bronzefighter
Member
- Great for filtering nano tanks or aquariums from 10-30 gallons.
- 160 Gallons per Hour.
- Comes complete with spray bar system, mechanical filter sponge, bio ceramic media and carbon.
- Easy priming feature.
- For freshwater or marine aquariums.
- High Quality- Made in Europe.
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After having a complete filter failure in my 20g needed a new filter. I thought about putting another but AquaClear HOB on the back, but due to the unusually tall dimensions I found there to be too much debris buildup at the bottom of the tank.
I did like the Finnex, though I thought it might have been a bit too small for my tank. I headed over the the PetSmart by my house and they happened to have one Nano 30 on a bottom shelf in a beatup box. After getting a discount for the opened box I walked out with brand new ZooMed Nano30 for about $60.
At first glance, the ZooMed appears to be a solidly built filter. It's entirely plastic, but it's not cheap feeling at all. The only 'flimsy' piece I've noticed are the plastic clips on the top of the filter, so I tend to be a little more gentle with them. However, the actual hinges are well-built and durable. A nice feature is that the bottom of the canister has vibration isolating rubber feet. Included with the actual filter is hosing, sponges, ceramic rings, and carbon. Intake strainer is fairly standard, and included is both a spraybar and scoop-shaped flow diverter.
Setting up the filter was fairly easy. The intake and outflow have flow restrictors built into them, which I have mixed feelings about. They work well enough, but I have no need for them and I feel like they unnecessarily rob some flow. The hoses are extremely long, so long that I actually cut one in 2 halves and just use those. Unfortunately the filter is not self-priming. It has to be filled with a good amount of water before it will start drawing any from the tank. However, it does have a small opening in the top to add water into, which makes this process a bit easier. After a few minutes of gurgling and spitting bubbles into the tank it started flowing nicely.
The filtration works nicely for my tank. Water flows down onto a course sponge, then up through a finer sponge. It then is split- some water is diverted back down into the bio/chem chem chamber. Here is a diagram so you can see what I mean:
Once this thing is running it is damn quiet. The loudest sound coming from my tank is the timer for the lights. The only issue I've had is the flow output slipping off in the tank, so I put a little bead of silicone on it to hold it in place. Maintenance is a breeze, as I clean it out once every few weeks, though I could go longer if I wanted.
Over all, fish are healthy, tank is clean, and I'm happy with this purchase. I've been running it for a few months now, so feel free to ask any questions.