AQQA Aquarium Filter Fish Tank Sponge Filter Whisper Submersible Filters

This is my all-time favorite filter for fancy Gold Fish tanks! These are nice quiet filters. Sponge filters are known to be quiet in general and are good for goldfish, due to their addition of aeration to the water without the intense water flow of many of the waterfall type filters. I love these specifically because they are a combination both sponge filter and also ceramic filter media in the bottoms. It gives you a little of both styles of filtration without taking away from the sponge filter portion. ( You will need your own air pump and hose but this is the same as any other sponge filter. ) For cleaning you can just disconnect the air hose and pull them out. You can remove the little plastic piece that keeps the sponge on ( it just snaps off but can take a little effort). Then I squeeze the sponges in non-chlorinated water until the water is clear. I rinse out the stones without removing them from the bottom and resemble by putting the filter and cap back on. It is simple and doesn't require scrubbing out pipes and tiny motors etc. It also refuses the same filter for months, you just rinse it out and reuse it. ( They do send an extra sponge for when the original one wears out, but they are not like the little slot filters that are supposed to be replaced every month!) I have had one of these filters in my tank for over a year and the sponge is still far from needing replaced. 10/10 I recommend these especially fancy goldfish since they don't do well with strong currents. I recommend them for anyone with freshwater tanks though. I don't see myself buying any other filters any time soon.

Nice and quiet and easy to clean

I love the sponge filter. You will need an air pump for these, but that will also provide oxygen for your tank. These filters are not noisy, and are very easy to clean. You don't need to buy anything extra for them, thus making them a much better value. To clean, ust run them under water and squeeze all the yuk out. They last a long time. But know that they will take up space in your aquarium as opposed to the over the rim filters. Also, make sure you get the right size for the amount of gallons of water your tank holds. These are perfect for having nano fish, fry and shrimp. My shrimp just love to sit on these filters because they suck in the food that's left over.

Have had it hooked up for a short time now but so far so good as it seems like a well functioning sponge with the bubbles coming out finely without an air stone added which I like, I also really like it conceptually with it being the only stand alone single sponge filter I've seen with a media tray added you can add to which is a nice feature for a sponge filter. My only complaint is the media tray was not easy to pry off even using a butterknife and it slightly broke on the one side it seemed despite being gentle about it. Thankfully I could snap it back it place but it wasn't easy and makes me reluctant to want to do so again to mess with the media in the tray at all, so I gotta dock a star for that. Still good otherwise though.

First of all, the manufacturer's video for this product was great! I strongly suggest you watch THAT video before you watch the videos associated with reviews! I did. Then, when I watched the first 3 customer review videos, I was surprised. Yes, I was laughing, BUT I'm sure they're nice people as they were considerate in making a video, so I hope they figure it out. Or perhaps, that's the way they want to use this filter. I mean, even I am not going to use this in the exact and intended manner! They were leaving the TWO sponges intact, as it was shipped! Now, that won't kill your fish, but water has to be able to flow, to some significant degree through the sponge. The sponge is already quite dense which increases the surface area exponentially, allowing more beneficial bacteria to grow and consequently allowing that bacteria colony to consume more microscopic feces before it turns into ammonia,...so smooshing two sponges together (which btw was a smart thing for the manufacturer to do because it saves them a whole lot on shipping, on storing inventory, on the costs for packaging, etc.), blocks the water flow that you would have benefitted from. At first I was hesitant to comment on this, but I figure, I better share the limited knowledge I have ...and someone may correct me if I am wrong, and then I can learn too. The material seems sturdy enough, but I learned the hard way not to tinker too much, or else I'll have a full-on MacGyver job on my hands. The sponge seems like it's dense and made of good stuff that will last. Sometimes sponges arrive with a foul smell; not these. But JIC, I'm soaked them and rinsed them well. The plastic topper/cap that anchors the sponge seems to fit best if you line up the clamps and the grooves. These are tiny, so you have to look closely. This plastic might not last for years, but it'll do for now. In order to access the compartment where the ceramic bio balls are, you have to use a thin, flat screwdriver or something comparable. This is not the greatest design for me to be changing out the carbon, but hey, I created this challenge for myself by not using this filter in the exact way prescribed. Again, the plastic itself, as well as the open-close repetition will eventually break the areas that snap into place. I accept. So... I threw out the bio balls. I added my pelletized carbon, reassembled everything and then squeezed the air out of the sponge as I tried to submerse the filter. Because my air pump is so strong and because there is not any significant weight to hold the contraption DOWN without the bio balls, I had to open everything back up and add a couple of stones for weight. None of the carbon has escaped yet, so that's success :) And it stayed down. The bubbles. OMG it's a geyser of large sized air bubbles. I have a super strong air pump... with a cheap, crappy gang valve (but that is really the only kind in our local pet stores), so it was either feast or famine because there is no such thing as fine-tune adjustment on a cheap gang valve! There does not seem to be an airstone within the column, and after I tried to pull on the pieces a little... I decided not fix something that ain't broken. So it just comes gushing out Not a bad thing, I guess. Since a lot of the pieces, as well as how they are assembled, are shown in the manufacturer's video, I avoided posting any of the parts. The video here shows my two sponge filters running. The one at the edge is the typical sponge on a pedestal. The one which is more or less centered in my video is the AQQA filter. I think this is a nice looking sponge filter. It is definitely not the ghetto, cheap clear plastic "box filters" of the 1980s where you added filter wool and "charcoal". Nor is it the typical round sponge filter on a pedestal that just looks ugly. If I had a display tank that required a sponge filter, this is the one I would choose. For me, I wanted to add chemical filtration to my pond where I breed veil tail rosy barbs. I am hoping this filter keeps them healthier and allows me at least a few day more between water changes.

This sponge filter is an absolute gem for anyone in the aquarium hobby. I was initially looking at much more expensive and complicated piping and drainage systems, but I decided to give this a try as a more budget-friendly alternative. I couldn't be happier with the results. It's incredibly easy to set up and maintain, and the filtration power is surprisingly effective for its size. My tank water is crystal clear, and the fish seem to be thriving. For anyone looking for a simple, efficient, and affordable way to keep their tank clean, this is the perfect solution. It proves you don't have to spend a fortune to get great results.

Works pretty great at keeping the water clean for my African Clawed Frogs who are very messy creatures. I tried quite a few filters and tank cleaners, but none really worked well or for very long. This filter has been working perfectly and to clean I just need to pull it out, detach the hose, and rinse under running water while squeezing a few times. Has lasted for longer than other filters and my frogs like to sit on it and haven't been hurt since there is no sucking in danger for them. There is no noise but the air pump so the filter doesn't disturb my frogs. Great item for my frogs.

Oh yes. This baby is big. If I'm to guess, about 6 inches tall and 4 wide. If I keep it on for 2 days, cloudy water starts to clear up. And no, it doesn't work by itself. I bought an air pump and 25ft of aquarium tubing. It doesnt create much disturbance. Just a consistent flow of bubble rising and then dispersing. I wish the clip at the top to hold the sponge in place was a screw fit instead of a clip in and squeeze to to take out.

Awesome seller!!! AAA customer service and the filter works very well too!

This filter Sinks, but really takes time, means its not heavy enough to stay firmly in the bottom of the tank. Seller could upgrade heavier bottom, or we could attatch something heavy to the bottom side. Everything else working very well.

So disappointed. Ive used this for 6 months now. Every water change i wash it out. Its spotless every time.... its not picking up anything.... not even the fine material. My gravel is holding everything. I have a large dual port air pump attached to run it. Plenty of air running thru it. Its just crap.

It’s quiet large but works fine I used it for my 30 gal but definitely should have a hang on back filter with it or another filter running with it as it just can’t do all the work leaving the water blury ish

Un filtre sans équipements. Il ne sert absolument a rien . Évitez le