Reviews

These reviews are taking into account the personal experiences with this product. We are not being compensated for any positive or negative outlooks. 

ADA Aqua Soil

Pros:

- Literally the best soil for aquatic plants

- Huge root growth and plant growth 

- Comes in many colors and sizes so gives you the freedom to create different layouts

Cons:

- Cost

- Can't really think of any

This is literally the BEST soil for aquatic plants. I can't stress how good this is. If you really want lush aquatic plants this soil will give you a good boost for new plants and keep on giving nutrients for your plants. I have had huge success with this soil for example I had a Cryptocoryne wendtii grow with 8 inch roots and they were very think!!! Besides healthy roots you can see it at work by having large healthy leaves and rapid growth. The different types available are to recreate certain regions such as the Amazon river soil or African soil. The soil is in the form of granules which help for aeration of the soil and avoid anaerobic spots. It also allows for root growth to develop relatively easily. Now for such premium and good soil comes higher cost, it is a bit pricey and some may be turned off by it but it is well worth the price. The soil types available are:

ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia

ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia Light

ADA Aqua Soil Africana

ADA Aqua Soil Malaya

Green killing Machine UV sterilizer 

Pros:

-It works like a wonder, clears aquarium water within a day or two

-Has a small filter medium to separate large particles 

-Power head included

Cons:

-May look awkward in the tank 

-As with all UV filters you will have to replace the bulb after a certain period

If you have green water plaguing your tank or a bacterial bloom this is the thing you need. Talking from first hand experience this is a charm. I had a bloom in one of my tanks. Using traditional water changes and nutrient control I couldn't clear the bacteria so I decided to get this, try it out. Boy was it awesome!! Within a day the results were clear water. Within 2 days the water was pristine, crystal clear. I highly recommend this if someone has troublesome green water algae. The filter works by sucking in the dirty water and passing it through a UV bulb. The power head is slow enough to allow the water maximum exposure to UV light. This exposure allows the bacteria, algae or chemicals to soak up UV and allow it to do its effects. UV light causes chemical reactions in organisms or chemical substances. They can cause dangerous life threatening mutations to the organism or alter the chemical to non-hazardous substances. This means that the bacteria or algae will receive mutations that make it unable to survive in your aquarium, thus eliminating it from your tank. Many will would say "well then this would kill my beneficial bacteria right?" Yes it would but the bulk of your beneficial bacteria is in your filter medium and the gravel, not in the water column therefore they never get exposed to the UV light and its effects. Eliminating the unwanted bacteria also removes a competitor of these "good" bacteria and allows them to thrive, win-win!! The only bad things I would say is that unless you have sump to put it out of sight it may seem unsightly inside the tank. Also a drawback to any UV filter is the bulb will eventually lose its UV effects and need replacing but this is like any light bulb so its not actually a big "con".  My advice would be: If you got troublesome free floating algae, bacteria or dangerous chemicals and don't want to use more chemicals to treat it then this is what you need. 

RESUN Internal Power Filter

Pros:

- Small size fits in almost any aquarium

- Very nice and some what large filter medium for its size

- small slits can't suck up fish or shrimp

Cons:

- outflow is uncontrollable with only one setting, fast, creating a hassle for slow moving fish

- slits get easily clogged up with plant matter and food particles.

- long outflow nozzle takes up half of the current aquariums length

- Brand history

The reason I put brand history as a Con is due to several reasons. Once I used to buy RESUN filters in bulk for my tanks, around 3 filters at once. Then in a couple of months they either clogged up, stopped working or the outflow was reduced to nothing even without being clogged up. This ranged from filter sizes of 5 gal-30 gal aquariums. Due to this negative experience I've stopped buying RESUN products. The reason I bought this one was to try its small size and the fact that I needed a small filter fast. The problem with RESUN filters is they have only one outflow setting, fast. This is a big problem for small aquariums because the residents have to fight the current to swim properly. All of their filters have this problem. My advice is that if you need a filter in a hurry that is cheap, go with RESUN products, if not stay away from them.

Aqueon QuietFlow Filters

Pros:

- Great filtration media, very well designed

- It actually is quiet, no motor sound of any kind

- Reliable and dependable

- Brand History

- Multiple stage filtration

Cons:

- Main problem is with power head housing once past the 2 yr mark

- Cannot control outflow speed like other filters

Aqueon makes great products and one of these is the QuietFlow. Unlike other brands it really does what it name says. Once turned on the filter is almost silent and you can enjoy your fish tank without the constant humming of the motor that normal filters do. A great plus is it has 4 stages of filtration in one quiet package!!! It has dense floss that removes particles and debris. The filter contains activated carbon to remove toxins, odors and discoloration. It has what they call a patented "Bio-Holster" which removes ammonia and nitrites. On top of that it has a difusor grid which removes more toxins and aerates the water with minimal splashing and sound. The filter really is a charm, they are so good we have around 8 of these filters in our own tanks. We use them in our rearing tanks, breeding tanks and display tanks. An inconvenience that some may have is that you cannot control the water flow speed in which you can in other tanks. Personally this is not much of a problem because the filter is so quiet and makes very little splash but for other people it may be a con. One thing we have found is that after 2 yrs of service sometimes a fault occurs where the filter stops sucking in water. We dismount the power head, submerse it underwater and once it starts collecting water hook it up again and the filter starts working. Again not a serious problem, just an inconvenience. This has only happened to two of our eight filters. The filter housing can hold a bag of ceramic blocks which really helps in the growth of beneficial bacteria for filtering and in a whole a better filtration system. My advice would be: If your starting a new tank and want a filter you can really depend on, go with the QuietFlow since they are dependable, quite and customization in the filter.