I'll add images to this later. I know, it's unusual for me not to post photos.
First Impression: Judging from the first glance at the box the filter looked a lot bigger than expected. I was wrong. The actual canister is only 6" or so tall. It's compact, well constructed, the top locks into place very tightly, and well balanced so it doesn't accidentally tip over.
Assembly: I'll admit, compared to a HOB filter the assembly was not easy. I bought it for a 3 gallon aquarium which had a filter failure, so some trimming had to be done on the intake tube. All of the media fit into the canister very nicely. The intake and output tubes have screw-on sleeves to prevent leaking. Getting the top open was a bit tricky with the sliding locks, but the vacuum seal is worth it. The spray bar was a bit of a squeeze in my tiny aquarium, but it did fit without trimming. The outflow spout did not fit, but I did not plan on using it anyways.
I would appreciate a bit of clearer marking on the In and Out tubing. I had a mini panic attack when bubbles started spewing out of the intake strainer and the pump started making strange noises from the spray bar sucking in water. I switched the tubes as quickly as possible, which involved a lot of water surging out of the canister when the first tube was unscrewed. The was easy to clean up, since it's a small system.
Performance: This tiny canister performed much better than I expected! The tank it was hooked up to had been without filtration since December, and it was installed in April. Luckily, nothing was living in this stagnant mess. I was very surprised as to just how effective this filter is. The tank was stagnant, murky, and full of dead plant matter. Within two weeks practically all of the plant matter had been removed by the filter, nothing clogged, and the water was crystal clear.
During the initial setup there was some noise from trapped air being worked out through the pump, but it was dead silent within a matter of hours. I can't hear it unless I'm right on top of it with my head within a foot from the pump. Very impressive.
Summary: This is an excellent filter for small applications. If you are a fan of nano planted tanks I highly recommend it. I do wish there was a control for flow rate, but I can live without one. 5 stars from me.
First Impression: Judging from the first glance at the box the filter looked a lot bigger than expected. I was wrong. The actual canister is only 6" or so tall. It's compact, well constructed, the top locks into place very tightly, and well balanced so it doesn't accidentally tip over.
Assembly: I'll admit, compared to a HOB filter the assembly was not easy. I bought it for a 3 gallon aquarium which had a filter failure, so some trimming had to be done on the intake tube. All of the media fit into the canister very nicely. The intake and output tubes have screw-on sleeves to prevent leaking. Getting the top open was a bit tricky with the sliding locks, but the vacuum seal is worth it. The spray bar was a bit of a squeeze in my tiny aquarium, but it did fit without trimming. The outflow spout did not fit, but I did not plan on using it anyways.
I would appreciate a bit of clearer marking on the In and Out tubing. I had a mini panic attack when bubbles started spewing out of the intake strainer and the pump started making strange noises from the spray bar sucking in water. I switched the tubes as quickly as possible, which involved a lot of water surging out of the canister when the first tube was unscrewed. The was easy to clean up, since it's a small system.
Performance: This tiny canister performed much better than I expected! The tank it was hooked up to had been without filtration since December, and it was installed in April. Luckily, nothing was living in this stagnant mess. I was very surprised as to just how effective this filter is. The tank was stagnant, murky, and full of dead plant matter. Within two weeks practically all of the plant matter had been removed by the filter, nothing clogged, and the water was crystal clear.
During the initial setup there was some noise from trapped air being worked out through the pump, but it was dead silent within a matter of hours. I can't hear it unless I'm right on top of it with my head within a foot from the pump. Very impressive.
Summary: This is an excellent filter for small applications. If you are a fan of nano planted tanks I highly recommend it. I do wish there was a control for flow rate, but I can live without one. 5 stars from me.
