Penn-Plax Cascade 300 Power Filter – Hang-On Filter with Quad Filtration – Great for Freshwater and Saltwater Setups

After researching a number of different filters for my 20-gallon gourami tank, I decided to give this one a try. It is designed with function in mind, including an adequate system of bio-filtration and flow control. Flow control, though simple in design, is a nice feature to have that is sadly lacking on many HOB filters. This feature was important to me as gouramis are labyrinth fish who prefer slow-moving water, and I wanted the ability to adjust the flow, if necessary.One reason I hesitated to invest in this filter is that, although the filter itself is very reasonably priced, the replacement filter cartridges are somewhat expensive. Fortunately, the size of the intake tube is just right to use one of these pre-filters: Pre-Filter Sponge 3 Pack for Fluval Edge Aquarium This increases the biological filtration even more while filtering small particles before they ever enter the filter itself. I simply rinse the pre-filter in aquarium water ever two weeks or so and replace the filter cartridge once a month, since activated carbon expires monthly. Rinsing the pre-filter is an easy step, since this has an extendable intake tube, making it easy to detach the endpiece from the filter itself without having to actually pull the sponge off the intake every time. The filter even continues to run while I do this, as long as the end of the intake is submersed. As an added bonus, my flower shrimp loves to eat the particles of food that collect on the sponge, and as a filter feeder, she enjoys the luxury of hanging on the intake to make use of the flow without the danger of being harmed by the filter intake. Meanwhile, between some tinkering with the flow control and the addition of the sponge, the flow itself is weak enough to not upset my male/female pair of gouramis, who are able to blow bubble nests and engage in spawning behavior. Even though this is only a 20-gallon tank, the flower shrimp, clown pleco and mystery snails have their own space, and the gouramis have theirs. Having a sponge pre-filter and flow control also benefits the live plants in my tank, especially the java fern, which proliferates easily and abundantly, but often can be damaged by filter intakes when the young ferns float about the tank before finding a piece of driftwood or other material where they can grow.In terms of reliability, I have run this filter steadily for four months as of the writing of this review, and, used in conjunction with some additional sponge filters, this has proven itself to be reliable. It is self-priming and consistently restarts automatically following a power outage. It even runs steadily during a partial water change, and the 'Bio-Falls' system seems to provide additional aeration for the water, which is important not only for providing oxygen for my water-breathing creatures, but helps remove toxic substances, which benefits all of the creatures in my tank, including the air-breathing gouramis.To conclude, I will provide a brief list of pros and cons:PROS:1. It is inexpensive2. It is effective in terms of mechanical, chemical, and biological filtration3. It is reliable and self-priming4. It fits the inexpensive Fluval sponge pre-filters5. It has flow controlCONS:1. Replacement cartridges are not easily found in stores2. Replacement cartridges are expensive (but this can be easily addressed by using an inexpensive sponge pre-filter, extending the cartridge life to at least a full month)

Worked as described. I like that you can see the water inside of the filter. The noise level isn’t bad other than the waterfall. Worked well at cleaning tank.

The story of my review may be like a few others . I ordered the first Penn Plax Cascade Aquarium and it arrived on time and by appearance not damaged. Putting it together was easy. I put it in my 20gal fish tank. I plugged it in and the motor and impeller started up and it started to work just fine. I then checked on it about an hour later and the motor was humming and the impeller had stopped. I took it out and checked the directions and all was correct. I put in back into the tank and it ran for about a minute and then the impeller stopped working. I tried to hand turn the impeller by hand but it would not work. While the unit worked initially it seemed to be doing a good job and the motor was very quiet. So I put in a return request. I received a response within a few hours. I returned the unit and within 3 days my replacement came. I put it together and plugged it in and tested it in my sink. It worked just fine. I then put it into the tank. Again it worked fine. I checked on it in an hour and it was working perfectly. I have now had it 2 weeks and I love it. No problems, motor quit and it does a good job to keep the water clean. I like the option of being able to adjust the water flow. I would highly recommend this product. My only advice is that after you put it together test it first before putting it into your fish tank. I was impressed with Amazon's return policy. I have been buying from Amazon for more then 6 years and purchased almost 80 items, this was only the 2nd time I had to return an item. I gave it 5 stars because not matter what the item is or where you purchased it you will get lemon from time to time. In the end the new returned item worked great.

After reading the instructions, installing everything as instructed, I filled it with water and put the plug in and nothing happened. I emptied the water and took the filter off the tank. I was very disappointed it didn't work right out of the box. It appeared the impeller and shaft wasn't seated properly and there's a lot of play in it even when it is seated properly. So I fiddled with the impeller and shaft, got it to seat properly, tested it in the sink, and then put it back on the tank, filled it with water, and it worked. So, hopefully people will read this review prior to installing the pump and make sure the impeller and shaft are properly seated and working prior to filling it with water and putting it on the tank. Otherwise they will be unhappy like I was having to empty the water and fiddling around with it to get it to work after it was already installed. It seems to work well and has good flow and is very quiet.Update: Filter has been performing well and I cleaned it for the first time. It is much easier to clean than my Aquaclear 110's. It isn't quite as powerful, but much easier to handle and keeps my 38 gallon tank very clear. I don't think I would use it on my big tank though because it doesn't have quite the power and flow that the 110's have. Good alternative if you want to save yourself time and trouble cleaning the Aquaclears.