Monday, March 3, 2014

Loving Pets Dolce Dish Dog Bowl, Medium, 1 Quart, Merlot

Loving Pets Dolce Dish Dog Bowl, Medium, 1 Quart, MerlotI find these bowls both appealing to the eye and pocket. I bought two of them. One in the Merlot and one in Espresso. They are skid proof, easy to clean and light weight. And the price can't be beat!

Not exactly what I expected I thought the bowl would be ceramic its actually plastic but it's still good for what it's made for the color was actually way off its a brighter leaning towards red.

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Zoo Med Laboratories AZMBL30 Betta Light for Aquarium Light

Zoo Med Laboratories AZMBL30 Betta Light for Aquarium LightI am using this light for a basic 2.5 gallon aquarium purchased at Petsmart for my betta. The light has 5 LED's and lights up the aquarium pretty well. If you are going to use a lid/hood, you might want to bring it-and your aquarium into the store, open up the box for the light, and try it out to see how it fits on your aquarium. Or if you are in the store buying a small aquarium with no light, I would recommend testing the fit of this light on it before buying. The lid that came with my aquarium does not fit snugly with this light clipped on. However, it sits on top and balances fine so it is still usable. If you are using a tank or aquarium with no top, or have a top with ample cutouts for light/heater/filter etc, then it should fit just fine. There is no night-time setting on this light. It does have an on-off switch. I put a plant bulb in my aquarium, and with this light on it is growing. The light cost $20 at Petsmart, but at the moment you could order it on Amazon for $15 and free shipping. But again, unless you're confident it will fit I would find a way to test it first.

I REALLY wish this was brighter. They should have stated the wattage on the package. Definitely not bright enough to keep any plants alive. I had to add a halogen desk lamp. Also, it doesnt fit aquariums wish a rim. This is in no way a universal fixture. I will post a picture of what I came up with.

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So far the vendor is excellent The product arrived almost immediatly and was paclked perfectly/. YThe product is one I have tried before and I am trying it for the last iem as I ghave had bad luck withit vbefore. Should this occur again then we will see how the vendor it and I will no longer buy the product. The light is a perfect fit and the best design ( whioch is why I am giving it another try) The problem is it breaks very quickly for no reason. So I will revisit this review in a few weeks

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JW Pet Company 10-Inch Desktop Aquarium Algae Scrubber

JW Pet Company 10-Inch Desktop Aquarium Algae ScrubberI have a small 5 gallon acrylic aquarium and bought this because it was supposed to be safe for acrylic. It left fine scratches in my aquarium. The scratches are on the inside of the tank so now I'm stuck with them until one day I drain the tank to try and repair it (which is not going to happen anytime soon). Stay away from this.

This scrubber does just what it should. I am using to clean algae from a 5 gallon hex tank which is acrylic. Important to get ones that are intended for acrylic so you don't scratch the tank. This cleans without scratching. I generally do not have tank exposed to direct sun and so I haven't needed a product such as this before. I took a guess this would meet my needs and it really has.

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This is a great product. Worked very well on my acrylic fish tank. You need to be careful and follow the instructions. The main reason you would end up with scratches on your tank is sand or gravel getting caught in the scrubber. So be careful when scrubbing the lower portion of your fish tank. I would surely recommend this product.

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Elite 1-Inch Cylinder Air Stone

Marina 1-Inch Cylinder Air Stone, 4-PackI've had these for a few months now and they are still working great. One tip though, let them soak in your aquarium for at least 10 minutes before you turn your pump on. I use mine with this pump Tetra 77854 Whisper Air Pump, 60-Gallon which comes with a couple of knobs to regulate air flow for less/more bubbles. I did not notice any manufacturer deffects on these stones, they are well made and like I said, they have been working 24/7 for a few months with not a single issue. I haven't noticed any chipping or breaking.

The stones fit standard airline tubing. Once you open the pack, place any unused stones in a ziplock back to keep them from collecting dust.

All in all, a great value. Durable, reliable, low priced.

These things are sooo tiny! I don't know why, but I was expecting something on the bulbous side of one inch, but these are quite tiny and of course make a ton of bubbles.

For fresh water applications, this product deserves 4 stars. This assumes that you attach the airstone once (don't constantly connect and disconnect the airline tubing from the stone).

When you receive a box of these airstones and first connect them, your impression might be an automatic 5 stars. The water will be bubble-rich. If you run these airstones for a couple weeks and need to disconnect them from their airline, you'll realize they have a 50/50 chance of completely breaking apart in your hand. As far as disconnecting these airstones, I always feel there is a 50/50 chance of them breaking on disconnect (completely crumbling into nothing). IMO they lose a star there.

This is where I take another star: I am running a hydroponics deep-water culture which requires a nutrient solution. After running a brand new air stone in a deep-water culture, bubbles will be rich for a few days, and plants will be happy. After two or three weeks, I notice almost no bubbles reaching the surface of the water, and after I inspect the plant's root zone, the airstone is the problem.

You can unclog these airstones effectively by running them overnight in a water/peroxide mixture, or by soaking them in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, but when they have a 50/50 chance of breaking every time you switch them out ... they aren't worth cleaning or replacing.

I took these airstones out of my hydroponics application, and bought a stronger air pump. My plants seem happier with no airstone and more bubbles coming from the actual air pump. Assuming your check-valves are in place, there's nothing to clog. The next time I absolutely need an airstone, I will most likely drill tiny holes in some airline tubing and use a T connector to wrap a circle.

These 1-inch airstones were amazing until they gave me a headache.

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Unlike the other reviewer, my product arrived in great condition and worked completely as expected. I'd order this again. Bubble bubble bubble :)

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I had to change the air tubing. Trying to take of this NEW air stone off, it crushed/crumbles and totally fell apart. I have never had and air stone do that before. Very poor product I would never buy again.

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Filter of excellent quality, providing good bubbles to my aquarium keeping the water well oxygenated, product of warm, Durable air stone diffuses water in every direction Helps release carbon dioxide build-up

Hagen Marina Betta Submersible Heater for Aquarium

Hagen Marina Betta Submersible Heater for AquariumGood heater for a small Betta bowl. I had 0.5 G bowl and it works really well for me. Would recommend it to anybody.

My poor little Betta was freezing in his 1/2 gallon glass bowl. I upgraded to a 1 Gal square tank and added this heater. His water is now just a little cooler than luke warm. He is happy, spunky, and even made his bubble nest the day after I placed him in his new and warmer enviornment. It only took about 4 hours to get his water to a consistant temp and it has remained that way.

UPDATE: 01/28/13

Well, this heater keeps the water at a nice temp for ME but not my Betta. I only have a 1.5 gal environment for my fish so this heater began to make my fish sick and he almost died. I read on a site that a heater should not be used unless my fish is in a 5 gal or larger tank...oops!

I took the heater out just in time to save my beautiful fish. I'm keeping the heater because I will eventually get a larger tank for him.

This product did do its job, so it's nice.

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We ordered our first one of these heaters for the betta tank in our kitchen since it seemed to get pretty cold during the winter. It kept the water at a nice high-70 degrees in a 1.5 gallon tank. The betta went from brooding at the bottom to swooshing around the tank, chasing after us as we walked by. He was obviously much happier, so we bought a second heater for the betta in our son's room. Now 'Decepticon' is also much more active as well. We feel bad that the cool water was obviously having a bad effect on the fishes' metabolism, but now that they are warm they will have longer, happier lives.

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So far so good.

I have this setup in a nano tank where it gets cold and because the heater stays constant it makes the water just right.

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My betta's 2 gallon tank was SO cold before I got this!! He was lethargic, swimming really slowly, clamped fins, not as excited to eat, and pooing less. This little heater probably saved his life!! It keeps the temperature in a safe range, usually about 74 degrees. My little buddy is now energetic, with a voracious appetite, blowing bubble nests all day.

It's safe to leave on all day, doesn't over-heat the tank or anything. Sometimes he just sits right on top of it (which he is doing right now, ha!) I'm very happy I chose Marina Betta over any other heater.

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Sunday, March 2, 2014

Eheim 2075 Pro 3 Canister Filter - Up to 160 gal.

Eheim 2075 Pro 3 Canister Filter - Up to 160 gal.I've owned an Eheim 2217 for many years and it has operated flawlessly. I recently set up a new 110 gallon community tank and decided to spring on the latest Eheim model the 2075. It's only been running 2 months so perhaps my impression on this will improve, but so far it's been underwhelming.

As others have mentioned, the priming button doesn't really work. YOu have to press the buttom 20+ times...just when you're about to give up and try to do it the hard way then it springs to life.

Second, even after a 50% water change, my water is still cloudy. It doesn't seem to help...although I'm hoping this gets settled once the tank has been running a few more months.

If I can do this again, I would get the Eheim Pro II 2028, which has gotten MUCh better reviews.

** Edited 10/25/10 **

The cloudiness has settled and the tank is pristine. However, the priming button still doesn't work. I think I've isolated the cause the floating valve gets stuck in the cavity which prevents a suction from forming initially. I don't know what'll happen if I remove the float valve...maybe I'll try it next time.

Just like some of the other reviewers I have had considerable problems with leaks. The first time was after eight months of use. Eheim replaced the unit and now here I am a year later with another flood.

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I have 3 big fancy goldfish in a 55g tank, which needs a lot of filtration because these fish produce a lot of waste. I was a first time buyer of an external canister filter and a first-time purchaser of an Eheim product. I had heard that older Eheim models were very reliable, but I ended up buying the Eheim Pro 3 2075 from Marine Depot because this model had a newer, sleeker design, and sounded easy to clean. I chose Eheim over other models because of Eheim's reputation. I bought the Eheim in April 2010. Several days ago, that is, a year and two months later, the filter is leaking water somewhere close to the electric cord, a complaint that other reviewers of this product have reported on Amazon and on numerous other forums. Upon finding this leak, I cleaned the filter, thoroughly checked for any cracks, plugged it back in, and it seemed to work fine. Fours hours later, I found a puddle of water by the filter yet again. I frantically shut off the filter, Googled "Eheim Pro 3 leaks" (try it yourself) and found that other people also experienced the exact same problem with this filter in the exact same spot. People also seemed to notice these leaks after one year of owning this filter, which is also my case. The Eheim Pro 3 series clearly has defects that the manufacturer needs to correct. Do not purchase filters from the Eheim Pro 3 line! When I installed this filter upon first receiving it, the filter worked beautifully and I was ecstatic with the results. Within the one year of owning it, I was able to change the filter media only 4 times with incredible ease. However, I think you only begin to see these leaks after the machine has been running for awhile. I'm disappointed with this product because I paid over $200 for the filter. But I guess as a first-time user of external canister filters, the lesson that I have learned is to not purchase an Eheim product ever again. I do not favor Eheims over other models because I lack experience in this hobby, but I do know from experience that this particular filter has failed me miserably.

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This canister filter was purchased for a 90 gallon African Cichlid tank. I've owned my unit for approximately 2 weeks and purchased my filter for $250.00 I utilized cichlid sand that was not rinsed under manufacturer recommendation and absolutely clouded the water something terrible. The filter was able to make a significant difference in just 24 hours and absolutely cleared the water within 48-72 hours. I knew of the Eheim name and reputation and risked its purchase although I could not find many reviews on this particular model (2075). There were plenty available for the model 2080. Now, let's cut to the chase.

The Good:

1) Incredibly QUIET!!! There is absolutely no hum whatsoever during its operation. You know it's working because you will see the wave of surface agitation from the powerhead.

2) Very efficient as witnessed by me personally in clearing my milky water in just 48 hrs.

3) Relatively simple assembly and installation.

4) Simply hose disconnect feature to allow for cleaning the canister.

5) My model was a complete kit including all filters and substrate all inclusive.

The Bad:

1) The priming feature did not work well and exhausted me in the process. It took quite a while before it decided to work. I pumped the primer over and over and over and..........get the point? It did nothing. Eventually it started after one final attempt.

2) The substrate is very expensive.

3) No tilt and roll wheels on this model to assist with removing from your tank stand.

4) Input and output hoses were a bit difficult to seat on quick disconnect valve on motor head.

Truly, nearly a perfect filter for my 90 gallon aquarium. I would purchase this or any other Eheim product based on my experience with this filter. It deserves a 4.5 rating (because of the primer) but was not available.

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We purchased this the 2075 and with in 15 months it broke. It started leaking from the top. It was fantastic to come home from work to find 1/2 of a 130 gallon tank on the floor and a real scared fish. I contacted ehiem, after several emails they said it was a broken primer seal. Its suppose to have a 3 year warrenty... They would not send me one nor tell me where I could get one..... Save your money and go with another manufacture.

Designs by Nature 3 D Aquarium Background BJ051A 31.5"x 21.75"x 2"

Designs by Nature 3 D Aquarium Background BJ051A 31.5'x 21.75'x 2'Slightly bigger than tank but cutting it down to fit with a serrated bread knife wasn't too bad. Very little mess. My cichlids love it. It's so realistic that some of my cichlids have made some of the nooks into their personal caves even though I have plenty of slate caves for them. VERY VERY HAPPY

This background looks very nice after installation. My only complaints are a couple of holes in the background but that was easily concealed with black tape on the back of the tank. I think it's thicker than it has to be (this takes up significant square footage in the tank). Being thinner would be a good improvement and some of the background can flake off a little bit.

Overall, I would buy it again so I have to give it 4 Stars. It's better than spending a week trying to build one. I didn't have the time to do that.

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This background was the finishing touch to my wife's aquarium. We had spent a couple hundred dollars on artificial coral and plants, this tied it all together. Trimming was accomplished with a small scalpel and straight edge and the installation took less than twenty minutes including measuring and final fitting.

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