Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Easy Balance Water Conditioner

Tetra 77140 Tetra EasyBalance PLUS, 16.90-Ounce, 500-mlThis is an excellent additive for freshwater aquariums. It keeps PH at 7.0, reduces Nitrates that can usually only be removed via water changes, and removes phosphate which encourages algae growth. It also produces CO2 which is helpful for the growth of aquatic plants. However it is important that you have proper water aeration when using this chemical additive because of these CO2 producing properties. Another major thing is that this product does NOT remove chlorine or chloramines from water when performing water changes. Also it is important to note that by using this product it does not excuse you from not having to perform water changes. You still should change 15-20% of the water in the tank every 2-3 weeks depending on how many fish are stocked in the tank relative to its size.

This product will cloud the water for a few hours after it is introduced to the tank water. This cloudiness should disappear quickly as long as you have good water filtration and movement! And again make sure you have good water aeration like air stones in the tank as this could cause the fish to not get enough oxygen.

From Tetra's Site:

Easy Balance® Detailed Description of Individual Product Features

Carbonate Hardness Additive The appropriate amount of carbonate hardness is added to the aquarium water compensating for KH losses, which occur as a result of nitrification.

pH Stabilization Stabilizes the pH value on a sufficiently high level, preventing a drop to biologically harmful levels (pH crash) and produces a certain amount of CO2 preventing excessive pH values.

Phosphate Removing Effect In a standard aquarium (30gal) the phosphate concentration is reduced to zero during most of the 6-month period.

New Feature: Nitrate Reduction with Nitraban(tm) Serves as a nutrient for denitrifying bacteria that consume the oxygen releasing nitrogen from the aquarium. On average the nitrate concentration will drop below 40mg/l.

Other Features Include Production of Carbon Dioxide, the addition of trace elements and a replenishment of vitamin B

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Let me add to this review that for all the people posting that this product doesn't work or that it killed their fish, they are the ones at fault! And the yellow water issue? Yes this product will cause the water in the tank to turn temporarily yellow. If there is extremely poor filtration and water movement, the water will stay yellow.

I have 2 aquariums and when they need to be clean I add this to the water. EasyBalance with Nitraban helps keep my aquariums clean and clear and I was having a problem finding this product at my local pet store, and other pet stores in my area.

I came to Amazon just to check to see if they carried this product. Much to my surprise,

they did, and for half the price a pet store would have charged me. Even the shipping added to the order, was still half. In the future, I plan to order this product from Amazon.

Again, as with my other orders from Amazon, my order was here in less than a week.

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I have been using this stuff for about a year. It is the best product if you don't want to change water and have to reset your water chemistry every 30-45 days. A 50% water change every 3-6 months is all you'll have to do for the life of your tank. I swear by the stuff. I did have an ugly tank from one bad bottle last summer, but it was easily fixable. In fact, I just bought the last 13 bottles available in my size so I won't have to go to the pet store for anything but plants.

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ANY product that reduces water changes is great! I put it in once a week and it reduces the nitrogen over night. I have very little alge growth. The water is crystal clear.What more can I say? I love this product!

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This product did exactly what it said it does. The fish all seemed to liven up as soon as this was in the water, so I assume everything balanced out fairly quickly.

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Tetra Pond Bottom Drain

Tetra Pond Bottom DrainI decided to enlarge my Koi pond from 1600 gallons to 6000 gallons and after having a pond for several years, I decided to install two bottom drains under the pond to assist with keeping the water clear and free of fish waste. Using a skimmer that removes the top layer of water and anything floating is great, (I still have a skimmer attached) but having the bottom drain means that all the leaves and "mess" that settles on the bottom of the pond is now gone and I do not have to worry about renting or buying a vacuum to clean out the pond every year.

And for those of you out there that are concerned about putting a hole in the bottom of your pond, the design of these drains is well thought out and the potential for leaks is extremely low. I have 81 koi in my pond and I would never do anything that would jeapordize their survival. I have a cleaner pond and could not be happier.

I am using this for a drain in my small duck pond and it is working GREAT.

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Jardin Aquarium Cleaning Manual Squeeze Water Change Cleaner Pump, 1.9m Long

Jardin Aquarium Cleaning Manual Squeeze Water Change Cleaner Pump, 1.9m LongI have been using this to clean my 75 gallon Marine Aquarium for a few months now and it is doing a very good job. The pump primer works great, the on/off valve makes it convenient to control the flow and the suction is very good to assist with removing detritus from the tank. Plus the price was amazingly low!

The siphon works well. It pumps water as it's supposed. Quality wise you get what you pay for. This is an inexpensive alternative.

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This thing has so many air leaks that there is no chance of starting a siphon. The siphon tube is thin, cheap ribbed plastic which does not seal to either end of the pump. I thought this would be great with the controllable flow, but since no siphon is possible there is no flow to control. Took 2 weeks to arrive too, so I guess you get what you pay for. It's not even worth my time to return it.

Read Best Reviews of Jardin Aquarium Cleaning Manual Squeeze Water Change Cleaner Pump, 1.9m Long Here

Works well and is simple to use. Shipping was not as long as stated. I used it in a 30 gallon tank and will recommend this to anyone.

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FA18X Aquarium Acclimation System

FA18X Aquarium Acclimation SystemThis acclimation system is a great tool for acclimating fish, inverts, corals, etc. into aquariums! Beginners and experts can benefit from an easy acclimation tool like this!

I recently added a couple of fish to our tank and tried this product out. I was very glad to be able to aclimate the fish both in temperature and in water simultaneously. This prdduct worked well. I was concerned about breaking the green prongs when attached the plastic bag, but I was careful and none of them broke. The drip feed is adjustable so you can work out the rate to add the water to.

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I purchased this item after reading about it and found it to be a lot more convenient to use compared to all of the other methods of fish acclimation. Not having to jump up every few minutes to add water to the fish container (and try to remember where you were in the process) is a god send for me. And, as a bonus, It also just so happens that it is the best method of doing an acclimation, as well. The only wish I have is that the assembly sat a little higher above the surface of the water which would make it a lot more convenient in positioning the bag containing the fish below the drip cup and adjusting the drip. Being able to secure the assembly to the tank glass would also help. I wound up dropping the drip cup a couple of times while trying to position everything and am afraid that if I'm not careful, I'll break it. Otherwise, it's a great little gadget and I love it! On another note, I had a problem with the item I received, and, the company was extremely responsive in remedying the situation. Great outfit to do business with!

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I really like this product and works as expected. The only thing I would change is how you adjust the drip. It's kind of difficult to make small Adjustments. Still makes acclimation easier though so I'm happy with the product.

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I just started a saltwater tank and the day I was gonna get some fish this product arrived. Showed up just in time, great delivery. Since then Ive used it several times and theres not one bad thing that I can say about this acclimator. If youre lookin for an acclimator, buy this one. Works great and its affordable

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Brightwell Aquatics ABABAC500 Microbacter7 Liquid Water Conditioners for Aquarium, 17-Ounce

Brightwell Aquatics ABABAC500 Microbacter7 Liquid Water Conditioners for Aquarium, 17-OunceI bought this MB7 after reading about it on a local reef message board. People say using this will help lower nitrates as it helps boost the benificial bacterial in the aquarium that consumes nitrates. I've been using it for a few weeks now and it does seem to be helping lower my nitrates.

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baby biOrb 4-Gallon Moonlight Aquarium with Light Fixture

baby biOrb 4-Gallon Moonlight Aquarium with Light Fixture, BlackI have one of these (the earlier version, no moonlight) in my office on my desk. I love it! I keep one gorgeous male betta in it and he is thriving. The pump is extremely quiet. I don't worry about keeping the pump above the water level and it works just fine. The provided gravel is part of the filtration system; you can cover it with large, shiny rocks but I don't mind how it looks on its own. I really enjoy the decorations you can use in the baby biOrb; I have the small grass ring that goes over the bubble tube in the center and several bright, weighted "plants". Haven't tried the fuzzy ball decorations yet but I will when I get tired of the current set-up. My betta seems very healthy and happy. I keep the water level lower than recommended so he has plenty of surface where he can get air. This has been a very peaceful, pretty addition to my office.

Looks great on a high coffee table and even the anti-fish husband gave it a compliment on how cool the night light looks.

Pretty low maintenance with 25% water changes weekly and fully changes one a month it almost looks after itself its so easy. You can probably reuse the filters if you clean them and add new media.

I added a heater, skipped the biorb stones for petshop cheaper ones, I decided on real plants, a betta, some red cherry shrimp, adding a top to the bubbler and a valve which means my betta has no problems with the current & his long fins (he is a halfmoon and currently flaring right next to the air vent the cheeky minx!).

One note for anyone buying this. Buy a valve for your pump or you may find the water siphons back into it when you switch it off $2.00 well spent!

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Both packaging and website description are misleading. The photos don't show the air tubing and power cord which are unsightly and make it very difficult to place in your home. The external tubing and air pump unit are supposed to be placed higher than the water level! Also, the supplied media is unattractive and is the only media (gravel) they recommend using (it's brown). I definitely expected a better product for the money it cost. I sent my baby biOrb back..and really wouldn't recommend this product.

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I transferred my betta into this tank after about a year in a much smaller (and cheaper) filtered tank and I am so happy I decided to get it. There isn't much light in my apartment so the moonlight feature stays on all the time, which is fine; but it looks especially beautiful at night. I decided not to buy biorb decorations or rocks just because I already had some and honestly they were a bit pricey for my taste anyways. This tank is also a bit expensive, but it's totally worth it. It not only looks great, but it is very functional. The filter works great and cleaning is easy. I've had the tank for about a month now and I would gladly recommend it to anyone looking to buy. I would definitely buy from Biorb again in the future.

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I've been very happy with this tank but the moonlight feature was a waste. Because I keep it pretty far away from windows, the regular daylight wasn't enough to trigger the switch from moonlight to daylight. I had to keep a lamp on to keep the tank light on, which is pretty silly. There is an option for manual on/off but then you give up the moonlight... either both lights are on, or neither. If you get enough light in the room, this could work for you. But the directions caution against keeping it in direct sunlight because the curve of the tank could cause a fire.

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Hydor MINI HEATER Aquarium Heater 7.5 Watts for Tanks 2-5 gal

Hydor MINI HEATER Aquarium Heater 7.5 Watts for Tanks 2-5 galI bought these for my 2.5gallon killifish tanks. These heaters take up very little space in the small tanks, since they are flat.

But be aware that these heaters don't have temperature controls, so the water temperature will change when the room temperature changes. My tank temperature ranged from 92F to 70F with the heater plugged in from May to December. I had to unplug the heaters on very hot days. It seems that these heater will raise the water temperature in a 2.5gallon thank by 8 to10F over the room temperature.

Finally, all 6 mini heaters that I own have been reliable for 8 months now, and all are consistent in how much they heat the same volume of water.

I purchased this heater for our beta who lives in a 1 gallon jar; note the heater is spec'd for 2 to 5 gallon containers. During the winter we keep our house at 60 degrees and this heater keeps the jar at a consistent 72.

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This heater works well, not bad for small tanks (5 gallons or less). I purchased this for my 1 gallon tank, and it heated the water up to the low 80s. The heater works submerged or placed under the tank. I keep my apartment on the cool side, so this heater did the trick. A word of warning, though--if you have a 1-gallon tank, make sure you have a thermometer in it, because if you keep your home temperature in the high 60s and into the 70s, chances are the heater will then heat the water too warmly, into the mid to upper 80s, at which point you'll have to unplug the heater and monitor the temp as needed. Still, not bad for the price.

Read Best Reviews of Hydor MINI HEATER Aquarium Heater 7.5 Watts for Tanks 2-5 gal Here

My betta fish's water was mostly in the 60-degree range, below a betta's ideal temperature (70-80F). As a result, the betta was very inactive. I bought this heater for a one-gallon bowl, and it increased the water temperature about 10 degrees. Now the betta is very active.

Even though the specs say it's designed for a 2-5 gallon tank, I'd still recommend it for a 1-gallon bowl. Just keep an eye on the ambient temperature because this heater does not have an automatic shutoff.

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I purchased the Hydor Mini 7.5W Heater for my .9 gallon tank with my betta. Note that the heater is spec'd for a 2-5 gallon tank. Before he had to deal with 70 degree temperatures, which is not ideal and borderline too cold. Since putting the heater under the gravel in the tank, the tank is now constantly between 75-80 degrees, which is the normal temperature for a betta. I highly recommend this product to keep your betta longer and keep him more comfortably.