Penn-Plax Small World Aquarium Filter – Comes with a Disposable Media – Safe for Freshwater and Saltwater Setups (SWF1)

Update 6/15/18: I no longer care that these are loud. It's by far, the most effective filter I've ever used. My fish tanks are crystal clear, my fish are happy, and these are very easy to switch out for clean filters. I increased the rating from 3 stars to 5. Update: As one other buyer mentioned, these are loud. I actually bought a fish tank and fish to provide "white noise". These are a bit loud for my taste, but are doing a nice job keeping the water moving and circulating in the tanks, and the fish don't seem bothered by the increased current. I will update this review once I see how well it works, but for those thinking of buying: Make sure you have a length of air tubing to replace what it comes with. These arrived with a crimp in the tube, and it prevents air from moving freely.

I first discovered these a few years ago when I got a 19-cent goldfish at the pet store. I was determined to give him/her a long life, but I didn't want to invest in a whole big aquarium layout. I knew that an unfiltered bowl was a recipe for disaster so I tried this. It's a terrific system. The little filter attaches to an inexpensive pump you buy separately. Suction cups hold the filter in place inside a bowl of your choosing. The filter is pretty small so I wouldn't recommend a tank that's much larger than 2 or 3 gallons. I am also not sure this device would work on a spherical bowl -- I THINK you need something with at least one flat side. The filters are inexpensive and super super easy to swap out after a couple weeks' use. This little feeder goldfish was one of my favorite pet experiences and I attribute his long life (four years!!!) to his healthy bowl.

I won 2 goldfish at the fair and set up this little 2.5 gal nano tank for them. Goldfish dirty their tanks quickly so I needed something small to help filter the ammonia and nitrates from the water. This little filter works great! The suction cups hold it in place well and it keeps the water clear for about 2 weeks before it needs a water change and a month in between a complete cleaning as long as you don't overfeed the fish. So far the cartridges are lasting 4 weeks before needing to be changed out which is a simple matter of popping the old one out and popping a new one in. The only thing I've found it doesn't do that well is filter physical particles from the water such as excess food and fish excrement so it looses 1 star for that, but overall I'm very happy with it and so are my goldfish.

I have a hexagonal three-gallon tank that is home to my grandson's carnival-won goldfish year after year. I don't have the heart to flush these fish away, probably because I don't have to regularly clean or replace the water. The unit attaches to the inside glass with two suction cups and always stays in place. The filter is excellent for providing the necessary aeration and filtration to keep these fish lively and disease-free, and one cartridge keeps the tank crystal clear for three months. [If you have a smaller tank or bowl with fewer fish, the cartridge will last longer.] Two of our "carnival fish" are four years old and still lively. I'm hoping my grandson will stop winning these fish so I can purchase the fish I actually want. With no moving parts, the filter lasts forever and is powered by a small air pump outside the tank and connected to the filter with flexible tubing. The cartridges are easy to replace by just snapping them into the unit.

I ordered this product based on some of the positive reviews & the price. The current filter I have, the one that came with my tank is really bulky & takes up a lot of space in the tank. The tube that suctions the water to the filter has also injured my fish in the past if I don't have it down where he is unable to get underneath it. So, I decided to give this one a chance. I've attached a photo of the filter I received. It appears that there is a wing of an insect enclosed within the packaging, which is somewhat off putting. The packaging, though appears bent up a bit is completely sealed so I can only deduce that it happened pre or during packaging. I'm a bit leery, but as timing would have it the filter I currently have & planned to keep in case this new one was a bust just, well, busted. So I really hope all is well with this filter, it works properly & doesn't harm my little guy in any way because that would suck big time & I'd have to smash it into pieces.

This filter is awesome! It is one of the best filters out there for small aquariums less than 10 gallons, esp. since it is a bubble filter which produces very little friction to the water surface if you add a flow control valve between the tubing. Another top option for small aquariums is to use those very small sponge filters or corner filter made by Xin You brand. 1/19/16: My 1st review posted December 28, 2015 is shown above & gave it 5 stars. Now I have here my 2nd review on it, I'm giving it 1 star. I originally thought it was an awesome filter for small aquariums less than 10 gallons. After just about a month of use I had to clean it and then found out something about it that really made me mad- you cannot take out the foam to rinse it! This makes it incredibly hard to fully clean to re-use which is why they sell replacement cartridges. However, I think throwing away the cartridges is extremely wasteful since they don't look cheap and will cost you a fortune if you throw them away after each month. I would instead maybe buy 2 or more extra cartridges and cycle through them. Would have to find a more effective way of cleaning the filter sponge inside other than swishing it around in a small bucket. Anyone have any suggestions? Anyway, from now on I'm going to stick more to miniature sponge filters for my smallest tanks.

Perfect little filter for our Beta tank. It's a 3 gallon jar and I've had trouble finding a filter that would both fit properly, and also do a good job. This one has finally done both. The water is clean and clear allowing the shrimps and betta fish to have their best life. It suctions to the inside easily. Hasn't fallen off or moved as we've had others do as it is a round jar and this seems to cause issues. Doesn't need a super powerful air pump either. We have a small and very quiet pump that runs it beautifully, also purchased through Amazon. Recommended both for a small tank. Here is the pump for anyone searching for one. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01MTSR8Y8?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

Purchased the whole filter package for a 6.5 gallon Betta tank. This definitely helped the water quality...no detected nitrates since I've been using it. Rinse new cartridges well b4 using, the water will be a little cloudy for about 12 hours after installing, but then clears up. I use a gravel vacuum and siphon off about 60% of the water every other week and change the filter cartridge once a month (package recommended every 2 weeks but it seems to be fine) and the tank is in really good shape, I test it weekly. The other feature I like is that you can control the air flow thru the filter...betta don't like strong currents. My silly fish plays in the bubbles lol. I also recommend buying the replacement cartridges from Amazon, the 12 pack here is way cheaper than any pet store.

Used this product for years, very good

Does its job

Aun no lo he usado , aunque es blanco y en botella.lo sumerges conectas el aire y listo.

Il filtro fa il suo dovere ed è efficace per l'acquario. Purtroppo due confezioni sono arrivate aperte, ma fortunatamente il prodotto era integro e perfettamente funzionante. Amazon ha risolto il disagio con un rimborso parziale. Soddisfatto della resa tecnica.

Tut das was er machen soll