Tetra Whisper Inside Energy Filter 5 To 10 Gallons, For aquariums, In-Tank Filtration With Air Pump, Black

Love, Love This Filter!
Okay so… I have a 20 gallon temporarily for my 4 inch turtle. I accidentally bought the smallest of this tetra filter, so I bought the medium sized one in it’s place. I had only had the tank filled halfway anyway since my turtle was only 1.5 inches at this point. Mind you I didn’t realize how fast they grow, and had no idea that Its recommended to have a filter that can filter 2 to 3x the tank size. So I decided to keep both filters in my tank. One on each side. Even though I still don’t reach the recommended filter size, my water now almost filled to the top, stays absolutely clean. Turtles are pretty messy so I still have to do the weekly cleanings and all that extra stuff that apparently those who spend hundreds of dollars on filters still have to do as well. I don’t know if this is some kind of luck thing, I don’t know if maybe my turtle just isn’t that dirty (yea right, I see him)… but I’m actually not looking forward to switching out my filter for the ‘recommended’ filter size, as these filters work so good. I love them.They are both very quiet. Aside from the sound of the water falling back in.. I mean it sounds like a waterfall. Who doesn’t want to hear a waterfall? I love it. This can also be prevented by raising the water level or lowering the filter itself. Basically the closer it is to the water, the quieter it is.Such a simple device, yet so beautifully sufficient.The little one stopped working at one point and I thought… welp there you go! Get what you pay for. But nope! Removed the base, pulled out the magnetic spring propeller and tube, cleaned it out and like magic it started right up as soon as I plugged it back in.Love how easy it is to replace the filters. The filters themselves are great and definitely hold on to some dirtiness.One thing I’ll say is there is quite a bit of unused empty space. I now take advantage by adding some extra media, but I must say that these filters work great even without the extra.Love this filter and would recommend above any other filter.

Works perfectly
I have to say I’m quite impressed of how good it works. It keeps my turtle’s tank clean and doesn’t make much noise as I was expecting so it really was kept me satisfied with the purchase. I had to unplug it at the first use because my turtle was playing with it and trying to move it (I guess because it was her first time seeing it and was curious) I didn’t put enough water and when plug it back in I thought it got damaged because it wouldn’t turn on but it’s a little tricky because I won’t start until you fill it in with the right amount of water. Pretty amazing device and just for a few bucks. 😊 My turle is happy and got used to it already after a day of installing it. She loves the bubbles and the waterfall sound effect (which is relaxing and minimal) I bought the huge filter on mistake so I had to order another one but that’s ok because my turtle is growing super quick and soon I’ll need to get a bigger tank. Second size filter fits perfect for now.

How can something so simple work so well?
When you open the box, the Whisper 40i (or it’s smaller siblings) don’t seem very impressive. It’s not much more than a oval plastic bucket, with another bucket (containing a motor and pump) snapped onto the bottom. If you looked at one and thought “this can’t possibly work”, you would be so wrong.Perhaps they work as well as they do BECAUSE they are so simple, and so have little chance for things to break. The pump sits IN your aquarium water, so it never needs to be primed. You plug it in, and it begins working, filling the upper bucket, where the water flows through the filter pad and spills back into the aquarium. No priming necessary ever, including after a power failure. When the power comes back on, it just starts working again. It’s a shame that every hang-on-the back power filter can’t make a similar claim, some unfortunately will lose their prime and/or fail to restart, resulting in unhappy fish and sometimes a damaged filter.There are no adjustments for flow, so these only run at one flow rate. Inevitably, some food can get sucked up if you let it run while feeding. I have the filters on a separate power strip, so when I feed my fish, I just use the switch on the power strip to turn the filters off for an hour or so. Easy solution and prevents the filter pads from clogging so quickly.There is no top or lid (unless you buy the model intended for reptiles), so the filter pads just sit there exposed. This means that the water in the filter is fully aerated as it passes through the pads. It also means that no other internal filter is as easy to change pads when they become clogged. The top edge of the pad is above the water line, so you just grab it with two fingers and lift it out. You don’t have to disturb the suction cups or hanging bracket at all. You don’t have to put your whole arm down into the tank. Maintenance which is easily performed is more likely to be done when needed, so easily changed pads are more likely to be changed when clogged.You have options for how you want to attach the filter. The box includes two suction cups, and a newly designed bracket which hangs over the edge of your tank. I use the bracket, as it’s adjustable for height and I don’t have to worry about suction cups losing their suction.The filter pads are the Whisper bio-bags, which amount to a thick fluffy poly bag, over a plastic frame, with carbon granules inside. Replacing these is simple, and if purchased in a 12 pack from Amazon, cost about 60 cents per bag.I used Emperor filters for years, and in my experience, these bio-bags work a lot better than the filter cartridges for Marineland products and cost much less to buy. If you rinse them under tap water, which is easily done, the cost is even less. Rinsing the bags doesn’t disturb your biological bacteria since they are on a separate part (resembling a hair brush) which remains in the filter when you remove the bags.You do have some flexibility with regard to media options as well. You don’t have to use the carbon which is included with the new pads. You can put anything you want inside the bag, and if desired, transfer it to the new bag next time you change them out. You also don’t have to use the separate biological “hairbrush”, and if you leave it out, you have room to put another media bag in it’s place, with ceramic rings, or whatever else you can think of.I have four of these, mounted on two separate tanks, one 55 gallons, the other 75 gallons. All four of them are not quite silent, but very quiet. There is a soft, low hum from the motor windings, a little bit like a transformer humming. At first there was also a faint sound like air trapped somewhere, perhaps cavitation in the pump? But these sounds are hard to hear, and not distracting. And the cavitation sound went away on it’s own after a few days. I can hear the soft humming sound if the room is totally quiet and I stand near the tank, but if there is any significant sound from conversation, crunching breakfast cereal, a radio or TV, etc, then they are drowned out.Some of the complaints others have mentioned in their reviews sound a bit like operator error to me. For example, one person said the filter overflowed and sent water over the back of the tank onto the floor. Clearly, the filter was mounted too high….mine are mounted with the top edge 2 inches below the rim of the tank. When the filter pad becomes clogged, it WILL overflow, but into the tank, not out of it.Some describe loud mechanical noises, which sounds to me like a bit of gravel, or perhaps a snail, found it’s way into the pump impeller. Yes, this can happen with any filter, regardless of brand, but it’s easy to repair. In these filters, the bottom just snaps off, exposing the pump impeller, which is then easily removed for cleaning.And some have complained that the filter “stops working” after some months of service. Again, this is likely due to a need for a cleaning of the impeller and the recess where it sits, where debris or gunk sometimes builds up and prevents it from rotating.On a benefit/cost basis, these filters look really good. They are made of a tough, slightly flexible plastic, so even if you drop one on the floor, it is unlikely to break. Parts for Tetra/Whisper filters are readily available everywhere. And the results are as good as any other filter I’ve ever used, regardless of cost.The first attached photo shows two mounted in my 75 gallon planted tank, which contains two Nigerian bichers, and two Pictus catfish. The second shows two more in my 55 gallon community tank, with various tetras, cory catfish, and loaches.

Los pocos días que lleva en uso a sido 100% efectivo, limpio el agua de mi pecera a pesar que ya estaba un poco sucia.Súper silencioso y de buen tamañoHasta ahora todo bien

I have the 10-30 version too in another tank. This bigger one is a bit louder but it’s still very very quiet. These are the best filters for noise levels. I put my own bio media and filter floss in as I have a planted tank. Works fantastic.