Fluval Moss Ball

I picked this up at a Pet Smart, where they had these displayed next to the real plants. I did one of those 'oh I fail to read look at pictures' moves and bought one assuming it was a real one, IDK, stupid move. ANYWAYSSo I decided to put this in my Beta Fish Tank since I paid 7$ for it I thought Id try it anyways.

ON THE UPSWING-

My Betta Fish is constantly entertained by this. As I did not squeeze the ball to get all of the air out it floats, so it helps relieve boredom, and he likes to sort of lay on it like they will do in nature, on leaves and other soft flotsam.

It seems to collect some of his food, which I think he enjoys also as he like to come and peck on it and see if he can find any loose goodies. All in all if for no other reason than a good activity item for Betta fish , its a not so bad fake ball of fur!

I ordered four of these for my 55gallon tank. They are pretty cool, i really didn't know if they were real of not when i bought them but they are fake. Its a great thing for me since i hate the real ones. They always broke up and got into my filter. These ones have i think carbon inside them and the green stuff feels like hair into you get them wet. They look real after your rinse them down. You got to put them in water and squeeze the ball to get all the air out so it doesn't float. Overall i am happy, and will by 4-5 more in the next few weeks.

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i was constantly changing the yucky water in my turtle tank until i bought a moss ball and dropped it in. it has been a week and the water is crystal clear. i am not for sure of how long it works or if i need to do anything to it but for right now i am so impressed. (i really wish when things came pre-packaged, the instructions were not written in nu-readable micro print.)

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When I first got this, I didn't really think it'd made a difference, but it definitely does!

I have some in my 29 gallon planted tank with fish, and they love it! My gourami loves to pick at it and move it around the tank, and the cory cats like to hide under it. It really does make a quality in water clarity, tooI have a Fluval 205 in my aquarium and it has made the water eve clearer, which I didn't think was possible.

I also have one of these in my 1 gallon breeding tankI have seven Platty fry in there now, all about a quarter inch longand they like to hide in/around it. It also helps keep the water fresher longer, so I don't have to do a ton of water changes every day.

I have been keeping aquariums for around 15 years, and will definitely add this to my regular tank regimenI love them!

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I have never had such an easy time keeping a turtle tank clean. I have an 8 inch painted turtle in a 20 long tank with a waterfall filter. I put 2 of these balls in the water and they seem to really hold a host of organisms to keep the water clear along with the contents in the ball itself. The fish in the tank pick at it so there is something living on it that the fish go for.

Total Koi Inc ATK55142 Sho Koi ImpaCount Large Floating Pellet, 2-Pound

If my koi could talk I am sure they would have plenty to say on this food. Talk about excited when it is feeding time! I like that the water is cleaner with the no dyes and they sure seem to enjoy the large pellets floating at the top of the water.

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AquaTop Pond UV Sterilizer Bio Pressurized Filter w/Pump PFS300UV

I give this 2 stars only because of Amazon's immediate order fulfilment, it was at our door the day after we ordered it.

Our 4500gph pondmaster filter sprung a leak and my wife suggested we try a couple of smaller filters.

This unit with UV light and pump appeared to be a good option. When this arrived I hooked it up to our pond waterfall and started the system, I expected about half the water flow we had from our other pump, however it didnt seem even close to that. I then read the packaging on the pump box and realized that although this is suppose to be an intergrated 2500 gallon system, the pump they provide delivers less than 1200 gallons. The filter has a maximium rating of 2.9 psi so we cant use our larger pump.

Bottom line is the system's capacity description is an outright lie

Also note that Aquatops guarantee is only 180 days and the UV lamp is not guaranteed at all

This product is great because it comes with everything needed to install, (pump, hoses, fittings, etc.) is easy to install, and does a great job once it is installed. It is also easy to clean and maintain. I highly recommend it.

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Aqua Ultraviolet AAV30044 Transformer for Aquarium, 40-watt, Black

This is the 3rd. one I had to replace do to water leaking into the the unit. The cord grip seals at the cord but around the outside where the cord enters the transformer it allows water to get in. The transformer is potted with a black tar mixture, but it is poorly done and water gets into the electronics and shorts it out. At about $100.00 each this becomes expensive. Buying just the raw transformer means you have to make some kind of container to put it in. Since this option still costs about $65 you don't save very much. If I could buy the raw transformer for around $20 (which is all it should cost), then it would pay to make a container to put it in. For five years I've been using an old Gamma transformer by Current USA but it seems that it is no longer made.

I do like this 40W Replacement Transformer as it is easy to replace existing bad-order transformers such as my 120W Aqua UV system which contained a three wire system that went from my lamp holder containing three 40W lamps up to the 120W transformer box. I have replaced the 120W transformer twice, replaced the wiring harness twice in the previous 20 years then decided on going the single 40W transformer route which was about six years ago. I had the 120W Aqua UV system since 1984. I also have a small pond containing a 40W Aqua UV system that I also use this type of a transformer which gave me the idea of using the single 40W replacement transformer.

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I used to have four transformers that were connected to one spider shaped configuration that would tear at its plastic encasings (exposed wires) and was a pain in the neck to loosen and take off to clean the quartz sleeves and UV lights. This configuration where each transformer is independently plugged into the power source and separated from an attachment that connected all to one power source makes it simple to disconnect and it is "cleaner" looking cosmetically. If one transformer goes down you can replace it and not worry how the others are affected by its performance since they are all plugged into power source separately. I would highly recommend this product for your pond needs. I bought a large metal fuse box to enclose all of them to protect them from weather elements although they are made weather-proof already, I wanted to consolidate the tidiness of the cords. EJ Orange County, CA

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Fish & Aquatic Supplies Furan - 2 Powder Packet

I use it for zoa and paly dips to ensure my tank stock doesn't end up with infection. NO ZOA POX. Use for these kind of dips can be found in the forums.

Have a sick fish? Here's a good saltwater antibiotic. I used if for some seahorses with a vibrio spp. infection. What more needs to be said?

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Drum Fish Bowl, 1/2 Gal

A couple months ago I bought a 1 gallon delux starter kit for my friend's son's birthday and I must say I was very impressed with the quality of the plastic fishbowl. It is extremely durable and will not break when dropped or knocked over which makes it MUCH safer than glass (especially for a rambunctious 6 year old boy). Since I know absolutely nothing about goldfish the kit was super helpful because it included everything that was needed. It contained a silk-like decorative plant, gravel, goldfish food, chlorine neutralizer, a fish net and set-up instructions. I also purchased an adorable "fishing boy" top ornament which easily attached to the bowl's rim with velcro. Overall I give this product 5 out of 5 stars for it's outstanding durability and fool-proof set up instructions. My friend's son LOVED this gift and has been enjoying his new pet goldfish "Ralphy" for 4 months now. =)

I would drop a couple stars if I had to pay $8.73 (current price as I write and what Kay paid). I can't image wanting to put an actual fish in this cheap thing. Like Zthmpsn, I bought it to collect business cards. It's nice (but not great), not dark like in the main photo, and not too big. So, I've found it useful.

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This was overpriced for the quality of plastic used in this fishbowl. I'd return it if I didn't need to use it so soon. Very disappointed.

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Purchased a couple of these fishbowls for the office. Used them at tradeshows that did not have lead retrieval, so we put business cards in there and when it was time for the raffle, picked the card from the fishbowl.

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Como 10 Pcs Blue Plastic Check Valves for Fish Tank Aquarium Air Pump

These check valves do what they are supposed to do, prevent back siphoning. They also seem to remain clear over time, unlike the more common and more expensive type which seem to "clog up" and restrict the air flow somewhat as they age. Some of them have untrimmed thin bits of plastic at the nibs, but it doesn't affect their function so it's of no importance to me.

My order arrived on time and included a coupon for more items that expired one week ago :-)

These blue vlaves are just over an inch long and one side clearly has the work "OUT" on it.

This is my first time using a product like this. I tried to look thru it and it appeared like a dark gray rubbery shield is inside the unit. I blew into the air IN side and air passes, and you can hear a flexible manifold flap open. I definitely feel this adds some resistance to the air flow though. I tried my hardest to blow into the OUT side and nothing at all came out, so I expect this will work.

I also purchased Como Aquarium Y Shaped Clear Plastic Airline Air Tubing Connectors 10 Pcs from the same seller, to cut down and share the flow from my powerful air pump. Hydrofarm AAPA15L 6-Watt 15-LPM Active Aqua Air Pump with 4 Outlets because some reviewers said you can split the air.

With the use of these Valves, I my not be able to use the Y connectors, if there is any reduction to the force of the air. Hopefully this will not harm my pump. I am new to all of this and will report if I actually have any problems, but everything looks good and since there were no reviews yet, I wanted to report what I see for other newbies who were wondering.

I am not aware if there are other manufacturers or these or how the quality compares.

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biUbe Aquarium with Halogen Light, Silver, 9 Gallons

I was so excited to get an aquirium, and when i saw the biorbs and biubes i thought what a great invention. Easy to take care of, clean sleek design, very modern; just my style. Well, when I got my biube delivered to my home and opened the box, i was surprised to see there was hardly any accessories which means easy to setup. It was easy to setup, but when i took out my tank, there were scratches on the sides. Big, long scratches. What the hell? is what i was thinking. Should i return it? I paid over 120.00 for it. I looked at the prices a week later and it sky rocketed to almost 200.00. Overall, not worth it for 200.00, not even 129.99 over the internet. Buy this product in a store so you can easily check it for damage, and can easily return the item. I live in Hawaii and i dont have that option.

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New Life International Spectrum Freshwater Flake With Garlic 45g

I will have to say that I am amazed at the difference in my fish tanks after using New Life Spectrum flakes (and wafers). My fish not only look much brighter and healthier, but they act differently too. They are full of life, and much more apt to interact with me more, and they also line up daily to get fed, something they didn't do to this degree with any other food. I have used Omega One, Ocean Nutrition, San Francisco Bay Company, and a few other foods, but nothing has given me this drastic of a reaction. I can not recommend this food highly enough. I will caution you, however, that there are very tiny flakes and very large flakes in this jar. You can easily break them up, but the very tiny flakes might be too much for larger fish to find.

I feed this to all of my fish and they all love it including the betta fish and rainbows. They love it and are doing so well now that I feel relieved that I can buy just two foods nowflakes, and Spectrum H20 Stable wafers and all of my fish are doing a lot better now. They don't seem to like the smaller pellets as they get lost in the gravel too easily.

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Fluval 3/404-3/405 Impeller Cover for Straight Fan Blades

It's a shame that the Fluval 404 is such an awesome filter.... I keep replacing these stupid impeller covers because the clips keep snapping and don't hold the impeller in place, causing a loss in water pressure and a horrible clicking noise...

But the Fluval is so good that I keep buying these things by the dozen, and swapping them out when they break...

It's definitely a design flaw. I have 3 of these on my 150g tank, and each one has had this part break several times in it's lifespan... Same break, same spot. Every time... The pressure becomes too great on the impeller, the clip weakens, and SNAP! the clip breaks...

It's becoming harder and harder to find these pieces, and i'm terrified that i'm going to end up replacing my 404's when I can no longer find this part... That will be a sad day...

Took me awhile to figure out what was wrong with my tank but when I did this worked great. Fixed my problem.

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This product fit and worked perfect.. I searched for it and had so much trouble and the fact that it was cheaper on amazon i love it

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Like the filter and hate there cheap made parts. All plastic parts are cheap and break easy. Keep one extra as you have to clean the propeller when you service the filter causing the tabs to break when removed.

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It was the second replacement within a year. Fluval needs to redesign this cover. The plastic clips are easy to break but you have no choice.

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Lamaze My First Fishbowl

I purchased this for my 5 month old and from the minute she saw the package she was in love with it. It was the one toy she always liked to play with until she was about 14 months old. For nine months it was her favorite toy and I really like it as well. The fish are colorful and interesting to look at, each one makes a different sound and babies love taking things out and then putting things back into the bowl. I liked this so much I bought one for my nephew as well. This is one toy I will be keeping in case we have another child.

I bought this for my 6 month old cousin for Christmas. My 11 month old daughter has liked playing with this toy since she was 6 months old. She likes to take the fish out of the bowl and put them back in. Great for motor skills. The water filled sides of the fish bowl are fasinating to her too. Mom likes this toy too because it doesnt make any noise.

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This is a cute product but definitely not as cool as what is pictured and described. There is no trapped water; the sides are just plain plastic. I ended up returning it because without the water-trapped sides I felt it was pretty overpriced.

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A friend ordered this for me off my Wishlist, and there is no water, water stains, nothing to indicate it's the same item exactly as the box and Amazon describes. Just a single layer or clear plastic on either side of the fishbowl definitely intentional and not a defect. I was VERY disappointed and in a way feel cheated. I guess my infant will not know the difference but the water should have been in the item, or Amazon should have doen a better job QC'ing their products! Still love Amazon though!

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A little disappointed that this newer version does not have water "around" the fishbowl. It used to have water-trapped sides of the bowl with floating, mini sea creatures. Otherwise, it can have a 5 stars. The 4 stuffed creatures look cute inside the fishbowl. I like its color, pattern and fabric.

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Snoozer-Lookout Ii Dog Car Seat - Medium

I have the regular size and oversized for my 2 small(not tiny) dogs. These are great! They are comfortable, sturdy and le my dogs look out the window and curl up and sleep on long drives. Get the versions with a drawer. It is worth the extra $10. The drawer is long so it holds food, toys, leashes etc. I thought they were expensive but when I set out to make my own it would have cost almost as much for the materials. These loo like they will last a long time One of them is a couple of years old and its cover has washed up a little fuzzy, but that is ok. The bed part of the foam wasn't as cushiony so I added a piece of memory foam under the cover and it is as good as new.

If your dogs are larger than "toy" size I would get the oversized regardless of how little they weigh. Your dog will aprreciate the roomier size! Amazon had the best priceseven better than ebay!

I purchased the Snoozer Oversized pet car seat for our Westie...he loves to go for car rides. We had some long trips planned this summer and I didn't want him on my lap or my husbands the entire time. I ordered this car seat specifically because it will go either in the front or back seat, and allows Kramer to look out the window, which is his favorite thing to do while in the car...all while being secure in the car. He loved it from the first short trip....and usually sleeps most of the time. There is plenty of room for him to sit up or lay down and sleep. I would highly recommend this to anyone who travels with their dog.

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I have two very wiggly and cranky dachshunds who love to ride on someone's lap in the car. I have tried other containment products, and either my dogs could twist out of them, or they would whine and wail because they couldn't be up front and look out the windows. They both love this Lookout car seat! It's plush and roomie (the medium is perfect for two mini-doxies) and they no longer have issues seeing outside in the backseat. It works perfectly with their Puppia vest harnesses, so I didn't have to force them in an uncomfortable custom harness. Most importantly, they are safer in the event of an accident. It's a huge lift of my shoulders.

The seat is very well made and comfortable for the dogs. Every car seat I've priced at the petstore is so hard, I can't imagine a dog enjoying that! I like that the cover is removable in case it gets dirty and the pull-out storage drawer is a great place to stuff their leashes so I am not looking for them when we get to our destination. The seat gives my dogs a great boost to see out the window, which is a huge bonus in keeping them from fussing. Installing it is a snap. You take the seatbelt in your car and run it across the raised back of the Lookout. It clipped right into place on the first try and has been snug. Even when my dogs first fought it, the seatbelt stayed fast. Removal is as easy as undoing the seatbelt and taking it out.

Your dog may be able to jump from the Lookout onto the seat of your car though. The strap that connects the seatbelt to the dog's harness adjusts to very short, but it slides back and forth along the seatbelt if you don't safety pin it in place. I found that having two dogs clipped in at once using a leash coupler often prevents one of them from bailing. Worst case, if one jumps out they are still attached to the seatbelt by their coupler and harness in the event of an accident. I greatly recommend this product if you have a dog that normally travels on a lap. It's the next best thing and you'll have great peace of mind.

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Tuffy, my Dachshund, loves car rides. He is a rescue that I got in November 2009, so I try to do as many things as possible to make him happy in his new home. So every day he gets to go for a car ride to check the mail, go to the market or whatever.

Before getting this seat Tuffy would love to sit on my lap. While that's not illegal yet (the Governator vetoed a bunch of laws that the "no dogs on laps" law was appended, so it did not pass.)

Anyway, I had my eye on the Lookout 2 seat for about a month. A couple days ago I took the plunge (Was about $125 with tax at a local pet store. Ouch).

Bonus Tip: I got the deluxe model that includes a plastic slide out drawer in the base. It's about the size of a shoe box and is covered, when closed, with the black quilt material covering the base. I recommend you get the model with the drawer because it holds a lot of stuff and it's handy to keep everything in one spot instead of all over the car floor. In Tuffy's drawer I have an extra leash, treats, pee pads and his travel first aid kit (eye flush, gauze bandages, iodine, etc.)

Bonus Tip: I placed a pee pad and small towel on the base (floor) of the seat so to keep the beautiful wool lining clean. Although the cover is washable, it's far easier to simply change the pee pad and towel.

I have a MINI Cooper and I bought the medium sized seat. (Tuffy the wiener dog is about 18" long, not counting nose and tail, so I did not want him bending his back since Dachshund's have delicate spines. I tried a small and while Tuffy fit fine, he did not have the spread out room that the medium provided.

The medium is so large that it takes up the entire passenger seat, but I did not care since the point of this is to use the passenger for Tuffy, not Tuffy and a human passenger. :)

The seat installs as advertised. Literally in 30 seconds it is set up. You simply place it on the passenger seat and pull the car's seat belt across the pet seat so that the strap that normally crosses your waist is set across the slot cut into the rear of the seat. This makes a very secure connection for the pet seat.

Bonus Tip: My car has the ability to turn off the passenger air bag. I made sure that the air bag is off when Tuffy is in his seat.

After fastening the car's seat belt to the Lookout 2 you then wrap around the included strap to the waist strap part of the seatbelt. The other end of the strap has a clip that you connect to your dog's harness. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO THIS, ATTACH THE DOG'S HARNESS TO THE LEAD OR STRAP THAT COMES WITH THIS SEAT! Why?

When the dog is "strapped" to the car's seatbelt he can move around, but only within the seat. So the dog does not go running around, he remains in the seat. It only took about an hour in his seat after which Tuffy stopped trying to jump out of the seat and into my lap where he used to sit on car rides. Moreover, if you slam on the brakes, because the seat is secured with the seat belt and the dog is secured to the seat belt with the strap, everything stays put on sudden stops.

Also, I have a convertible MINI. Imagine the horror if I slammed on the brakes and Tuffy went flying out the car. So to prevent his from happening I leave the passenger window up when Tuffy is in his seat. With him connected to the seat belt that provides even more security on sudden stops. (Make sure that your seatbelt is working properly by jerking it. Do this to see that the seatbelt locks when there's sudden stops.

As said above, get the model with the plastic slide out drawer, it's extremely handy. Before this I used to have Tuffy's travel essentials spread out all over the car. Now, the most important items are in one place (treats, dog first aid kit, spare leash, poop bags, bully sticks, two additional pee pads).

Actual Use

Tuffy took to his new seat like a fish to water. The first thing he did was start to chew the foam and wool, as most dogs would do. I stopped him and after a few "Tuffy NO!" he got distracted with the joy of being able to see all around him, so he stopped the chewing.

I can tell Tuffy loves the seat because he looks around a lot and when he wants to rest he lays down and rests his head on the seat edge. And he is happy because he can face me and be close, like he wants to be on rides. When he is facing me, his head is about at shoulder level to me and about 18" from my head. So it's easy to pet him as I drive and he gets his fix that he needs every so often.

Bonus Tip: I have a thick, plush bath towel that I keep between the pet and car seat. When Tuffy wants I cover him in the seat with the towel. He loves that when after playing in the park he wants to crash and check for cracks in his eyelids. The seat has high sides, it's wool and the towel adds to making him feel warm, comfortable and secure.

All in all this is an excellent product. The dog loves the view the seat gives him and the seat is way safer than the dog sitting on an unpadded passenger seat (the Lookout 2's foam padding gives far more protection for the dog than if all you are doing is strapping your pooch to a seatbelt.

Bonus Comment: It's a laugh riot when Tuffy is sitting in his seat. This is because the seat puts him at window level to where everyone can see him. People in cars and even pedestrians go nuts when they see this cute wiener dog sitting in his plush "throne." Literally at every stoplight people wave at Tuffy, smile and some people even talk to him. Often times people don't see that the light has changed to green because drivers are busy "flirting" with Tuffy. LOL.

So if you get one of these be prepared to be the center of attention on the road. If you don't like that then you better have your windows tinted. :)

By the way, I added on the main page a pic of Tuffy in his seat. Check it out.

And does Amazon allow links? If so, here's a couple YouTube videos I made. If the links don't work search in YouTube with my user name: heartinsanfrancisco (which is all one word).

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We had one for about 7 years and they hold up great, and we would take our dog everywhere and even when we got our second Cavalier King Charles they both used the same one, of course we have the large one.

We recently went cross country so we did not have to put the dogs in cargo and got are 2nd one. The dogs had plenty of room, slept or looked out the window the whole way. If you like to travel with your dog this is a great product that is safe and compfy for your dogs. Even comes with a strap to keep them even safer. They are amazing!

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Nature Aquarium Shimmer Glass Pebbles - Black Glass Pebbles 8 oz. Large

Service from LiveWithNature was prompt. The real product is exactly like in the photo. Great quality product. A little expensive but I think it worth it . I used it for a base with artificial flowers and looks great. I am buying another two bags.

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Hydro IV Sponge Pro Filter - Up to 80 gallons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Aquatic Creations Ancient Pyramid Aquarium Ornament

Having recently gotten a fish I named Pyramid, this was an absolute essential! I'd been to many brick-and-morter pet stores in search of Egyptian decor for Pyramid's tank. I was starting to give up when I found this item!

This pyramid is a great addition to my Egypt-themed aquarium. It is really nice looking, exactly as pictured. Pay attention to the dimensions listed above because it is kind of large. It is hollow, so not heavy at all. Looks great in the aquarium. It seems to be durable and well-made. The style is more realistic as fish tank ornaments go not tacky at all!

I also got the Aquatic Creations "Four Sarcophagi" decoration, which looks great too.

(Note: I encourage you to disregard the unfairly low rating of the previous review. It seems the reviewer did not understand that this was an aquatic ornament, not a Christmas ornament.)

This is only an ornament if your tree is a sequoia! Not what it appears to be!

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Marineland PC0250HSB H.O.T. Magnum 250, up to 55-Gallon, 250GPH

I bought this filter because My boss had the complete set with Bio Wheel, and Gravel cleaner and it was so great for gravel cleaning.

The basic version of this filter comes with,

1. A Media canister that can be filled with Active Carbon. A sample of carbon comes with this filter kit. I bought Ceramic Noodles at the pet store for the biological filtering properties to put in mine instead of the carbon.

2. The slip cover filter for the media insert.

3. A water polishing filter that reminds me of a Reusable pool ,or Jacuzzi filter.

4. Intake Tube, and strainer.

5. Pose-able Output Pipe with flow divert.

6. Understandable Directions.

Pluses.

1. It has an ON / OFF button on the back. I turn it off to feed the fish. Than back on to clean up.

2. The Output Pipe is underwater. Result, No noise from the filtered water hitting water surface.

3. The flow of the output can be aimed in any direction you want.

straight down, across, to the left,or right.

4. This filter is so quiet, I occasionally will check that the filter is on.

5. The diverter can be adjusted to focus, or fan out the water flow.

6. 250 Gallons an hour. Seems like a lot, but I have a 20 Hexagon high. I have the diverter fanning water out. It's not like a water hose. Just moving water well.

Minuses.

1. Disassembly and Assembly takes practice. You will want to keep instruction book for reference of the difference between regular filter Assembly, and water polishing filter assembly. once I leaned, I have been able to do on the tank. But most of the time the filter will have to be removed to a sink were It (filter) can be disassembled, Cleaned, or filter types changed, and reassembled.

Keep in mind that this, The cleaning of the filter canister seems to be the reason that people dislike this filter. But keep in mind that You will only clean it (filter) about every three months. Unless You over feed, and do not keep plants tidy.

If You get the Gravel Cleaning attachment, You can clean the gravel with the water polishing filter removing all the nastiness without siphoning off all your water out of the tank. You can then do your 20% water change.

I like this filter a lot, and think you will also.

I owned the HOT Magnum Canister Filter prior to upgrading to an Eheim Ecco Canister Filter. I had to upgrade because this filter couldn't keep up with my medium size saltwater tank. However this filter works great for freshwater tanks from small to medium size. It's fairly cheap and reliable. It cleans like a champ and supplies are fairly cheap to operate it. This is a good buy.

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OK, let me start with the CONS (all of which added up to me to reducing it only by one star, so they are obviously not THAT bad!) :

OK--the seals are very tricky. The first filter I got, I messed and messed with it for over 2 hours, using silicon sealer, etc, re-filling the canister, and re-starting it, and just COULD NOT get it to prime, it'd run awesome for 30 seconds, empty the canister, and blow air. Called the store, and they said that it sounded like I had it set up right, just sounded like it wasn't sealing, so bring it back. They advised that about 1 in 20 canister pumps they get do this, and not to worry about it. Took it back to the store, thoroughly disgusted but trusting that the reviews would turn out true since it has a good track record on every website (4-5 stars depending where you look). Got a second one, brought it home, filled the carbon, rinsed everything, plunked the carbon in and crossed my fingers. It primed up the very first time and has been running now for 24 hours with zero issues. This will be great for our turtle tank. We got tired of rinsing the little tiny pads for our ReptoMin waterfall and having to bypass some of the water to keep the pump from running dry.

I wish like CRAZY that the outlet/outflow side tube was longer/further down. The instructions advise you should have the water level above the level of the elbow in the outflow and that is REALLY short--I will have to keep an eye on my tank level carefully. Even an inch longer/lower on the outflow would help a ton. But, I just shoved a large-ish piece of tubing up the outlet so it curved down and most of the water from the outlet now goes straight into the tank. and the rest drips down the elbow. This meant I had to take off the square diffuser attachment, which was OK with me since this is a turtle tank, but I do say it's more suited to a fish tank than a turtle tank.

It does seem kind-of a mess to clean, but this is NO DIFFERENT than other canister filters. Of the four canister filters I have, this is actually the easiest/cleanest. Yes, the mechanical foam sleeve is a little delicate. But at least it's rinsable and replaceable unlike the Cascade I had which was just plain bio-floss and not rinseable so you lose some of your flora and fauna. And the foam sleeves are pretty cheap to replace, about $2-3 each which is a great deal!

I do wish it had more mechanical filtration but gosh, whatcha gonna ask when it's that tiny for a canister. You can use the scrubber attachment that comes with it for that, or get a bio-wheel, or add a second of these filters.

PROS:

It also takes up WAY less room and is far less bulky and unsightly than other canister filters since you don't have the tubing to contend with. We are very impressed with this aspect and still getting a "canister" filter.

It is a GREAT COMPROMISE between a canister filter and a tank-filter. Yeah, it takes up more room than most hang-on-tank filters, because of the button being in the way and you have to reach for it if you are going to use it, BUT, I love that the button is there, and that I can CHOOSE to either turn it off and/or unplug it instead of having to unplug at every junction.

I do love what other people have recommended about having two of these, one for scrubbing/mechanical filtration and one for carbon. It seems logical.

It's got a pretty good design and the motor is quiet once you have the water flowing in properly.

It seems to be fairly well constructed for a filter. I mean for the money.

Read Best Reviews of Marineland PC0250HSB H.O.T. Magnum 250, up to 55-Gallon, 250GPH Here

I've installed the HOT Magnum with the BioWheel attachment (HOT Magnum Pro) on my 55 gallon tank for about 6 months now, and I'm very impressed with the performance of this filter system. This canister filter is powerful and power thrifty at 250gph while using only 18 watts. I especially like having the filter out of sight hanging behind the tank.

This combination of canister filter and biowheel is pretty amazing. The water is very clear thanks to the no by pass design of the canister and the tank is well oxygenated due to the spray bar/biowheel component. The biowheel is also great at removing amonia and nitrite which becomes undetectable (amonia less than 0.25mg/liter and nitrite less than 0.1mg/liter) after a few days of running this filter. That's with a bio load of 12 adult Angelfish, 10 large swordtails, and 5 bushynose plecos! If you don't understand what all this mean, then trust me when I tell you the performance of this system is hard to beat.

Now for the down side: This filter is a pain to clean.

First of all, don't bother using the fine carbon that comes with the filter. This will cause your filter to clog up in no time if you have a heavily stocked tank like me. I threw out the carbon after the first week and replaced it with ceramic noodles, which does not clog at all. The nylon mesh sleeve works well to trap fish waste, but is messy to clean or replace, and you have to take the whole filter apart to do it. After I spent a few minutes taking this apart, clean it, reassemble it, and fill it with water, mine filter sometimes lose syphon and I have to take it apart and assemble it again. I have to pay special attention to the stupid red gasket that likes to fall out when I not careful. This is why I gave this filter 3 stars.

The power switch is located near the bottom of the backside of the filter. While it's nice to have a power switch, the placement is bad because it's right up against the wall and you have to reach all the way down the back of your tank to reach it.

So, to sum up. If you want one of the best performing and efficient filter and don't mind having to take a filter apart and get messy once awhile (for me that's about every 2 weeks), then this is the filter for you.

Additional note: The BioWheel Pro30 (the one with spray bar) is really fantastic in it's performance, and is key to the awesome performance of this system. This component can be used with other easier to clean internal canister or powerheads, so don't ever discard this attachment.

Update Oct 13, 2011

I got tired of cleaning canister filters. Got sick of taking the canisters apart, cleaning all the pieces, putting it back together, and then reinstalling the filter to the tank.

I've installed the Emperor 400 on 4 of my larger tanks. This outside hang-on-the-back power filter has the bio-wheels with spray bar and cartridges that are disposable. No more cleaning dirty sponges and taking apart canisters!!!

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I bought the H.O.T. Magnum because it was the cheapest canister filter at the local petstore. Good move. Using the micron filter, it got rid of the cloudiness in my tank in about three days (55 gal tank). I switched it to carbon and it as been working like a champ. My tank also has two high-capacity over-tank filters of the normal type, and they constantly overflow and pour gunk into the tank. The H.O.T. Magnum doesn't do this. It is set to suck from my undergravel filter, which, combined with a powerhead, has really reduced floating stuff in the tank. I'm going to get a Magnum 350 pro next and get rid of both my normal over-tank filters.

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biOrb Purple Color Ball

The color ball is cute, but is way to big for the Baby Biorb. Mind you that in the packing states that the color ball is good for all Biorb tanks.

I got one of these for my birthday last year and I loved it! It definitely does add a lot of color and excitement to the aquarium. I put it in my 36 gallon tank, not a bio-orb, but it works in any tank really. The only bad thing about it is that if you don't constantly take it out of the tank and clean it, it collects algae, left over food and fish poo. Other than that it's great! :) I plan on getting all the other colors!!

EDIT: Alrighty, 2years after I got this it has completely fallen apart and lost it's color. :( I didn't really expect it to last long, but I'm still kinda sad about it. But, on the bright side, it works well as makeshift filter media! I just shoved it in my HOB filter along with some foam and it now has a large amount of beneficial bacteria growing on it. I can see it growing all over the thing! :)

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I ordered this product, (Purple Color Ball) it says that the color is purple but they clearly gave me red. I thought this was a mistake and since I wanted a Red Color Ball anyway I decided to keep it. I needed to order a few more items anyway so I ordered the Purple Color Ball again and it came a SECOND time as a Red Color Ball. I was going to return it but it's a $7 item so it's just not worth it. I'll just keep my two Red Color Balls (that were supposed to be Purple Color Balls) in my tank and not bother trying to get a purple one.

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Como Realistic Aquarium Tank Purple Silicone Mini Sea Anemone Ornament

I was happy to receive this ornament. It is very soft and the soft purple color looks good in my aquarium. You cannot really see on the picture that the tips are white and this is a very nice touch, especially when the lights enhance it. I ordered another sea anemone in blue awhile back and it got pretty gross over a 4-month period. The color faded and it smelled bad and had slime in it. I took it out and will have to see how it cleans up. Note that this is a "mini". I would recommend it but will have to see if it gets gross after a few months. I'm not sure how long they are supposed to last. Right now, I am pleased with it and I like it alot.

Update:

My above-described ornament is beginning to fade out and no longer has the pretty purple color. Although it is still purple, it has become more washed out looking, almost like the purple is washing off and the color white is coming through. I clean it often so it does not have slime and my fish love swimming around it. Except for the color fading, it is still upright and flowing. I am wondering if the color will fade off eventually. If so, it would be very pretty in white so I am keeping it to see how the saga plays out, with the health of my fish being a priority.

thought it would be more....flowy? if that makes any sense...I mean it's alright I guess, not exactly what I expected, but my betta seems to love it and my wife and sister think its cute, It just feels too springy under the current of the filter.

edit:

WTF??!?! after a whole some really gross slimy nasty stuff starts coming off this thing. I dont know if it had any thing to do with the death of my pleco which would suck on this thing from time to time, but dude that stuff was nasty. Washed it off, put it back in the aquarium, so far its not come back but...damn...that was nasty

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Not long ago I discovered my new female betta fish Annabelle had damaged her deliciate fins on an ornament in her tank. I immediately removed it so she couldn't hurt herself again. I came across this cute little mini sea anemone and decided to give it a try. I am glad I bought it. My Annabelle is enjoying swimming through the rubbery tentacles on the anemone. I don't have to worry about her fins being damaged any more. The anemone is small but so is my female betta fish. It is the right size for small fish like Annabelle.

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Coralife 10000K T-5 High Output Fluorescent Lamp

We recently orded 2 sets of bulbs. One set from another company was not packaged well and came to us completely broken. However, this MarineandReef's packaging was superb! It was packaged with brown paper to keep them from rattling around and the bulbs were also wrapped in bubble wrap. I have already ordered two more bulbs from them (to replace the other broken ones).

This is a great bulb for the T-5 light fixture. The light is bright and the corals look buestiful under them.

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TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE.....The item is not even close to 36". It's only 33" and not to mention, way to small to even fit into the strip light itself. Now I have to deal with returning this and waiting for a refund. I thought maybe I'd save some money but it turns out, I'm wasting not only money but also my time with this. First ever bad experience with purchasing online from any site.

Note to the seller: Do us all a favor and edit your original post to say it's only 33" and that it will NOT fit into a 36" strip light.

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MIC RF KALKWASSER 1LB

Background: 75 DT, 40 Sump, mixed reef tank, sofies & LPS running 6 months. I purchased this item, because I didn't want to worry about dosing large amounts of Ca and Alk to my tank. This item was a little more expensive than other solutions, however it did exactly what I needed. I started dosing small amounts until I reached full saturation. My Ca now stays at 500 and Alk stays at 9dKH. This is a great way to automate dosing as I dose this product into my ATO, and I let it do the rest. I do have a bit of evaporation due to having a couple fans in place, but so far it has kept my Ca & Alk consistent which is what you want and need in this hobby. Now that I know about bulk solutions, I probably would not buy this next time, however for someone wanting to test the effects of kalk on their system before buying big bulk quantities, I highly recommend this product.

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