My tank has never been cleaner either.

Buy Advanced Nutrition Tropical Flake Fish Food Now

You could get 1oz box for this price. I didn't realize im spending this much money on this tiny little box. Goto Petco and get 1oz for the same price.

Read Best Reviews of Advanced Nutrition Tropical Flake Fish Food Here

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Nutrafin pH 3.4-Ounce

Nutrafin pH Adjuster Up 3.3 ozI believe the product works fine. I do agree with a previous review that the packaging is horrible. The print is so small you can't read it. I do also know that you have to be careful with adjusting the PH down too fast I believe I am able to control my application of the product well because it dispenses in drops.

This product seems to work faairly well. It is a challenge to keep the PH at a correct level in this area My main complaint was the small writing for the directions which made it difficult to read. using drops was easy to administer..

Buy Nutrafin pH 3.4-Ounce Now

Monday, February 10, 2014

Hydro IV Sponge Pro Filter - Up to 80 gallons

Hydro IV Sponge Pro Filter - Up to 80 gallonsHaving a somewhat overstocked goldfish tank, I run two HOB filters: the Tetra Whisper 60 and the Marineland Penguin 350, but what I really needed was more biological filtration, and something I could rely on. The Penguin is not self-priming, and so in case of power failure, it often stops working. Even the Whisper filter is somewhat unreliable when the power goes out, and will not immediately resume working after. The motors in both of these filters will eventually burn out, but my Hydro Pro sponge filters with their simple and effective design will always work.

Due to the circumstances described above, I decided to install two Hydro IV sponge filters in my goldfish tank to increase biological filtration. I needed something reliable and simple that would work, no matter what. As all fish enthusiasts know, biological filtration is the most important type of filtration in any tank, and using a sponge filter is the best way to establish a good bio-filter, especially when your tank exceeds its recommended bio-load.

I run mine in the simple way, with airstones, using a Tetra 77855 air pump. I have been running these for over a month now, and my fish and I have been quite pleased with the results. The water in my tank actually seems cleaner and clearer, and there are no expensive cartridges or parts to replace. It's no wonder most pet stores don't sell these as they are so economical. As long as you rinse them once a month, you never have to replace them, and there are no complicated parts. I rinse mine in a bucket of used water from my aquarium every month, and that's all there is to it. Even though my bio-load is too high, I must say my water quality is excellent, and I have a healthy, happy tank. Even my apple snails are happier. They like to crawl on the sponge, eating any particles of algae or food that get trapped in the outside.

One more benefit of having this type of filter is that it can help quickly cycle a new tank. I have a 40-long tank that formerly housed some mollies. I did a complete water change to prepare the tank to house two black moors, and I needed to cycle it. I squeezed water from my sponges as a source of bacteria, and I put this in my new tank, eventually trading one of my 'dirty' sponges with a new one to more quickly establish the new tank. After trading filter cartridges and bio-wheels in my Penguins and waiting a week, I found no ammonia or nitrites in my tank, and it was ready for the moors. I could have never done this without the quality bio-filtration that these filters provide. I now plan to install Hydro Pro sponge filters in every tank.

I've used sponge filters in the past to polish aquarium water and keep baby fry from being gobbled up by the normal filtration. This Hydro IV works great and the design makes it easy to clean.

Buy Hydro IV Sponge Pro Filter - Up to 80 gallons Now

Most aquarium filters now use a motor to force water through some kind of filter pad which must be replaced at intervals. However, before there were reliably sealed electric motors, most home aquariums moved water using the "airlift" principle, in which a rising column of bubbles pulled water through the filtering material. This is an elegant and just about failsafe method. Debris in the tank cannot ever jam the external air pump which feeds the filter, and if electricity is interrupted, the filter cannot lose siphon, it simply starts bubbling again when power is restored to the air pump. Many fish love to play in the rising stream of bubbles.

Hydro Sponge filters, first marketed in the 1990's, are a more recent application of the airlift. Hydro Sponge IV is intended for tanks up to 80 gallons. Made of dense, strong plastic with a weighted base which holds the sponge up away from the aquarium bottom, they dismantle easily for cleaning of the sponge. The pores within the sponge provides an enormous surface area for colonization by beneficial bacteria providing very thorough biological filtration. They can be powered by an air pump with or without an airstone (using an airstone will give finer bubbles and make less noise), or with an electric powerhead for those with larger tanks or who simply feel the need for more energetic water movement.

It is difficult to imagine such a simple device working well. Surprisingly, they are excellent, and can be used as the only filter in the tank for many applications. I've used them on tanks sized from 10 gallons up to 75 gallons, always with good results. The local fish store where I shop has an expensive trickle filter for their dozens of tanks, and every single freshwater tank also has a Hyrdo Sponge or similar sponge filter as well. Apparantly the sponge is doing something which the trickle filter doesn't?

Maintainence is as simple as the filter. When you perform your periodic aquarium water change, (20% every week) save some of the old water in a bucket. Separate the top and bottom parts of the filter and remove the sponge from the tank. Squeeze it out in the bucket. See all the stuff which the sponge removed from the water? Reinstall the sponge and refill your tank. Go have dinner with the money you saved not purchasing replacement filter cartridges.

In sum, a clever and elegantly simple device which works very well.

Read Best Reviews of Hydro IV Sponge Pro Filter - Up to 80 gallons Here

I use these in all my fish tanks. Very affordable, excellent filtration. The "Pro" series lasts alot longer and filters better.

Want Hydro IV Sponge Pro Filter - Up to 80 gallons Discount?

I ordered this sponge filter for additional biological filtration in my fancy goldfish tank of 29 gallons. Goldfish are very messy, so I wanted as much efficient filtration as possible. When one of my fish was sick and I was forced to take my carbon filters out of my Penguin Pro 200 filter to administer medication, this sponge filter kept my water parameters in check. (I have mine powered by a Whisper air pump.)

Pros: Cheap, great for quarantine and fry tanks where you don't want a lot of suction or too much aeration, easily run by an air pump, no carbon cartridges to replace (which will save you a great deal of money), can be cleaned easily once a month in old tank water.

Cons: Very large, can be seen as ugly in a well-decorated tank.

I highly recommend these, especially for anyone with an overstocked goldfish tank!

Save 11% Off

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Exotic Environments Japanese Garden Bridge Aquarium Ornament

Exotic Environments Japanese Garden Bridge Aquarium OrnamentThis Japanese Garden Bridge is just the right size for my 5 gallon fish tank, although it is the only ornament other than a small plant. In the water, the colors appear quite soft with the trim taking on a definite silver hue. When I turn on the LED lights, the silver becomes very pronounced an effect I quite like, but the buyer should be aware that the appearance in a lit aquarium may slightly differ from the Amazon pic. In the shimmery water the bridge is simple and elegant. It is reasonably priced but, in the aquarium, it looks expensive. I have fancy guppies and catfish which swim under the arch without difficulty as it has no sharp or rough edges. I'm really happy with my purchase.

I have a 30 gallon tank with tropical fish and this ornament is perfect. It is very detailed and the fish love it! It gives a nice Asian look to my tank. Highly recommended!!!

Buy Exotic Environments Japanese Garden Bridge Aquarium Ornament Now

Like the other reviewer, mine came with shoddily painted red balls instead of gold. Luckily, I had a gold paint pen and was able to cover up the gaudy poster-paint red and added some sparkle all over the bridge. Waiting for it to cure for a week before putting it in my tank.

Read Best Reviews of Exotic Environments Japanese Garden Bridge Aquarium Ornament Here

Fast delivery. Just as described. It looks very anciemt and realistic,just the size for my mini oriental rock garden. I would recomend it to a friend.

Want Exotic Environments Japanese Garden Bridge Aquarium Ornament Discount?

The little knobs/balls on the ends are red, which I don't recall from the picture. Otherwise, it is the same as the picture.

Monday, December 9, 2013

Aquarium Specimen Container

Lee's Convalescent Home/Specimen Container - LargeI have several of these in both small and large sizes. The large sizes are strongly recommended. In fact, get at least TWO one to put water and fish, and the other to store the net and other tools dry.

The smaller size is barely big enough for any average net so it's difficult to handle the fish. However, this large container is perfect for just about any net and also can hang on tanks of all sizes from 10 gallon to 150 gallon tank rims.

The only drawback is that the plastic turns from clear when new to frosted/scratched looking plastic in a hurry. Not a problem normally, but a problem for people trying to take pictures or look closely at the specimen for details.

Regardless, this is an essential item to anyone with fish or small pets.

Strongly recommended.

Whenever I had to make any changes, or even taking water samples in my tank, it had always been an issue. This container (what you see at a store when they are collecting fish for sale) is so useful in so many ways... It is made out of a very strong feeling plastic, and I have no doubt will last me years of use.

Buy Aquarium Specimen Container Now

Same transport box used in pretty much any fish store. Works fine as advertised, if a little small. The mount is secure tho and attaches easily on my tank or canopy. Crazy useful.

Read Best Reviews of Aquarium Specimen Container Here

Friday, December 6, 2013

Discus Granules Fish Food

Discus Granules Fish Food Size: 250 mlIs very good quality product. Have a right composition between animal and vegetal protein, fat, and other components, highly recommend if you're rearing discus as complement of other diets like live food and porridge.