Showing posts with label saltwater fish online. Show all posts
Showing posts with label saltwater fish online. Show all posts

Saturday, November 15, 2014

New Life Spectrum Thera A Large Fish 150g

New Life Spectrum Thera A Large Fish 150gI have 3 fancy goldfish (2-4" excluding tail), and this food is a good size for their mouths. It is a cylindrical pellet with a 3mm diameter, and just a little shorter in height than its diameter. NLS Thera A comes in other sizes for other fish. It has a garlic smell when you open the jar, and the fish seem to smell the pellets as soon as they hit the water. They love it.

Basicaly what the title says. They say its a large pellet for large fish but id like to see their version of a large fish. Any un-eaten food will get lodged in the gravel and is only removable by gravel vacuum. Even a small ammount un-eaten will make the aquarium start to emit a sickly-pungent odor of garlic and fish water, absolutely depleting any carbon or chemi-pure in your system unless taken care of the same day you notice the smell starting to form. This happened only after 4 days with a very small ammount of food fed per day. My oscar absolutely stopped touching it and spits it out. The only reason why i give this product a 2-star rating is because my red-devil tank loves it. but keep in mind that tank has no gravel for the food to get caught in.

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Sunday, October 5, 2014

RO Right - 1000 g

RO Right - 1000 gIf raising discus and you are wanting to use 100% RO water, this suppliment is prefect. It's the best way to add back just enough minerals to your water without the bad stuff that tap water would put in your water. Great for breeding discus too.

if you are using a reverse osmosis water for your freshwater fish tank you need this. Its not an optional thing you NEED it because the reverse osmosis takes out all the hardness in the water and this puts it back in. this will make your fish tank a lot healthier then using tap water with conditiona. My dicus fish are very happy since I started using this

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Works great but...

Adding RO Right only adds electrolytes to the water. You need to control the PH and add a PH buffer. Kent marine who produce RO Right suggest their PH buffer but the natural PH buffer is sodium bicarbonate. There is a excellent android app called " Fish Tank Hardness" that has all the calculations for RO Right bicarbonate and both dGH and dKH so you can add Ro right to achieve a desired TDS or add RO Right to achieve a desired hardness value. It calculates both. But be aware the buffer bicarbonate will slightly raise PH as well as acting as a buffer. I use this app and its so simple I've checked it against my TDS meter ad it is correct.

Read Best Reviews of RO Right - 1000 g Here

Thursday, September 11, 2014

All Glass Aquarium AAG25920 Fluorescent Strip Light, 20-Inch

All Glass Aquarium AAG25920 Fluorescent Strip Light, 20-InchWas 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.

Read Best Reviews of All Glass Aquarium AAG25920 Fluorescent Strip Light, 20-Inch Here

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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Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Seachem Reef Iodide 500ml

Seachem Reef Iodide 500mlAvailable on Amazon for a great price. Much, ore expensive in your local fish store. I have been dosing with this product for over a year and have been very happy.

This is a great price on the product, far less expensive than LFS. Only catch was I caught some on closeout last weekend for half the price, but that is a once in a lifetime catch. If you need this product on a regular basis. This is a great palce to order it from.

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The product was received on time. I really like this product. I'm on my second bottle. Highly recommended.

I have been using this product for about 5 years

Read Best Reviews of Seachem Reef Iodide 500ml Here

The product was received in a timely manner the price was fair. Use this for my saltwater tank. I'm happy with the product and I would recommend it to everyone.

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Monday, July 28, 2014

Underwater Galleries AUG6301 Cichlid Stone Round, Small

Underwater Galleries AUG6301 Cichlid Stone Round, SmallThese are some nice hide-out for your cichlids. Not any of my cichlids have damaged their fins since i put these stones in my aquarium,

My african dwarf frogs love to hide. This stone is the perfect size for them, even my chubby female can fit in. This is a safe place for one or the other to hide when they want to. Not there favorite place and they took awhile to get used to it, but they both hide in here occasionally.

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I bought the there pac of the cichlid stones and i will say that i was a little unsure about buying them but i did and my cichlids love them my one pleco lives in the biggest stone and he occasionally shares the stones are well made they are ceramic not plastic and they have a odd look almost like there gray granite and they look amazing if your buying one your buying more! i highly recommend this item I'm currently buying this stone for my guppie tank because they love small niches to breed and this is a big niche and they have privacy

Read Best Reviews of Underwater Galleries AUG6301 Cichlid Stone Round, Small Here

Friday, July 18, 2014

JW Pet Company ActivAir Drunken Skeleton Aquarium Ornament

JW Pet Company ActivAir Drunken Skeleton Aquarium OrnamentI could not disagree more with the other reviews. I am staring at this thing right now IN AWE. No arm movement? Puhhhh-lease. It is the perfect amount of arm movement for a skeleton drinking alcohol while supporting himself on a barrel. To be fair, I cannot confirm it's a male other than the testosterone-soaked derby he's sporting like a champ (bones look the same people!). Back to the arm movement. First, he's drunk. When you're hammered you tend to start to take a sip then kind of wobble a bit then put the bottle down and try not to puke. Am I right? OR maybe he starts to drink the drink then realizes he's a skeleton and has no upper or lower GI tract. But it's even more fun to picture him thinking, "HOLD MY HORSES! I can't digest alcohol, this will just run down my spinal column and drip on the floor. WHAT AM I THINKING?!? I shouldn't even raise this to my mouth."

No, there are no bubbles. Fair point.

As for tubing, I added some as a noose around his neck. You think a drunken skeleton is fun? Try a drunken SUICIDAL skeleton. It will blow your mind while upping your fish tank coolness quotient by about a billion. Ladies, I will show you this FOR FREE.

I did take away one star simply because I am saving a perfect score for drunken skeleton the sequel. Just thinking about it makes me want to tear off my skin and jump in a pool while choking down mass quantities of booze, yet still keeping my arm movements to a minimum. You listening Activair???

I was disappointed to find that this ornament was in fact boring. After finally burying the rather large clear plastic base under the gravel the only part to move in the whole thing was the bottle. That would go up, stay up and then eventually come down again. Not the most fun ever.

The skull or the other limbs could have been movable making the ornament much more fun.

overall; put an ice cube in your aquarium much more fun!

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No arm movement, no bubble maker machine, no tubing = 3 stars. Still, it fits perfectly with the theme in my tank.

Read Best Reviews of JW Pet Company ActivAir Drunken Skeleton Aquarium Ornament Here

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Petco River Rock Shallow Creek Aquarium Gravel, 5 lbs.

Petco River Rock Shallow Creek Aquarium Gravel, 5 lbs.So glad I found this! I was looking for gravel for my betta tank and did not want to use the typical smaller size gravel since I felt like it would be more of a hassle to remove from the tank to clean. For a while, it seemed like I had to decide between small gravel and huge river rocks---until I saw this at Petco. I am so happy with the size and the color perfectly matches the plants in my tank. Looks so much cleaner than the color of other gravels.

This is actually a mixture of different sizes with the largest being about 3/4" and the smallest being about 1/4".

I wasn't prepared for how large this "gravel" truly is. It is kind of attractive though for what it is.

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Sooo much nicer than small standard gravel..and easier to clean! I bought the 5lbsand put smaller gravel on the bottom, then layered the top with the larger river rocks.. My guppies ( probably don't care) love their new rocks! ( at least I pretend they have feelings toward these pretty rocks!)

Read Best Reviews of Petco River Rock Shallow Creek Aquarium Gravel, 5 lbs. Here

The gravel looks really good in the fish tank. The colors are nice and the rock polished. Good quality. I would recommend it with five stars. Even though I rinsed it to be sure of no impurities , the gravel was clean. Really good product.

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big enough not to get vaccuumed up easily whenn cleaning, anchors the plants well and looks awesome.

there are some chunks I thought were going to be a problem but for the goldfish in the tank the size works just right.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Fluval FX5 Filter Foam Block - 3-Pack

Fluval FX5 Filter Foam Block - 3-PackIts foam, it filters!

I do have a suggestion for shipping these foams. I got a box at my front door and I think to myself, what did I buy that requires a box sooo big??? I open it and to my disbelief its my foam filters for my Fluval FX5 canister filter. The shipping box was at least twice as big as the boxes the foam comes in. Plus it was protected with what seemed to be yards of crumpled brown paper. All of this waste was real disappointing. ITS FOAM ! Its not going to get hurt in transit.

I suggest that Whoever ships these filter foams, Please, just tape the box or boxes together and throw a shipping label on it. Really, thats all it needs. PLEASE do not let anyone ship this item to you the way I just received my filters today. Its a sickening waste of paper products. Thanks!

This product is sold specifically for the fx5, and yet only comes with half the needed pads. A bit misleading. The pads serve very little biological purpose in a properly set up canister, and when you do want to replace them, it makes most sense to do all of them. Someone simply shopping for pads for their fx5 would buy this product, but nowhere does it say you'll need 2 boxes to get the appropriate number of pads.

For what it's worth you can get your own coarse foam in sheets or rolls from the LFS, and cut it to size and save a ton over this stuff anyway.

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I use the Fluval FX5 filter for a 125 gallon RES turtle tank. For anyone out there that knows anything about turtles the are messy! With that said since I switched to the FX5 my tank has never been so clean and I don't have to clean the filter nearly as often as any other filter I have used on this tank in the past 4-5 years.

Read Best Reviews of Fluval FX5 Filter Foam Block - 3-Pack Here

A hardcore ehiem fan for 35 years, it was a slow progression over to the FX5 of which I now run three. The filter are beasts especially if you keep messy fish you see the pay off almost immediately. Still an ehiem fan and swear by their build quality but when you can you buy three FX5's for the price of one 1200 XL and that's without media it's a no brainer.

They both have pro's and con's I find the FX5's far too dependant on mechanical filtration, when those pieces of foam load up with gunk not only does your GPH suffer but water parameters become unstable. In an established tank there's enough nitrifying bacteria in your media and substrate to maintain the delicate eco system in your tank.

The foam however should just be tossed and replaced. Keep in mind it takes TWO packages for a complete foam change. Hagen which owns Fluval has been notorious for decades in over hyped non certified flow rates, the push for replacing and selling media and positioning products like a simple replacement foam which leads the consumer to think it's an all inclusive deal. Why they don't give you all the foam you need and up the price or vice a versa and let you know up front only half of what you need is included.

Thank's to a another reviewer I knew to order two packages per filter X 3 you do NOT want to leave half of the dirty foam in your filter. Clogged foam only increases water bypass, trapped air and a significantly reduced flow rate.

Aside from that, the foam is good quality. If I had the patience I would simply buy my own foam sheets and cut it myself. I do the same with 800 micro polishing pads but for me it's not about saving a few dollars and everything about crystal clear, pristine water.

The price on Amazon is by far the best I've seen. I added a few boxes or blue and white coarse and fine pads and the total with 2 day Free shipping via my Prime membership was under $100 about a 20% saving over the big aquaria e-commerce sites.

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excellent service to them are very responsible recommend shipments arrive just in time and some prior to recommend them 100%

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Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Jardin Suction Cup Mounting Submersible Aquarium Index Thermometer, -10 to 50 Degree C

Jardin Suction Cup Mounting Submersible Aquarium Index Thermometer, -10 to 50 Degree Ci got 3 thermometers. all 3 vary in readings from 1 to 3 degrees. i guess the one in the middle is right? anyway.. if youre just using it for fermentation temps it should be ok. if the lives of your expensive sea critters are riding on keeping a precise temperature of the water, stick with analog. digital is crap.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Deep Blue WWII Sunken Submarine 24 Inch

Deep Blue WWII Sunken Submarine 24 InchThis submarine looks sweet sitting at the bottom of my aquarium. The fish seam to love hiding inside it. The only thing I though was weird is that it showed up in a box big enough to fit 10 more inside it.

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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

EHEIM Fine Filter Pad (White) for Classic External Filter 2217 (3 Pieces)

EHEIM Fine Filter Pad for Classic External Filter 2217The product is a great product. I have no complaints about the product. I was extremely upset at the place I purchased it from. When it was delivered, the box the filters came in where just wrapped in brown paper, which came soaking wet from the post office due to rain. all Three filters were soaking wet, and the entire package was smashed!!! And considering I paid almost 9.00 dollars for shipping (which was a joke) since the product only cost 8.00.

I will make sure next time I order them, it will not be from that company.

These are the best filters on the planet. I've used three different brands and am so happy I found Eheim. I'll never go back.

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this is the cheapest way to get these filters. fast shipping is always appreciated.

Read Best Reviews of EHEIM Fine Filter Pad (White) for Classic External Filter 2217 (3 Pieces) Here

Thursday, May 8, 2014

API Tropical Mini Pellet, 1.7-Ounce

API Tropical Mini Pellet, 1.7-OunceI was very wary about buying this product since I typically don't deviate from the Hikari brand, but I'm glad I gave it a chance. The pellets are long, but small. My tetras and betta do not have any issues eating them, so I would imagine that they like them!

...IS WHAT I CAN IMAGINE MY TROPICALS ARE SAYING AS I WATCH THEM GOBBLE UP THESE PELLETS...LOVE THEM MORE THAN FLAKE FOOD.

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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Fluval Spec V Aquarium Kit, 5-Gallon

Fluval Spec V Aquarium Kit, 5-Gallon, BlackGreat tank for an office or bedroom. Looks very stylish and the filtration system is silent and discreet. There's even a place to hide a water heater. The only thing that needs improvement is the included light. Don't get me wrong, it illuminates the tank evenly and adequately, but the way it's mounted causes the thing to sag on one end and it's not bright enough to grow most plants. Because of this I replaced the included lamp with a Finnex Ray 2 and it fits the tank perfectly!

I didn't get this tank through Amazon, but the reviews on this site gave me the insight to make the purchase anyway, so I thought I should give back to the great customers who educated me.

I give this tank a 5 star rating, even considering the strong filter pump. The pump can be adjusted to a setting that is quite manageable when you adjust the swivel output nozzle to point towards the bottom and against the glass. There are quiet spots in the water, even in this 5.5 gallon aquarium, that my Half Moon Betta can hover in and look very peaceful. Plus, I put in a large piece of hollow driftwood to give my Betta a place to escape if need be. Actually, he seems to enjoy the water output (which is 1" from the top of the water line) as he often swims directly up into the stream all the way to the top of the tank. He'll do this three or four times, then pull over and rest. I imagine he's getting some fishy exercise. Reminds me of a dog hanging his head out the window of a moving car. In still water, Bettas tend to be calm swimmers, but this tank provides just enough room and water circulation to keep my Betta quite active. And he's not being pushed around, he's patrolling the tank like the Type A personality that Siamese Fighting Fish are know to be.

The construction is clear glass. I have 5 small live plants, a moss ball, smooth gravel and the driftwood. The underwater pump is the quietest I have ever had, and I've been maintaining aquariums for over 20 years. It's on my desk and I sit about 2 feet away. I hear the air conditioning, the refrigerator and conversations outdoors before I can hear this pump. Perfect for an office environment.

The filtration is biological and physical with the water running through a corse sponge, a small bag of charcoal and a bag of porous coral pellets. The pump is amazing. At full speed it could easily keep a salt water reef healthy. But by reducing the outflow and adjusting the nozzle, the surface of the water is so calm that my Betta can easily grab some air wherever he is in the tank. Remember to adjust the pump's output BEFORE you put it in the tank, because it sits on the bottom and you'll need a long stick or the handle of your net to push it down.

The LED light is pretty, but not strong enough for the plants I have, so I have the tank near a window to pick up some indirect sunlight throughout the day, and some direct sunshine for a few minutes in the early AM. Once my tank is biologically stable, I plan to add an African Dwarf frog and a couple of Rainbow Tetras. That's close to being overstocked, so I will probably have to do a 20% to 25% water change each week. We'll see how the water tests out.

To recap, this is perfect Betta tank with lots of room for his highness to roam and a little more space for some tank companions (especially when you consider the strength of the filtration system). But, from a name like Fluval, it had to be great, right?

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My betta really like this that he keeps playing all day.

My only complain is the night blue light switch. Sometimes it's working and sometimes not.

Read Best Reviews of Fluval Spec V Aquarium Kit, 5-Gallon Here

I actually have this tank in Black, not that the color makes a difference in how it all works, which is very well indeed.

The sponge filter medium is HUGE for the size of the tank, and has two good-sized cutouts to hold the bio-beads and any other medium you might want to put in the filter. I added a second bag of bio-beads as this tank was replacing a "standard" 5 gallon that had a betta and a couple oto cats in it. By using the bio-beads from the existing tank's filter I had no concerns about cycling the tank before moving my fish into it.

The filter pump is surprisingly powerful for its small size, even on the lowest setting, so much so that I had to make a spray bar return for it to reduce the force of the water coming back from the filter. My betta was getting "blown" around the tank because the current was so strong, and it made us both unhappy. With the home-made spray bar my betta was much more comfortable.

Because the center of the lid is open (so it doesn't block any of the light from the LEDs) the tank is prone to evaporation loss more than it otherwise would be. As I do weekly water changes this isn't much of an issue, and it is common with open-topped tanks anyway. But I wanted others to know that it is something to deal with if that matters to you.

The light works well and my live plants are growing nicely with it. The screw that holds the light bar in place is only plastic, and seems to have stripped the threads even with careful handing, so I will probably have to replace it with a metal screw so the light bar is more secure. I have the light on a timer, so the 2-way switch for white vs. blue LEDs is not an issue to me, but if you don't use a timer on the light you'll have to manually switch from white daytime to blue nighttime lighting.

Everyone who's seen the tank comments on how good it looks! I'm very glad I bought it even with having to make the minor modification of the filter return. For fish that like a strong current or a nano marine tank the powerful filter pump would be ideal.

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I bought this tank with the intention of putting a single male betta in it and taking it with me to college, so naturally I was wanting a tank that was quiet, small, had good filtration, and also a modern look. This tank has exceeded my expectations. The pump is extremely quiet, to the point where you have to listen for it in order to hear it, and the water circulates very well. It was easy to set up and I have had no problems with it. The only thing is that the pump can be rather strong for a betta. My betta did get stuck on the filter for the first two days, but then after that he stopped and started swimming around more. Since then he has not gotten stuck anymore. Also, depending on how quickly your fish would eat their food, if they wait to long the pump will suck the food up quicker than other tanks and you might have to turn it off temporarily to feed. Other than that great tank!!

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Monday, April 28, 2014

Fluval 20g-CO2 Diffuser - 0.7 Ounces

Fluval 20g-CO2 Diffuser - 0.7 OuncesThis diffuser works just fine.

This clever design maximizes the CO2's exposure to the water on two surface planes. It's a very simple process but it works effectively. And my aquaforest plants do quite well with it.

I think the previous reviewer didnt quite understand how CO2 and water intermix. Tiny bubbles under pressure are not the only way for water to absorb CO2

I obtain my tank's CO2 from a reactor using simple sugar and yeast. It does not supply the high pressure found in CO2 cannisters, and therefore requires a diffuser like this that doesnt need much pressure. This diffuser is ideal for such CO2 sources. I can easily recommend it.

Given that I purchased this item to replace a real ceramic diffuser that broke on me, once I received this in the mail I quickly learned that this product is an over glamourized cup with a hole in it. The picture and description is misleading and a 29 cents cup would do a better job.

This product does not allow for any water flow to interact with the CO2 that collects in the (upside down) cup so the CO2 levels in the tank are seen to drop after about 2 days of operation.

For the newbees...don't bother, get a real ceramic diffuser and you will enjoy the results better than this clumbersome device.

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It's a cup reversed upside down to hold the gas stuck underwater and overflows to the higher cup once the below one becomes full to double the surface of CO2 interfacing with water.. In face you can even cascade more than two cups as you grow depending on you aquarium height

It is ideal for yeast co2 users as no pressure at all is required while I have a co2 pressurized tank to I use a bubble diffuser at the bottom of the tank while hanging this fluval cup above it near the middle or top of the water to catch the un dissolved bubbles before reaching the surface and get wasted. In face I was quite surprised how much of co2 I can dissolve within couple of hours with this product that in face were getting wasted to the surface

Plants are enjoying ang growing like crazy and for the first time ever I will start trimming my plants soon

Read Best Reviews of Fluval 20g-CO2 Diffuser - 0.7 Ounces Here

Does not diffuse Co2 as stated. It more likes catches the Co2 and holds it under water until it releases out the sides and gets wasted.

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Bought this to try out for my DIY c02. I tried the ceramic diffuser and the DIY bottles don't produce enough pressure to use it effectively. This is essentially a bulky plastic cup that's upside down. The box claims it's ideal for nano aquariums...FALSE. it looks bulky in even a 10 gallon.

The biggest downside of this plastic cup is the NOISE. once enough co2 is trapped under it will let out a big air bubble and that thing is loud. I'm now currently waiting on a nano glass diffuser i ordered off ebay for 5 dollars

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Monday, April 7, 2014

Hagen Marina Impeller Brush

Hagen Marina Impeller BrushThese little brushes make cleaning your impeller hole and filter case much easier. I also use it in the spray bar and tubing that goes from the Fluval 206 to the intake and outtake lines. If you tie a string to the eye hole at the end of the brush, you can pull it through the line easily. They are pretty sturdy and seem like they will last a while, if not I'll be buying more.

These brushes are great especially if you have a canister filter and need to clean the impeller assembly. Handy little items.

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These small brushes are still holding up well after several uses. I use these for cleaning the gunk from the inside of a Powerhead that's used in a turtle tank. An alternative to cotton swabs.

Read Best Reviews of Hagen Marina Impeller Brush Here

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Coralife Aqualight Dual Linear Strip T5 Aquarium Lighting Fixture

Coralife 05611 Aqualight Dual Linear Strip T5 Aquarium Lighting Fixture, 48-InchIt seems Coralife makes the only dual bulb enclosures for larger tanks that are reasonably affordable. The size is nice -a bit narrower than my single T8 lamp, and slightly lighter. The light output on these is much better than with the single T8 fixture. This works well with my 75Gallon aquarium... No issues, except that some of the T5 replacement bulbs (especially actinic) are not readily available from amazon, nor my local big-box pet stores. Please note that the description on amazon is incorrect, as there are no fans on Coralife dual lamp fixtures. This is just the saltwater version of the 05620 dual light fixture (actinic and 10K bulbs vs. 6.7K and floralife bulbs).

I found the Aqualight to be a perfect addition to my 55 gallon freshwater community tank. It's actinic blue bulb combined with it's 10,000k daylight bulb really show off my fishes beautiful colors, while also bringing my decorations to life. The dual 28 watt bulbs(this isn't a High Output fixture)provide plenty of power for my live plants to grow nicely as well. The cost of all this goodness is also as good as it gets for a dual light fixture, making this light a true bargain. Its size is also a good thing, allowing you to place two together(one in front of the other) on a 55 gallon tank, doubling the light output for less than others charge for a single dual lamp unit. You can also mix and match the T5 bulbs available to get the effect your looking for. From what I've seen, you can get actinic, 6,700k daylight, 10,000k mid day daylight, and a "color enhancing" bulb as well--a nice selection. All told, this is a well made, low cost solution for anyone wanting better quality light than their old single tube T8's fixtures can provide, for less cash than said fixture. Highly recommended!

P.S. Someone on here claimed that finding non H.O. T5 lamps was difficult. All you have to do is google it and plenty of fish stores pop up that sell them. A little research goes a long way :-)

Buy Coralife Aqualight Dual Linear Strip T5 Aquarium Lighting Fixture Now

The biggest thing I want to point out is that the picture is very misleading. The picture shows individual switches for bulbs, for this particular fixture does not have, please be aware.

+ The price is amazing for this great fixture including two bulbs

+ Very slim and sleek, much smaller than the picture and about an inch tall and two inches wide

+ It comes with both bulbs!

+ Runs very cool

+ Name brand

+ Extensions are nice for an open top setup

Only has one switch for the entire fixture

Acrylic instead of glass lens, which falls out easily

Extensions fall out easily with nothing to hold them in, but are easily removed

I have not used this over coral yet, it is sitting atop a spare 20 gal that I should have set up soon, updates pending. This is an excellent light I would recommend for any shallow reef or FOWLR tank setup.

Read Best Reviews of Coralife Aqualight Dual Linear Strip T5 Aquarium Lighting Fixture Here

I bought this light to add some suplemental lighting to my 75 gallon tank. Since it is a 48" long tank, it is difficult to find a light fixture at a decent price. This one was perfect. It is much smaller than the T8 tank that I had on my tank. I also think it is brighter than that one. I looked into buying new bulbs for the T8, but it was only slightly more to purchase this one than it was to replace the bulbs for my existing fixture. It it nice to have something smaller on the top of my tank.

I was a little worried after buying this fixture because of the price compared to some of the lights available on the market. I have been completely pleased with this light. I have been using it for over 6 months now and it has never given me so much as an issue. For the price, it doesn't cost that much more than buying two replacement bulbs and it came with both a white and actinic. If you are looking for a fixture to put on your tank at an affordable price, then this is the light that you need.

Want Coralife Aqualight Dual Linear Strip T5 Aquarium Lighting Fixture Discount?

As other reviewers said, this light fixture makes my 55g look like a show tank. The colors of my neon dwarf rainbows have NEVER looked so vibrant. The green [live] plants practically "pop" out at you. I am incredibly impressed. I also very much like its low profile. On the down side -also as other reviewers have said -until Amazon does a better job of packing this item, you're as likely as not to have it arrive broken. It arrived both times in a too-big box where it was allowed to rattle around during shipping. I returned the first [broken] one immediately and had the replacement in just a couple of days. Somehow, the second one didn't break. Nonetheless, be ready just in case to return a broken one.

Update: After almost exactly nine months, this light fixture has fizzled out. Not burned out bulbs. The transformer-thingy [sorry] is dead. While is wasn't horribly expensive, I expected to last a bit longer than this. It's on a timer and runs/ran 13 hours per day.

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Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Hagen Fluval Aquastop For Fluval 104-404, 105-405 Series, Ribbed Hosing

Hagen Fluval Aquastop For Fluval 104-404, 105-405 Series, Ribbed HosingI had a fluvial 305 that the lever was busted. This one swapped out in minutes and fit like a charm. It's been up and running for a couple of months with no issue. it was much cheaper than what LFS's were quoting so it's a win win.

Excellent invention for quickly servicing the filter. First lever stops both inlet & outlet at the same time. Second lever releases the Aqua Stop with both hoses attached from the filter making servicing easier (since both will have water in them will ALMOST eliminate the need for priming).

Buy Hagen Fluval Aquastop For Fluval 104-404, 105-405 Series, Ribbed Hosing Now

I have two Fluval 305's and and Fluval 106, and the Aquastop feature on these filters is their weakest link. When the AquaStop is new it works great, and makes these filters very convenient to use.

However, after a year or so, the plastic starts to lose its integrity, so the Aquastop becomes difficult to reinstall after I clean a Fluval 305. At least the AquaStop can be purchased at a discount so that it takes some of the sting out of having to replace them ever year or two.

Other than that I really like my Fluval 305 canister filters. The 305's a workhorse of a filter that does a fine job of keeping the water in two of my planted aquaria nice and clean.

The fact this filter (list price $270) usually sold for about $180 before it was replaced by Fluval's 06 series,

makes the ones which I purchased new for $89.95 and 119.95

great bargains.

And as a fishkeeper I am always looking to make this hobby as affordable as possible.

Read Best Reviews of Hagen Fluval Aquastop For Fluval 104-404, 105-405 Series, Ribbed Hosing Here

There's not much more to say. I needed to replace the original aquastop because it was starting to leak and it would not unlock from the filter housing for monthly maintenance and cleaning without significant force. Replacing the aquastop has made the monthly maintenance of the filter a snap once again.

Want Hagen Fluval Aquastop For Fluval 104-404, 105-405 Series, Ribbed Hosing Discount?

Bought this because one tip broke on my old Fluval 104 I got in a "box of fish junk" with a tank, stand, hood, heater, etc for $5 on Craigslist (SCORE!!) and I wanted to use it on my frog tank. The old one had a bottleneck where shed frog skins and plant matter and rocks would stop the whole thing up. The new manual aquastop allows free flow. Now the plant matter and frog skins get trapped in the filter where they belong. It looked too big when I got it I almost returned it because it is WAY larger than the one that comes with the filter. It is the new mechanism. It does fit and I love it!!

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Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Rena 722 Filstar XP3 Canister Filter

Rena 722 Filstar XP3 Canister FilterSearched long to find the right filter. These Bio filters with multiple chambers for media is the way to go with turtles. We have a female red ear slider about 7 inches front to back of shell (she was about the size of a silver dollar when we got her two years ago). She is very messy and the in tank filter was just not handling it. This filter with fresh water and a good shell scrubbing of our baby has worked fine. We used to have to clean her tank and change water every week to keep her water from getting too filthy. This filter in a forty gallon aquarium has been set up for three months now and other than adding water as it evaporates and cleaning her rocks we haven't had to do anything else except feed her. We did clean out the filter once because she made a mess of some fresh aquatic plants we bought for her. She chewed up fifteen dollars worth of plants in just two days. She probably ate some but most of them were chewed and left floating. The filter clogged from all the plant material. But I can't blame the filter for that. The water is always crystal clear. She seems to love her environment now.

There is a couple of things to keep in mind when using the filter for turtles. The intake tubing inside the tank comes in sections that have to be pushed together. They tend to loose prime at the connections because turtle tanks are only about half full and some of the connections are above the water level. I had to glue them together to keep the prime. The filter has to absolutely be at least 16 inches below the tank bottom. I set ours on the floor and the tank on the top of a 29 inch high credenza. When priming remember to fill the tube with water with the filter hose valve in the off position (the instructions will explain). Make sure there are no air leaks and screw on the cap tightly on the prime hole when you are done priming. With no air leaks in the intake hose, the tank about half full or more and the top of the filter about 16 inches below the bottom of the tank when you lock the hoses in place which opens the valves the weight of the water in the intake hose should pull water through the intake tube to fill the filter and you should at this point have a prime. This should now let you turn the filter on without loosing prime and your tank should stay clean like ours for months. This filter has three cannisters and each cannister has two chambers. We are using the foam layers as they came with the filter, two large pore followed by two small pore foams filters in the first cannister (this is from the bottom of the filter to the top). The water moves around the cannisters to the bottom of the filter and is pulled up to the top. So the set up is from the bottom up. The second cannister we used for the biomass. We used the round pellets in the first (bottom) chamber with a mesh top (included), followed by the star biomass media in the second chamber (top). In the third cannister we used nitrate/nitrite (white amonia media) in the first chamber followed by a mesh and then charcoal media in the second chamber with a micron filter on top followed by another mesh. Then we placed the top on that and closed it. After about a month and a half we had the plant incident and had to clean the filter. I just rinsed everything out real good except for the biomass media which I lightly rinsed (you want to keep the bacteria that collects on the media because this helps eat the chemicals in the water and solids). I then replaced everything again and it has been working great since. They recommend changing the carbon every month but we haven't yet. They also recommend changing the nitrate/nitrite media every ten months, so we have a while to go. The micron filter needs to be changed also after a few months. I wouldn't change the foam unless it is clogged to the point were I can't get it cleaned out. It is only to collect solids and retain them till they decompose and are absorbed by the bacteria.

I think any multiple chamber filter would work as well. I am skeptical about anything below three chambers for turtles. One large turtle I think is the equivalent of a thousand fish in feces and pee (that's just my guess). This filter is rated for a much bigger tank but I think a smaller filter would not have worked for a turtle as large as ours. Turtles do grow fast and keep growing. They also live for forty years so get a large filter that will handle larger tanks. If you can afford it I would go for the XP4 which is bigger and rated for larger aquariums. For turtles I think multiple chambers are really important because they do not need oxygen in the water since they do not have gills but they do need clean water to stay healthy and they are super, super, mega super messy.

The biggest complaints I have read from turtle owners about filters is getting a prime. Remember, you can not have any air leaks in the intake tube or hosing. We are going to look for a solid tube that we can cut to use for our intake so we do not have connections above the water.

Cons: Only the tubing, It should be a solid piece that you cut to size instead of multiple small pieces you connect together. But then again this setup works fine for fish tanks since the level of the water would always be above the connections. For turtle tanks which are only filled a little above half way you need to glue the connections above the water or find a solid tube to use instead.

Sorry to the 1 star reviewers, they seem like they are a little instruction-inhibited. Priming yes, took a minute but get the valve right and it works fine. You're right, no tension in the tubes but who places their filter in the bedroom when the tank is in the living room? I think they provided AMPLE tubing and i have a 75 gallon tank sitting on a standard 75 gallon stand with inflow on one side and outflow on the other.

THIS FILTER IS AWESOME END OF STORY:

Cleaning cleaning cleaning and more cleaning. I have a 75gal tank and will have 53 live plants and several fish as soon as the water is completely conditioned. Needless to say, as you're conditioning water, you clean the filter daily for a few weeks (except the bio filter, more on that in a minute). This filter is incredibly simple to clean. You unplug the power, raise the shutoff valve and carry the entire filter to the sink or bathtub. Wipe down each piece, rinse the particle filters and you're done. Attach the shutoff valve and turn it back on. you only have to prime this thing once, right out of the box. then every week when you routinely clean it's MINIMAL water spilling, if any. the hoses remain full of water so no more priming necessary. This is hands down without a doubt the most genius design; it actually makes the "hastle" of filter cleaning a piece of cake.

The design of the filter is also genius. it pumps water to the bottom and then sucks upwards through the filters, using gravity as an advantage for extra filtering. instead of shoving water through a filter and discharging to the tank, it sends the unfiltered water to the bottom and "pulls" it upwards. Large trash sits completely in the bottom of the bucket, before ever entering the filter systems. Large particle filter at the bottom, then the bio filter in the middle, then the fine particle filter at the top. The bio filter is also awesome. Consider it a miniature wetlands for your tank, in my opinion being the most effective of all types of filtering.

The thing is totally silent and the outflow tube sits BELOW the water surface. no waterfall noise all night long, it's a completely silent tank. also excellent that there's no surface disruption to release your CO2 if you use a feeder for your plants.

all in all one awesome filter. top to bottom left to right the most convenient easy-to-use system i have ever seen. if you have problems priming the lines to begin with, i did too, but after a few tries it finally started flowing. that's why it's called PRIMING. done deal never to need to be done again til i ever have to clean the hoses. to those that had problems with customer service, i can't comment as i didn't need them. good luck though, thankfully my product worked right out of the box. highly, highly recommended

Buy Rena 722 Filstar XP3 Canister Filter Now

The XP3 is a very good canister filter.

The good? 3 decent sized trays, "priming" intake tube, configurable outflow tubes, all-you-need-in-a-box package (with exception of biomedia).

The bad? The quick disconnect is not heavy duty and can be distorted by any tension on one of the tubes (especially the output)--resulting in a leak because the O-rings do not seat. Also, the o-ring are not a "tight" fit and cannot handle much pressure. If you have any inline accessories that constitute a significant load (ie. uv sterilizers, CO2 reactors, etc), water will leak past the disconnect o-rings and onto your floor after flooding the top unit on the inside! Worst of all, this happens after about an hour or so and is not readily apparent!

Bottom line: I would much rather NOT have the convenience of the quick disconnect and instead have some external ball valves. My XP3 leaked on my the first time I used it. I searched online and this is a common problem.

Read Best Reviews of Rena 722 Filstar XP3 Canister Filter Here

Using on a 72 gallon bowfront. A couple notes from experiences: After cleaning filter, fill up with warm water, snap the top on and then connect the quick connect hose fitting. Allow time for water/air to bubble up and clear in tubes. Turn on. May need to turn off power and rebirp the quick disconnect to get a good flow started. Never had a priming problem doing this.

Don't wash the ceramic bio disks vigourously. They hold and multiply the good bacteria you want to keep. Quick rinse/shake container and don't let them dry out. Keep the chlorine level low in cleaning water contacting the cermamic bio disks to avoid killing beneficial bacterial.

Clean off the rubber sealing gasket and apply a lite film of petrolium jelly to the rubber.

Change the impeller and stainless pin guide every year.

Change the charcoal about once every 1-2 months. Between changes, a gentle flush of the bag is all that's needed.

Very good filter.

Want Rena 722 Filstar XP3 Canister Filter Discount?

The Rena XP series filters are the best bargain in the canister filter market. Eheims may have more bells and whistles and Magnums may be more well known, but Rena XP's occupy the best bang for your buck slot.

I've used my XP2 now for a year and a half on a moderately stocked 65 gallon with excellent success. I don't clean the filter as often as I should and I don't do water changes every week like some say is essential. Still, the XP2 keeps the water clean enough to raise and house 5 large discus, 4 large clown loaches and assorted other cleanup crew. While this product page is for the XP3 and I've commented on the XP2, I have also used the XP3. In fact, it's replacing my XP2 on the 65gallon and the XP2 is moving to my 29gallon. The 29 currently is serviced by a Magnum HOT with biowheel (which in turn is moving to the 20gallon).

Servicing the filters couldn't be easier lift the center handle and away you go. Like I said, I don't service it monthly, but when I do, it's simple and straight-forward. The baskets are generous in size and hold a lot of filter medium. I was fortunate and got a large service "kit" on sale one day. It had 10 or so filter pads, plus bags of charcoal and other media. That has sufficed for the past 18 months.

If you know about discus, you know how finicky they are about water quality. The fact that the XP2 services them for a couple of months at a time between cleanings says a lot about the filter.

Just get one! At the price, you can't beat it.

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Saturday, February 8, 2014

Curvations Litter Scoop - 29152 - Bci

Curvations Litter Scoop - 29152 - BciIt fits into the rounded corners of most of my pans, and as the previous reviewer said, it is cute. Seriously, it is pleasing to look at, and why shouldn't it be? I am back to buy more, as I have 5 litter boxes and only one of these. It is large, holds large clumps securely, and sturdy, for those heavy clumps. A longer handle would be nice, but no one asked me about that. I need to specify that it is the jumbo size, pink with swirly hearts.:

Cute designs, long handle, very sturdy material, and a curved shape that helps it navigate corners of boxes. What's not to love?

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It serves it's only only function of scooping poop and clumped pee very well. On a serious note, it is made of a very hard plastic so won't break... which is what happened to my last one!

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Wednesday, January 15, 2014

API PH Down Aquarium PH Adjuster, 4-Ounce

API PH Down Aquarium PH Adjuster, 4-OunceMy public water is quite alkaline; pH testing solution shows a dark blue.

I use 1/2 teaspoon in 2gal of tap water (plus water conditioner) for my 2gal Hex tank.

The result is a light blue with maybe a tinge of green appearing. So, it's close to neutral pH.

I am happy with this product and will keep purchasing.

Walmart quit selling Ph Up and Down for my aquarium. I found it here in a larger bottle. Very satisfied! Thank you!

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I have a 55-gallon tank and the whole bottle barely moved the ph. Now I buy pool chemicals pH+ because you get 4 lbs. of powder for

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