Tetra ReptoFilter Terrarium Filter, 125 GPH

I have 2 of these filters in a 75 gallon tank with about 35 gallons of water (10" or so)...1 filter on each end. In the tank I have a juvenile Western Painted turtle. It works absolutely beautifully, keeps the water crystal clear and practically odor-free and creates an incredibly soothing waterfall. I wouldn't exactly call it "whisper" quiet, however, I do keep the tank in my bedroom (about 7' from where I sleep) and the sound of the waterfall completely drowns out the faint humming sound that comes from the filter pump. No sleeping problems whatsoever. I think the reason why these filters have a somewhat bad reputation is because people think you MUST have them sitting on the bottom of the tank in order to work properly...greatly limiting the amount of water you can have if you have a bigger tank since the water level has to be below the lip of the filter. This is untrue from my experience. I have both of them propped up about 5" on aquarium decorations and rocks so that the water level is about 4" below the lip. The only thing about doing this is that they're unable to clear the chunks of debris off the bottom of the tank since they're 5" off the ground. This isn't a problem for me at all though because I have a small fish net and a gravel vacuum that I use to regularly clean the chunks off the bottom of the tank. I actually prefer it this way because it seems like to me that by not sucking up the chucks of debris it would extend the life of both the filter and the cartridges. Now to the filter cartridges. Instead of buying the 3-pack Reptofilter brand cartridges for usually $8 or so (~$2.65 each) I buy the 12-pack Whisper Bio-Bags for about $10 (~$.80 each). They're exactly the same as the Reptofilter brand cartridges but the only downside (isn't even really a downside) is that they come unassembled and with only 1 frame instead of pre-assembled and a frame for each cartridge. I've found that they usually last anywhere between 2 weeks and a month but the life of these cartridges entirely depends on the size of your tank, amount of water and the messiness of the creature(s) in your tank. Overall, for the money, these are hard to beat. They keep my tank looking beautiful with very minimal upkeep. After a while I might end up forking out the extra cash for a good external canister filter but I just don't see the necessity quite yet for that good and powerful of a filter when these do the job perfectly fine. Plus I like the idea of having a filter on each end of my tank, greatly increasing the water circulation and vital surface agitation.

This filter works very well in my turtle tank. The suction cups adhere very securely to the side of the tank allowing me to place it high enough to keep the water depth needed for my turtles. I coupled this filter with a Tetra Decorative Reptile Filter for a 55 gallon tank and between the two my tank is crystal clear and odor free. I have one filter at either end of my 55 gallon tank that is about half filled with water. I have 4 small turtles in the tank and it remains really nice and clean between water changes and filter pad cleanings once a month. Like that this filter uses only one large filter pad, my Decorative Filter requires two med sized pads, so it is economical. I buy the unassembled Tetra bio bags in a 12 pack, they are much less expensive than the assembled ones and are a breeze to put together, takes about a minute and save $$$. I find this filter to be very quiet and efficient. I researched very hard to determine what would work best for turtles and this filter seemed to get great reviews and has lived up to my expectations. I already owned the other Decorative Reptile filter, otherwise I would have probably bought two of these filters for my tank. You can't beat the value of this filter, it works great and is very inexpensive for the quality it has so far provided. I would highly recommend this filter.

The filter works as advertised. I got it as a second filter for my Tetrafauna deluxe aquarium. You need to primer the filter before plug in, a filter priming is only to soak up in water before using the pump. Great water flow, size is as expected, sticks well, is lightweight, and seems to be durable. In my set up I have the rock filter from tetra plus this filter. I love it.

This is a fairly good filter. It says it's good for up to 50 gallons but I use it in a 20 gallon tank and though it does a decent job for keeping the water clear, it had a hard time sucking up waste from the opposite end of the tank. No filter is perfect but for the price I'm happy with this one. The waterfall is quiet unless there's not enough water in the tank. So when i start hearing the water trickle I know it's time to add some water!

I bought this filter for a 75 gallon tank with about 6 inches of water for a baby American Alligator and this filter has left the water crystal clear. It don't make a loud noise,just the noise of the water coming from the filter and gives the water a ripple, making it look natural and sound peaceful. The alligator absolutely loves it and so do I. Edit: It's been over one year later and still works like a charm even though it is showing wear very easily. Since my Alligator got bigger, I have increased the water heighth in her enclosure and added two more filters in making the water crystal clear. She eats chicken in her enclosure and the smell of the chicken in the water makes it smelk like death. This filter helps in clearing it right up. Instead of buying the cartridges made for this , I use the whisper large bio bags and definitely worth the price and amount and works fantastic for this filter. If my filter breaks, I'll purchase another. Every now and than I do take it apart and wash the motor, put it back together and it's back to work.

Hello Tetra I love your product, on my 3rd one in 10 years. I run two in a 120 gallon tank. My red eared slider is in agreement. We have tried others but she wasn’t a fan of the vibration or water pressure. PLEASE FIX THE SUCTION CUPS, ADD MORE OR ANOTHER WAY TO HANG IT ON A BIG TANK!! I have it wired up Thank you Repeat Customer Kate

Though some people say they dislike this product i disagree completly and i am not writing this as a scam. So far myself i have been having no problem's with it and think it is a great product so if your looking for a filter and you see one that's $15 and this one that's around $20 pick this one. The reason you should pick this instead of the other one is because #1 it has very good filteration system which clean's out your whole tank and #2 is that the noise for the filter is very silent besides a little bit of the water pouring from it which you can't really prevent but for me i find the noise very relaxing and soothing. thank you.

Worked great for literally 2 days then stopped for no reason.

Cumple su función, lo tengo en una Tortuguera de 65 litros, solo una tortuga y mantiene el agua cristalina y sin olores, ya provado tienes 12 días de agua limpia, después de eso hay que enjuagar el cartucho ya que se satura demasiado con el pasar de los días, debido a que compre los cartuchos de repuesto junto con el filtro, no me fijé que los cartuchos eran medianos y a mi parecer la manera en que viene acomodado el material filtrante está mal, pero cumple su función. Recomiendo modificar y ponerle esponja, guata, canutillos y carbon activado de esa manera tendrás el agua cristalina y sin olores por más tiempo. Pero se me hace un filtro de momento ya que al crecer tu tortuga será más suciedad la que tendrá que limpiar el filtro y tendrás que cambiar el agua más seguido, otra cosa que no me gustó es que a la semana empezó a hacer un ruido fuera de lo normal, desarme el filtro hasta llegar a la bomba, lo limpie bien y ni aún así se quitó el ruido, no es un ruido que moleste pero no es normal, aún así el filtro cumplió su función. Si tienes las posibilidades de comprar un filtro cannister hazlo!!! Si no recomiendo ampliamente este filtro, me gustó mucho.

It arrived completely dead and it will cost more to post back to get a refund than what it cost!

Hello I received the reply filter and installed it as per the manual. As soon as I plugged it there was a huge mechanical noise. The level of the water was correct and I opened the bottom the pump was correctly fixed. I put it back in the tank again let it run with the noise but it then finally stopped and never started again. I didn t manage to reach out the contact support yet but will seek a replacement.

It’s a pretty good filter. I’ve tried a lot of filters in the past couple years with my red-eared slider and by far this one has been my favorite. It’s easy to use and easy to set up. The directions are extremely straightforward and it’s not too loud of a filter. The maintenance is pretty easy too, cleaning it out is pretty easy. There’s no loose charcoal pieces. The one thing I wish I could change though is the price of the refill cartridges. I find it’s a little pricey, but I do only have to get a 3 pack every 2-3 months. So I can’t complain too much. Over all I’d recommend this filter to anyone with a messy turtle :)

A mi tortuga le encanta ponerse abajo del chorro de los filtros, por eso escogí este, pensé que había escogido el mas pequeño pero no. Esta súper bien ahora tengo excusa de comprarle una pecera mas grande, me encanta el filtro super fácil de armar y cumple con su función.