Nova Extreme T5 HO Saltwater Aquarium Light Fixture -18 in.

BACKGROUND:

I have been wanting to get a nice light setup for my basic 10 gallon freshwater sand/invert setup, but without the mortgage pricetag most light systems come in at. Most 10 gallon setups are about 20" wide. I didn't want a 24" light because of the overhang. I seriously looked at making a lighting setup myself, getting the T5 components, making the reflector, even did research into the cost of it all. I'm a heavy DIYer and this seemed like a good idea.

After finding out that the bulbs alone would run me about $30, not counting cost of the T5 components (about $20 total), the DIY solution for T5 (or even T8) looked out of the question compared to this, because the price was the same. I also looked into running two dual actinic/daylight CFL's, and making a housing for them also.. price came to about $40.

Since I found the Nova Extreme HO for $50, I knew this was the solution for me.

PRODUCT:

* A lot of times you hear 'extreme' in a product name and just think it's partially hype. Do not be fooled with this product. Current-Usa (the MFG) aptly named this Extreme. The light output is phenominal. If you haven't tried T5 HO yet, you will notice the difference immediately.

* The reflector design is really awesome, pushing most of the light into the aquarium, spreading it wide, and preventing backscatter back into the bulbs. Reflectors are very important, and this product has an excellent solution.

* It has an acrylic cover to enclose the bulbs and protect them. Acrylic is optically superior to glass, but easier to scratch. Don't use paper towels or other non-acrylic wipes on this, and it will serve you perfectly for life.

* There's 36 total watts of output if you use both bulbs, which is perfect for 10 gallons. If you don't have a lot of plants or use low-mid light plants, you can use just the one daylight bulb and be fine. Don't worry about the numbers anyhow.. there's tons of light output.

* This light thoroughly fills my 10 gallon and 'leftover' light actually helps light about 1/3rd of the room it's in, which is about another 5' around the tank.

* Within a few hours of running this light, my once-choking Red Wendtii plants burst back to light and seem like they're trying to reach the sky (light) now!

MISC IMPORTANT NOTES:

* For my application I don't need the Actinic, though it does give a great 'marine' hue to the environment. The daylight bulb itself is intense enough for all but the most heavily planted aquariums requiring 3watts per gallon.

* The photos which are being provided by some sellers on this product show the thin metal wire pull-out legs. This particlar model does not use those, instead it uses plastic feet which curve out from the bottom of the light, and extend a little beyond. Actual product photo can be seen here:

* 10 Gallon Compatibility: When I saw 18" in the description I was thinking bulbs, which would make the light itself 20". However, the 18" is the width of the entire light. Using the included plastic feet, it won't reach the full width of a 10 gal aquarium (~20in). Instead you either need to come up with your own simple feet/hanging method, or set a thin piece of plastic across the rim of the aquarium for the feet to sit on. If you have a clear hood on top of the aquarium, you can sit the light directly on it, or better yet use the feet to let it sit up off the hood, providing wider dissemination of light and cooling.

SUMMARY:

If you're looking for a 10 gallon or less light for plants and other reasons.. this is your choice, and can be found for $50 or less. This is a solid product I hope lasts a lifetime.

I got this fixture knowing it wasn't going to fit my 10 gallon tank, so I bought a glass canopy and set it directly on the top without the legs. Its a wonderful little lamp. I highly recommend it to anyone with a little saltwater tank or planted tank(Current does offer a freshwater Flora lamp this size so if you have plants, that's always an option. I love my little light.

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I bought this light for my 10 gal nano. It works great but it's too short for my tank. I had to buy a canopy and set it on top but other than that it's an awesome light!

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Those who are talking about this item being too short for a standard 10G should've known that the tank is 20" long, so that was a fault on their part.

On to my review, I decided to take the hood off of my Biocube 14 and replace it with one of these, and that was a great choice on my part. It puts a ton more light in the tank than the stock lights did, and I've read many reviews of people keeping SPS corals with it (I'm personally trying a montipora capricornis right now). The two Truelumen bulbs it came with are great, and make for great coloration as well. Though there isn't a large selection of bulbs in this length, I knew that going into this purchase and would definitely have bought it again.

All in all for the application most would go for with this light it's perfect, cheap and sturdy.

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This is a good quality fixture. However, it is not ideal for a standard ten gallon tank because the fixture is a few inches to short. Also, there is a limited bulb selection.

Marineland PA11486 Canister Filter Bio-Balls PC 160-360, 90-BioBalls

I bought these for a DIY airlift filter (using PVC pipe) and needed smaller sized balls. The only place that indicated the size was at a major pet store website that indicated that they are 3/4" in diameter. This is incorrect. The actual size is 21mm (0.83") in diameter so i had to use 1" PVC pipe for these to fit into.

These bio-filter balls have lots of surface area for bacteria to colonize, much much more than ceramic rings. The surfaces, both outside and inside, have a slightly rough texture which is important since the bacteria will have something to cling to. The multiple channels provide a lot of water flow that allows nutrients to reach and support the bacterial colonies.

The only complaint is that some of the balls are not fully formed. The plastic was not fully injected into the molds which reduced the amount of surface area and is not textured. They still work and won't be seen while inside a filter.

Not all bio-balls are created equal. I originally purchased some other (cheaper) bio-balls but it had a noxious smell so I immediately returned them. It used low quality plastic that leached toxic compounds into the air and water (which may be carcinogenic or mutagenic to your fish), did not have any texture, and had a design that limited water flow. These Marineland bio-filter balls, however, don't have any smell, appear to use quality plastic, are lightweight, are textured, and support large bacterial colonies.

If you are deciding between these bio-balls or other ones, I recommend choosing Marineland. You'll be getting a quality product that you'll know will be safe for your fish.

Edit: 03/13/13

These bio-balls float. Depending on your filter setup, you may need some kind of enclosure like a mesh bag to keep them in place or they will float to the surface.

This bioballs are great for cannister filters, you would thnik that 90 bioballs are to much, but they are really small in comparison to the standard size, so they are great because they give you a huge surface to the bacteria grow and doesn't ocupied a big space, in cannister filters this is quite an advantage.

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I love balls.

I do not trust sintered glass or ceramic biomedia claims about each piece having the surface area of Brazil. Water and oxygen won't flow through these microcrevices and nanoholes after the biofilm covers them up, so you really only have the surface of the object itself. These seem to work fine for all my tanks I have them in Fluval 305/6 filters on heavily planted and VERY overstocked tanks with 8 to 10 times the tank volume moved per hour. They don't clog, they are always covered in lovely disgusting slimy bacterial slick that never goes all death-stinky, and the water is so clear you would never know you are looking at a fish toilet.

But do please pay attention to what you are buying. They usually tell you how big they are, so read and don't be surprised.

It would be nice, though, if they would give you the VOLUME of balls, as I doubt anybody is looking for a specific number of balls, just enough to fill a filter basket that can hold [this much] balls.

Balls.

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yet another helpful addition to the filtration system. mixed in with the ceramic bio tubes the two work very well together.

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I had the hardest time finding the size of these bioballs because it doesn't say it anywhere, even on the Marineland website. Turns out they are the small kind, a little over 1cm in diameter and to be used for the Marineland canister filters. They are pretty decent, though I wish they could have molded in a different color plastic because with a light color plastic you can actually see the film of bacteria on them.

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Aquatic Fundamentals 72 Gallon Bowfront Aquarium Stand

Like I said earlier, my sump fits underneath of this, but I did have to build around it. It would not go in after it's built, and I am fine with that for now.

All Glass Aquarium AAG25920 Fluorescent Strip Light, 20-Inch

Was just what I expected. Arrived quickly and in working condition. Was the right light I needed. Couldn't find this size light in any store.

This is just what I was looking for a cheap lighting fixture for the top of my glass aquarium. I'm happy and the fish and plants seem to like it too.

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Standard strip light that works as intended. I have nothing more I can say about it but apparently I need four more words to complete the review.

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Works perfectly on my 10 gallon tank with one of those glass/plastic canopies. So far my animals are healthy and the plants I have are alive and thriving.

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This light was a perfect match for my 10 gallon aquarium. It was an exact fit with no modifications needed.

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Aqueon LED Aquarium Light Fixture, 48-Inch

Amongst the LEDs I've seen for fish tank this is the cheapest option for the size and I must say its GREAT.

What got me to buy this light is the fact that you can change the bulbs something I haven't seen in other brands, don't know if they work well with plants (will update in a month) but so far they are really bright and love the fact that you can switch to moonlight (can't do it by timer but not an issue for me).

Another good thing is that you can adjust the length of the stands, my tank is not standard size so 30" is to small and 48 is too big, but I adjust it and it looks fine.

The LED are encased in a plastic tube so the water wont get close to it (I still advise to close your tank if possible mine doesn't have a hood, I just use glass to cover it)

The light creates a nice shimmering effect.

I would recommend this light for anyone on a low budget. Is it better than regular bulbs? I have no idea as I never used one but at least its friendly on the electric bill

UPDATE: I promise I will update to tell you how this light works for plants and my egeria densa has grown 6 inches in 4 days, my java moss has spread like crazy through the driftwood it was planted on. So this light is appropriate for plants and I only have a single bulb, I imagine you would need the other two if your tank is too deep but as far as an LED for plants this is clearly the way to go

I own this model and the 20" model, both purchased from PetsMart in the Spring/Summer of 2012. Can't say enough good about them, but that's not why I'm writing.

Soon after purchase, I learned that Aqueon had gone out of business. More specifically, that the PetsMart parent company had purchased Aqueon and planned to make their products exclusive to Petsmart stores. This bummed me out simply b/c I don't put much faith into PetsMart. For months, I scoured the nets looking for (red) Colormax LED bulbs to no avail. And every time I'd go to PM looking for bulbs, they were always sold out. I was about to put these awesome lights up for sale due simply to the fear of not being able to maintain/repair/replace them. Then, 2 days ago, I stumbled upon this page. I can't express how happy that made me.

Rejoice! Take advantage of an absolutely fine product and support it so that we can keep it around for a good while. You don't know how close we all came to not even having this innovative light as an option.

And they are great lights. 3 (daylight spectrum) bulbs, in any size frame, is almost enough light to land commercial aircraft. I run one of the lamps (with 3 bulbs) over an open top and I have no water issues b/c the LED's are sealed in tubes. I just clean the tubes along with every maintenance session. The frame is a bit bulky (not as bulky as a standard hood and light strip), but that's a fair trade for the modularity offered. The mounting feet work well, the power cord is segmented to make removal even easier, the 48" model basically weighs nothing. The ONLY drawback is the design of the power switch, which makes it useless on a timer outside of simple on/off function. The blue LED must be manually switched on. Again, small price to pay for a great and affordable light.

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We bought this light for our 150 gallon tank to replace our old florescent tube light fixture. We had gotten tired of dealing with the alge that the old light created. This light is great it creates a nice white light and after two weeks no alge. We especially like the night light feature we can still see the fish but its a nice soft glow.

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I have a 55g and this fits perfect over the tank. Three bulbs are installed in it; Two white and one red. Next time, I might buy one additional red but this coloring is very nice and not too bright either. The night light was not a selling feature but after having it, it is very cool!

I removed the sliding arms because it caused the fixture to sit up off of the tank causing glare from the lids. The light now sits close enough that we do not notice. I do not have much of a shimmer, possibly because there isn't a strong surface disruption or maybe because the lights sits so close to the water surface.

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Overall I am very pleased with this light fixture. It is nothing fancy, but it is a reasonable design and well executed for the price. The capability to put the day lights on a timer separate from the blue moon light is an obvious desired feature, but would require two power bricks or some sort of built in timer. That would increase the cost either way. This is, after all, a value purchase and not a high end light fixture. I am not wild about the adjustable mounting legs and will probably remove those due to the reflection of the LEDs off the glass cover between the fixture and the water.

I also purchased a second Day LED lamp and a Colormax LED lamp. No issues with installing the bulbs and visually it provides plenty of light. The Colormax adds light in the red spectrum. That will add color to some fish and should also help give a fuller spectrum for growing plants. The blue "moon" light night mode also looks nice. I have plenty of surface water movement, but do not get any shimmer effect. That is probably because the light appears so bright.

I bought this for a 55 gallon planted aquarium that I am starting so I want to address the issue of PAR (photosynthetically active radiation), which is what matters for growing plans in an aquarium. I found values for this fixture at A Pet Forum (http://www.apetforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=164&t=265). At best, this fixture with three lamps provides a low level of light for plants with an average PAR value at 12 inches of 26.5 and a maximum PAR value of 41. Low PAR is below 30. Medium is between 30 and 80. That is not a disaster, but it means that I will select plants with low to medium light requirements and not allow a dense growth of plants near the surface. On the positive side, less trimming of plants and less CO2 will be needed.

I will report back on how well plants grow for me in this new aquarium. I figure that worse case I buy a second fixture to increase the light or replace it with something costing twice as much. I will stick with LED either way.

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Rubber Gasket for Magnum 200, 220, 330 and 350 Canister Filters

Arrived quickly, and was exactly what I expected. But, then, how difficult is it to put three small rubber washers in an envelope and mail them?

Price better than local pet stores, even after shipping.

This is a set of all 4 rubber gaskets that go in my Magnum 350 pump. They fit just fine.

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Apparently they didn't have the item in stock, but never let me know anything. Hope my fish don't die before a replacement can be found.

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These are a cheep replacement for canister filter. They fit exactly as they should. It stopped the air bubbles and allowed the canister to fill with water.

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I ordered this to replace the ones on the canister filter that came with a 75 gallon saltwater setup I bought used off craigslist. So far they have worked great, but kind of expensive for two little pieces of rubber. Overall I'm happy though

Como 5.5" Height Artificial Plastic Grass Green for Aquarium

This plant is really nice., good products by uxcell. Have bought many times and will continue to do

that. Their customer service is also fantastic. Quick and resolve your problem right away. Has me coming back.

Highly recommend any product Como by uxcell.

T5 HO Fluorescent Actinic Lamp

I only gave it 3 stars because its not your typical actinic blue, its more purple than anything. We will see how my coral react to it but I do not like the way everything looks under this color.

I can't say anything about the bulb. It was powder by the time it got to me, and I was amazed at the poor packing. At least the return was easy. I would advise looking elsewhere.

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Crysta Lux Clear Aquarium Bulb

The description says 12 pack, but I only received one bulb. The bulbs themselves would be worth a dollar, so I don't know why there was a need to lie about the quantity.

Hydor Deco Stump Log Kit Med - Green (Ornament + Ario 2 Green)

I purchased this for my niece's aquarium and she loves it! She uses it as a night light in her room and it looks fantastic in her 5 gallon aquarium tank.

The Ario Log Kit is beautiful to look at. It is doing a fantastic job of keeping the aquarium aerated but it is having a hard time remaining anchored. Our aquarium has a dirt/gravel substrate it would probably do better in a completely gravel environment.

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Fluval C2 Poly Foam Pad - 3-Pack

I bought two of these refill foam pad 3-pack boxes for a Fluval C2 5 stage filter system for my kid's aquarium (along with other maintenance items). The entire filter system is top notch. HOWEVER, CHECK THE PACKAGE TO MAKE SURE IT CONTAINS THREE PADS!

Both the box and the description stated that it was a 3-pack, but BOTH boxes only contained 2 pads. There was plenty of room for the third. I find it very odd that both would be short one pad. This seems out of the realm of realistic possibility as far as packaging errors go, but I guess it is possible.

Amazon sent me another box, no hassle. This is the first time I've had a problem with an Amazon product and I am frankly amazed by their customer service. I did not have to send six emails and get worthless auto responses or call and play prompt lottery, explain my story nine times then get hung up on, etc. A rep called me and just took care of it within 3 minutes. This is unheard of these days. I'm very happy with my experience, however I only gave 4 stars due to the quantity issue.

I bought these thinking i would have to replace them often like alot of the newer filter pads. But so far I'm still on my first one, i have rinsed it out many times and it still holds it's form. Since this filter has bio media, i take the filter pad over to my sink and spray it off really good with the dish sprayer (or what ever you call the mini garden hose like attachment sinks have). Just make sure to get the chlorinated water out of it before placing it back into your filter. (i just squish mine with a towel to dry it a bit)

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Marina Betta Kit Decorative Gravel, Pink

For whatever reason, I thought this would be a bigger package. Turns out 1 pound of gravel doesn't cover a lot of tank. Maybe enough for a small betta bowl, or to mix and match with other colors to make for a prettier bowl. I ended up buying another bag at the local pet shop in order to have enough to fill the bowl

make sure you read the amount, of only 8.5oz, hardly enough for a coating on the little 1.5gallon tank

at this price it is almost the same price for the 5 lb bags(80oz) you can get at the pet store

it does seem like a good quality stone on the plus side

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Its better to buy this in a brick and mortar store. The "gravel" are barely just above grains of sand. Makes cleaning the take a pain because I have to worry about losing them each time.

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This was picked out by my 5 year old girly-girl for her new Betta's fish tank. Looks so pretty! No problems with it at all. I did order two, even for a small 0.7 gallon aquarium.

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There was barely any rocks in the bag! Not worth the money at all! I ended up having to go to walmart and buy more rocks for a lot cheaper!

Zoo Med BA-2 Aqua Accents Light River Pebbles 0.5lb

The gravel itself looks very nice and natural, but I never got to put it in my tank. When I got the container, it had been opened and was cracked, and was held together by scotch tape with "Broken" written across the top. Why would this seller send me a used, defective product? I didn't want to open the container more, but I could see that inside were split and broken pieces of gravel, some reduced to powder at the bottom. There were a few small shells mixed in, that were also broken. Lots of sharp edges. I was NOT going to risk putting that in my precious betta's tank!

I returned the product for a full refund. I might have asked for a replacement, but I did not trust the seller after they sent me a very clearly defective product. I may buy this in a store, but I will never buy from this seller again.

You should also note that it is a very small container, about half the size of a soda can, and the pebbles are really small. I imagine they would have been nice to have in my tank, but may have been a bit tough to clean.

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Hydor H2Show Magic World - Gargoyle and Book Decoration Combo Pack

When I saw the Magic World "Hogwarts"-themed background, I just knew I had to have a Harry Potter aquarium! I know these are not officially licensed Harry Potter products, but it's pretty obvious -the background, in particular -what Hydor was going for with this themed set. We purchased the gargoyle and book (Hogwarts: A History, undoubtedly, yes?) and the owl in the tree, as well as the background image, for our 16 gallon bow front aquarium. The products (the gargoyle and the book) arrived loose in their packaging. As they are resin, there was no chipping, though. Both pieces had two large globs of dried glue on the bottoms, which I assume was how they had been originally anchored in the packaging. Prying these dried spots of glue (each around the size of a penny) from the decor was really difficult! I placed the gargoyle and the book in the tank and they look quite nice, especially with the background. The owl piece of decor is almost 12" high, which I did not realize when I ordered it; it's way too big for a 16 gallon tank, so I will be returning the owl (it's an attractive piece, though, for a larger tank). I opted to skip the crystal ball and the rock formation, which was a good choice as the pieces are of good size and the entire set could easily overcrowd a smaller-sized tank. The gargoyle and the book are, obviously, hollow, so there are holes to keep them from floating out of place. Normally one would hide the air holes for aesthetic reasons, but I left the air holes in the book remain slightly above the substrate to provide a refuge for our African dwarf frogs. It works perfectly for this purpose. All in all these are nice pieces of aquarium decor and are perfect for a wizarding or Harry Potter theme (again, I realize these are not officially licensed Harry Potter products; they just happen to match a Harry Potter theme nicely). I will try and upload a picture showing the gargoyle and book in their places. I would recommend these decor items.

These item are nice but the book is really large for my 55 gallon tank and the gargoyle is pretty standard. If would be nicer if I had a bigger tank but there nice.

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I received this quickly, but the gargoyle was in pieces. It had no protective padding at all, the worst packaging I have ever seen for a fragile item. The Book was surprising intact, and is very pretty.

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Oval Bed/Posh Plaid

We wonder why anyone buys any other dog bed than those made by FurHaven! We have had one of these for three years different fabric) and just bought another for our second home. We have tried others but our dog likes these best and we like the fact that your can wash EVERY part of it!

The bed appears to be well made. My Shih Tzu prefers the synthetic Sherpa surface to sleep on so that is one reason I chose this bed. It has also withstood my Frenchie puppy digging around in it, chewing, and throwing it around. The size medium is roomy for the Shih Tzu and may still fit the Frenchie when she is full grown. I haven't washed it, yet. The cover zips off of the bed for washing, however, the cover does not zip off of the pillow that sits inside the bed. The wording in the description reads "Zippered, removable covers" so I assumed the plural meant that the pillow cover also zipped off. I have a front loading washer so it won't be a problem for me. I was disappointed that the bottom of the bed is just a flimsy fabric with no padding so that all the padding is provided by the pillow insert, but it still seems comfy for the dogs. I would have preferred the corduroy and Sherpa version, but it was more expensive, the shipping was higher and it was sold out in all but one color. If I am going to pay more, it should at least come in a color that I like. If the bed does not hold up through the wash, I will be submitting an addendum.

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Zoo Med betta House 2 Gallon Television Style Black

I just got this today, but I am already happy with it. I got it for my betta as an upgrade from a smaller tank, which was very pretty. It is pleasing to look at, though not as nice as my old one, and it is a great size. I cannot comment on durability as of now. However, if I find any problems with my "betta house" I will come back and update.

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Petco Background Plant Multi-Pack Silk Aquarium Plants

These plants were larger than I expected which is a plus for me. I really like the colors and the design and build of the plants. All three have a nice amount of weight for the base. Can't wait to add these to my tank.

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Hydor ETH 200 In-Line External Heater 200w 1/2" hose

This is the best heater for any tank (sized appropriatly) using a canister filter. Simply split the return line and install the heater. No extra equipment in the tank, no electrical connections in the tank. I noticed some reviewers are complaining of fittings being too small. Pay attention to what you are ordering! There are two diferent 200 watt models; one with 1/2" (12mm) fittings and one with 5/8" (16mm) fittings (all measurements are for inner diamenter). My canister uses 1/2" line so the 1/2" fittings work perfectly. I imagine the same thing is true for the 5/8" model.

Stopped working after about 8 months. Temp in tank dropped 12 degrees to room temperature. Took me a couple days to get a new one, so thats a couple days my fish were too cold and unhealthy.

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I recently set up a 25 gallon rimless cube tank. I wanted to minimize what was hanging on the outside of the tank so I purchased this Hydor. After a long search it seemed Hydor was the only game in town for a inline heater. Well, it's great! Takes a few minutes to connect and that's it. No leaks, no fluctuations. I have it connected to my Eheim Ecco. Working for a month now in an unheated room and it is dead accurate and does not fluctuate. As some others noted it does make an audible click when it turns on but mine is inside a cabinet so it really is barely noticeable. Less than the click of a pen. And if it wasn't for that I'd have to check to even see if it's on.

Great product, stop looking this is it.

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Have had the heater for almost a year now, and so far it works great for my 40 gallon tank. Only complaint is that it turns on and off very frequently (about every 2 minutes) with an audible click that can be quite a nuisance. Also, its exquisite sensitivity, which makes it turn on and off so frequently, makes me worry that it might wear out before long.

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I have gone through 3 of these heaters in the last few years. I was attracted to the design, and Hydor is about the only company making inline heaters.

Unfortunately I had all three fail. Two failed silently (stopped working, temp dropped on the tank) and the last one failed catastrophically and cooked everything in the tank.

Since I don't want to lose all my fish and shrimp again, I have gone back to the Eheim Ebo Jager in tank heaters. I have never had a problem with them. The only reason I changed was the slick design of the Hydors.

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Elite Soft Airline Tubing, 20 Feet

to get the bend from packaging out, just place in boiling water for a few seconds then stretch it out to cool

Nice tubing. Excellent quality. Reasonable price. Soft and flexible. Just don't put it in too tight a spot since, being soft, it's easy to pinch off. Using more rigid tubing if that's a concern.

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Finally, I was able to find silicone tubing for my tanks. The flexibility is such much easier to work with than the traditional plastic tubing. I found algea does not seem to grow on it like traditional plastic tubing. Very happy to find this silicone airline tubing on Amazon.

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Nice tubing. Flexible, does not kink easily, can be straightened with fairly little effort.

The color, however, is rather striking. Even in a marine tank with gaudy backgrounds this hose will stand out.

I am able to hide it behind the Fluval heater (which as Norm says, celebrates it's existence, big and very black) so it's not too much of a concern for me.

If however, one has a fairly sparsely decorated tank it is going to be the focal point.

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ok. that sounds crasser than intended, but this is tubing. and it was able to contain every gas i passed through it. oxygen. CO2. and the like.

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Design Elements Sandstone Rock Aquarium Ornament

This has grown algae as if it was made for it. It's really hard to clean. It looks kind of cheap in the tank too. It's pretty big, bigger than I expected. It needs air holes in the top so that when you take it out the the air won't get stuck. The cichlids I bought it for don't care for it.

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