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

Filter water

I ordered the full kit that comes with the air pump. It comes with a valve so you can adjust the flow, I think it will work great when I get my new betta since they don't like alot of water movement. The pump is small and super quiet, I have it in my bedroom and have no trouble sleeping with it running, the ceiling fan acctually makes more noise. The set up was super quick and easy. I did have to order a check valve to go with it as I have the pump lower than the tank, but they are super cheap and easy to find online. The only thing I would change would be to make the filter cartridges open so you can change out the media, but other reviews have said they are easy to modify so it shouldn't be an issue. My bowl is ~3 gallons and it doesn't take up much space, still plenty of room for plants and decor. My water is a little cloudy right now but it is still cycling.

My small fish tank filter takes these refills, which are more affordable than most other ones. It works great and takes up minimal space in my small aquarium. I also have made other Amazon purchases from this same company/seller. I am very pleased with everything. Update - I lowered the filter rating to 4 stars because of my most recent purchase, in April. I thought it was just the packaging, but when I opened it, the filters already appeared dirty. I realize some of the filter stuff could have gotten on the white material, but it should not have been that much. Hopefully, the filters will be ok for regular length use.

So I read a lot of reviews people complaining about noise, which if u buy the kit with the air pump it is super quiet. Then people complained about not being able to take the thing apart to clean. I mean for $7 a month I can replace the cartridge. The power is controllable which is nice as it doesn't suck my betta fish in like most filters do. People complained about it making there tank cloudy but I rinsed it really well and ran it for 15 minutes in just a bowl of water to get any excess gunk out and it worked just fine. Didn't make my water cloudy at all. And with in a half hour of running I could tell the water clarity was getting better. I think this is a great filter for my tank which is 1.6 gallons and didn't come with a filter. Very small doesn't take up to much room in his tank. Also filter replacement is very easy. You just pop it out and stick a new one in.

I love this filter and pump set! It’s perfect for my bettas it’s not too strong but it does the job without moving the water too fast for the betta.

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.

LOVE THIS FILTER!!! I have a beautiful male crowntail betta. He had such an amazing tail but the filter that came with his tank sucked him against it and has ruined his tail. Also, the current it created made it impossible for my baby to swim. I have been on a hunt for a filter that wouldn't suck him up/against it, and he could swim with ease. He has a 5.5-gallon tank. I came across this filter and decided to buy it because it is really cheap and if it didn't work I wouldn't be out much money. It is easy to install (mine has a small issue with the bottom suction cup not wanting to stick but the top one stays in place and holds it tight.) and its current is perfect! (lower you place it in the tank the harder the current.) It has yet to suck him against it (I have had it for a month and a half and haven't needed to replace it yet), and he can swim with ease. It keeps his tank nice and clean! The air tubing does get a little grimy on the outside but you can rinse it off. Now for noise.. HARDLY ANY the only complaint is the little motor does like to buzz if it isn't placed exactly right. Now for suction... It does fantastic at cleaning but it doesn't always like to get my cats fur that he so graciously dumps in there while harassing the poor fish. I give this a 95%! LOVE THIS FILTER!