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Como Aquarium Fish Tank Plastic Swimming Gold Fish Decoration Yellow Red 3 Pcs
Laguna Pond Fountain Pump Kit, 400-GPH
TOM Aquarium RP3 Plus (Rapids Pro Filter with Auto Fill System, 700gph pump)
I have just set up a saltwater reef again for the first time in over 10 years. So much has changed since the first time. The set up instructions leave a bit to be desired. The system is rather picky getting the adjustments just right; but once you do, the system works great! I ended up calling the company and talking with technical support for 1/2 an hour asking questions and getting answers to those questions; I was having issues with water movement and keeping the filter at the level of fill that they recommend even with the auto fill system. The filter seemed to be bringing an excess amount of bubbles back in to my tank. They recommended increasing the height of the auto fill tank up 2 inches more than the filter and also they truly mean it when they say the hoses should be as straight and as close as is possible. Each bend in the hose cuts down on the efficiency of the 700 GPH pump. I truly don't know if I would have been nearly as satisfied with the system if I hadn't called them for support with my issues.This works sooo well! I have a 55gal reef tank and this suits it perfectly. I've used a couple canister filters (marineland magnum with dual bio-wheels and penn-plax cascade 700). To clean and change out filter media, you have turn off the filter and completely take it apart. With the TOM Aquarium RP3 Plus, you can keep everything running if you want and just change the filter pads right on top. It comes with everything you need for a typical wet/dry filter (bio-balls, ceramic cylinders, activated carbon pillow, prefilter pads as well as an activated carbon prefilter pad) as well as a built-in protein skimmer! There is no need for drilling your tank for an overflow. This does it for you! It uses a siphon to draw water from the tank and if the power goes out, the siphon is lost so it is next to impossible for your filter to overflow and spill out all over you floor! If your thinking "What happens when the power comes back on?" Well this amazing siphoning overflow box starts the siphon all by itself by drawing air from the siphon chamber as the pump runs. So you guessed it, water never overflows from the filter or your tank.
Another great idea this wet/dry filter has is a water top off system. It holds about 3.5gal and when constantly matches the water level in the filter. If water in the filter gets low, so does the water in the reservoir. When that happens, you will hear a gurgle sound as water empties little by little until it reaches the right level again. I usually have to fill the reservoir every 1-2 months depending on the temperature of the room.
Get this! It will save time on filter maintenance giving you more time to just relax and just watch your tank as it is meant to used!
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Well, long story short. Decided to grab one from Warehouse deals ( Amazon returns, etc. ) for over $100 less. They said, Like new in package? well upon it's arrival, it was cracked on the top by the skimmer cup. Upon looking, I decided to try it and works fine. Though a cosmetic crack in the housing, which I can glue. So far doing great and at 1/4 the cost of a brand new one ! And like everyone else, I had to adjust the skimmer cup so it would emit the correct amount of air from the cup.This product is cheaply made. The plastic is very brittle and the pumps are cheap. My plastic male connector on the receiver broke the first time i took the hose off. My hose that connects to the auto fill had a crack in it and it leaked a good amount before I noticed it. The pumps suck. It's a 700gph pump max at 4ft the gph far less. Upgraded that to a maxijet 3000 after the stock pump literally fell apart after a month of operation. A week later the skimmer pump started making noises. I cleaned it but is still making a loud noise. Ordered a good skimmer pump to replace it when it dies. The valves that cutthroat connection between the auto and filter leak when closed. Not a big deal except when you got the hose disconnected. Comes with bio balls that are a joke. Took that crap out and just added some good quality carbon, a lot of filter floss and some fluval biomedia and phosban. Threw out most of the original filter media except for the ceramic rings at bottom. Replaced all hose with larger diameter vinyl. Works much better but it's still brittle plus I paid an extra 200 just to make it work properly. Go buy a 20 gallon standard tank from petsmart for 50bucks and some acrylic sheets from lowes. Have them cut it if you don't want too. Buy good quality products the first go and you'll be set. Might spend a little more than buying this but it will last a lot longer and work better. Easier mantaience too.Want TOM Aquarium RP3 Plus (Rapids Pro Filter with Auto Fill System, 700gph pump) Discount?
its a great filter.. little noisy but it is okay... the auto fill system is gorgeous. Very easy to install.Petco Acetabularia Betta Aquarium Plant
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Great size, doesn't float, fits great in my 10 gallon tank. Overall, great product and I'm very satisfied with this purchase.Read Best Reviews of Petco Acetabularia Betta Aquarium Plant Here
I have one happy betta swimming around his plant. It is holding up well after many days in the tank.Aqueon Colormax LED Aquarium Lamp, Size 48
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I have two of these in my 60 gallon my lowlight plants are growing good and there super bright. Leaves a little red glimmer and the lights are in glass tubes becareful when handling I already broke one. Other than that better alternative to expensive marineland. Not sure if they will work with high light plantsRead Best Reviews of Aqueon Colormax LED Aquarium Lamp, Size 48 Here
Best aquarium hood lights ever! Very high quality long lasting aquarium hood lights. Very bright and great color in the tank.Very nice product, I love the fact that it has 29 LED lights. Lovely effect in the water. I am very impressed with the product so far. I cant wait to see how all my plants do with this productTetra Whisper Large Aquarium Filter Cartridge 6 Pack
biOrb & biUbe Aquarium Stand, 14" W X 27" H
One important note however, the photo used doesn't accurately portray what you'll receive.
The upright column is actually a matte gray more akin to PVC than the polished chrome you see in the photo.
The back of the stand is actually composed of two flat black boards, not a solid piece as depicted above. As a result the chords coming down from your tank will be dangling visibly taking away from the slick presentation you're hoping for.
That said, it's still a nice little stand.I paid for functionality, storage, and appearance; I received none of these. Like the 2011 review, what I received is not what is pictured or described. The stand they sent doesn't match that reviewer's description no gray or chrome all black. There is no storage space. The unit is just three planks (only 23" tall instead of the 27 advertised) made of sturdy wood (or maybe wood-like). These assemble in an H formation. There are also two disks to put top and bottom. The disks are not 14" in diameter as specified, but 13.75" and with the beveling there's less than 13" diameter of usable space. It's wobbles easily on carpet, tile, linoleum and hardwood. I will not risk using it for my Hex5 tank which had been it's intended purpose. I might consider putting a one-gallon aquarium on it if I didn't have pets, kids, or anyone who might accidentally brush against it and send my betta to an untimely demise. Good points: it arrived promptly, was easily assembled, is black and round, works well with my decor, and should hopefully support a glass or two, so I can at least use it as an end table. In hindsight that's too much to pay for a cup holder.
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I can hide my fish accessories within it pretty well, its quite sturdy, even on carpet. It's been great. Looks very nice, can't complain.Read Best Reviews of biOrb & biUbe Aquarium Stand, 14" W X 27" H Here
Aquatic Fundamentals 29/37 Gallon Upright Aquarium Stand
It's just unfortunate that the powder coat used to seal them bubbles up when it gets wet over time.
The bottom shelf of the AQ 29/37 that I ordered this past week to replace the water logged on on my old AQ 29/37 arrived today. I installed it within 10 mintues, and now have it supporting my Glasscages' 1/2 15 Panda Cory tank.
The part was very inexpensive and with shipping came to just under $20. What impresses me most about these stands is how well the parts fit together. And that the company uses lock fasteners for added strength.
As previously stated, this enabled me to unscrew the lock fasteners which were attaching the old bottom shelf to the AQ 29/37, and install the new shelf with the old fittings in less than 10 minutes.
Instead of having to toss out the entire stand, for less than $20, it's good to go for a few more years.
Earlier...
I E-mailed Aquatic Fundamentals earlier today and received a prompt response from one of their representatives.
I decided to replace the bottom portion of my 29/37, since the rest of the stand is fine. I will update how this transaction goes along with the specific cost including shipping for the part.
After shopping around for a new aquarium stand (which I was going to replace this one with) I found nothing at near the price that I liked as much. So I decided to purchase another Aquarium Fundamentals 29/37, and use the old one to support a *Glasscages.com 1/2 15 acrylic aquarium that I use as a dedicated Panda Cory tank, for a breeding pair of Panda Cory's and their fry.
*If you haven't heard of this company, they have a huge selection of aquariums and will build you a custom one for a very competitive price. The hitch is that they will only ship certain aquariums via UPS. The rest you must pickup from a delivery point at one of their national tradeshows.
As for the AQ 29/37, I must say that I was impressed with the fact that Aquatic Fundamentals maintains spare parts for all of their aquarium stands, which is extremely important if one of the panels on these stands starts to bubble up after getting wet.
Overall, I really like these stands and hope that in the future, this company will find a powder coat that will be completely impervious to water damage.
And as I previously said, in spite of this, I have purchased another AQ 29/37 upright stand because in my opinion, they are the nicest aquarium stands on the market for the money.
Earlier...
Nearly three years ago I purchased an Aquatic Fundamentals
29/37 aquarium stand for my Aqueon 37 gallon aquarium.
This stand will also accomodate a 20 long aquarium which has the same footprint as the 29 and 37 gallon aquariums.
This stand will also support smaller aquariums which have up to or less than a 12" depth and 30" length, and which weigh less that 400 lbs.
Up until a few weeks ago, this stand had held up well over the past three years, supporting the weight of my Aqueon 37 along with about 30 lbs of sand. Since the sand displaces the weight of an equivalent number of gallons of water, the total weight of this tank including its frame is just North of a 400 lbs.
The AQ has done its job of holding this aquarium up for the past three years, even through a mild earthquake that we had here in the Northeastern part of the United States in August of 2011.
I have since broken down the 37 gallon and replaced it with a Mr. Aqua 17.4 gallon rimless aquarium to house a school of Rasbora Harlequins and some dwarf hairgrass and microsword plantings which are presently sitting atop the AQ 29/37.
My only criticism of the AQ 29/37, and one which has turned out to be important, is that when the powder coating gets wet, the water can oftentimes seep underneath the powder coat and saturate the fiberboard.
This results in the powder coat bubbling up.
The real issue here as obvious as it may sound is that aquarium stands are used to support aquariums. And aquariums hold water.
Therefore, it is impossible from time to time, not to get some water on an aquarium stand.
Over the past three and a half years water has occasionally gotten on this stand and was quickly wiped off.
However, even after a quick wipe up, certain areas of this stand began to bubble up, and over time the bubbling has spread to other areas.
However, the integrity of the stand has remained good in spite of this.
That was until the other day, when a check valve installed in a CO2 line failed, and the tank lost about 5 gallons of water during the night.
Some of the water got underneath the Aquatic Fundamentals 29/37 stand and warped the bottom panel of the stand. The warp is substantial and the bottom of the stand is now water logged, so I will have to get rid of it and purchase another aquarium stand.
The problem is that I really like this stand. It was priced right, looks nice, and did a good job of supporting my aquariums for more than three years.
However, the powder coating has become a serious issue in regard to the long-term durability of this type of aquarium stand.
Moreover, while Aquatic Fundamentals warns not to get the stand wet, it is nearly impossible not to do so from time to time.
Furthermore, and again for emphasis: it is unrealistic for a manufacturer of aquarium products not to recognize that a product which is used around water is going to get wet at some point; regardless of how careful the user of the product is.
This is especially true since the bottom of this aquarium stand has become compromised enough, that I am going to have to purchase a new aquarium stand.
As for price, for those who purchase an AQ 29/37 online, I have also noticed the substantial price increase in the AQ 29/37 since I purchased mine in 2010. With shipping, the price now approaches $180, when I paid about $106 for mine including shipping. That is quite an increase in price over a period of 3 plus years; the higher shipping costs making up most of the increase.
In summary, this is a frustrating piece of equipment to do a long-term review on.
On the one hand, I find that the AQ 29/37 is an aesthetically pleasing and well made piece of aquatic furniture with excellent structural rigidity.
On the other hand, its powder coating is not effective in keeping the fiberboard used in its construction from becoming saturated with water.
And in my opinion, this constitutes a serious enough problem for AQ to find a better way of sealing its fiberboard products.
Now if Aquatic Fundamentals can only use a fully waterproof coating, this product would represent one of the best values in aquarium stands on the market. And I would purchase another one without hesitation.
However, as it stands, I am hesitant to do so, since a new AQ stand will inevitably be subject to the same problem as the stand I am currently replacing.
If an AQ representative is reading this, I implore you to find a better solution to sealing your stands, since they
really are some of the best thought out aquarium stands on the market.
And I really would like to be able to purchase another one with confidence.
Buy Aquatic Fundamentals 29/37 Gallon Upright Aquarium Stand Now
This is a heavy piece of furniture that is strong and stable. I have my 20 gallon aquarium on it (it's made to hold up to 30 gallons or so) and it looks fantastic! The quality is rock solid and although it does not have a shelf inside, it does have a door (the middle panel opens) and storage space inside. You can even use those Command 3M hooks on there to hang fishnets or your gravel cleaner. Worth every penny I paid for it!Read Best Reviews of Aquatic Fundamentals 29/37 Gallon Upright Aquarium Stand Here
Coralife 58120 Aqualight T5 Freshwater Dual Lamp Fixture, 24-Inch
Just as a side note, the 30" model from the same company is garbage. We tried three of them from Amazon, sending back one after the other. They all failed after no more than 4 days. Finally, we decided that the 24" model is so good that we would use one of them on our 30" tank, anyway.Pros:
Good price
Good quality
Great all around lightstrip.
Cons:
Reflectors are not individual parabolic ones
Body is plastic not powder coated aluminum
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I'm rating my one star on fast shipping and zero for this productI had it for like a week then I started to have problems with the lights burning
Out :( bad quality. Corallife make great products this is just not
One of them
Read Best Reviews of Coralife 58120 Aqualight T5 Freshwater Dual Lamp Fixture, 24-Inch Here
Bought this lamp fixture for my 26g bowfront lightly planted tank, and it worked great for about a month. The fixture then failed to light up one of the two bulbs. I replaced the bulb, but still nothing worked. Coralife was decent enough to send a replacement fixture....which failed two months later, in the same manner. If you pay for cheap, you get cheap. Customer service was fine, but I can't keep asking for a replacement every 2 months. The fixture repeatedly will fail on lighting both bulbs. I'm done with this fixture.
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The size is ideal, two bulbs is perfect for my needs, nice look, and no complaints.Coralife 05496 Actinic Straight Pin Compact Fluorescent Lamp, 65-Watt
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product was broken when I got it had to return it so had to return it did not work sorryRead Best Reviews of Coralife 05496 Actinic Straight Pin Compact Fluorescent Lamp, 65-Watt Here
I got two bulbs overnighted and had no problem with broken bulbs. As with something this fragile, that is sometimes to be expected the way shipping companies throw things around. I installed this into my aquarium hood and it worked as expected, my plants and coral should be happy!Want Coralife 05496 Actinic Straight Pin Compact Fluorescent Lamp, 65-Watt Discount?
STINGRAY 5G FILTER 24
I like this mini internal best: Elite Mini Filter
However, if you feel the need for carbon filtration that one doesn't have it, while the stingray does. I personally do not use carbon.
I would not use this sized stingray on a five gallon tank. I use it on a 2 gallon planted tank and feel that it is adequate but no more.
--TammyGot this thing used and it works like a champ. Fully submersible and simple to use. I really like the way you can change the water flow direction at the top. The only downside if any is it's slight bulky size.
IceProbe Thermoelectric Aquarium Chiller - 4 in. x 4 3/4 in. x 7 1/2 in.
Zoo Med Nano 501 External Canister Filter
Do note that this filter costs about 50% more than the TOM but that's due to the Zoo Med being made in Italy while the TOM is made in China. BTW, I own both but after buying new hoses and supporting parts for the TOM, the final cost was about the same for both.
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Just what it said it was. Constructed well and supplied with all the needed parts for a few different setup methods. It is also very quite.Read Best Reviews of Zoo Med Nano 501 External Canister Filter Here
I have had this filter for about 3 weeks now, and it works well. Set up took me about 1 hour because you have to put the filter media in and cut the plastic intake and return tubes to the correct length to fit your aquarium. I used a utility knife, and it was hard to cut. My aquarium water was a touch cloudy when I started using this filter (that's why I bought it) and after letting it run for 3 days the water stayed cloudy. I had make a full water change before it cleared-up, so this filter is no miracle worker for clear water.I have it on my 10 gallon tank. There's 17 fish and 2 snails and this filter keeps the water crystal clear!
