i do like it but it was a bit smaller than i thought it would be...modified again and this time my boyfriend had to use a tiny bit of silicone because the tip had the metal sticking out once i bent it the way i wanted...other than that its nice lol
Showing posts with label bespoke fish tanks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bespoke fish tanks. Show all posts
Jardin Artificial Twisted Flower Plants Ornament for Aquarium, 6.3-Inch High, Yellow
i do like it but it was a bit smaller than i thought it would be...modified again and this time my boyfriend had to use a tiny bit of silicone because the tip had the metal sticking out once i bent it the way i wanted...other than that its nice lol
Ultralife Reef ProduCounts AULLPR Liquid Phosphate Remover, 4-Ounce
I have a very high phosphate reading in my 46 gallon aquarium. Mostly due to my overfeeding and I probably am overstocked but my fish are healthy. I have tried different products and nothing has lowered my phosphate until I tried Ultralife phosphate remover. My phosphate readings didnt seem to go down much but I noticed a HUGE difference with the algae in my tank. Tank looks great and I have seen the algae go down significantly in the last two weeks. One thing is to follow advice and only lower phosphate by 1ppm each day or use this product every other day. Only negative is I have used it for two weeks straight and have noticed my live plants have been affected and some leaves are dying or getting holes in them. This works great but use it wisely.
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This is an extremely effective product that has lowered phosphates in my 350 gal marine system from terrifying 10 ppm to 0.25 ppm in 3 weeks. I have tried and failed to do this with iron-based sorbants. My corals are happy and perky again! Thank you!Read Best Reviews of Ultralife Reef ProduCounts AULLPR Liquid Phosphate Remover, 4-Ounce Here
Great one day shipping and delivery. The product appeared to reduce algae growth and took Phosphate from 1.5ppm to 0 in one day. So it works...but the down side is the day after proper application to the system my very healthy clown fish took to laying at the bottom of the tank and 24hrs later he was dead! Use at your own risk!!!Want Ultralife Reef ProduCounts AULLPR Liquid Phosphate Remover, 4-Ounce Discount?
Phosphates take time to remove in a well-stocked tank. I'd recommend this product, yet, consider changing water at least weekly for most fresh water tanks for better control. The back/sides of my tanks are blacked-out plus the filters were recently nearly blacked-out. Don't overdo this medication measure carefully and and address the real reasons for increased phosphate levels including occasional overfeeding. This works as a addition to treating root causes. A Taylor pool phosphate tester works well to check aquarium levels, too. They were over 500 and one month later at 250 the tanks are looking better.Save 32% Off
Zoo Med BettaMatic Automatic Daily Betta Feeder
I purchased a 2.5 gallon bowfront for my office desk but needed a way to feed my betta on weekends without the mess of a weekend feeder which just pollutes the water. While this feeder's mounting brackets were made to fit over a bowl,it was easily modified to fit on the back of my little bowfront, rectangular aquarium.The mounting bracket had to be shortened by scoring with scissors then cutting. I positioned it at the opening on the back side of the hood. Adding a small rubber band keeps the bracket clamped tight to the side of the tank. The original design, the feeder sets on a bracket which holds and balances the feeder, but does not provide a lot of 'grip', like that needed to hold to the side of a tank.
Because I mounted the feeder at the very small opening at the back of the hood, not all the pellets were getting into the tank.
I fashioned a paper shield out of a sticky note and a piece of tape to deflect them back into the tank. It works perfectly.
One can only use pellet food (no flake), but it's lightweight, runs on batteries, and is very reliable. I've heard refilling is a delicate procedure as the tabs that hold everything in place are plastic, but I have had no problems. It holds a lot of food, enough for months and months. I'd like to see it upgraded for the bowfront, but it was the best viable solution on the market.
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I bought this for our betta tank thinking it would be the perfect solution to keep him fed while we went out of town on a 3 week vacation. I was really wanting this to work and still ordered even after reading some of the negative reviews. I ordered this a few weeks before we left and tested it for a few days over an empty bowl as soon as we received it to make sure it worked. The feeder does not turn a full 360 degrees once it starts. We noticed that the feeder did start to rotate when we inserted the batteries but then it would randomly stop for no particular reason and we would have to rotate the gears in the unit to get it going again. When it did rotate a full 360 degrees, it didn't let out any of the food.I would not recommend this as this feeder is not reliable. If you do decide to buy the product anyway, make sure you do a test run a few days before you will be gone if using it during long periods away.
This product does come with feeding pellets which I'm still using to feed the fish. So, I basically spent $15 on a package of food that comes with a useless buggy feeder.
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I used the feeder while I was out of town for a week. When I got back my fish was still alive. I continued to allow it to feed the fish once I was back in town and it worked fairly reliably. There was a plastic tab on the inside of it that I had to break off because it appears my pellets were too big to fit through. Once that was done it worked perfectly with my pellets.
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After a lot of trepidation, I decided to use this when I had to go away for 2 weeks on vacation. My did some tests and saw that it would allow 3-6 pellets on a 24 hour cycle. I know many complain how you can't control the number of pellets, but if you go on vacation, then that's just something you have to risk (other than getting a betta-sitter). Remember, this product is used to help you betta SURVIVE when you are gone, and if you betta is used to 3 or a specific number of pellets, well then he would just have to live with not getting the same exact number of pellets while you are away. Eating an odd number of pellets a day when you are away is better than starving to death.Save 45% Off
Elite Sponge Filter
I bought several of these to add to tanks where I was having tank-cycling issues (due to lack of a stable bio-media in my HOB filters, I believe). After much research, it seems that many fish enthusiasts insist on added sponge filters for stability. There were actually not many brands that I could find, nor recommendations. I decided to try these in combination with my HOB filters and I am glad I did... I now have no more cycling issues in any tank that has one of these. These are suitable for 10-gallons and up (I do not think that they would fit in a rectangular 5-gallon)... though I would get the double sponge filter for overstocked tanks. As for maintenance, I only have to squeeze out the organic matter from the sponge once a month in the bucket with the siphoned water from the tank during a regular cleaning. I would guess that the sponges will need to be changed at least once a year as they are already much softer than when they were installed.
The only drawback is the noise, it's the noise of air and water exiting the top tube. It's noisy whether you put the outlet above or below the water; it's a little quieter above the water, but still noisy. It's a design flaw to leave an outlet just like that. But if you have a loud environment maybe it won't bother you that much.
I'm planning to put stick a diffuser of some sort on it, it can be as simple as 1/2" tubing with a lot of little holes drilled in it and they should have designed something just like that.
But apart from that it's pretty good, works well and is inexpensive!
Update: I've now stuck a DIY moving bed filter to the outlet end and I'm happy with the noise level now. Overall, I'm extremely happy with this product and the price.This is a great little sponge filter; I'm using mine in a little 5 gallon and it works great. It does take up about 1/3, maybe 1/4 of the tank, I see this filter more suited to a 10 gallon +. I bought this filter for my fry tank and it has done a great job, I've actually just ordered another one as supplemental filtration for another tank and would definitely recommend it if you need a basic sponge filter.
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I was skeptical about sponge filters but this one has been keeping my water in great shape. This filter works great for this tank because Apistogrammas do no like flow.Want Elite Sponge Filter Discount?
I'm using the double sponge filter for my 20gal tank to supplement my HOB power filter. This is my first sponge filter so the following things I say may be naive or incorrect, however I expected the sponges to pick up more stuff in my goldfish tank. I squeeze out the sponges every week with my water change. my HOB filter is always super dirty, but the sponges don't seem to have much dirt in them, so I'm now cleaning them every other week.My main gripe, and the reason for the 3 stars, is this thing is LOUD. there is an adjustable upside down L shaped tube that the instructions say to keep half submerged for best results. Due to the construction of the tube, the air creates an annoying whistling sound, whether I keep it half submerged, fully submerged, or out of the water completely. So i'm just not using the tube at all and letting the bubbles come straight up out of the core tube of the filter.
Looking back (and forward) I would probably go with the hydro sponge filters
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API 3-Day Pyramid Automatic Fish Feeder
The fish were still alive, when I got back. They said nothing to me, but I guess that is just how fish are.
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I'm unimpressed with this product. My fish don't eat it with the relish they have for their regular food (shrimp pellets and tropical tablets). I gave it an extra star only because my fish did well enough over the 3-day break from their regular food. Not recommended.Read Best Reviews of API 3-Day Pyramid Automatic Fish Feeder Here
Horizontal Aquarium Thermometer
Easy to read, cheap and accurate. This one is removable without braking, which the older similar ATI thermometer wasn't. So all in all I can only recommend it.
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A lot of people say these types of thermometers aren't accurate. I disagree highly, I have several standard tube types that read the same temperature as this excellent unit. Plus unlike those where I have to take a moment to figure out the temperature, this one is clear at a glance. Unlike some other similar models, this one can be moved to other tanks or different spots on the same tanks. Very glad I purchased this, will buy this model again if needed!Read Best Reviews of Horizontal Aquarium Thermometer Here
I have one other ATI thermometer that works great. In looking for a second aquarium thermometer, I tried other brands, all of which failed miserably in comparison to this ATI product. Upon trying another ATI thermometer, success!I recommend this product.
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This item is very accurate and easy to read. I am very happy with it. I also like the fact that it can easily be removed and repositioned if needed. I placed it at the bottom right side of my 35 gallon high line and 10 gallon tanks opposite the heater and it is, ... Spot On !
Danner 01703 70 GPH Statuary Pump
great for the money kept running all summer long i like it we will see what next year brings if they still work or not
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Product is just what I ordered. It works well. Does the job. It's small but does the job on our fountain.This pump really does a good job. I got it to have flowing water for my veiled chameleon. I really liked the price and also the low shipping on it. I'm sure it could pump much more than I require of it. Thanks for a good prodict at a affordable price.
Aquarium Biochemical Sponge Filter Fish Tank Air Pump
Using this on my angelfish fry tank, working wonderfully. I have two setup in the tank and no complaints yet. They are simple design but no flaws from what I can see.
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I use this filter on my 10 gallon aquarium, works great for the price its good ;D ( silent )Read Best Reviews of Aquarium Biochemical Sponge Filter Fish Tank Air Pump Here
Very pleased with this purchase, very simple yet works great. My tank was cloudy but the day after I installed this filter it's been clear since.Want Aquarium Biochemical Sponge Filter Fish Tank Air Pump Discount?
These are perfect for fry tanks they give a nice gentle flow with the fine sponge element they are safe for even the smallest fry.
Fluval External Filter
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I have been an Eheim fanboy for quiet some time. Lately though, I am seeing that other manufacturers have upped their game. I have a Pennplax Cascade 1200 which is well made and has great flow. This Fluval 306 is Fluval's current 300-series canister. I haven't owned a Fluval canister filter for the last 15 years. The quality of materials of this 306 is immediately noticeable--it is solid and well built. I have a Rena Filstar XP3 filter and the plastics for some parts are not rigid enough (especially quick-disconnect unit--had a leak issue)--not so with this canister. The flow in this filter is such that water enters the inlet, is met by coarse foam spanning the height of the canister chamber. Water then moves through 3 media baskets that you can put whatever you like in. This canister does come with fine foam,ceramic biomedia, carbon pouches--everything you need to get started. The 306 is a well-designed filter system in my book.
The canister filter works great and has great flow. It is listed as being for up to 70gal, and I am using it at full output in a 58gal. Perfect flow. You can adjust the output down if you like by using the flow control lever on the Aquastop valve. This is the same valve that allows you to shut the water to the hoses off completely when disconnecting and servicing the unit. The canister is very quiet. The output nozzle is rather simple and can only be turned in the direction you want it to be aimed. It does not have a spray bar, nor does it have a deflector to adjust vertical spread. I have to say that the hose guides that steer the hose into the tank where you connect it to the input/output hardware is very unique. I like it better than the plastic hardware that every other canister filter uses. It has suction cups inside and outside the tank making it very stable. There is also a unique priming lever that you can use to purge the canister of air when connecting it for the first time--it took quite a few pumps but it works as advertised.
PROS:
+quality materials used and built solid
+quiet operation. Have no complaints at all about operating noise.
+Aquastop disconnect works great for reducing flow or shutting off completely to service canister
+excellent filtration: 1 coarse sponge + 3 media baskets (in succession)
+Hose guide brackets work really well, very stable
+media included
+easy and effective priming mechanism
+powerful flow! Flow is equal to filters rated for larger tanks--I'm guessing tank size rating due to relatively small size of the unit (ie. filtering media). I for one love that it has more flow. Many I know have two canister filters per tank for water movement.
+ribbed plastic hose is very flexible and stays kink-free. In theory it may not be optimal for flow and over time may collect more sediment more than smooth-walled tubing.
CONS:
-very basic output nozzle--can be turned but has no height deflector. No spraybar also if that is your thing. The output nozzle also shakes from all the flow. I bought a suction cup holder (like the included one for the intake stem) to steady it--works great!
All-in-all, a great canister filter!!! Definitely superior to my Eheim classic 2217 and cheaper too! I would also choose this over the Rena XP2/3. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this canister to anyone. If any long-term issues arise, I will update this review. I am now definitely a Fluval fanboy!!!
I uploaded a short video.
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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I have a 55 gallon aquarium with several very large cichlids in it. Cichlids are fish notorious for filthying up a tank and mine are no different. Before this filter arrived, I was keeping the tank clean with two hang on the back type AquaClear filters (which if you must have a hang on the bank type of filter I do recommend that brand above all others). Each of the AquaClear filters was rated for a tank larger than the one I have. Still, the water never seemed quite clear, despite monthly filter maintenance and weekly 50% water changes.Since installing this Fluval my tank water is so clear it looks as if the fish are floating in air. My fish are even more vibrantly colored, indicating to me the water quality has improved. It comes completely loaded with media which you will need to rinse before using.
My favorite part about this filter is how amazingly quiet it is. My aquarium is located in my bedroom and we are used to the constant waterfalls and impeller noises from the two hang on the back filters we were running, which were the quietest we had owned. The first night we ran this filter the silence actually kept us awake! We still have to walk up to glance into the tank periodically so that we can tell it is even running because it is so quiet.
It is also super easy to maintain. There is a lever on the top which stops water from leaving the lid like a switch. You then simply remove the lid and do what you need to do. Even starting an empty filter is a breeze as it self primes and the self priming actually WORKS!!!
If you are used to hang on the back filters, expect this filter to take more time to install. It took me about an hour as I have never installed this type of filter before and I misunderstood where the gasket was to be seated. Yes, it was a very wet mistake. :-)
The instructions could be better. The device is actually simple to install but the instructions make it seem more complicated than it is.
We have only ran this for about a month but I can tell this is one of those rare products that is so well made it will be passed on to my children. I cannot give it high enough praise.
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I purchased 2 Fluval 406 for a new 100 Gal Freshwater tank. The major difference from the 405 filter is the priming mech which on the 406 is easier to get started and was completely redesigned very nice! Also the motor clamps are stronger and easier to open when cleaning is required. The impeller cover on the 406 is very strong and looks like it will never need to be replaced like on the 405 which can break when cleaning. The only drawback is that parts for the 06 series are not readily available yet. I have had this filter for about 15 months and I am still very pleased with my water quality. I also purchased a Eheim 2076 Pro 3E for my 40 Gal breeder and I am regretting it already the water is cloudy and I believe that it is due to bypass issues. I replaced it with one of my fluval 406 cannisters from my 100 Gal to verify that it is an issue with the Pro 3E and it only took about 12 hours to completly clear my cloudy 40Gal tank. If anyone has a comment or suggestion on how to fix this issue with my Eheim please post a comment I would very much appreciate any suggestions to resolve this issue.Want Fluval External Filter Discount?
I'm leaving my previous review below so you can see the change. Everything I wrote was quite true at the time I bought this filter. However, about 5 months in everything changed when I received a call from the wife that the filter was making strange noises. When she looked underneath the stand, water was everywhere. By the time we stopped the water flow, 10-20% of the water was in my carpet.Problem: Just inside the edge of the head unit is a second plastic rim that keeps pressure against the inner gasket. That second rim cracked around the entire perimeter, breaking the seal allowing the water to find an alternate route into my family room.
Had my wife not noticed the sound and looked, I would have had 50-60 gallons of water in my living room along with alot of water damage.
On my initial call, Fluval wanted me to pay for shipping. After a second call, they agreed to pick up the shipping tab. The person on the second call was very polite and helpful. There was no arguement from her about the shipping. Two thumbs up to the customer service!
Despite the good customer service, I still have to keep this at 3 stars because of the structural failure and the resulting flooding.
Hopefully, this is an isolated incident. Once I get my head unit back, I'm going to give the filter another shot. However, I am going to take extra precaution with a secondary over-flow container and possibly a secondary pump to prevent a second flood.
-------------------------
Original Review
Fluval 460 Day 1:
I had been running a Tetra "Whisper" power filter. I quickly discovered that only way to quiet that thing was to unplug it. I finally knew it was time to do something different when the neighbors complained. With the aquarium sitting in the family room, it's not a good thing to continually have to talk louder to be heard or to have to turn up the TV volume to hear what's going on. The very first thing I did after getting the 406 running was close my eyes and enjoy the silence.
A friend is running a Fluval 404 and loves everything about it except the fact that the impeller cover breaks so easily causing the filter to run a bit louder than he'd like. After doing a bunch of research on Cascade, Aquatop, Eheim, and Fluval filters, I finally decided on the 406. What tipped the scales was my friends review of his 4 series filter along with reviews of the 406 of the improved quality of the Impeller cover. Since I have never seen the guts of an older Fluval filter, I had my friend look at this one with me. His conclusion...quality improved. It's always nice when a company actually listens to its customers isn't it?
Setting this filter up really is quite simple. There are a couple really good tutorial videos on YouTube. The best one for the 406 is by Pet Solutions. There is also a more detailed tutorial put up by "fluvalblog" for the 405. Although it's for the older filter, the basic set up and structure are really still the same. The biggest difference you'll find is the design and installation of the impeller cover. If you watch both videos and check your parts list, you'll be fine putting this filter together. The only extra thing I would say regarding the install...ignore what the videos and instructions say about filling the filter with water. Fill it with water until you see that the water is level with the top of the media containers. You'll still have to do some priming as you work out the air from the spongers. However, if you don't put any water in before hand, you'll probably be priming until your arm falls off.
The white components on the intake assembly and the output nozzle are annoying, but not enough for me to take off a star.
Overall analysis:
Great quality
Improved design
White components are annoying
Good water flow
Easy install (watch the videos)
BLESSED SILENCE!!!
Obviously, since this is only day 1, only time will tell for continued performance. I will add updates as more time passes.
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Como Aquarium Artificial Duckweed Floating Plastic Green White Plant
They are rather large so they are best suited for a larger tank. We're not talking about a Beta tank, here. 5 gallons at least.They are made of stiff plastic and will most likely come to you with their white tendrils flattened, so they need bending.
It's a cool idea for larger tanks but they are a bit sharp and you would need about two orders to have a nice display in a 10-15 gallon tank.
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Very cheesy. I thought I would use these in my tank with other live plants but they looked terrible. Most of them don't float correctly and they get caught up on decorations. I wouldn't purchase them again.Read Best Reviews of Como Aquarium Artificial Duckweed Floating Plastic Green White Plant Here
Petco Pirate Skull Aquatic Decor
If you have small fishes like mollies, guppies or zebras, BE CAREFUL and please read this.Do not buy this item unless you're willing to spend an hour or two smoothing the inner edges. This ornament is made of a resin-like material, and it had several pointy edges on the inside which I was careful enough to notice. I had to take the proper time to slowly remove them with a sandpaper, which is very hard to do because the skull is tiny, even for a female finger.
It is not safe for aquariums with small fishes, so please consider you will have to spend extra time fixing the ornament before it can be danger-free for your beloved pets.
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HDE Digital Timer Aquarium Automatic Food Portion Fish Feeder
have had this feeder for around 4 months. it is wonderful! i have a crazy schedule and depend on this to feed my fish. my only disappointment is how easy it is to change the feed adjuster. barely bump it and it changes the amount of food that is dropped. i finally got it set to where i wanted it and taped it down so i dont have to reset each time i remove the feeder to clean tank and refill.
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This item did not come with a manual but was not too hard to figure out. However, it would not cycle to dispense the food at any of the Pre programmed times. It would work in the manual mode but obviously defeats the purpose. I sent back the first one and was sent a replacement which also failed to work. Not worth the shipping costs to send it back for a refund. Go to a local pet store and buy one off the shelf.Read Best Reviews of HDE Digital Timer Aquarium Automatic Food Portion Fish Feeder Here
not to bad just a little more work than I expected to program. and if you use flake food you need to grind it to a power or it will clog the feeder and your fish will starve. but still a little commin cence and all will be fine.Want HDE Digital Timer Aquarium Automatic Food Portion Fish Feeder Discount?
At first, I thought that since this product is cheap it is not going to have a good quality. But, I proved it wrong. It has a very good quality and works properly. I have been using this product for more than a month and it is awesome. The fishes are healthy and I dont have to worry that my fishes will be hungry. One thing that is kinda hard is to set up the feeding time. However, once you have read the instruction manual, it will be clear.Save 65% Off