PS: the box is much smaller than what you see or expect ... it is the same size of the Nazal drops box size for exampleThe case is really small and the pellets are extremely small also. Not worth the money and will go back to buying on ebay.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Azoo Co2 Plant Tablet
PS: the box is much smaller than what you see or expect ... it is the same size of the Nazal drops box size for exampleThe case is really small and the pellets are extremely small also. Not worth the money and will go back to buying on ebay.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Loving Pets Pure Buffalo 10-Inch Backstrap Tendon Dog Treat, 10-Pack
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Sadly this stuff is sooooo hard it shatters when your pet tries to chew on it. Our Bernese didn't finish it, and thank goodness. I can only imagine how terrible this rock hard tendon is on a dogs digestive tract. It is seriously the consistency of very hard plastic. It breaks into shards and slivers which dogs will be inclined to eat in whole, given that they can't chew it into something smaller or more manageable. Not advisable for your pet's digestive health.Read Best Reviews of Loving Pets Pure Buffalo 10-Inch Backstrap Tendon Dog Treat, 10-Pack Here
My three dogs go crazy for theses Pure Buffalo treats! These treats give the dogs something to really chew on and they keep the dogs busy for a while.Want Loving Pets Pure Buffalo 10-Inch Backstrap Tendon Dog Treat, 10-Pack Discount?
Our small dog likes these alot, gives lots of chewing time for healthy teeth and gums. I have recommended this to others with large dogs, which it seems is hard to find chews that aren't eaten very quickly,Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Penn Plax Trunk Style Driftwood Garden
For the price, it's not worth it.
It is a very nice piece, but the holes are not as big I would like.
The holes are good for small fish like Cory catfish to swim in but nothing bigger which is a shame.
Underneath is a good size for smaller loaches, plecos and smaller catfish but I suggest you dig a hole in the gravel to give fish more room underneath it.
If this was $20-$25 it would be well worth it, but for over $50 do not buy.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Aquarius Aq15005 Aquarius 5 Rounded 5-Gallon Aquarium Kit
The tank:
The "Panaview" idea is a bit false. Because of the hard curve on the corners, it can be very difficult to see what is happening at the edges of the tank, a few inches from the acrylic. That said, for the most part, the flat front leads to clear views of what is inside, and if my shrimp are close to the wall, I can see them whether they are behind the curve or not.
The lid fits into a pair of hinges, but doesn't actually snap in. Makes it very easy to open, leave open, close, and best of all, remove easily for water changes and prevent it from overbalancing backward when aquarium is empty.
The one drawback to the lid is that there is enough room to hook the little hook for holding the filter over the back, and that's about it, unless you're going to do some modifying. Honestly, getting the cord for the heater I use through is a snug fit. This is good for, say, crabs, crayfish, and stronger shrimp that may attempt to go on 'walkabout', but it doesn't allow a lot of space to add additional items such as a sponge filter, airstone, etc. Without the filter in place, I can *just* fit a single airline and the heater cord through the hole. On the one single tank that I use all three, I have simply drilled an additional hole in the lid for the airline. Easy breezy--if you have a drill. That said, I don't anticipate most people attempting to add additional stuff beyond perhaps a filter. Keep in mind, I use it for invertebrates that can climb out--I have dwarf crays in one, and mini-crabs in with my cherry shrimp. If you have nothing that you're worried about getting out, there is a cut-out option for a HOB (hang on back) filter and heater (don't use an HOB heater on this, please! But they will leave large holes, and they don't, honestly, look very easy to remove. The tabs that hold the cutouts in place look quite strong. I have never attempted to remove them, and I can't imagine that I ever will. For my purposes, if I need an extra airline fed in, I'm just going to drill a tight fitting hole, which I suspect is less work anyway.
The lighting:
Their is a bank of nine white LED lights, and nine blue ones. They can be set to have either the white, the blue, or both in place. The light level is enough for lower light plants, such as java moss, java fern, dwarf lily, or most hygrophilia, but if you're thinking of making a nano or pico tank, you'll need to work on the lighting. (If you don't know what I'm talking about there, it's honestly not a concern....though....look it up, as it's a very fun hobby! XD)
I don't think that this tank is terribly aesthetic without the lid it comes with, as it has a lip similar to that on the critter keepers....I honestly don't know how to explain it, but basically, it's a hollow lip that I can fit my fingertips under. Looks better hidden.
The Filter;
I admit to not using this in any of my tanks, but for one. It is a submerged filter, with an open top, and decent sized intake vents. The water flow is also surprisingly strong from it. All said, it would be perfect for a betta (providing it's still hale and healthy...a weak or very old betta may get sucked up against the intake), or other smaller fish. Not so good with my mini-shrimp and other inverts that I keep in here. The entire design is quite open, and shrimp climbing in for the delicious detritus on the insert only to be sucked through the impeller is an all too realistic reality. Not to say that I haven't found use for these, however!!! I keep them in my tank of pre-aged, pre-cycled water that I use for tank changes, and use them for quiet and decent water movement to prevent stagnation. Generally, I've been using them more as a micro-powerhead than a filter. XD I've been pleased, as so far, they all continue to move water rapidly and well, but then, they also aren't really contending with any serious bioload--just that of a few cory's that tool around and help the water I use for water changes in my more delicate tanks age and get it matched perfectly, chemistry wise.
That's about it to this tank. Not a super high tech little setup, but if you're planning on keeping a few smaller, cool water fish (ie: white clouds), it'll work. Better yet, get yourself a sponge filter, a heater, and some shrimp! Not that I'm biased or anything. LOL
A random side note NOT related to this product, but very much related to fish keeping:
If you decide to keep A FEW small, tropical fish and pick up a heater....pick up a good one. Read the reviews. Heaters can kill your fish very quickly if they fail, not to mention cheap ones present a fire hazard. I state this because I once had a cheap hang on back heater literally melt through the wall of one of these tanks when it failed, to much loss of life, very sadly.. You get what you pay for!We decided to get a few fish and a small tank for our son for his 10th birthday and it has been everything we haoped it would for him and this tank has helped make it a great gift. The tank is small enough to fit on a dresser top, has a lighted cover, very clear plastic for viewing, and comes with a little filter so you have a wider option of fish you can house.
The first few weeks I had been complaining that the included filter was underpowered and didn't seem to be doing a good job keeping the tank clean, but I have since learned that the rocks I chose were the key problem and were effetively locking the gunk down in the bottom and it wasn't the filter's fault at all. I was using the larger decor rocks that are upwards of .75" each. Advice to those buying this tank, use the typical small rocks that come in the 2.5# bags and lok look large chunk kitty litter, that will be more accomodating with this filter.
Buy Aquarius Aq15005 Aquarius 5 Rounded 5-Gallon Aquarium Kit Now
I was really pleasantly surprised when I unpacked and set up this aquarium. Very easy! It's just the right size for smaller fish and looks great on a desk...or anywhere! The filter works very well and the lighting is nice. Highly recommend.Update Aug. 30: Still highly pleased with the tank. Everything still works and the water is staying nice & clean with the included filter. Very happy!
Update: Oct. 24, 2012: Still really like the aquarium, but the on/off switch for the lights stopped working...the lights will only stay on...I have unplugged the light, which is fine as I have African-clawed frogs in the aquarium and they don't need extra lighting.
Read Best Reviews of Aquarius Aq15005 Aquarius 5 Rounded 5-Gallon Aquarium Kit Here
I don't understand all the good reviews for this tank! Besides that it was inexpensive, and the lights are fine, there is nothing good to say about it. The hood was beyond bizarre -the big filter thing that you have to hang over the back of the tank and into the inside can't be installed until you CUT OUT a big chunk of the hood... why isn't it designed with a piece that simply lifts out??? The piece you cut out is made to be cut out (??) but I had to use a sturdy serrated knife to do it, and I'm really lucky I didn't get severely injured in the process. The filter itself doesn't hang at the proper angle, so I have a children's book wedged between the motor of the filter and the outside of the tank. Lovely. And the filter has a constant loud hum... makes me realize just how quiet (silent, in fact) my old tank filter was (i had a small Aqueon tank). I have to return this, I guess, what a pain! You get what you pay for, in this case.Want Aquarius Aq15005 Aquarius 5 Rounded 5-Gallon Aquarium Kit Discount?
I love the tank. It's a perfect fit to go right on top of my dresser. The lights look really good as well. There was a small crack where the lights are, but nothing worth fussing over. It still works perfectly fine. The filter was working great while I had it running, unfortunately it's too strong for my poor little beta fish. Betta's don't like currents as it is, so I think I'm going to switch over to a sponge filter. But besides that the product id great with an unbeatable price! (:Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Aquatic Life Retrofit Polished Single Lamp Reflector Aquarium Light with Clips, 36-Inch
Saturday, August 23, 2014
3.5W Professional Fish Pond Aquarium 2 Mode Clip Lamp 48 LED White & Blue Light
Friday, July 18, 2014
110V 200W Watt Anti-Explosion Submersible Aquarium Fish Tank Water Heater
unit at that price. I thought it was such a deal, that I bought two units. I have no regrets.
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This product is crap. NO worth one red cent. The plug is not a standard american plug. A Pure waste of time.Read Best Reviews of 110V 200W Watt Anti-Explosion Submersible Aquarium Fish Tank Water Heater Here
Monday, June 2, 2014
Universal Rocks 48-Inch by 24-Inch Rocky Flexible Aquarium Background
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but cutting it was cumbersome. Once I figured out that a sharp utility knife was best to cut this thing then it wasn't too bad. (Tried a few things) Only thing I didn't like was that it came with PVC pipe cut into 1/2 inch circles as "clips". (LAME) and did not appreciate having to glue it onto my tank. If that was going to be the case then they should've made the back flat for gluing purposes. Too many ridges in back made it difficult to figure out which would touch the aquarium and which wouldn't. All in all, after all the hard work it ended up looking lovely in my 75g aquarium.One thing though.....if you're going to glue it, make sure you get your dimensions right and you glue ALL edges. Don't want you to end up with fish creeping into any missed nooks.
Read Best Reviews of Universal Rocks 48-Inch by 24-Inch Rocky Flexible Aquarium Background Here
Got this in great condition looks great in my discus tank. Would definately recommend it to others in the hobby..Want Universal Rocks 48-Inch by 24-Inch Rocky Flexible Aquarium Background Discount?
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Company Of Animals Clix Dog Car Harness, 14-25-1/2-Inch Girth
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Would not make harness end as long. Six pound yorkie has too much and would be difficult to cut, etc. But all in all, we like them.Read Best Reviews of Company Of Animals Clix Dog Car Harness, 14-25-1/2-Inch Girth Here
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
KORALIA 1 UL 400 gph 4W
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Ok so i bought the Koralia 400gph to create a stronger current in my 30 gallon freshwater fish tank and it works just fine. It does the job i want it to do and thats make a small current because i have some small danio's (which love current btw) and i didnt want them to get sucked into it. Now the general rule of thumb for tanks is that you always go for a little more power than you need for anything but again becuase of my smaller fish i didnt. I have noticed though that even my 8" bala shark swims against the current and seems to enjoy the small current so even big fish notice it but if you have decent size fish and have between a 30 45 gallon tank i suggest going for the 600gph Koralia.Bought this product to help circulate water in my 55 gallon fish tank because a friend said the more you move the water the cleaner the water will look. After a week of use the product worked great. The clarity of my water increased two fold. The pump was extremely quiet sometimes I forgot it was on. The product was very easy to install also, the product uses magnets to install it to the side of your tank. I would recommend this product to everyone who wants to help clear their water in their fish tank.Moves the crap around my fish tank awesomely, my Oscar enjoys swimming in the stream. Buy this Jetpack and you won't regret it!Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Action Air® Treasure Chest Live-Action Aerating Aquarium Ornaments
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I love the idea of the diver going up and down as the treasure chest opens and closes. Unfortunately, the chains attaching the diver to the chest are cheaply made, so the diver came off and I had to sort of rig him so he stays attached to the chest. Due to the rigging, he doesn't go up and down when the chest opens and closes.Read Best Reviews of Action Air® Treasure Chest Live-Action Aerating Aquarium Ornaments Here
I like this decorator but the air hole clogs and has to be soaked in vinegar to unclog so air can come out.Want Action Air® Treasure Chest Live-Action Aerating Aquarium Ornaments Discount?
I love this fish tank ornament! Great colors and well made. The lid stays open all the time, but it still looks great. The bubbles are a nice feature. Divers hangs perfectly. It's light, so I silicon glued a rock to the bottom of the chest to make sure it stays down. The glue is safe for fish. The rock is covered by gravel, so it's not visible. I bought a second one, since divers should be in pairs. :o)DrTim's Aquatics Ammonium chloride for Aquarium
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This is a wonderful product and I love all of DrTim's products but the bottle that it comes in needs to be changed. The bottle arrives in a plastic bag inside of the shipping packet, when I pulled out the plastic bag almost half of the ammonia had spilled out into the bag. I was disappointed as it is a wonderful product and I will think before ordering this again if I run out before my tank is cycled.Read Best Reviews of DrTim's Aquatics Ammonium chloride for Aquarium Here
I was able to cycle my 30 gallon fish tank but I used almost the whole bottle in the process. Its really diluted, It would be cheaper to buy ammonia from a store near you if you can find any. I need to order a 2nd bottle for my second tank ughWant DrTim's Aquatics Ammonium chloride for Aquarium Discount?
i bought this after reading many reveiws on ammonia products and decided to order this from amazon.com as you cannot but ammonia products in the uk, I have been cycleing my tank for 2 months and havent been able to get any ammonia readings no matter what method i have used, i added this stuff today at 3pm and by 10pm by ammonia was already at 0.50ppm.Tuesday, April 22, 2014
AquaUltraviolet Advantage 2000+ Inline 3/4" Barb - 15 Watt Aquarium UV Sterilizer
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Monday, March 31, 2014
Aquatic Gardens Deluxe Plastic Aquarium With Lid, Mini, Color:Blue
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Tetra 77854 Whisper Air Pump, 60-Gallon
Also!: Make sure to position your bubbles emitting from your stone/bubblewall NOT near(under) your filter intake. The intake will take in the air bubbles and cause significant noise as it spits them out up near the filter[gheez, why don't they tell you this in the pump instructions!]. With a quiet pump and keeping your air bubbles away from the filter intake, you should have a system quiet enough to sleep next to. Therefore I don't recommend using a full length back bubble wall with a top filter, as the filter will take in the bubbles and cause noise.
Whatever you do, don't buy Top Fin pumps,...they're cheap and cheaply made too noisy. Both Tetra Whisper and Rena brands have superior quiet engineering.Let's get something clear first, no air pump runs 100% quiet, no matter what the manufacturer says. Now the review :
After all the numerous mixed reviews, I decided to take a chance and get this air pump anyway, and I'm glad I did.
This pump, as the title says, is surprisingly quiet, the sound of the bubbles and the waves in my tank are actually louder than this pump, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that. I have an old, square shape, Aquaculture pump that was bugging me it was so loud. The Tetra Whisper pump emits a very, almost unnoticed hum. The pump has 2 outakes and comes included with the following:
The pump of course, instructions , 1T-adapter; 2 knobs/valves that help regulate the amount of bubbles you feed into the aquarium by increasing/decreasing air flow. This is actually perfect for those like me with a smaller tank, even though I have a 50 GAL, I don't have to have bubbles at full blast.
I had a problem with my wave maker stirring bubbles all over the place, but now with this new pump, I can have less bubbles in the area near the powerheads hooked to my wave maker. I'm currently using this pump with these: Elite 1-Inch Cylinder Air Stone, 4-Pack and so far, so good. Let the stones soak in your tank for at least 10 minutes before using them.
Some people recomend keeping the pump above water level, but in my 12 years of keeping aquariums I've never done that; just make sure you create a "drip loop" for the power cord with a screw or a push pin, so if water for some reason finds its way down, it will hang and drip at the loop and not reach the AC plug. You may also want to get these: 2 PCS Non-return Check Valves for Aquarium Air Pump to keep water from going into the pump during water changes or power outages.
If you ask me if I have any complaints about this pump, I'd say its size, but that's a minor issue for me, the dome shape of the pump was intentionally designed to reduce the amount of noise it makes, and it works.
The pump measurements are as follow:
7.5 inches long, 4.5 inches wide and 3 inches high.
Overall, I'm very pleased with my purchase, the pump is well built, high quality and made to last. The best feature of course, its almost silent operation, I don't have to crank the volume up on my TV anymore.
One last tip, if you want this pump, or any other pump to make less noise, place it on top of a thick sock or an old fashioned mouse pad. That should absorb some of the vibrations.
Buy Tetra 77854 Whisper Air Pump, 60-Gallon Now
I've had this for a couple of months now and it's still super quiet...which I need as my tank is in my bedroom. Product is as described. ;-)Read Best Reviews of Tetra 77854 Whisper Air Pump, 60-Gallon Here
My first aquarium pump was a Wal-Mart special. I had it running two decorations, and one side fizzled out. When I went to investigate the problem the air output nozzle had cracked and broken off.Today I got my Tetra Whisper pump. I plugged this baby in and was pleasantly surprised. Air is now gushing out of my decorations and my aquarium feels healthier already. The pump is very quiet, and I cannot hear the pump over the sound of trickling water coming from my filter. The pump came with two airline regulators and a hose T valve.
I want to add more air to my tank like a bubble wand, and I will definitely look into another Tetra Pump.
Want Tetra 77854 Whisper Air Pump, 60-Gallon Discount?
The vibrations it makes are certainly not what I would describe as a "whisper", but it is quiet enough none-the-less.Great bang for the buck--easily handles two large air stones at once.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Tetra Pond WaterBalance
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Oceanic 82105 BioCube Original Replacement Filter Cartridges, 2-Pack
As such, when replacing the filter do not clean any other part of the filter assembly. Do that a week after changing the filter.
I also do keep the last "full" filter and after rinsing in drained water I tuck it on top of the filter mechanism under the door so it stays damp. When I do a water change I use that filter for a few hours after the change to catch all the junk that gets knocked loose in the water, then toss it and use a new one.
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I've found that peeling a layer of the gauze medium back once it is clogged greatly extends the useful life.I'll continue to buy these.
Read Best Reviews of Oceanic 82105 BioCube Original Replacement Filter Cartridges, 2-Pack Here
This is the manufacture's replacement. It works well and is not too expensive. If you want to make your own, check out this video:Want Oceanic 82105 BioCube Original Replacement Filter Cartridges, 2-Pack Discount?
These are the required filters for my biocube 29 gallon saltwater tank. These filters clog pretty fast and do not last usally more than two weeks. The company I ordered the filters from are great. They shipped the items quickly and they had the best price.Monday, October 21, 2013
Fluval G6 Advanced Filtration System
Since I like it so much and decided to buy another Fluval G6 for my 120 gallons saltwater tank in addition to my wet and dry filter. This Fluval is so accurate in term of pin point the exact salinity for my healthy fish and coral. Now I can control salinities more accurately. This is important to me and my fish because it reduces the stress due to too high or too low on the salinities. The filtrations that come with the box are built for fresh water fish. For coral and saltwater fish I upgrade to Fine filter cartridge, and tri-Ex. Tri-Ex is the mechanical filter that combine three-in-one with included filter for phosphate, nitrate and carbon. I find this all in one filter is really useful, because it can eliminate the phosphate that slowly built up in my tank.
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I purchased the G-6 several weeks ago to replace 2 Fluval 404's on a 50 gallon heavily stocked and planted fresh water aquarium. Before the filter arrived, I downloaded and printed both the Quick Start and Full Owner's Manual so as to familiarize myself with the filter. When the filter came we decided to set it up in front of the cabinet and allow it to come up to speed biologically before we started weaning off the 404's. The filter was within between the minimum 20 inches below the top of the tank, and not more that the maximum of 49.6 inches. My husband was up all night trying to get the filter not to leak. We had a pretty wet carpet. He "re-did" it all at least 20 times before giving up. I took over the next morning and focused on carefully re-fitting the red gasket until the leaking problem was solved. I could not get it to pump, however. I primed it until my fingers hurt and while it would start pumping at 100% flow rate, within seconds the flow rate declined to zero as it sucked in air. I checked all the fittings and finally called Fluval. The lady I spoke to was very pleasant and was convinced the problem lie in the fact that the hoses did not come straight down into the filter, but sloped down at about a 45 degree angle due to the fact we had it in front of the cabinet. Since there were no curls or kinks, I really did not understand how the gravity feed would be interrupted, but we cut them down and put the filter into the cabinet. The filter still sucked in air and we spent the rest of the evening twisting and tightening until finally my husband apparently gave it the magic twist and the flow rate jumped up to 100%. Since then it has been working fine. I am a bit leery about cleaning the pre-filter since the hoses will have to be detached so the filter can be brought forward and I am concerned that my husband's "magic fix" might come undone. That is why I will review this filter again in about 6 months. I initially give it 4 stars instead of 5 because of our problems. I didn't want to go fewer stars because Fluval was courteous and helpful and I am convinced had I called them back they would have worked to resolve our issues. Time will tell if our initial experience is a fluke, and if it isn't how far Fluval will go to make it right. Hopefully the next review will be 5 stars. I do love the compact size, although the filter is very heavy when filled; and I really like the idea of being able to bypass the system to clean the chemical and mechanical filters.01/27/13 It's been over a year and the G6 is chugging along nicely. If I had it to do all over again I probably would stick to the Fluval 405's. While I love the ease of cartridge removal, I am just not happy with having only one chamber available for chemical media. I wind up doing a lot of media swapping which is tedious, and some of my favorite media will not work with the cartridge configuration. While the electronics are very cool and provide a lot of information, I do not believe it really does much for my simple 50 gal. freshwater fish/planted aquarium. I still use the H.O.T. Magnums on the tank for clarification. The Geek in me bought the G6. I really did not need it. I believe it is geared to more complex aquariums. When the G6 dies, I will replace it with 405's or 406's or whatever number they are up to by then.
Read Best Reviews of Fluval G6 Advanced Filtration System Here
I bought this filter for a 38 gal. aquarium, which seems like overkill, but it is strocked with about 100 guppies, plus bottom fish, which was too much to handle for the Marineland Emperor (also an excellent filter) filter I was previously using.The features that I like the best of this Fluval G series is the ease of changing the filter cartridges, plus the ability to control (slow) the water filtering rate; it's necessary to slow it down for this 38 gallon aquarium. When the cartridge is new, I run at about 1/2 throttle, as it fills up and the flow tends to slow I can open it up and maintain a good water flow.
Yes it is expensive, but no use complaining about that since I knew the price before purchase.
Filter is quiet, and the display is very helpful. The aquarium has never been cleaner. I also bought the Tri-X cartridge to remove phosphates and Nitrates.
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I've had all sorts of filters for different-sized freshwater tanks. The Fluval G6 has a few issues, yes, but it's the most convenient and easiest-to-clean filter I've ever used. My G6 has been running on a 50-gallon freshwater tank for 3 years and, despite the price, I'd buy it again without pause.Positive notes:
* This is the best-manufactured hobby-grade filter I've ever used. The hoses are high-quality rubber and gromits are all silicone. The valve clamp and housing clamps all feel solid. Nothing has turned brittle, has cracked or has worn down. Every component is as good as the day I bought it.
* Cleaning is easy, and the display and timer are invaluable for reminding you how long it's been since you cleaned or replaced each stage. For mechanical, just pop it out, scrub with the included brush, and replace. For charcoal, pop it out, dump out the old, plop in the new, rinse, and replace. The ceramic nuggets take a little more effort -I pull the filter out of the stand and bring it to the sink, fill a bucket with tank water, take out the baskets, and repeatedly submerge and jiggle the baskets in the bucket of tank water to get all the grime off. Occasionally, with the mechanical, I'll go a step further and scrub the valves on top of the mech filter (remove rubber trim and plastic flaps). The intake wand sometimes gets clogged with stuff, but that's easy to pop on and off thanks to the high-quality gromits. I've even done a major cleaning once -removed all hoses and cleaned them and the housing innards with a hose brush, and it's easy to do.
* Cost wise, it's cheap once purchased. I've replaced the mechanical filter twice (1/yr), I used Marineland filter charcoal every two months or so, and I replace a basket-full of ceramic bits every six months. I've never replaced a part.
* The graphs are super-useful for coordinating timers & heaters. If only they'd add pH!
Issues:
* Conductivity is useless for freshwater. The graph is erratic and doesn't correlate with anything.
* It never goes back to 100% flow, only 80%, even after a major cleaning. It's disheartening but I'm over it. (Maybe they could just make the graph *say* it's at 100%, then I'd feel better :-)
* It's getting harder and harder to prime it once I finish cleaning. I figured out that it's best to re-fill the mech and charcoal filters with tank water after cleaning them (they're water-logged when you take them out initially). But the primer button is really hard to press and it takes a bit of muscle. It usually starts and complains ("CHECK IMPELLER"), so I prime it, let it sit, unplug it, plug it back in, and repeat 3 or 4 times until it works, and then it's back to normal.
* The charcoal filter is becoming impossible to pull out. I've checked all seals/gromits and it's fine, but now I use a pair of pliars to twist the red handle counterclockwise the last ten degrees, then it slides out without problem.
Final opinion: If paying $400 for an aquarium filter doesn't sound ludicrous to you, just buy it. It's like buying a fully-loaded, brand-new Lexus after you've driven used '94 Honda Civics you're entire life.
UPDATE: After 3.5 years, something finally happened -one of the grommets around the intake stem snapped. Replacement assembly ordered from Amazon Prime for $20. Not great, but at least the replacement will be on my doorstep in a few days! (A few rubber bands will seal it until then.)

