My go-to for tank cycling
354757
I used this and cycled my tank in 9 days! That's just about unheard of.
3640124
Using this in a 29 gallon tank and it's really helping to improve circulation which helps in the whole filtration process and therefore helps keep the water clear. The fish, four "regular" goldfish, two fantails, two tiger barbs, don't seem to mind it at all and I keep it pointed toward the bottom surface of the tank to keep the debris from settling in the rocks. Seems to operate quietly and the included cord was long enough to crawl up the wall of my tank and then fall about five feet behind the tank to my power-strip. Recommended.
2003100
This stuff is great! I take care of a 75g, 30g, and 5g freshwater tank and use it during every weekly water change. One 500ml bottle lasted me about 10 months on those tanks! Can't beat that. I also use this product in combination with seachem plant fertilizers.
2816345
I use this for a Marine 75 gal tank and love it.  The screen is nice to look at, and the reminders are worth their weight in gold.  You will KNOW when it is time to replace a cartridge or clean the mechanical filter.  I really like knowing that the flow is good enough to not worry about cleaning until it tells me.
3410328
Great bottle for longer rides. I tend to freeze some water with the bottle on its side, and even after an hour and a half of riding, there's nice, ice cold water inside. I have a 54cm frame, and found that you really can't fit 2 of these on the bike without some finagling of the bottle cage. I should've ordered a smaller one as a secondary bottle, but oh well. Cleans very well.
1169475
This is fantastically easy to set up, and looks/works great. Comes with picture instructions like Legos that are step by step, but I don't think the average joe would need to use them. I was hesitant before buying because of the ramp width, but the ramp is wide enough for my 7 year old RES (about 8" long) to get up no problem. The area on the top to clamp heat/UVB lamps are really useful - no more ugly/unstable clamping to the side of the tank. The plastic seems durable and isn't that foam type material my RES loves to shred, so it should be more durable than the floating ramps I've gotten in the past. It's also much more stable - which she and I both like - no more watching her struggle to get her footing as the ramp sneaks away from her, just easy up the ramp.

My tank is 13" even from front to back, and the topper fits easily. The topper secures to the tank with two small arms with suction cups on the front and back of the topper. Between the vertical arm and the suction cup, there is an expandable horizontal piece to allow for variance of tank size - an ingenious idea!

I have a 55 gallon tank with this tank topper on the right side. Because it doesn't take up any in-tank real estate, it allows me to fill the tank to within a couple inches from the top - really increasing my turtle's living area. It's like adding a fancy deck to a nice house.

However, because the water level can be higher, risk of "turtle escape" is high - something I thought was mythical until I got my topper. Even as I was installing the topper to the tank, I caught my RES with her two front feet over the top edge of the tank - not what any owner wants to see. I bought some hardware cloth like the one sold here on amazon&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/1-4-Inch-Mesh-24-Inch-Tall-x-5-Feet-Long-Hardware-Cloth/dp/B000BWY7UQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">1/4 Inch Mesh 24 Inch Tall x 5 Feet Long Hardware Cloth</a>&nbsp;and for $10 had an easily customizable and removable lid for the tank. Just cut the shape you want with wire cutters, make sure you leave an inch or two on all sides so you can bend it down and over the edges of the tank so it will "grip" the top of the tank. Once I knew where I wanted my filter tubes to run, I cut a couple holes at the back for those as well. Make sure you don't take it ALL the way to the edge of the "turtle topper", because you don't want your turtle to catch on it and hurt his/herself when making a quick exit down the ramp into the water. Also, make sure you wear gloves when you do this - that hardware cloth is sharper than it looks at first! And cut close to the nearest intersection, so you leave the sharp dangling edge on the scrap side.

I have some fear that the clear/yellowish plastic on the top of the turtle topper will not be heat resistant enough, but so far no problems. I have it set up with a Flukers 60 watt daylight bulb, too nervous to try out the ceramic infrared heat emitter I have that puts off a lot more heat. I also use a UVB bulb on a second clamp lamp.

I've included some pictures of my set-up. The water's still a little cloudy - I'd just turned on my new Fluval FX6, which I'll also be reviewing, as it's the best thing that's ever happened to my turtle tank.
3576284
A relief from changing 1lb. bottles in the middle of the night when you can use a larger tank. Connection was  a little tricky first time to slide fitting all the way on but QA section from others helped out. Plenty of ventilation is key. Mine is in front of a window  that is open and works with no issues.
1526584
Best tank for 90+temps. Best tank for riding.
4561418
Wow!  I don't have to use the inadequate 2 gal pump tank from the hardware store anymore...I've had to purchase several because the nozzles always go defunct.  and I get to mix up one big batch instead of always refilling. comfortable to wear and of course heavier with the full 4gal. load and being a women I was wondering how capable I would be. nice full stream w/out a hiccup.  can get the job done much quicker and efficiently. have only used it twice so cant speak to the longevity. will definitely follow the good advise to clean it after each use which is usually my protocol. however even if it last for a couple of years I will have gotten my monies worth.
3270716
With multiple tanks, I got tired fast of paying for refill cartridges.  I tried various recommended methods (sewing up quilting batting, pantyhose), but these bags in combination with foam have been the best.  I use them in my 2 Marineland and 1 Topfin filters.  As soon as I use up the Whisper bio bags, these are going in there, too.
2276773
I love this supplement. I recommend it to others.

I have a 20g tank that houses a range of SPS, LPS, and softies, including Duncan Head's, Goniopora, Hammer Coral, Zoas, leathers, and more. Previously, I had larger tanks, but I haven't set them back up since a move. I have used this product for the last year or so and my tank is doing phenomenally (in conjunction with Reef Complete from the same company and Lugol's for my Xenia). There's not much more to say than thatthis thing gets the job done.

If you want a thriving underwater garden, it's a lot like an above-ground one: adding the right things helps. This is one of those things to add. I recommend it to others.
3687951
I've only had this a short while, but so far I have loved it. Easy to install and use, reading it is no problem, and the light is subtle enough to not be distracting in the tank. I'm currently using this on a 30-gallon tank and have had no trouble holding even the higher temperatures I used while cycling. It looks very sleek and was easy to suction to the back of the tank. When I first turned it on it had bubbles all over its surface, but that has since died down.
3486719
Seachem is by far my favorite product whether it be the prime to stability and even the filter media. I'm never disappointed. I bought the 500 milliliter which will go along way even with my frequent water changes. Prime does exactly what I need it to do. I never have to worry about my tank health. The bottle came in great condition.
3731900
I absolutely love this thing! I just wish I would have gotten a tank too for the summer months. :)
2362532
I already have the much earlier version of this one running since 1999 in my 5-1/2 gallon quarantine tank. I'm quite happy with its smooth and quiet operation. It's so easy to maintain. There really isn't much to do with it except change the cloth bag and the carbon in it. Clean out the filter pipe and impeller and that's it. I bought this one to keep on hand for when the older one suddenly fails to run any longer.
I highly recommend this to others without hesitation.
4886655
I use this on my 55g reef tank that houses a mandarin.  I hooked up an old Maxijet powerhead to push water into it, although I had to cut a large hole in the tubing from the jet to the box (the part that's in the main tank) to reduce the low into the box, otherwise it would make the box overflow completely, as the overflow section back into the main tank is pretty small, not much lower than the top of the box.

The hole in the tube has an added benefit of more flow in the main tank.  I had to use a small piece of tubing not included in the box to do this, but no big deal as I have spare tubing laying around from other aquarium projects.

I was originally planning on putting some chaeto in the box, but I just couldn't get the right kind of flow that I wanted, so I kept my chaeto in a chamber of a HOB biowheel filter with a light on it - works fine.

I filled the box with rock rubble and sea shells (bought from a hobby store) with the intention of using it as a fuge for pods for my mandarin.  It didn't take long for pods to show up in there, but after weeks it was just ho-hum amount.

I ended up buying some tigger pods from my local aquarium and about a month later the population just exploded.  Every day I suck out a bunch of pods and put them in the main tank.  I occasionally put some pellets or other fish food in there but that's it - no light on it or anything else.

It comes with some dividers in case you want to have multiple chambers, but I opted not to use them.

Couldn't be happier with the results for the price!
3593514
This review is for the Hydro I specifically, but it applies to all of the Hydro Sponge Filters.

The Hydro I Sponge Filter is the best for smaller tanks (5 or 10 gallons), just as its counterparts (the Hydro II, III etc.) are great for their respective size tanks.  Other types of sponge filters exist on the market, but the Hydro ones are the most efficient because you can put an airstone down the shaft of the filter to get the water going through the majority of the sponge's surface.  In addition, the sponge sucks up a surprising amount of debris and waste so it is good for a certain amount of mechanical filtration as well.  As other reviewers explained, about once a month you simply squeeze the sponge "clean" in the tank water sitting in your bucket during the water change in order to ensure that you don't kill the bacteria by using chlorinated tap water.  The water generally becomes dark brown or black, and you get a sense that you have really cleaned the tank well.  (For the more squeamish types, the sponge smells like healthy earth so it is completely inoffensive.  You can then use this water to feed house plants some nutrients, if you want!)

Pros:  I am a great proponent of the use of sponges because I have never had problems with water readings as a result of using biological filtration.  Sponge filtration is much, much more than a backup for canister or hang on power filters that clean a large number of gallons per hour.  Biological filtration keeps the tank clean using beneficial bacteria and aerates the tank at the same time.  Using a gang valve, you can aerate a little or a lot, depending upon whether the type of specimen you are keeping likes currents or calmer water.  The biological force of a sponge filter is such that you can start a new tank by lifting a cycled and seasoned sponge filter from one tank and putting it into another.  If you take some seasoned gravel too, you can immediately add a tankful of fish without worrying about ammonia spikes etc.  Most importantly, I love sponge filters because when you are medicating your tank and have to remove the carbon from your filters for the antibiotics or drugs to be effective the biological filters continue to keep the denizens of your tank alive during this potentially disastrous time in your tank's life (eliminating parasites or diseases can last for up to two weeks).  These Hydro sponges are soft, so amphibians or sensitive fish do not get roughed up when they brush against the sponge.  If you clean your sponges regularly (once a month minimum), you will only need to replace the sponge if it loses its shape and no longer fits around the plastic rod.  If you neglect cleaning, I would imagine that the sponge might get so gummed up with debris that it would no longer be absorbent and you would need to replace the sponge at that point.

Cons:  The only disadvantage is the way they look--sort of like tiny little nuclear power plants in your tank--so you strive to find ways to hide them behind rocks, decorations, or large aquatic plants (or be creative and incorporate them into the decor by, say, having a theme like "post apocalypse" or "industrial age"!)  Granted, I have tended to use a larger sized sponge than is recommended by the manufacturer, as I do not think it is possible to overuse sponges since the beneficial bacteria reproduce according to the amount they are fed. However, even if you get the proper sized sponge for the tank, they are difficult to conceal.

Overall, given the pros and cons, I love my amphibians and fish more than the look of their tank, so I avidly use sponge filters to keep them alive and happy.  I like Hydro the best because of the possibility of using an air stone and because I like the softness of the sponge.