Showing posts with label aquarium setup. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aquarium setup. Show all posts

Clear Pond Sludge Buster Blocks, 8 1-Ounce Pack

Clear Pond Sludge Buster Blocks, 8 1-Ounce PackI have a small koi garden pond, 500 gallons or so near the Cleveland, OH area. This past winter (12/13) I had enormous amounts of string algae form in the pond over the winter. I do have a UV filter on my canister filter that helps keep the algae under control, but I do not use that in the winter due to freezing. As the weather begins to warm and I prepare the pond for readiness I needed to find something (beneficial bacteria) to help me clear the sludge that was forming as I killed off the algae and also the other leaves and matter that had collected over the winter. I scooped out as much of the debris as possible, but there was still a lot of residual matter on the rocks, sides and bottom. I did not want to drain the pond. I purchased these blocks in hopes of helping me get the pond cleaner faster. After treating the pond with an algae treatment a few days earlier I added one block to the pond. Within a matter of days the matter began to be removed. I did have to clean my filter at least once a day sometimes two. The water now is crystal clear and I can see right down to the bottom of the 3 foot pond. The fish are happy and thriving, I leave them out all winter with the pump on low everyone is happy, me the fish, the other wildlife. Great product and worked for me with the combination of other things I was doing to clear the pond after winter.

I love it that you just toss these into your pond or in my case, pond and pondless waterfall,,, they do a super job of helping keep my water nice & clean!

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I was skeptical of this items promises. I've used many different products in an attempt to keep our ponds clear. With a healthy population of Koi this can be a challenge especially in the spring after a long winter.

I threw a couple of these "tablets" in when the pond was first uncovered and two more after a couple of weeks when the water had warmed. Mechanical filtering was not working well. Once this product kicked in it made an amazing difference. Our ponds have never cleared this early.

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Clear Pond Sludge Buster Blocks are easy to use and really break up the debris. I'm completely satisfied with their performance.

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Got the sludge out of the pond and in to our filter. We still ended up buying a UV Sterilizer to get clear water. We have an about 3000 gallon pond and it completely filled and clogged the 55 gallon rain barrel we converted into a filter. It was a big mess to clean out, but the sludge was out of the pond. We did two treatments over 4 weeks before the filter clogged, so keep in mind it's not fast acting, but it worked for us. Also, make sure you are keeping an eye on your filters, sludge clogs.

Jardin Plastic Aquarium Tank Plants Grass Decoration, 10-Piece, Green

Jardin Plastic Aquarium Tank Plants Grass Decoration, 10-Piece, GreenThis product exceeded my expectations. Really nice heavy base. The tops are firmly attached in the bases so no bother with them falling apart. Leaves are nice and soft and sway gently in the tank. Great hiding place for shy fish. Highly recommend!

These plants were easy to place-no floatersand really fill in well. You recieve a lot more for your money than at the aquarium store.

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The grass is pretty cheap and flimsy where it attaches to the base, and I wound up breaking part of one and all of another trying to put together grass that came apart in shipping. Nevertheless, the end effect, with gravel covering the base is pretty nice. Big bang for the buck, and I would buy it again. No problems so far with pieces coming off in the aquarium.

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I have a lot of water movement and wanted something that didn't move around a lot and these work great. There is just enough movement to see the water current but not so much that they flop all over the place. Once some algae builds up on them they look real. They stay put as well.I either bury them in substrate of pile a few rocks over them anyway but even without help they stay put.

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These could do well somewhere else, however, compared the rest of the environment they look cheap and fake. It's a good product, just not it my tank.

API Algaefix Algae Control

API Algaefix Algae Control, 8-OunceAfter using this product, right away I noticed a reaction with my Goldfish. I have (had) two and the one was affected more then the other. Did a water change and they seemed better. A few weeks later I used it again and then I lost the one fish. For the last few days, even after 2 partial water changes my lone goldfish is VERY stressed and going crazy. Today I'm doing another 2/3 water change and hoping for the best...

Google "Algaefix and goldfish" and read some of the reviews you find there. Some folks think this product should be banned, and I agree wholeheartedly!

The first time I used it, I used it according to directions. I counted out 14 drops for my 10 gallon tank. It cleared within a couple of hours, and then the next day, the algae bloom was back, so I waited three days, like the directions said, and put in another 14 drops, and the next morning, my fish were all lying on the bottom of the tank. When they didn't respond to even food by noon, I got them out of the tank and put them into our quarantine tank until my husband could come home and completely empty and clean everything in the 10-gallon tank. I would not use this again. I hope my fish will be okay. After several hours, they seem to be coming around. If they die, I will write back with an update not to use this product.

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I'll keep this short and sweet I followed the directions and used this 3 times -no luck.... the water in my waterfall with constant aeration is still green. I think there are better products on the market. I hope this helps.

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I picked this stuff up after going through 3 algae blooms in my 10-gallon tank (including one really bad one, couldn't see two inches past it, and the other two being much more tame).

Now, I've read MANY mixed reviews on this product before making my purchase, and I have one thing to say. This is basically Weed-B-Gone for aquatic environments. It's made to kill algae. It's safe for fish IF USED RESPONSIBLY.

We've treated two tanks with this stuff: a 60 gallon, and 10 gallon. No fish died.

The 60 gallon: heavily infested with algae, specifically the brown hair algae. Applied the recommended dose (1 tsp per 50 gallons, we did a full dose). In the tank live two Convict Ciclids, two loaches, two kissing gourami, one minnow, and one otocinclus catfish. The tank itself is very well established bacteria wise, and has an appropriate canister filter going with four sponges and bacteria media. The lights on it are low-light, with one low-light grower. NONE of the fish were affected in any way shape or form.

The 10 gallon: houses my one Oranda goldfish, along with 7-8 trumpet snails. Previously had ghost shrimp in it, but took them out prior to treatment, then ended up dying from separate causes (put three in a bowl, two died, the rest were killed by the stress of my goldfish chasing them and trying to eat them, I don't plan on getting any more, lol). As I stated above, went through three algae blooms/cycles before I bought this, and has an AquaClear 30gal. filter going with two sponges and bacteria media. The light on this one is a 96wat four tube grow light. The light penetrates a solid inch into the gravel, it's intense.

WHEN I DOSED MY 10 GALLON: bottle says 1ml/10 gallons. From what I'VE been personally taught from my boyfriend (his 60 gallon has been running for 10+ years with absolutely no problems), the more gravel that is in the tank, less water; resulting in a smaller dose. I put HALF of 1 ML in the tank. My goldfish is UNAFFECTED, and my snails are as happy as could be cruising around. After repeated dosages, and even one dose being a full dose, my fish is fine. And now after about two weeks, I've seen NO new algae growth, AT ALL. I'm going to continue treating the tank, as it is planted and the algae has taken a liking to the plants, but as far as I can say, nothing has perished in my tank using this product, other than algae.

With more heavily infested tanks: from the 60 gallon, it's petrifying to watch. When you treat it, the water will cloud up almost IMMEDIATELY. And it is and was scary to see it happen so fast. It was back to normal clarity overnight.

Further research into this also relieved that the chemical diminishes in 24 hours, being completely gone by 48 hours. Example: I haven't changed the water in my 10 gallon since I've started using it. By the amount of chemical I've put in, I'm positive my fish would've been long gone by now. But he's still in perfect shape and health.

Everything being said: use this with CAUTION! This is not a magical algae fix (well, was for us....), this is made to kill algae, and I'm sure with inappropriate usage, will kill a lot more than algae, including what is printed on the label. If you have any doubts about getting this product, find something else. And if you get it, use your brain. It's easy to over-dose, and some things just don't work with some people. In my case, I began with a half dose, because my tank is one of the fairly smaller ones, and I wanted to see just how my fish reacted to it. I gave it a day, then repeated the half dose, waited, continued with a full dose over the course of a week and a half. It's not the products fault, as it's working BEAUTIFULLY for our own tanks and MANY others.

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I never use chemicals in my tanks but this time I decided to try because I developed an algae problem in one of my tanks that I could not get under control after adding t5ho lighting (Even after reducing light duration). Since I am averse to unnecessary chemicals entering my tanks I only gave a half dose after a water change yesterday. When I awoke this morning I had a lovely tank of dead fish. There is nothing else that would have contributed to the entire tank being wiped out but this hideous product ( My ammonia, nitrate and nitrite levels are fine). I wrote API about it and am awaiting a response. STAY AWAY from this and use any other method of destroying algae that does not consist of using this product (Or any other chemical product for that matter). API/MARS should be ashamed to have this on the market.

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Twisted Ficuz Stump With Root Ornament

Twisted Ficuz Stump With Root OrnamentI did't but this on amazon, i got it from another website but its the same thing. I have it in my 55 gallon tank, its not big but my pleco can go in it and my catfish like to sleep under it.

Great for the price.

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Tetra Pond Variety Blend

TetraPond 16456 Pond Variety Fish Food Sticks, 1.32-PoundAlways pleased with the quality of Tetra brand. Glad you had this in the 2.25 pound bag for the same price the discount pet store charges for 1.38 pound bag! My fish just love this and the Koi sticks. I've been giving it to them for over 5 years!

Tetra Pond's products have never failed us. This is the first time I've used this particular variety of koi food. The fish love it! I'm sold. As a note, I'm in S. Florida so it rarely gets cold enough to not feed the gang. Last winter was the first time I've had to withhold food, but this winter has been mild. I decided to try the Variety Blend and it's been a huge hit.

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I've been using these sticks for a while and boy do my fish love them. The Variety Blend is my preferred one because of the mix it offers Pond Sticks, Koi Vibrance, and Wheat Germ Sticks. My fish are all healthy and go nuts when its feeding time. I'll admit I used to purchase this same bag at certain brick and mortar pet stores but once I saw the difference in price on Amazon, it was a no-brainer.

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I have used this product for several years now, the fish in my pond just love it. It softens quickly but stays afloat. The smaller fish also nibble on it. It does not cloud the water at all. I recommend this product enthusiastically.

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Our koi and our goldfish really jump up for this food.

They have all been really healthy this year.

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Petco Pearl Aquarium Plant

Petco Pearl Aquarium PlantBEWARE --THE PICTURE IS DECEIVING

YOU ARE SHOWN 5 PLANTS BUT THE AD SAYS "PLANT" AND TO ALLOW THEM TO CHOOSE "ONE"

THE PICTURE IMPLIES YOU ARE GETTING 5 PLANTS BUT YOU GET ONLY ONE

I got the blue,white,and pink plants,they look amazing in my ten gal. aquarium. the white and blue ornaments are somewhhat soft, just enough as to not harm my betta fins, while for the pink one it doesnt feel very soft but unsure if it will cause any damage. i must say that they look better than i expected for what i paid for.

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Be aware!!!! Read the fine print!! You only get one of these and they randomly chose them... :( I was upset when I only got one then after research I soon discovered: expect a random color.

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Aquarium Fish Tank Silicone Sea Anemone Artificial Coral Ornament SH220S pu

Aquarium Fish Tank Silicone Sea Anemone Artificial Coral Ornament SH220S puThis has nice authentic detail, but has a strong unpleasant odor. Don't think I would put it in an aquarium with live fish I was just using for a model for science class had nice oral disk detail.

Fish Mate 2000PUV Pressurized UV+Bio Pond Filter

Fish Mate 2000PUV Pressurized UV+Bio Pond FilterSo this fishmate pressurized filter burst on me after a few months. Have been using it with a 800 gallon per/hour pump from the beginning. The video shows my dead koi, and after about 1 minute in, you can see the actual busted filter with water streaming out. Heartbreaking. I'm staying from Fishmate products in the future. Sure, Sunterra's are not so innovative, but they wont crack open, drain your pond and kill all your hard bred Koi.

For two years, I've struggled to keep my 1,300 gallon pond algy free and clear since it gets a lot of direct sun light and has 6-12 gold fish (depending on the last visit from the racoons). In two weeks this filter made crystal clear the pond that was slightly clearer than fat free milk.

I also bought the Fish Mate 4000 Pond Pump 1000 gph which is just fair. It makes a very noticeable humming/vibrating sound and the flow is not as strong as I'd hoped after the filter was attached.

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After my old canister filter died, I started looking for a new filter for my 75 gallon tank. I have some great big old goldfish and they are messy.

Over the years, I've discovered that pond equipment is generaly cheaper, better designed, and more rugged than aquarium equipment. This filter is no exception. Since it's pressurized, it can go below your tank. I added a Little Giant 1000gph pump and some simple plumbing with 3/4" flex tubing and some valves (all from your local big box store) and I was good to go.

The backwash feature is GREAT. You don't need to tear the whole filter apart to clean it. You can just backwash the muck out into a bucket. The way it works is kind of silly the filter comes with a screw-on cap to keep over the backwash port. Even when not in backwash mode, water will come out of that port without the cap on. I just permantently attached a 3' piece of hose with a valve at the end. When I backwash, I can just open that valve and let the muck run into my bucket.

The other thing I did was to intall a T and a valve in between the pump and the filter. I put a quick-disconnect garden hose connection on there and I can use a garden hose running over to the sink to drain and refill the tank. The pump pushes water out to the sink and I can use the water pressure in the house to reverse the flow and refill the tank. No buckets!

After a month, the tank is crystal clear and I'm just thrilled with the filtration capacity of this unit.

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We purchased this pond filter in late 2008, and as of two years later it has just simply stopped working. We fortunately did not have the same issue as previous reviewers (cracks which lead to draining of the pond), but overall this unit is not worth the money. For $200+, you can most likely find a better filter that will last more than 2 years.

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After one night water started clearing. After just one week completely cleared a 1600 gal. pond. I like this filter because its self cleaning and very easy to set up and most important it works. (And our pond was pea soup green.)

Great product!

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Blue Lagoon Betta Bowl in Aged Patina

Blue Lagoon Betta Bowl in Aged PatinaTHE GLASS USED IN THE BOWL IS VERY FRAGILE. SO FAR I HAVE NOT FOUND A REPLACEMENT BOWL.Blue Lagoon Betta Bowl in Aged Patina

I bought this product at a local pet store and it was broken. I returned it and purchased what I thought was the exact same product online. All styles and numbers match. When it arrived I was was happy with everything except the bowl. It was much smaller than the original one that I purchased. I do like this product and love that it lights up from the bottom. I just wish that the bowl was bigger and as dramatic as the base to match.

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Betta fish are living, not for decor. Make sure they have at least 1 gallon to swim around in. This isn't gonna cut it for a lasting betta.

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Even bettas are living creatures and need their space. How can people put fish in such tiny prisons is beyond me...

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Aquatic Fundamentals 10/20 Gallon Aquarium Stand with Shelf

Aquatic Fundamentals 10/20 Gallon Aquarium Stand with ShelfIt's unfortunate that this stand is misrepresented in the product description. I recently purchased a 16g Nuvo Aquarium to use for a reef setup. Unfortunately, upon opening the box for this stand, which was packaged nicely, there is a sticker that specifically states that the maximum capacity of this stand is 200lbs. Let's do some math:

Tank ~40 lbs

Salt Water (16g @ 8.556 lbs/g) = ~137 lbs

Live Rock (Approx 1-2 lbs per gallon) = ~16 lbs

Live Sand (Approx 1 lb per gallon) = 16 lbs

209 lbs and that isn't including equipment needed to run the tank.

If you were to go with a fresh water tank at 20 gallons you are at 167 lbs with just water. Just a heads up.

Don't get me wrong here. I think the stand looks nice. I didn't put it together to avoid wasting my time (which I guess is moot now that I have to return it), so if you intend to use this for a 10 gallon tank, I'm sure the stand will look great and function well. The shelves look like they are coated in a nice finish as well. Unfortunately, this won't work for me. I REALLY wish I had known what this sticker said BEFORE I ordered it.

I shopped around for an aquarium stand and found a lot of expensive items that I didn't really like. I wanted something simple, not a giant piece of furniture. And I wanted something easy to assemble. This stand is sturdy, it looks nice, and it took 20 minutes to put together. Our aquarium is a 10 gallon tank, but it would accommodate a 20 gallon as well. There just wouldn't be any space around the edges of the top shelf.

My only (small) complaint is that the threads on one of the leg pieces were messed up so it was very hard to put one of the screws in. But that was probably just on the one I got and not a universal problem.

What else can I say? I like it a lot, it was exactly what I was looking for and it was a lot less expensive than the other aquarium stands I researched.

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This product was easy to assemble (took about 20 minutes with no tools needed). Once built, it is very sturdy. I have used for both 10 & 20 gallon standard tank & fits great. However, a 20 gallon long does not fit. I placed baskets on the bottom 2 shelves and it hides all the food & equipment very well. The only complaint I have is that is a little to short (stands ~3 feet tall).

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Almost everything about this stand is perfect for me. It's simple, inexpensive, not too large and very sturdy. My only complaint is that it is not completely waterproof. I spilled a bit of water on it during a water change and it created a couple of small welts. Its not very noticeable though so I don't really mind. I highly recommend this stand for smaller aquariums!! :)

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There's room on top of this stand for our 10 gallon tank, the food, and a small lamp for the sofa next to it. The relatives eager to put this together (including a 10 year old) started with the shelves in the wrong order and ended up making a permanent mark on the eventual top shelf from columns screwed in too tightly. They thought the instructions were a little confusing. Anyway, I think it's nice and sturdy and well balanced with weight on top. Good value for the price.

Freshwater Plant CO2 Indicator with Solution Aquarium

Freshwater Plant CO2 Indicator with Solution AquariumMixed feelings on this product. The indicator viewer is excellent. The solution though is from an accuracy standpoint, not the best. A 4dKh water should be mixed with solution, not your aquarium water, which is possibly of unknown hardness/quality. All in all for the price not bad. I did buy it just for the viewer.

Hydor Deco Classic Collection Ancient Ruins Aquarium Ornament Kit, Pyramid

Hydor Deco Classic Collection Ancient Ruins Aquarium Ornament Kit, PyramidI bought this for my 55 gallon tank and it is a bit smaller than what I expected. The LED light changes color which is very neat.

The instructions for this is very odd. Over all it is not complex once you figure it out, but getting to that point is kind of frustrating. There are TWO different models of this so look at the air pump motor of the one you got to tell them apart before you begin to assemble it. Also, the suction cups for the base are in their own little pack and are not in the same pack with the suction cups for the cords. Look for those first because you will need them first to go onto the base. After that slide the air pump motor onto the base and affix the air pump intake hose. From there the instructions are pretty easy to follow.

My only issue is the mass of black cords I now have the job of hiding in my tank. Ugh. Oh and the box it was packaged in really didn't fit the product, but it got it here so I guess that's all that matters.

It seems as if the person that wrote the first review didn't read the directions or doesn't know how to properly install equipment... Also, there's really no reason why you should be trying an air pump out of the water. That being said, if you read the directions and install it properly, you will have yourself an awesome piece for your aquarium that you can enjoy!

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The packaging and shipping were awesome. The product itself was a piece of ****. The air pump worked when tested out of water, as soon as it was submerged it shorted and died. After all the work of setting up in my aquarium I was so angry I smashed it to pieces (Can't return now..oops.). So pretty much I paid $60 dollars for some LED'S that change color, Great! (Sarcasm). Not Amazon's fault it is the fault of the manufacturer. Do not waste your money. Buy some submersible LED's from china on Ebay and a separate air pump, it will cost less and will work. The only reason I gave one star is because the light works.

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JW Pet Company Fusion Air Pump 700 Aquarium Air Pump

JW Pet Company Fusion Air Pump 700 Aquarium Air PumpAfter having this pump working for 8 months now I have decided to order more and switch over my whispers to the fusions.

The Fusion 700 is the competitor to the Whisper 100. In terms of sound both pumps are quiet though over time my whispers tend to get louder and the diaphragm always goes to waste even if my airstones are regularly changed to prevent back pressure. The fusions pump however seems to be weaker than comparable models but the 100 does just fine in depths up to 24 inches. If you buy the 700 model and need to use it for a smaller tank, no problem simply turn down the pressure to your liking. Lastly diaphragms are cheap to replace if you ever need them compared to other pumps that seem to go out every 6 months

The shipping is super fast as usual. I think Amazon has the most efficience shipping method in the US right now. Their process time is amazing fast. Anyway, the air pump comes with a rather simple box and packaging with 1 manual instruction paper. It has a very good quality built to it, very good and sturdy material. All the surfaces and edges are smooth. It has two powerful air outlets and plenty of power for my 2 bubble walls. There is a control knob to adjust the flow rate which is very convenience for pretty for daily use. I'm very happy with this pump given its exceptional low price and quality. Oh the noise is almost none exist, too quiet I would say.

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Use it about 3 months, Very quiet and like the adjust circulation very much. I only use it for a 24 inch bobble wall and I have to tune it down almost all the way. I know should get the 500 model instead but the 700 is only few dollar more. so i go for the bigger size in case for the expansion need. At night time i hardly hear the pump noise with low circulation setting, if i dial up to max, you can hear a bite, but all pump does that. Nice pump!

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This pump puts out a good amount of air, but it will get extremely noisy after a while. This is because there is a rubber bushing that slips out of a plastic holder over time, causing one of the metal arms connected to the bellows to chatter against the hard plastic holder. Easy enough to fix by pushing it back up into the holder, but if you let this go on for too long the metal chattering against the plastic will saw the plastic holder off, leaving you with a permanently noisy pump with less airflow. Luckily I caught mine in time, and the metal arm only got about a third of the way down the plastic holder.

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The first one was DOA. The replacement ran fine for a few hours then just died.

It did pump a decent amount of air and was fairly quiet while it was running. the flow adjustment and dual outputs was also nice.

I just wish it had lasted.

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