Whats the worst aquarium product you've ever bought?

Replacement carbon filters for my hob...before I read about modifying them with sponges and other better media.

How do you mod them?

 

I always feel so guilty throwing literally anything made of plastic away. Of course, I can't avoid SOME plastic waste, but I try to minimize it. I can find a new purpose for almost everything, but these things just seem so useless. The lego idea is honestly the best I've got

No plastic recycling on your area? We have recycle bins for almost anything here

 

How do you mod them?

check out this thread https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfi...tream-aquaclear-and-other-hob-filters.385506/

 

How do you mod them?

For me personally, I got rid of the pre-made expensive ones & just started purchasing my own sponges & a carton of carbon. I read some cool posts on here about how to do it

 

Magnetic scrubber for the glass. Not a fan, rather just do it myself with a sponge. I’m sure there’s plenty of useless meds and chemicals I’ve bought though.

 

tetra whisper filter, mine makes the most annoying sound imaginable and I want to smash it with a rock, thats what you get for buying the cheapest filter on the market

 

tetra whisper filter, mine makes the most annoying sound imaginable and I want to smash it with a rock, thats what you get for buying the cheapest filter on the market

Tetra ain't what they used to be. It used to be that they were nice and cheap. When the butyl rubber diaphragms would die you went to the pet store and pulled 2 new ones of of the big in store diaphragm card, paid less than a buck for them and then rebuilt your pump for another few years.
Now they fail faster and the rebuild kit is full of unneeded parts to boost the price to the point it is as much or more than a new filter (well OK Kens is 30% less than a new filter but still..)
I'm thinking I'm going to start trying to reglue the diaphragms with tire/inner tube repair glue. I have so many loud filters many of which don't move air.

For the price I have paid on those Whispers and their repair kits I could have put a Jehmco linear air pump on each floor. Buy the good stuff once or just keep buying junk. Wish I would have done that to begin with. Heck even an Alita on each floor would have done the trick and saved me $$$

 

I have another one! It's a magnetic glass scrubber from PetSmart. Both sides are felt. It was absolutely useless for cleaning the glass. I still had to go in with a sponge and razor. I bought an magfloat a few weeks ago to try. That thing is amazing. Between that and a cheap toothbrush, my glass is now easy to clean.

 

I’m regretting gravel. I didn’t think I’d ever get live plants, but now I have a couple. I’ve also heard that gravel isn’t smooth enough for fish. I have no desire to replace it (newly cycled tank), and no idea what I’d put in instead.

One thing I would recommend is getting a bag of laterite and mixing it with your existing gravel. Laterite is rich in iron since is a clay base substrate which will help with your plants. You can make gravel work with your plants, some may need a little more help than others depending on the type of plants but it can be done. I had planted aquariums in the past with gravel; and remember with plants sometimes the best thing to do is to have a little bit of patience. It will go a very long way. Your plants are living organisms and will go through a period of adjustment just like any living organism.

 

One thing I would recommend is getting a bag of laterite and mixing it with your existing gravel. Laterite is rich in iron since is a clay base substrate which will help with your plants. You can make gravel work with your plants, some may need a little more help than others depending on the type of plants but it can be done. I had planted aquariums in the past with gravel; and remember with plants sometimes the best thing to do is to have a little bit of patience. It will go a very long way. Your plants are living organisms and will go through a period of adjustment just like any living organism.

Thanks, I’ll look into that. So far my Anubias nana is all I’ve been able to keep alive, although I’m going to try adding some corkscrew Val tonight. I’m also looking into getting more Anubias varieties, since I’ve been able to keep that one alive. Substrate isn’t my only problem though. I have a hex tank, so I’m sure they aren’t getting enough light. I picked up a small tank that I’d like to make a shrimp tank eventually, and was looking up substrates again today lol.

 

"Ammonia remover" and "water clarifier". Wasn't until I did research and learned about the nitrogen cycle that I realized these were absolutely useless.

 

Yeah, buying the popular brand of filters when we set up our first tanks - the Aqueon HOB Whisper models with replaceable cartridges. Did some reading here recently which put me on the Aqua Clear filter and when I got it I was surprised to realize it is exactly the same filter my brother had on his tank when we were kids. Pretty much unchanged in 40 years. I guess when you have a good design, you stick with it.

 

Thanks, I’ll look into that. So far my Anubias nana is all I’ve been able to keep alive, although I’m going to try adding some corkscrew Val tonight. I’m also looking into getting more Anubias varieties, since I’ve been able to keep that one alive. Substrate isn’t my only problem though. I have a hex tank, so I’m sure they aren’t getting enough light. I picked up a small tank that I’d like to make a shrimp tank eventually, and was looking up substrates again today lol.

If you have a low intensity light the growth of your plants will be slow. Anubias by nature are slow growing plants which assimilate their nutrients from the water column (75%) and (25%) through their roots. Also, if you have no carbon dioxide then I would recommend to look into NilocG’s Thrive C liquid fertilizer. It’s a version of their all purpose fertilizer for low tech tanks. (Low lights and no CO2). Your plants will love it and they will grow like crazy.

 

Oh heck, those STUPID cheap "fish flakes". When I started keeping fish when I was 10 years old I didn't know how bad those brands were. They have bad ingredients, bad odors, they gunk up the tanks and make your fish poop a LOT. Never. Purchasing. Again.

 

sunsun 304b canister filter. Leaked everywhere, parts not very high quality.

 

caribsea eco-complete. For a 'plant' substrate it is miserable to work with since it is way too coarse.

caribsea moonlight: I love the powder stuff but i frequently get tank meltdown because it is too fine to breath.

 

Magnetic scrubber for the glass. Not a fan, rather just do it myself with a sponge. I’m sure there’s plenty of useless meds and chemicals I’ve bought though.

I bought one of those too. It works fair, until you get down near the bottom. I haven't found a way to clean right down to the substrate without disturbing the substrate more than I want to. I prefer the razor blade type scrapers with the long handle to keep your hand out of the water.

 

Non-adjustable heaters. I've done this twice now, and it was stupid decision both times. The tanks always ran freezing cold - they were never able to heat the space they claimed the could, and there was nothing I could do to fix it besides purchasing a new heater. Adjustable heaters ALL the way.

 

Tetra Safestart.

 

You just need coarser sand like pool filter sand.

What brand do you recommend?

 

Hmm, worst is pretty strong. I've bought a lot of stuff I didn't care for, need or didn't work.
Worse implies that when something was used the worst thing ever has happened.

With that in mind I'd have to say the visi-therm sleath heater 10 years ago. They were great for years then they started to over heat, fish tanks exploded and fish were cooked, including mine.

 

"Silent" filters.
Basically I guess in my bedroom, at night when windows and door are closed, the echo increases heavily so all sounds are amplified, including silent filter, I am still waiting for my submerged filter, hope it will be quiet.

The sound problem is easily solved by off the filter at night until I googled that the aerobic bacteria will die without water movements and floods of ammonia will leak into my fish tank.

 

"Silent" filters.
Basically I guess in my bedroom, at night when windows and door are closed, the echo increases heavily so all sounds are amplified, including silent filter, I am still waiting for my submerged filter, hope it will be quiet.

The sound problem is easily solved by off the filter at night until I googled that the aerobic bacteria will die without water movements and floods of ammonia will leak into my fish tank.

Have you tried cancelling the sound with some white noise? Works for me.

 

Have you tried cancelling the sound with some white noise? Works for me.

If you are talking about the fan, I actually off my fan at night long ago because it is too loud.
Either I am special sensitive to sound or the echo in my house is loudly amplified which my family explained the same too.

 

Very noisy air filters. I can deal with the sound of typical HOBs and water pumps, but something about that low, droning BUZZZZZZZZZZZZ really irritates me. I'm not even very sensitive about white or droning noises normally 'cause they help me ignore tinnitus.

Also, if "product" includes aquariums themselves, my Biorb is the worst. Its potential is limited, it's impractical, and it's overpriced.

There's just not an awful lot you can do with a 3 gallon fishbowl. Even if you give it extra filtration with a canister filter (WHY?) you simply do not have the space for much more than shrimp, snails, or maybe a very small and solitary nano fish.

Just about everything about its design is impractical or questionable. It's very difficult to put anything in the bowl on account of its rather small opening. It's hard to hit a heater in there, and impossible to keep it in place because curved acrylic isn't good for suction cups.
The built-in filtration system is basically an air-driven undergravel filter that also has a very thin sponge where the water comes out, and it doesn't actually work as intended if you use any other substrate besides the chunky ceramic media that's included. Said ceramic is kind of ugly, shows algae growth easily, and is completely inhospitable for most plants. Which, ya know, are almost necessary for a shrimp tank.

And finally, a 3 gallon biorb costs $90 and includes the ugly substrate, a weak filter, a light and lid, and an air pump. If you want to use it as a planted tank, the substrate and filter are basically worthless.
I could use that same amount of money to build a 10 gallon planted tank complete with sponge filter, heater, and good substrate.

Thing is, I don't regret my purchase at all because I got mine used on discount, with 2 dozen cherry shrimp included for free. After I trashed the ceramic, I managed to turn it into one of my favorite planted low-tech aquascapes. The light that was included is actually perfectly capable of growing a variety of low/med-low light plants.
Objectively speaking though, unless it also couldn't hold water, it's hard to find a worse aquarium than this!

 

Eco-compleat!! Useless! After 2 yrs it is now filling a gofer hole.

 

In the late 1980's I kept Discus. Many of the Discus were wild caught. I tried to replicate their natural water conditions using a PH down product & Tetra's Black Water Extract.
The PH down product was worthless. Constant & swift PH rebounds. The introduction of Malaysian driftwood into the tank quickly took the place of the expensive Black Water Extract.
IMO, both products are a waste of money.

 

Cheap heater from Walmart........ ugh.

 

In the late 1980's I kept Discus. Many of the Discus were wild caught. I tried to replicate their natural water conditions using a PH down product & Tetra's Black Water Extract.
The PH down product was worthless. Constant & swift PH rebounds. The introduction of Malaysian driftwood into the tank quickly took the place of the expensive Black Water Extract.
IMO, both products are a waste of money.

I don't have much experience with pH altering products, but I can big time agree with you on the black water extract. It barely tints the water and is so expensive for what it is - there are so many more interesting and affordable ways to add tannins to your water. Was a waste of money on my part too, not going to be buying that again haha.

 

Eco-compleat!! Useless! After 2 yrs it is now filling a gofer hole.

Weird. Mine made my plants grow with a mighty anger for years and years. Now it is not doing much but for a long time swords grew quick over running their tanks.

What brand do you recommend?

I like "Giant cheap sack from the hardware store" brand pool filter sand.

 

Hikari Algae Wafers. My fish will not touch them.

 

Hikari Algae Wafers. My fish will not touch them.

Really? Even my endlers LOVE the mini ones I have to keep them away from it

 

Really? Even my endlers LOVE the mini ones I have to keep them away from it

My plecos more or less ignore them. They are all over the Xtreme wafers though...as soon as they stop moving! And if the plecos aren't, then the gudgeons or the tetras are lol

 

• All filters by Dennerle
• Tanks with curved corners for the so-called panoramic view

 

• All filters by Dennerle
• Tanks with curved corners for the so-called panoramic view

I do like Dennerle air pumps though.

 

Aqueon's Quietflow shrimp filter. Not only is it bulky and incompatible with most lids, but it makes this AWFUL grinding noise if the sponge gets any gunk in it. 0/10, not even worth it with a discount.

 

- betta hammock
- API Quick Start
- sea shell shaped air stone that completely disintegrated in my tank

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY-

- my current 10 gallon tank. I opted for a rimless Aqueon. I did not know how difficult and nearly impossible it was going to be to find a proper fitting lid, since they don’t sell the corresponding lid to it anymore. Should’ve just gotten the rimmed one. Smh

 

- betta hammock
- API Quick Start
- sea shell shaped air stone that completely disintegrated in my tank

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY-

- my current 10 gallon tank. I opted for a rimless Aqueon. I did not know how difficult and nearly impossible it was going to be to find a proper fitting lid, since they don’t sell the corresponding lid to it anymore. Should’ve just gotten the rimmed one. Smh

Rimmed tanks in general i find are definitely for people who put form before function. "Who cares if it works, it looks good."

 

New one: API stress coat. Turns out the aloe vera they put in it will form gunky residue and clog the filter. I kept warning my brother to stop using the stuff and to clean the HOB filter media occasionally. He ignored me, and just today, the filter sponge was so clogged that the water pushed it up instead of flowing through, and water spilled out all over the place.

Like yeah, he should've listened, but other dechlorinators like prime won't cause that situation in the first place.

 

Sponge filters. Honestly I never notice they actually clean anything. But they have been great for my new fry tank tho.