hygger Aquarium HOB Filter 210 GPH for 20-40 Gallon Fish Tank Power Filter with Adjustable Water Flow Extendable Intake Tube External Hang-On Back Filter

The best filter. I have 7 months now and this is working pretty well

I have had my own aquarium business as well as worked as a Manager and Distruct Manager of several pet stores through the years, not to mention being in the hobby for 50yrs. I have seen and sold every HOB filter that was manufactured. This filter beats them all. I will say that I still use the AC bio sponges and bio media for the back of the filters to get more bio surface area. This filter is much more narrow than others, so the sponge just needs to be turned sideways and the ceramic media fits right on top of the sponge as well. The filter has to be filled with water before attaching the impeller mechanism or it won’t prime properly. Otherwise, it will be very noisy. These filters are quiet, and I like that there is a corse sponge to attach to the end of the tube. This is not only great for more bio surface, but especially useful for anyone raising fry, shrimp, snails, or nano fish. Excellent filters, will be purchasing these instead of whisper, AC, Penguin, or any other HOB filter that hasn’t made the cut.

After having the filter for almost 6 months unfortunately I found the failure point. The design on the filter with the way the water runs through the filter material from back to front can cause water to overflow at the back of the filter if it gets “dirty”. This was with water volume at the lowest setting (if set any higher it would run over on a brand new filter. I don’t change filters often, I wash them. You wash it out in a bucket and put it back. If you replace it you could possibly crash your tank so I don’t change them like the manufactures would like you to. If the water filled from the bottom and pumped through the media this would not be a problem. Came home to a couple gallons of water on the floor. There are better options for a just a little bit more money. Also the filter does not restart well if a power failure happens, it requires you to fill the chamber with water to get it restarted.

Very good filter. The media compartment is a little small, I can’t add extra media as I like to do with my HOB filters. But it performs nicely, is quiet and it’s nice to be able to adjust the flow for the size of the tank. It’s not self-priming, you have to fill it with water before turning it on. Big deal. I’m used to doing that with all of my filters. Filters that are self-priming have the motor and impeller sitting in front under the water. They also have a “minimum” water level indicated. If you like to leave a few inches clear at the top of the tank, that’s no good. Also, it makes it a pain to clean the impeller. I do recommend this filter and the price is right.

Easy to figure out, works great and doesn’t take up a lot of space, I just wish the adjustable flow could be lowered just a smidge more. The sponge at the bottom has rather large holes so if you have fry or shrimp I’d recommend switching it out.