Recylced Glass Aquarium/Fish Tank Gravel 4lb Size #4

First of all I must say this seller is the most reliable by far. Out of the 10 items I ordered this was the first to arrive. The product is exactly as described. It's mainly green, clear and brown glass with a generous amount of blue glass. I was surprised since I really wasn't expecting blue at all. Amazing gravel and would recommend to anyone. Can't wait to get my tank started!!

Marineland Single Bright LED Lighting System

I have a number of freshwater planted 10 gallon tanks. I own both the Marineland Single Bright and the Double Bright models. While the double bright is in fact double the brightness, they are narrowly concentrated and the plant growth is affected by the placement of the plants directly below the LEDs. This is also a huge problem if you have any floating plants blocking certain LEDs from reaching the light below.

While a bit less bright, the Single Bright evenly covers the tank with behavior similar to a single T8 light. The plant growth for low light plants such as Java Moss and Java Fern can be kept without worrying about algae problems, especially if you "tape to block" the blue LEDs since there is not a separate switch to turn just the blue LEDs off. Because of the number of LEDs present, the floating plants or placement of the plants are much more forgiving than the Double Bright model.

While the light works fine on black substrate, my recommendation is to go with natural or "whiter" substrate to allow the light reflections to help spread the coverage.

Lastly, the power adapter is detachable at the cord that plugs in right next to the on/off switch. This is very convenient since the light can be quickly unplugged and moved out of the way. The Double Bright has the cord permanently attached, so moving the light is not as easy.

Strongly recommended for anyone looking to lower the cost of electricity.

I have tested the following plants in a 10 gallon tank:

Ludwgia Repens X: This plant turns green to red to indicate light intensity. Under a single T8 6500k bulb, the plants' bottom is usually green while top half of the leaves turn bronze to red. Under this LED light, the red turned to green and maintained slow growth. Therefore, I know that this light provides lower "PAR" and spectrum not as ideal as a single T8 bulb.

Amazon Sword: Don't bother under this light. Mine melted.

Java Fern: Stayed the same size with little to no new growth.

Java Moss: Continued to grow. Perfect for the low LED light.

Dwarf Sag: Don't bother.

Hornwort: Floating hornwort melted slowly melted away.

Pennywort: Leaves continued to grow, but looked very soft bright green.

Duckweed: Well, they are duckweed. They grew.

So, there you have it. Should give you a good reason to stay with T8 bulbs or take chances with this LED light. Looks nice to human eyes, but doesn't translate to plant growth.

Single Bright LED Lighting System (10 Total Watts)

600 Lumens

102 60 mW White LEDs

6 60 mW Blue LEDs

SKU B0045LAS3O

Double Bright LED Lighting System (23.5 Total Watts)

1200 Lumens

16 1 W White LEDs

8 60 mW Blue LEDs

SKU B0032536R4

Reef Capable LED Lighting System (57 Total Watts)

2610 Lumens

36 1 W White LEDs

6 1 W Blue LEDs

SKU B00494JTFU

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This has to be one of the best purchases I've made for my poor fish. Despite some of the reviews, this lit up my tank very nicely. I have a 35-gallon hexagonal tank. I was concerned that the light wouldn't fit on such an odd shape. I took a chance on it because the opening is 17" across and the light looked like the bars would pull out to accommodate the size of the edge lip, which was about 22". It did and it fits perfectly. The entire tank is illuminated evenly and much more pleasant than my old fluorescent light. I actually don't have a negative. The opening of my tank is about 1" wider than the light itself, so it doesn't cover the hole entirely, but there is only 1/2" open on the front and back, so the cat still can't get in. As a matter of fact, the cat used to be able to push off the fluorescent light because it was so big. Since this one is flat, sits right on top of the tank and is held on by the extendable bars, the cat can't move it off. Again, one of the best purchases I've ever made for the fish.

Read Best Reviews of Marineland Single Bright LED Lighting System Here

Love this light. Brighter than a single fluorescent bulb. Lights my 75 gallon tank very well. The lunar light (blue) is great and along with maintaining the peacefulness for my fish, it looks great too. I don't know that this light would be adequate for plant life as I have no live plants in my tank, but it is great for lighting the tank to see the fish. My tank is 48" long, which is why I went with the 48"-60" light, that way the tank is evenly lit. Great value for the money. Easy to use. No ballast, which is a great option compared to fluorescent lighting.

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I've been keeping fish for over thirty five years and these wonderfully innovative double bright LED lighting systems are some of the best advances I've seen aquarium lighting.I was so impressed with the largest sized units the 48-60 I have them on my 55 gallons all the way up to 125 gallons ( you need to Double uo on the units for larger tanks to avoid shadow and ensure uniform lighting)

This size is perfect for tanks up to 36" across, be it a regular or breeder tank the results are absolutely stunning.Gone is the dull white haze of expensive, energy draining full spectrum tubes. Not to mention those awfully shoddy fixtures that haven't changed at least since I was a kid some 40 years ago.

Having looked into alternative lighting in the past, the setups were either too expensive, ran too hot or were difficult to install.One thing is certain Marineland has a hit on their hands. The unit is simplicity itself. A sleek and smart design it's as functional as it is beautiful. Solid build quality, no need for special wiring and installation is a breeze. Simply place it on to your glass canopy, turn it on and get ready to have your jaw drop.

The light from this unit is nothing short of gorgeous, it pours out crystal, pristine and brilliant. The "shimmering effect" is subtle and really quite remarkable the Lunar mode is almost surreal it's that beautiful.I've read on the forums that some folks are using the lights without a versa top. All it takes is one good splash and you'll short the system out not to mention void your warrantee.

The unit itself is so incredibly thin, you'll have no trouble fitting a canopy on top of your tank. The lights rest about 1/4 inch above the glass tops and you'll of course want to place them in the back. The end brackets are fully adjustable and make for a perfect, snap in fit. However, I suggest when using this size on smaller tanks, say up to a 40 gallon ignore the brackets an position the unit without the brackets extended dead center on your glass versa top.

The reason being you'll go nuts trying to get the system perfectly centered. In addition the look without the brackets extended is sensational, clean and high tech.

There's a lot of bang for your buck here :

* The day light LED lights consume only 35 watts as opposed to 80 for a single fluorescent bulb.

* The Lunar LED lights are spectacular and allow you to watch your fish without disturbing their natural sleep/rest cycle.

* Each LED is covered with a Polycarbonate lens this not only protects the bulb, but helps to create the "shimmer effect" hobbyists are raving about.

* Everything you need is controlled by a single side switch. Daylight, Lunar and on and off.

Nothing I've seen re-creates the look of actual sunlight as perfectly as this it's that spectacular.You get an impressive 17,000 lifetime hours, Daylight mode, Lunar mode, an incredible Shimmer effect that's bound to just knock you out and a whopping 1800 Lumens of clear, clean light. The Marineland Double Bright LED lighting system is exceptional.Once you turn it on you'll know immediately that the system is worth every penny. Just a brilliant product that does more than meet your expectations, it exceeds them.

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Aquatic Gardens Aquarium Hydrometer with Thermometer

This is a really great product. I bought a Red Sea Hydrometer/Thermometer before this one and it was absolutely terrible. The design of this hydrometer is very neatit actually floats upright in your aquarium, and gives a very accurate temperature and salinity reading. Highly recommended!

I've been in the reef aquarium hobby for around 6 years now. I purchased 3 of these in case I ended up breaking one. Not as fragile as some have suggested but it's glass so be careful. Works just fine...just be sure to calibrate it with a something of a known specific gravity to ensure you are measuring apples to apples. I'd buy again for the price.

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The hydrometer arrived in a timely fashion. It did not have any directions. It seems simple and easy to use.

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I dont know why i bought this for my fresh water tanks but i did.It does work and and it is easy to read i just have no use for it with my fresh water tanks.Maybe one day ill have a use for it because i would like to try a saltwater setup some day

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36" Fluorescent Strip Light in Black

This product actually only holds a 24" fluorescent bulb although that is never stated. They instead put a 24" bulb light inside a 36" surround. The advertising should be corrected to insure this does not occur to others.

Feeling a little deceived. The ad promises a 36" strip light made by All Glass Aquariums (same as the one I'm replacing) which houses a 36" bulb and has an aluminum reflector inside. What I received was a 36" housing with a smaller bulb inside 24", doesn't have an aluminum reflector and it's made by Aqueon. It fits and it costs less than the one in the local pet store so I will keep it. I just hope that it lasts as long as the one I'm replacing. I just wish they would correct the ad so we all don't feel disappointed when we open the box.

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I ordered this because I needed a 36" light for my 36" tank. I was bummed that the bulb was only 24" but I didnt want to pay $80 or more for one with a 36" bulb.Now that I have the light Im REALLY bummed because when I put it on my 36" tank it was to short.I checked it with a tape measure and the fixture (plastic housing)is 34&3/4" long. A full 1&1/4" less than what I need and what its advertised as.So now I have to modify a brand new light that cost me just under $40 (with shipping)in order to use it the way I need to. If your looking for a 36" light that NEEDS to be 36" this isnt the one that you want.

UPDATE;I just recieved an email from OZBO the merchant that sold me this light. They offered to reimburse me for the light including shipping costs.I'm both surprised and impressed, in my experience the customer pays the shipping.I'm keeping the light its still less expensive than the others I looked at and I can make a couple of brackets to hold it the way I want to. With this type of customer service I would buy from OZBO again!

Read Best Reviews of 36" Fluorescent Strip Light in Black Here

The price was right on this light strip! Please note that the bulb is only 24" but it gives off more than enough light.

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The plastic housing is 36" the light itself is 24" bulb. Deceptive IMO and I will think twice before buying Aqueon products in the future.

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PraziPro - 4 oz.- treats up to 480 Gallon

This product worked great in my reef tank, I didn't have to remove any of the corals, I didn't have to catch the fish that had worms.

All I did was apply the medication and with in 3 to 4 days I could see the fish was clearing up.

After the first dose the tapeworms and fluke symptoms my fish were experiencing all but dissapeared. It did not harm my snails, shrimp, plants or biological filtration. How can you go wrong?

Buy PraziPro - 4 oz.- treats up to 480 Gallon Now

It took just one treatment for me to notice a difference in two days. I purchased fish from two different stores in a new tank. Soon after a couple were not doing well and with a new tank I wasn't sure which fish caused the sickness. I ended up treating the entire tank (removing the carbon) and withing a few days everyone looked great!

This is actually my second order (first was a mini bottle) 75 gallon tank.

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This is a very powerful and safe product...BUT be prepared for the skimmer to NOT work for over a week. This stuff takes a long time to break down to say the least. Tons of bubbles and over skimm first. The product does say no skimming but had no idea how long that period will be. On the other hand had an emergency with a purple tang and what looked like larger white ulcers out of the blue in over 9 years of perfect health and it was gone in a day with this. So worth having availible.

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This one is for parasitic infection. Flukes and worms, ich, and so forth. Examine new fish with a magnifying glass before putting them in the community tank.

Tetra Betta Bowl, Silver

Too small for a temporary home. Not bad I guess if you wanted to put one in there while your changing your REAL tank. You can get a 5 gal for cheaper at some places. Please be kind!

This is a simple and sweet bowl for your Betta. It is a good bowl but take note that the food will get buried beneath the rocks so it requires extra cleaning.The light is nice and runs on batteries, it is an LED light.

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I bought my betta a few weeks ago as a pet for college. Unsure of what container to get, or how much room I would have on my desk, I opted for this bowl.

I have been very pleased with this product. Although the bowl is smaller than I would like, my fish has grown increasingly happy and responsive the longer he has lived in it. There was enough room to place a small "fish castle" in the middle, which he absolutely loves! It gives him a wonderful place to hide, but also something to do. I also placed a few small rocks at the bottom for him to rest on, and to compliment his color.

Unfortunately, this bowl does not have a filtration system, so it requires almost daily examination/care. This is not a huge issue for me, but I can assume that it will become too much work eventually.

I plan on switching to a larger, filtered tank eventually, but for now, this bowl has been great for my happy, healthy little friend. :)

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I would never use this for any of my fish. Bettas needs are too many. Heck any fishes needs are many. Filtering, heat, freshness...

I do however love this tank for raising food for my fish. Its not a bad spot for brine shrimp.

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this is crazy! bettas jump first of all, and need a heater! what kind of cracked up evil fish designer at Tetra came up with this one? Anders Behring Breivik??

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Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Activated Filter Carbon 22oz.

Pour half a cup of this stuff for every 10 gallons into a nylon mesh bag, rinse well under tap water, listen to it sizzle, (sign of good carbon!) and place into your filter as the last step of filtration. In other words, carbon is a chemical type of filtration and should be the last thing your filtered water passes through before it goes back into the tank. I place mine on top of my biological medium in my Aquaclear filter. I watched my "tea" colored water clear up in just over 2 hours when I placed this in my filter. You should always have fresh carbon in your filter and change it about every 4 weeks. This way you don't find yourself scrambling to get some in the tank to clear it up before company comes over! ;) Nothing else to say, it's good stuff.

Zilla 11476 48-Inch Desert 50 UVB T8 Fluorescent Bulb, 32-Watt

I use these lights in a Walmart shoplight fixture 1 UVB bulb and 1 regular bulb for extra brightness....these bulbs seem a little dim on their own, but i know they are for UVB and not overall brightness...also write the date you install them with a sharpie on them somewhere, because you should replace these every 6 months or so...they lose their UVB producing power over time...i replace mine once a year at breeding season(feb-march) because thats all i can afford to do....and because tax season helps with the money...keep in mind i have to uy like 6+ bulbs at a time because i have 20+ lizards

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Lee's Round Dual-Action Foam Filter, Fits up to 5-Gallon

I read other reviews on here that complained about how "loud" this style of filter is, and I thought to myself, "How could a foam filter possibly be loud?"

Well, I'm here to tell you right now... this thing is loud. For some reason, the bubbles it expels aren't of the "calm, soothing" variety. They're aggressively noisy. I'm not even sure why that is, but I do know that this filter didn't last two days before I'd had enough and chucked it into the garbage.

I've since switched to the Hydro Sponge-style filter and it operates beautifully. And quietly.

Found an under gravel filter to fit my Betta bowls! The gravel layer is 1-1/2" and an airline with air valves modulates the air from a small pump, that services 3 Betta bowls. Weekly 20% water changes are still required. Fish are happy and healthy. The bowls have small water heaters, too.

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Reptile Cafe Tree Stump Hide-Away Reptile Tank Decor, Small

Only problem was I did not realize how small it was, my geckos are to big for it now. So next time I will order a bigger one.

The painted detail is such a cute addition to my pet's tank and she loves to curl up inside it.

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Smaller than I thought, inside was bumpy and did not have enough room/empty space. Looked hand painted but not very nicely.

Read Best Reviews of Reptile Cafe Tree Stump Hide-Away Reptile Tank Decor, Small Here

Bio-Floss® Filter Media for Cascade® Canister Filter Pumps, 6-pack

I usually clean out my canister once or twice a month, so I always check to see the price on these. I've seen Amazon sell these from six up to ten dollars and change. These filters get dirty really fast, so I recommend replacing them at least once a month. I prefer these over the bonded filter pads because these seem to absorb more dirt, and you don't have to cut them. I still alternate between bonded filter pads and these. Keep an eye out for their low price which fluctuates almost daily.

What can I say, the fit perfectly in my Cascade 1000 pump. They last about 2 months, which would vary based on bio-load. I bought a second sponge for the bottom tray. 2 tray of SeaChem Matrix in the middle trays. Seachem Purigen and one biofloss in the top tray. Tank is crystal clear, almost like the fishing are floating in air.

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I stock up on this item when possible I rather have them then have to have a need to go runnign around looking for them definite buy

Read Best Reviews of Bio-Floss® Filter Media for Cascade® Canister Filter Pumps, 6-pack Here

Bought the filters for pen Plax filter system. It was exactly what I needed and along with the pen Plax filter keep water crystal clear.

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HELPFUL BECAUSE WE USE THESE ITEMS MONTHLY AND FOR SEVERAL AQUARIUMS... FINDING IT AT EVEN THE SLIGHTEST BIT CHEAOER IS A HUGE HELP, THANK YOU!

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Nature's Miracle Odor Control No Tracking Cat Litter 12 Pounds

I've been using Nature's Miracle's litter for a long time and haven't found anything better ... well that is the litter made from Corn Cobs. This is made from paper, I thought it would be excellent but what I've found is that when it does clump it's like cement but most of the time it turns into a sludge.

Well back to their Corn Cob litter, this paper based litter just fails.

Pro's Better than Clay

Doesn't track

Flushable

Con's Turns into sludge most of the time

When it does clump(if left alone for over a day) it's turns into cement

Odor Control? It fails miserably here

Like many people, I am struggling to improve my cats' litter and litter box system. The search continues...

I purchased a small bag of Nature's Miracle Odor Control "low tracking" litter from PetSmart. I liked that it is a similar consistency to clay, is a clumping litter, and yet is made of paper and very light weight and eco-friendly! Also, the advertised "low tracking" on the package sold me.

As several other reviewers have mentioned, the clumping ability of this litter is terrible. It's more like a muddy sludge and it breaks apart into tiny pieces whenever I try to scoop it. Also, it DOES track everywhere! Odor control was only so/so.

Definitely not a product I will be purchasing again unless the company makes vast improvements.

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The odor was a bit strong in one of the packages but it is good litter. It does not track a lot as advertised. I had to mix with regular non scented scooping litter at first, but the cats took to it almost immediately. It is expensive, but does last longer than regular litter. I would recommend this product.

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API Reef Master Test Kit

I have used Salifert, Elos, Redsea and a bunch of others. While it's really hard to guage the accuracy of all these kits, one can assume at least +/10% readings. With the API kit I see small enough changes reflected in the readings to give me confidence that it's within the ball Park of ELOS and Salifert, so at a the current price API is a clear winner. I also like that these tests are simpler to preform than most of the others, so thats a real plus.

When combined with the Saltwater Master Test Kit, these kits provide all the tests that a beginning reef master could want. I am using these tests in a 40 gallon breeder reef tank, and so far they have been easy to use and reliable. The only complaint I have is that they are sometimes hard to read on certain tests. It is hard to decipher the different levels from one another if they are close.

Still, I would definitely recommend this kit to anyone that has a reef tank.

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Simply put having a test kit is essential for any reef aquarium keeper. I only have a 28-gallon tall aquarium with just soft corals, a feather duster, a few damsels & a couple of cleaner shrimp. The API Reef Master Kit is well packaged and everything is labeled very clearly. I sometimes have difficulty interpreting the nitrate and phosphate tests as the results are limited to viewing color code charts of different shades of green and orange. For example when I conduct the test for nitrates, my resulting shade of green from my test tube is in the range of .50 to 1.0 as my best guess instead of .50 or 1.0.

The instructions are very well written and easy to follow although I can't help, but notice API's intentional attempt at product placement by their brand. For example if your test kit yields a high result for phosphates, the instructions recommends that you purchase & use API's Phos-Zorb to help reduce phosphates in addition to conducting water changes & removing waste. If you have low calcium levels you can use API's Eco Calcium Marine to increase calcium levels. If your nitrates are high you can use API Tap Water Filter to help reduce nitrates in addition to water changes & the removal of waste.

Some other reviewers have complained about the absence of the ammonia test, but I have already owned API's ammonia test kit (with its different shades of yellow test results chart) that I used when I initially cycled my aquarium, so adding the reef master kit just supplemented to what I already have. Didn't need the instructions help to buy another API product for ammonia testing because I already did.

Overall an adequate test kit for the very important task of truly knowing what's in your aquarium water (or at least ballpark figure ranges) to help your corals, fish & invertebrates to thrive successfully.

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Has all the supplies you need and a case to keep it all in. I wish it had a quick instruction sheet for all the tests. The instruction book is very detailed and the testing is accurate. Highly recommend for testing your reef tank. A must have.

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nice price (few bucks less than LSF) very easy to use, booklet explains eveyrthing you need when starting a tank.

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Pet Greens Grooming 2 in 1 Shampoo & Conditioner

I've been using this Pet Greens shampoo on my Westie, and it's fantastic. She loves to play and can get very dirty, this shampoo/conditioner cleans her extremely well. After we use it on her; her coat is soft, shiny, and vibrant, she smells great, looks clean, her skin and fur just feel great afterward (you can also tell that she feels great afterwards too). The ingredients are all natural and seem to work very well. I got turned on to Pet Greens (Bell Rock Growers) products because she loved their treats, but this shampoo is a fantastic product as well. Highly recommended.

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West Paw Design-Tuckered Out Premium Dog Bed

The cover is faux fur and my dog immediately made herself comfortable when I unpacked her new bed. It's exactly what I was looking for... stylish, well made and a spot that will keep my pet off the furniture.

Love the cow look! Awkward looking bed but the cats love it. There is cat in it every minute since it came. Room for only one though.

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A very very cute dog bed for we cow lovers. Lucy....a weimeraner, loves it !!

Highly recommend it !!

Merry Christmas miss Lucy.

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4 stars because it arrived open; otherwise love! West Paw products are the best and good for the environment too.

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Conceptual Creations SCC1015 Turtle Landing Floating Resting Pad

This turtle landing was larger than expected, but actually the perfect size for my slider turtle and he loves basking on it all the time! I was worried he wouldn't be able to get on it very easily but he figured it out after a day or so just fine.

Overall it's a nice basking platform. Maybe it was just mine. The size is perfect it's just that the plastic was cut wrong and the plastic broke very easily

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All Glass Aquarium AAG20007 Inc Economy Hood, 16-Inch

These hoods are cheap, but they serve the purpose for a freshwater aquarium. As another reviewer stated, it does not have a protective cover, so it is exposed to evaporative water and splashing, but the lights are set up a few inches, which helps a little in the case of splashing.

The best part about these hoods is that you can replace the inefficient and low wattage incandescent bulbs with good mini compact fluorescent tubes (preferably the single loop kind, not the spiral kind) which output about 13 watts per tube to give you 26 watts over a 10 gallon tank. It has been just enough light to grow my plants, whereas a single tube fluorescent hood or light strip will only give you 15 Watts.

Perfecto does have a better quaility incandescent hood that you can retrofit with fluorescents for $10-$15 more.

I was very disappointed with this product because all of theese parts are exposed to water,wether it be condensation or fish splashing about or humidity.There for allthe components rot away very rapidly,I have even kept the water levels lower and this does no good.If this problem could be solved perhaps then they would be worth the money!

G.Ogden

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perfect top for 5 gallon aquarium,takes a standard incandesent bulb or you can use a screw in flourescent bulb.has knockouts in the back for heater,filter.etc.

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Hood as stated, however the type of bulb the hood takes is either pink, blue, or clear. The problem is the "clear" bulb is more like a weird orange instead of a white which distorts the fish colors and is very hot so it heats the tank up too much!

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The only problem I had was that it does not come with a light. The pinch outs for the filter and the heater both worked fine. Fit my 5 gallon tank perfectly. Happy customer.

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Tetra Pond Skimmer

Not quite sure what all the fuss was all about on the stickers and labels from the other reviewer. Sure there are informative and descriptive stickers all over this skimmer but they came right off with a little patience. I didn't rip them off. I took my time and they came off cleanly and in one piece. There was a very little adhesive residue left over but a paper towel with some lighter fluid made quick work of it.

I teamed this skimmer up with a Tetra 1900 gph submersable pump. I have the skimmer set on top of an upside down bucket that I cut big holes in to make it a "cave" for the fish to swim through and hide in.

The only "problem" I've had in the month it's been installed is that a few of my very young shubunkins have been sucked into it. These little guys were born last October, just before I shut the pump down for the winter. I knew they wouldn't survive the winter cold so I put them in an aquarium over the winter months. We've had a very warm spring and I started the pond pump up mid March when I noticed my water was over 65 degrees. I decided to take the 12 new fish and put them in the pond and give them more room (than the aquarium). I check each morning to see if there are any of the little buggers in there and normally there are one or two. I was trying to figure a way to lessen the chance of them getting sucked in. I thought of splitting the intake for my pump to include maybe a separate underwater prefilter to take some of the suction away but then yesterday morning I noticed when I push down on the weir (from the inside when the top is tipped up) that the water "flow" into the skimmer seemed to be less intense. Actually slowing the turbulance down enough that it seemed a little fish could work his own way out. I ended up putting a small rock onto the wier to weigh it down. That seems to be doing the trick. Time will tell...I will still check each morning and write an update.

Anyway, for the money, this skimmer does a great job keeping the water surface much cleaner than it was without the skimmer. I used to have to overflow the pond when I would see any kind of clutter or debris on the surface I didn't like. This has been a great upgrade to my pond. It whisks away leaves, flower pedals, and any uneaten food to keep it from decaying and clouding the water. I've actually been opening it up later in the day and scooping out any food still floating in there and putting it back for a snack for my little buddies. If you want a skimmer to help keep your pond cleaner and clearer, don't hesitate buying this one. It's a real bargain. I hope I've helped balance the bad reviews on this thing. The stickers just need a little patience and this thing is plenty sturdy to do the job it's intended to do and do it well.

I've wanted a skimmer for a long time and this one is just 1/2 the price of the next cheapest one so I decided to give it a go.

The worst thing about Tetra products is that their website has minimal documentation compared to other brands such as Laguna which even has pdf's of the instruction manuals. So to find out if a Tetra product works for you, you'll have to search forums or consumer reviews for information.

The kit comes with 3 ft of 1.25" hose, coarse filter, internal filter basket and a 1.25" hose fitting that you can fit on either side of it. There are 3 large stickers on the skimmer, but you can peel them off pretty easily. You'll also need to buy a couple of hose clamps to make sure the hose attaches securely to the tube fittings, they could have been included in the kit, but it's not a big deal to buy them.

The outlet for this skimmer is 1.25" so you should find a pump that has a 1.25" inlet. I've attached it to a 2 filter arrangement that only accepts a 1" tube so I had to get a step down attachment that goes from 1.25" to 1" at the hardware store.

Placement: Placement is very important for this to work. You must place this skimmer so that it is horizontally level and the water level is about an inch from the top of the skimmer inlet (the inlet is 3 inches high so you've got a little room to play with). The skimmer floats and capsizes if there is not enough water in it (level of water too low) and sinks (if the water level is too high), so you have to secure it on some kind of level platform near the edge (to empty the basket and clean the filter). If your pond is very deep all around or if you don't have some kind of platform near the edge then you're out of luck, this skimmer will not float at the right height or stay put by itself. There are 4 small niches on the edges where you are supposed to put stones in to prevent the skimmer from floating off but the spaces are just too small to put enough stones in to do that.

I don't know how Tetra expects you to hold the skimmer in place as there are no flanges or attachment points built in. I have it temporarily secured right now with two rocks holding it down, but I plan to either drill a couple of holes in it to tie it down or wedge it securely in a rock setting. But once it is in place it works great. I can see the surface debris and detritus floating into the skimmer right away. For this price, this skimmer is a great deal, in fact I couldn't find anything close to this price. You just need to work at it a little bit to fit it into you pond. Highly recommended for those who don't mind doing a little extra work.

Update: I had to go to the hardware store to find step up and down adapters because the filters and the pump had different size hoses but I've found that Laguna sells hose fittings and adapters that make connections between different sized hoses a snap. Just follow the links below:

Laguna Y-Connector Supplied with 3 Click-Fit Connectors, 1-1/4-Inch

Laguna Multi Hose Adapter, 3/4 to 1-1/2-Inch

Another update:

This skimmer rocks. It not only sucks a lot of floating debris in but it also helps clean the pond water by catching the tiny algae which makes your water green. I have a couple of fish swim in (one idiot went in twice and you would have thought that he learned his lesson the first time) so I've elected to leave the top off so you can see inside it.

It has intakes on both left and right and comes with a plug so you can seal up the side you don't use. Theoretically, you can line up 2 of these skimmers in series so you can clean up the pond more efficiently, but I used the other intake to plug in another DIY filter to increase the filter surface area. Works great. I really love this skimmer and highly highly recommend it.

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I was excited when I saw this skimmer. I have a small pond and it was the size I was looking for, and at a great price. It is a new product, however, and you can definitely tell that they have not fixed all the kinks. First, there are stickers all over it -on the lid, on the weir and at the base. There are even a few "Made in China" stickers. Since this product is supposed to be placed in the water, I figured it was a good idea to remove the stickers. Wrong! Only the one on the weir came off easily. The others were hard to remove and left a lot of glue. These are big stickers -the one on the lid covers almost the entire lid and the one at the base covers half the base. The only way to remove the glue is to use turpentine or something similar. However, the lid is made of cheap plastic that began to melt with the turpentine, causing my rag to turn black. Now I'm kinda nervous all of this is going to poison my pond water. Then, after I put it together, I realized two problems: 1. they had to bend the basket to make it fit and then, you have to place the basket just right and 2. the hose that connects the skimmer to the pump DOES NOT fit the fittings that are included in the package. I purchased the Tetra Pond pump recommended for the skimmer and the fitting screws onto it without a problem, but the hose is clearly too large for the barb on the fitting. It falls right off. Tetra Pond apparently figured out this at some point but their solution was to suggest that the hose be clamped with clamps that are "optional" and "not included". That's like saying the engine mounts in a car are "optional" and "not included". Basically, there is no way the skimmer and pump will work without the clamps or a hose that fits over the barb on the fitting so I'm going to purchase those now. I also noted that the skimmer does not come with straps like other skimmers so you have to lay something under it to get it to the right height. Basically, if you are handy and have free time, and want to save some money, this might work for you. But if you want it to work with the minimum of muss and fuss out of the box, try another small skimmer like Cal Pumps Small Pond Skimmer or PondMaster's Mini Pond Skimmer.

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This skimmer was very easy to install and I had it done very quickly. I like that I didn't have to cut the liner to install it and it was easy to adjust the height of the unit with flat rocks. The gravel in the corners keeps it from floating away. It really was covered with stickers but they came right off.

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I have a 3 tier swan fountain in a 500 gallon pool. Have been fighting bug and debris contamination for a year. Pump pre filters help, but this baby solves the problem before it becomes a problem. Added this skimmer and the water now remains crystal clear. I love this skimmer. Had my wife and kids remove the stickers, so no problem there for me. Add rocks in the bottom to keep it from floating away.

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Rio Plus 3100HP Water Pump for Aquarium, 900-Gallon Per Hour

I have been using this pump for my 75 gallon water tank. It used to take me 20 minutes to change the water and now it takes 5-7 minutes. Amazing and reasonably priced.

I like this product because it supplies my outdoor fountain with the sufficient water flow to keep the water moving. This product has completely met all my expectations.

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I've had this pump for 2 years now and it's still going strong. I've never needed to replace the impeller, unlike the Rio 800 which needs to be replaced once or twice a year. The Rio 3100 is actually more powerful than expected, even after 2 years, which is why I am in the market for a smaller powerhead.

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I bought a Rio 3100 pump to power my Pro Clear Aquatics 175 wet/dry filter and it's just about perfect for that application. The pump is designed to run submerged so I just placed it in the sump where is sits on it's suction cups. For the inlet I installed a 90 degree fitting to prevent vortexing and cavitation of the pump because the water level in the sump is only about 4 inches deep. Then I come right out of the top with a hose for the return it's very simple.

The pump is nice and quiet. I did have a little noise at first but I think that might have been some residual air that took a few minutes to get through the system now, while not totally silent it's still nearly inaudible. Also, under my sump I placed a couple of pads made from some closed cell foam and the whole thing is inside of a cabinet which helps to make it even more quiet in the room.

The pump draws less wattage than any other pump of it's size that I could find, only about 75 watts. We will see how it does over the long haul but I've had great results from the other Rio pumps I've used in the past(Rio 1100) for other purposes.

The pump is not expensive either and that's another plus and thus a great value.

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Hagen AquaClear 50 Nylon Bag, 2-Pack

Bought these to hold Seachem Matrix for use with my AquaClear 50. Requires the bag to be tied shut and does not have a draw string closure like some other media bags.

If you own or thinking about owning a Aquaclear filter get these, they will save you money. I use this size media bag on both my Aquaclear filers (20 & 50) and they work great. The mesh is the perfect size for containing my media Marineland Activated Carbon Diamond Blend 54 ozif you want or need to customize your filter media, this is the way to go

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Not good for purigen. The small beads slip through. I didn't like the bag even if it worked for Purigen, they just feel cheap and the string is just attached, not threaded through the neck so you can't cinch it tight and tie it. They might as well have just included a loose piece of string for you to tie it with.

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I had bought 1 of these at a local store, it was their last pkg, and I couldn't find them anywhere else, except here on Amazon. Where I live, we have very soft water, very low ph & I needed something to hold some crushed coral sand substrait together in my 4 gallon cube's power filter, so that when water flows threw it, it buffers the ph natrually with out having to add chemicals. I had used the 2 bags I had purshased from a store in my 55 gallon aquairium in this way & it worked great, I just needed to do the same with the cube. Much cheaper than the powdered additives ( I went that rout in the past & way to extreemly expensive fast!!!). Oh by the way, both of my aquariums are freshwater. Thank you!

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The bag is very fine and has the capacity to hold very small filter media. I use it for activated carbon and will use the second for Seachem Matrix. I think this bag is effective.