OASE Indoor Aquatics Bioplus 50

Read below to see my original experience which I now realize was more a result of incomplete instructions rather than insufficient design. I did not realize that the entire filter assembly is held to the motor unit by magnets and that if you grasp it by the slots on the side of just the filter housing it pops off easily and is thus easily disassembled and cleaned. I do not think this is clear in the instructions but it is in fact how it works. Thus I take back my negative comments and whole heartedly endorse this filter. PS: I substituted the larger foam filter with a filter bag of charcoal which seems to work better. Sorry about the confusion...This filter is a pain to clean! 20 gallon tank w/ three small gold fish. Expect to clean filter on water change, about every two weeks, but don't expect it to be easy. You must first pry the filter away from the glass with a tool (butter knife) otherwise the suction cups holding it in place pop off then good luck getting it apart to wash the filters. I am a strong man with woodcutter's hands and I had to curse up a storm to get the cover to release. Dirty water, filter crud and mess got all over the counter. It's just a poorly designed latch system that definitely cannot be operated the way it is shown in the elementary brochure. The filter has good flow options but don't try to clean it in polite company!

After trying a canister filter and it flooding the floor I looked at in the tank filters. This OASE was not one of the most "popular" brands but it caught my eye and for good reason. After buying it and running it I love what it can do.The best benefit is how it can adapt to your needs. Unlike other filters that want you to buy OEM filter products with this thing you can use whatever you want from any brand. Obviously be prepared to DIY how you get it to fit into the OASE such as cutting your sponge to size and so forth. Yet it allows you to include carbon and bio products. If you need you can get a generic bag to hold the carbon in from the lfs in town for a dollar. Set the arrangement in the OASE however you like or experiment with the setup based on the tanks needs.The downside.... I run a 65 gal planted tank so the filter is undersized by "normal" standards. BUT.... if you know what you are doing and run a balanced tank, keep fish stock light rather than like most people do in going beyond the recommended limit, then you will be okay. The only other thing that may bug some people is its size (I bought the biggest version of this they had) if you are not accustomed to seeing an in the tank filter. For planted tanks just plant around it. I cannot run an HOB and after a flooding canister this OASE is just the way to go.If you run a planted tank and prefer calmer waters set the outflow near the surface but just under the water. It provides enough circulation in my 65 gal to evenly distribute my CO2 injection which is proven by the CO2 check fluid. One more thought... I read reviews where people complained about the noise it makes.... I want to ask what noise? If you know how to set it below the surface there is no noise at all. Its not a waterfall filter it rests in the tank below the waterline.

Bought it 1/2 off and I had it for a week and it’s quiet. Thermometer doesn’t fit at all because mine has special tip end on my thermometer and I expected it. I would rate at 6/10

It's really quiet, easy to clean, works great. I just wish you could direct the water down and around like others. That doesn't take away from this being the best small corner filter I own.

This is a good internal canister filter. It's silent, fairly easy to clean, and has a good throughput.The space in the back of the filter allows for the insertion of a standard-gauge heater. (The submerged portion of the heater can be up to about 9 inches long.) This is convenient, as it allows for the easy addition of a heater without having to allocate more space in the tank. Also, the flow of water through the filter helps heat the water more evenly.The biggest flaw with this filter is one that it's not really safe for nano fish and shrimp. The intake slots are long and narrow, but not narrow enough to prevent smaller nano fish (such as ember and cardinal tetras) and large adult cherry shrimp from getting sucked in.This is a common problem with internal canister filters, as well as many other types of filters. However, there are off-the-shelf pre-filters and screens available for other filters, but none will fit the unique contouring of this filter. If you are planning on using this filter for a tank with nano fish, be aware that you will have to made some modifications, such as gluing screens or mesh over the intakes. This isn't easy due to the shape.

After ordering this system, I saw a Youtube that suggested how it would filter better. I have two filters in my 40 gallon tank to support five decent sized Comets that I brought in from my pond in the fall. It's their winter vacation spot. lol I'm amazed how much they've grown in only a few months.I have this and a Fluval and I wanted plenty of filtering because, quite frankly, I don't clean the aquarium as often as I should. I upgraded the media in this system with additional foam and bio media. The filter sits nicely in the one corner of my tank with the fluval intake at the other end with a UV light next to the output.I replaced the MarineLand Penguin 350 Power Filter when I didn't like the room it took up and the method of filtering.

Not recommended cleans well but doesn’t really make sense to have the waste inside the water waste pours out when cleaning the filter ruins the water