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

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.

After having numerous problems with waterfall filters that suck up small fish and tadpoles, I found this product and would not have any other filter. I use it for my 10 gallon tank and it works very well. All you do is connect it to your aerator. There is no suction at all and no waterfall to toss my small fish around. It cleans the water and provides oxygen for your aquatic buddies. The filter cartridge is visible, so you know exactly when to change it. Not all pet stores carry this product, but it is well worth it to order the extra cartridges online (as you can find it for the same price you would in stores even with shipping). When I accidently threw away the cartridge holder, I went out of my way to find it again for the safety of my fish. However, if you have live tubifex worms, they will make a home out of the filter if it is too close to the ground so I recommend placing it high in your tank. But if it does happen and you don't want to kill them, slowly move the filter out of the water over the course of a day or two and they will wiggle their way out and back to the gravel. But anyways, I would definitely recommend this product for anyone.

I bought this filter because I didn’t want a big sponge eyesore in my 5g tank taking up a lot of space. This little air driven filter was the perfect solution. It works well and was very easy to install. The one downside is the media is not removable. You have to buy the replacement filter cartridge so any bio filter in your filter is lost. Probably great for beginner fish keepers who are not in tune to the nitrogen cycle, though. I would like to see a latched door at the bottom so I could replace the chemical media and just squeeze out the sponge and put right back in. Some reviewers said they just cut out the bottom to do this. Regardless, great little filter!

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 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.

Used this product for years, very good

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

Hace bien su función de mantener el agua limpia en peceras de bajo litraje, también bien oxigenado el agua, solo que efectivamente, es como de cartuchos y si siempre se va a tener si hay que comprar repuestos, pero de allí en más todo muy bien.