Tetra Whisper Internal Filter 20 To 40 Gallons, For Aquariums, In-Tank Filtration With Air Pump

I have used these for so many years for little tank setups and my turtle and snails etc. Always work super great and super quiet! Plus they are cheap. No brainer imo. I'm sure theres a faulty one here n there as with anything but keep the propeller clean like any other pump and dont let the filters get too overflowing clogged and you'll be happy I promise. Also with filters of any kind try to get one rated for more than you actually have so the filter doesn't get overwhelmed. Even the filters are cheap for a box of 12 for like $13. Cant go wrong!! 10/10

It works great and is priced very fairly. I have had fish tanks all my life and love the product in all my smaller fish tanks where I store baby fish and or fish that have been picked on. It will last a long time if you take proper care of it.

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.

Lasted 5 months- then just stopped working! 2nd time I’m purchasing this. 1st lasted about ) mi- but super quiet anc seems to filter well

Works wonderfully! So glad they sell them on Amazon v they only sell them in 1 store in my town and only put 2 out at 1 time.

FILTER #1 - A slightly smaller version of this filter came with the 5-gal 'Tetra Aquarium Starter Kit' we purchased. That one reeked of burnt plastic or solvent from the moment we unpacked it. Stinky odor persisted even after staging it in a 5-gal bucket for several days before fish. As others have reported, we also found this filter can be quite the noise maker. FILTER #1 - SMELLY, NOISY JUNK. FILTER #2 - Concerned that stink and racket wouldn't be healthy for fish or us, bought another filter, reasoning that the cost of Starter Kit PLUS a new filter would be tolerable. Ordered what we thought was the same filter (but hopefully without stink and noise). What we received is the 5-10 Gallon Whisper Internal Power Filter, which turned out to be a slightly larger version of what we started with, but which still used the same size 'M' bio-bag. When we staged it in the bucket we were pleasantly surprised to find it was slightly more powerful than #1. But most importantly, IT DIDN'T REEK and IT WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY SILENT. This one turned out to be a keeper and is presently in the tank with fish. FILTER #2 - EXCELLENT. FILTER #3 - Believing we had found a good filter, and wanting a spare, we ordered another 5-10 Gallon Whisper. It arrived with a hint of the same odor as #1, but we were hopeful that would 'just go away' after a few days of running in the bucket. But when we ran it in the bucket, we also noticed it was a bit noisier than #2. Then it quickly became a LOT noisier. But then, worst of all, we found evidence of mineral deposits from what must have been a very lengthy previous ownership (based on the LARGE amount of deposits). That's right, this thing was USED! FILTER #3 - STINKY, NOISY, USED GARBAGE FILTER #4 - Allowing that an unscrupulous consumer might have returned a 'used' filter to Amazon as 'new', or something similar happened in the Tetra/Spectrum supply channel, we returned/exchanged for another 5-10 Gallon Whisper in hopes of receiving another unit like #2. Not a chance - #4 was as noisy as #s 1 & 3. Back to Amazon it goes. FILTER #4 - NOISY JUNK So, we're done with Tetra/Spectrum filters. Based on our 25% success rate, I can't understand how these things could possibly have gotten the high ratings they have. There's no telling what's behind the problems we ran into, but the end result is a string of bad experiences with Tetra/Spectrum. No point in risking any more of our time or the well being of fish with this nonsense. We'll be looking elsewhere or going the DIY route - PLENTY of ideas on the web for fabricating what appear to be excellent performing filters from inexpensive and commonly available supplies, media and pumps.

Made with the pump to be in the water, no priming needed. I have used this product for many years. It's dependable, and keeps the tank water clean in my 20 gallon aquarium. Quality is durable. It's quiet and doesn't hang high above the top of the tank. Great product!

This filter works well for a turtle/fish tank and performs great in daily use. When the water level is high, it runs very quietly, which is a big plus. Filtration has been effective overall. That said, it becomes quite noisy when the water level is low, so regular monitoring is needed. I’ve also purchased two of these, and both stopped working after about a year. Still, because it works well while it lasts, I’m giving it four stars.

Silencioso y mantiene la pecera limpia

Its quiet, does the job as an equal bonus my tank is small and it oxygenates the water enough that I don't need a pump

للاسف المنتج 110 فولت ولايوجد في الوصف تحديد للجهاز،وعندنا في السعودية 220 فولت فقط،بالاضافة الى ان غطاء الفلتر غير ثابت،لابد من ارجاع المنتج

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 tamaño Hasta ahora todo bien

Plugged it in and it was dead. Waste of time and money, spend it elsewhere. Now I’m left with extra filters that I purchased and a dead pump/filter. Not happy Jan.