Max
27 de junio de 2026
After some modifications, this becomes the best HOB you can buy.
One might think I should give this fewer stars because it needs to be modified, but not everyone will need this filter modified; for many people it will be good as is. I modified it simply to make it more suitable for smaller fish in smaller tanks. If I couldn't make these modifications, I would not buy this filter. I'd stick with a sponge filter. Even though I love the concept of HOB filters, there hasn't been a single one on the market I've liked until this one... but modified.First, you have to buy the part from Aquarium Coop that renders the skimmer on this filter nonfunctional. This makes the filter safe for small fish and invertebrates. This is a must-have; without it, this filter is no good with small fish and inverts.Second, you need a small silicone o-ring attached to the water flow control shaft, where it passes through the opening in the lid. Here's why: the flow control works via a small flag/paddle on the shaft that sits in the water path and restricts flow when turned to a low setting. The problem is that water pressure pushes against that flag hard enough to lift the entire shaft up out of its seated position, which displaces it and renders the low-flow setting useless. The o-ring adds friction right where the shaft passes through the lid, holding it down against that upward pressure so it actually stays at whatever flow level you set. This is a very easy mod. You can set your water flow down to a trickle if needed.Once you make these two modifications, this filter is nearly perfect. Initially I expected it to produce too much vibration transferred into the water, since the motor sits in the tank, but, to my surprise, it doesn't do that at all, or not enough to bother the fish.With these mods in place, you can add this filter to pretty much any aquarium. It won't push your betta around, and it won't suck up your nano fish or little fry. It's quiet, in my experience. It's very simple to use, and easy to maintain -- it's built from solid, simple pieces rather than something overly complicated. It always starts up -- just plug and play. I don't even need to manually fill the filter with water; it primes itself. The motor itself is also very refined.Hopefully, this filter continues working to my satisfaction. If anything changes, I'll revise this review.Ver másVer menos
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