My wife and I purchased this filtration system from PetSmart and were very pleased by how easy it was to setup and get running. For a while, the filter worked without a hitch. We replaced the carbon,bio, and sponge in cycles and even cleaned out the tubes, motor and reservoir too. Then the problems began only after a few months.

Our problem with this is that because the sponge, is placed at the bottom of the filter basket, it seems to always want to float upwards. When it floats upwards, it tends to knock the lid off and in one extreme case, it floated almost completely out of the filtration system and started dumping gallons of water all over the place. You can only imagine what it feels like to come home one afternoon from work to find this has occurred.

I think if this flaw in design can be corrected and made the suction tube a bit more easier to clean, this would be a superb product.

I just love this filter! It does a great job! Keeps the water crystal clear! No other filter, in my opinion, does a better job. If I could give it more stars, I would!

I bought this filter for a 29 gallon tank that was laying dormant for many years. It works well; however; the Wisper 600 it was replacing was an infinitely better design. The vertical stacking of the filter medium means that all maintenance and media changes usually have to be done by taking it off the tank as opposed to the Whisper design where the media fits in a groove in the box seperating the filtered and unfiltered sections and can be removed and replaced without removing the filter from the tank. The design of the intake tube is also annoying; the slotted end (to prevent the fish from getting sucked up) is integrated into the lift tube both on the primary tube and the extension. This impedes water movement somewhat.
For the price ($26 with shipping) it's the most filter power for the money. For better design and sturdier construction I would recommend Second Nature's Whisper line at a considerable higher cost.

I use this in my 29 gallon, and the filter is excellent. The best part about it is the ability to control the amount of water brought in. It is also very quiet. However, when the power goes out and comes back on, it won't begin working again. You must add water to it to get it up and running. This has been a problem when I've gone on vacation and I've come home to cloudy water. The refills are also pretty expensive, and can get a bit messy. It's all worth it, though. It keeps my tank in nice condition. :)

The Aquaclear power filters are the best in the market. These filters provide a HUGE surface area for an efficient biological treatment of the aquarium water. I own four of these filters and have been running continuously for more than three years! They are extremely quiet. I have experienced only two problems with these filters. First, the filters drain into the aquarium during power outages and will not restart on their own. Second, if not cleaned frequently the foam blocks will be pushed upwards and displace the cover. Overall, these are great filters and I would not replace them for another power filter.