Works as advertised. I have a 13 year old tortoise. Two tricks for those who hate tank washing. 1. Get the greatest Fluval possible. 2. Feed your turtle in a separate tank. I put mine in a 20 gallon tank with a couple inches of water in it. I feed her and let her splash around for 10-20 minutes until she's done, then I take her back to the big tank. If you do this, you'll only need to clean the Fluval every few months, not every 7-10 days if you're feeding in an aquarium.