Marina Power Filter

This filter came in an aquarium set that I purchased recently. It is an awesome filter. Very quiet, very thin! The impeller motor is inside the tank so it takes up less behind the wall space. It is by no means bulky in the tank though! There is an adjustable flow to regulate the amount of current it produces, and also there is a coarse sponge on the intake which is nice for preventing fry from being sucked into the filter. I also like the choice of carbon and ammonia reducing chips for the inserts. It is extremely easy to assemble this filter. All in all worth every penny!

I've had this filter for about a month, and my fish seem to be doing much better with the dispersed flow. Unlike other filters, the flow from the Marina S10 seems to diffuse across the slide. This creates less current and less stress on the fish. As a bonus, I can turn down the flow level during feeding times so all the food doesn't shoot across the top of the aquarium.

The fish in my 10 gallon tank did not appreciate the heavy current created by my old Tetra Whisper filter. Sure, the Whisper did an excellent job filtering waste, but it also stressed out the fish. This filter does as good a job filtering waste and eliminating ammonia, and doesn't stress the fish!

I'm giving this filter 5 stars because it is best-in-class for 10-gallon tanks. No other filters provide as sleek a look; no other filters come with a built-in flow regulator (that I can find....), and no other filters have as peaceful a current for my fish, frog, and shrimp.

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I've had this filter 4 months, and really like it. My tank is viewable from both sides, so the streamlined shape is great hanging on the end. The width (7 in) might not be so great if you are hanging it on the back without a background.

The filter is silent. Not quiet, silent. I have to check for ripples to know if it's on. It comes with an intake sponge, so you don't have to buy one if you have shrimp or fry. The size of the motor and intake (with sponge) inside the tank is about equal to a PennPlax SmallWorld filter I had for a while. I don't think it takes up too much tank space.

It's like a cross between an external HOB and an internal filter. The motor is on the intake and the media is outside. The motor is submerged, so does not have to be primed each time you unplug it. The downside is that it's an electrical motor with wire going into the water, so you should unplug it before you stick your hand in the tank, when you clean etc. The submerged motor means the hang-on-back part is all one piece of plastic, no washers or connections to leak.

Media being on the outside of the tank is easy to replace. I don't use the inserts because I don't want to have carbon in the filter all the time. AquaClear 20 media bags fit easily in the sections. I've used BioMax and carbon, and now have 2 BioMax bags in one section and a cut to size filter pad in the other. Purigen 100 mL fits (barely) but slows the flow.

I believe it's a 55gph filter, which is plenty for my 5.5 gallon. I like that the flow is adjustable. It does not have a lot of surface agitation -I get some protein scum even with it on full. Still, I think it's a great filter and the flexiblity appeals to me. I'd buy it again gladly.

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I purchased this little filter for my betta's soil-based naturally planted 5 gallon tank. The tank is in my bedroom so I was looking for a filter that was quiet, small, slim and had an adjustable output and intake so I wouldn't have to baffle it for his fins, and affordable, as I am a student. I scoured the internet looking for something to put in the tank that met those requirements for less than $20. I stumbled upon this little beauty and thought "what the heck? There aren't any real reviews, but if it sucks, I can send it back and MAKE a real review." I was NOT disappointed.

Setup was very easy and the instructions were very clear. My only complaint is that the little "circle thing" that you attached to the base on the outside to keep the filter level often falls out of mine, or did, until a little hot glue solved that problem. The outer, hang over back potrion of the filter measures 18cm long by 5cm deep by 15cm tall; which fits perfectly between my tank and the wall. The intake tube is also adjustable in height, so it can fit in varying depths of tanks.

The filter's powerhead is underwater and so is silent. I was a little skeptical of this,so I did a thorough inspection for any defects that could kill my precious betta or his red cherry shrimp. One month in, and no body's been electrocuted yet. The filter came with a prefilter sponge so I didn't have to add one to protect my betta's fins or my RCS's livelihoods. The output low is also adjustable from super low to very high (in a small tank like mine, it might even be enough for a goldfish or two). Because the output is adjustable, I set it to low (pushed the knob/level aaaaall the way to the right) and my betta has no trouble with the flow (he built a bubble nest under the output thing), even when the water level gets a little low.

The filter itself is super quiet; my laptop is louder than it and the only time I hear it is late at night when the whole house is turned off. Occasionally if I've been mucking about in the tank (trimming plants, changing water) and the hood isn't on straight or the filter gets bumped and is touching my bedroom wall, I can hear an irritating buzzing sound generated by the vibrations causing the plastic case of the filter to bump and buzz against the wall. This is easily fixed by either jiggling the hood until it is properly settled back onto the tank or moving the filter slightly so that it doesn't touch the wall anymore.

As mentioned above, it has a fairly small or narrow external footprint, the internal footprint is also quite reasonable, unlike most internal power filters (like the Tetra Whisper 3i and 5-10i that I tried before this). For refill cartridges, I don't know if Marina sells any, but the small Tetra BioBags fit perfectly, and there are 3 spots available for cartridges, or you can just put in one or two (I have one and some sponge for a biofilter).

All in all, a great filter and a great investment. Keeps my water crystal clear, doesn't but my aquarium's inhabitants and doesn't bug me. I LOVE it and would recommend it over and over again! Best $15 I spent on my aquarium (besides the fish & shrimp!)

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I bought this to replace my Tetra Whisper, which was beginning to whisper rather loudly. Assembly was a little complicated, but maybe I wouldn't have thought so if I hadn't felt hurried because my Tetra had crapped out soon after the Marina S10 arrived.I'm very happy with this, and my only complaint is one I read elsewhere, that the plastic lid rattles and makes a buzzing noise. I simply removed don't use the lid, and the only noise I hear is the gentle flow of the filtered water back into the tank. It does seem to aerate the water much more than the Tetra did as well. Overall, very pleased. A good value.

One more thing: This unit takes two filters, and it shipped with two, but one is designed for goldfish ("Bio Clear") and the other for tripical fish ("Bio Carb "). I was glad I ordered extra ones for goldfish so I could place two of those in from the start. I think it would be better if Marina gave you the choice at point of purchase or include two of each.

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