Review on 🐠 XY-2831 Air Pump Sponge Filter for 10-Gallon Aquarium Tank: Efficient Filtration and Aeration by Jackie Rodriguez

Can't really say anything bad about it for the price. It looks just like the picture and works exactly as I expected. This is my first sponge filter and I put it in a 2.5 gallon aquarium. This gives you an idea of how compact it is. It's obviously ugly, but these types of filters are designed so that form follows function and I really like the way they look. If you appreciate something that has exactly the shape it needs to have in order to do what it's supposed to do, you can even say it's elegant. I won't enumerate many pros and cons. The main plus (for me) is this. Bettas are difficult to manage when it comes to filtering. The regular sponge filter is good for bettas, but I think this sponge filter is even better because the outlet is 45 degree and pivots so you can point the outlet where you want. This is absolutely essential for Betta aquariums. Especially small ones. The regular HOB is a complete betta nightmare compared to this one. I run this filter with a small Tetra Whisper pump. I don't know exactly which one, but it's one of the (if not the smallest) smallest they make. And I still have to use a flow control valve. At full pressure there is simply too much of it in this small tank. As such, any pump you purchase will likely be more than adequate for this filter. This is definitely a plus as you can buy a regular pump for under ten dollars almost anywhere. So for about $15 you have complete filtration for a small aquarium. The main disadvantage, of course, is that for a large tank with lots of fish, this probably won't be enough. But then you can upgrade to a larger sponge filter with more pump (flow) for not much more money. The advantage of this device is definitely its compact size. I read reviews that the suction cup stopped sucking after a while. I had the idea of smearing it with plumber's silicone grease before using it. I'm not sure how well this protects the suction cup rubber, but I think we'll see. It will be a big problem if the suction cup comes off in the middle of the night. This thing will most likely want to swim, and my lid on my fish tank just isn't heavy enough to keep it from rising and splashing water. I hope that never happens.