# Tetra Whisper EX20 - to use it or not to use it



## GTA Fish Tank (Jan 30, 2014)

I just got one from Big Al and now thinking whether it is a good one to use or should I go for fluval c2 for my 20g angel breeding tank. Reading few reviews for the ex20, i see few ppl complains about the noise and the intake falling off. 

It sux that big al dont take any return even on an unused item so i'm pretty much stuck with this filter anyways (unless i trade this in for store credit at BA and buy the fluval c2 from PJ which big al doesn't carry). Not sure it worth all the trouble.

Anyone using this specific filter? Any reviews?


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

That filter is a bit of a turd burglar. You could mod it and run foam and biomedia in it, which would be much more effective than stock, but why not just swap it for an Aquaclear or fluval C? Better filters. JM2C.


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## GTA Fish Tank (Jan 30, 2014)

mistersprinkles said:


> That filter is a bit of a turd burglar. You could mod it and run foam and biomedia in it, which would be much more effective than stock, but why not just swap it for an Aquaclear or fluval C? Better filters. JM2C.


i would love to swap but big al doesnt carry fluval c. they do however carry Aquaclear so if there is a swap, i will have to go with Aquaclear.

how does Aquaclear compare to fluval c?


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

I just checked out the fluval C series and they look like good filters, media choices like the aquaclear filters. The main difference is it is a wet/dry filter. I would use the aquaclear over the fluval C if using co2. Otherwise they seem to be equally good in terms of maintenance and upkeep cost. Any filter that uses those floss bags filled with carbon that you have to replace constantly are total junk to me. The cost is higher to maintain and you lose too much BB when you change the media.

Nice to see another HOB besides aquaclear use good media. But I believe they are both by the same company.


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## GTA Fish Tank (Jan 30, 2014)

pyrrolin said:


> Nice to see another HOB besides aquaclear use good media. But I believe they are both by the same company.


good to see i can swap it with aquaclear which big al carries. i just looked up and you are right, they are the same company. i have my trust in fluval as i've been using a fluval internal filter for last 13 years on my old tank and its quite as dead. i will just go ahead with aquaclear or fluval then and ditch that junk i bought. thanks


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## FONE (May 21, 2013)

I have this one right now with a AC sponge and some pot scrubbies as the filter media, and it does the job for a 10g.

That said, it buzzes sometimes unexpected, and then quiets down again. As a budget option, it works, but can definitely do better I think.


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## GTA Fish Tank (Jan 30, 2014)

i went ahead and swapped it with an AC20 and started the cycling on the new tank. so ar the filter looks lot better than the one i initially bought. will see how it goes.

once the tank is cycled and established with BB, do i need to replace the bio media in the future or the sponge will pretty much do the job?


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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

the way the ac filters work is the sponge is mainly mechanical filtration and the ceramic balls are biological filtration. Both parts can last years. Keep them both in. When needed, clean the sponge in used tank water so you don't kill the BB that is on it. when doing a water change, when you remove water, put some in a bucket and squeeze the sponge out in that water. if the bio media is dirty, swish it around in the same water.

The directions say to replace the media but don't replace it unless you have to such as the sponge is falling apart or something.

Some people use carbon, this is good for about 30 days and then needs replacing. The majority of people here do not use carbon on a regular basis but we do have it on hand for when it might be needed.

Congrats on buying the cheapest filter to maintain and in my opinion the best HOB filter available.


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## mistersprinkles (Nov 4, 2013)

pyrrolin said:


> Congrats on buying the cheapest filter to maintain and in my opinion the best HOB filter available.


I find myself agreeing with everything you say on the forum, Pyrrolin. 

I was just going to say, instead of carbon, a good thing to put in the filter is a bag of purigen. Put it in so there's as little bypass of the bag as possible. Removes organics and polishes water like nothing else. And you can recharge it with bleach over and over. Really affordable to use. I used to use it but when mine ran out of juice (too many recharges) I never bought more. If you don't do purigen I would suggest doubling or tripling the amount of biomedia in the filter. You can use a media bag or just dump the media in the filter basket. Eheim Ehfisubstrat pro is good and I think you can buy a 1/2 liter of it. That would be the smallest size afaik.


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## blackmajik (Jan 23, 2014)

Love my AC filters and currently have 2 running, one on each tank. Don't buy the replacement cartridges if you want to save money since they can get costly vs. buying the replacement in a big container and throwing it into a reusable bag/or I use pantyhose. Just be aware that Purigen will become toxic if slime coat product is used in conjunction with it. I also replaced the sponge filter with filter floss which seems to work a lot better. The only component that I never change is the bio-media on a monthly schedule.


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## blackmajik (Jan 23, 2014)

FONE said:


> I have this one right now with a AC sponge and some pot scrubbies as the filter media, and it does the job for a 10g.
> 
> That said, it buzzes sometimes unexpected, and then quiets down again. As a budget option, it works, but can definitely do better I think.


Not sure if this is the cause for you, but when mine has a buzzing sound, it is coming from the cover which I push down and the sound goes away. Basically the cover is rattling because it isn't seated properly on the unit.


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## GTA Fish Tank (Jan 30, 2014)

good to hear positive comments about the ac filter. looks like i got the best filter $30 can buy


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## blackmajik (Jan 23, 2014)

GTA Fish Tank said:


> good to hear positive comments about the ac filter. looks like i got the best filter $30 can buy


You really can't go wrong with it and I'm sure there are better filters out there but as for a HOB filter, it has the futures that I need. Keeps the water crystal clear and can house all the different filtration media I want. Quite affordable to the point of if it ever breaks in the future, I think I may just buy a new one and just keep the old one for spare parts.


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## colio (Dec 8, 2012)

blackmajik said:


> Not sure if this is the cause for you, but when mine has a buzzing sound, it is coming from the cover which I push down and the sound goes away. Basically the cover is rattling because it isn't seated properly on the unit.


Hasd the same problem, but I think I needed a new impeller. It was a used filter.

Loved it though. Great HOB filter, I would highly recommend.


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