Andrea R from New York says:
Great filter. Using the suggestions of making my own carbon filters has worked well and saved money. I haven't had as much luck making my own filter sponges and have stuck with ZooMed's. I've only had one issue with the impeller (the green multi-finned spinner that sits under the black housing). Be careful when removing and cleaning it: if the pin it sits on isn't exactly straight, the impeller can't move properly and circulate the water. Ij've used Dr. Brown's baby bottle cleaning brushes with great success - just use them gently. |
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Rating:  [5 of 5 Stars!]
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Tiffany U from Virginia says:
I have a concern and hope that someone can perhaps shed some light on the following - I have the 501 filter running with the spray bar. There is water flow. It is quiet as many have stated. HOWEVER, this filter does not have the intake/suction power I expected??? There is a ton of debris (turtle poop) right near the intake area and it isn't being sucked in?!?! Did I prime it incorrectly!! Can someone please email me with a suggestion? I would much appreciate it! pr.aform@gmail.com THANKS!! |
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Rating:  [3 of 5 Stars!]
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Anthony S from Indiana says:
I love this filter! I have had one for 2 years. I am going to be purchasing a new one to replace the old one that just broke from hard water. The only problem I have found is that the filter is kinda hard to prime. Overall I love it though. |
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Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
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Peggy R from Virginia says:
I have this filter setup and I really like it. I just wish they made one bigger and more push in water. |
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Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
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Nimma E from Colorado says:
This is a work horse! It is amazing that something so small works so well on my turtle's tank. Especially for the price! |
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Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
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Nick H from Pennsylvania says:
This filter really cleans my turtle tank. Its small and quiet, but it moves a lot of water! The price was great, too. |
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Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
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Carolyn F from Vermont says:
I Have Bought 2 of theses Turtle filter Add use them on my fish tanks They work great Keeps my tank looking great for months "Months!"
Easy to clean Easy to set up. Damn thing can make rain great product |
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Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
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Raeann D from Pennsylvania says:
Hey hey,
Does anyone know how often the carbon should be replaced?
Thanks! |
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Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
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Toni D from Michigan says:
could someone please tell me how to get this thing working again? My son took it all apart cleaned the hoses and when he put it back together the thing dosent work.Is there a secret to the hoses when putting them back on,cause it isnt kicking water tru them anymore. |
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Rating: [3 of 5 Stars!]
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Jamie A from Arizona says:
I have two pond sliders, and this filter NEEDS to be cleaned weekly. The hoses get quite clogged. For a fish tank I would think it would do fine, but for my turtles it didn't do the job. Its rated for 35 gal. but I would use it for much less than that. It doesn't move as much water as I had hoped, and the tubes get clogged with media very quickly. OH to cut back on algae in the the tubes I got a tube cover... or make one. Just cover up your tubes with dark cloth. It really helps. And the carbon filter needs to be on the bottom with the bio balls on top or your filter runs horribly. The carbon inserts from Zoo med also broke in shipping so I had to make my own bag, which is cheaper than the replacements anyways.
If you are thinking about buying this for turtles that are messy, 1 avoid it and get a filter that moves more water and two expect no matter what to clean your filter a lot more often than normal.
I did like it after i used it for a fish tank. Once the filter got settled I had a very nice natural filter in the sponge with some bacteria. My nitrogen levels were really good. The sponge is great for that. Its also super quite. |
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Rating:  [2 of 5 Stars!]
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Dale K from North Carolina says:
Only had this filter for a few days but if it keeps working like it is now, then this thing is awesome. I heard reviews about bad instructions and having a hard time with assembly. Well, the instructions are fine, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out anyways. Quiet!? its totally mute! I'm confused about the carbon and media placement. Heard media should be on top, then I heard it should be on the bottom. I'm going to keep the charcoal bag on the bottom. So far, great results. Thanks! Now I can have MORE turtles! |
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Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
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Christy B from Utah says:
I use a pipe cleaner wrapped on a skewer stick to clean the tubes and hoses. Filter works great. |
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Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
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Jann M from California says:
This is about Zoomed 501 filter. I went to Wal-Mart and bought an aquarium tube brushes to clean the tubing. Also thanks for the hint about putting the charcoal pack on the bottom instead of the top. |
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Rating:  [4 of 5 Stars!]
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Arnold L from Wisconsin says:
Filter works great but expect to clean it every week. The small capacity is rated for 30 gal. Using it in my 15 gal tank, it is effective but needs to be cleaned weekly. The bio rings need to be placed above the carbon pack, not as indicated or shown on the box. If done as indicated on the cbox, then carbon pack will effectively block flow. |
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Rating: [3 of 5 Stars!]
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Arnold L from Wisconsin says:
Filter is inexpensive and impresive in performance. When changing the carbon filter media, do not follow the directions and place the carbon pack on the bottom with the ceramic bits on the top. No doing so will restrict flow. The original instructions and box picture shows the correct filter media location. But the replacement filter instructs just the opposite.
Outside of this issue it works great!
The manufacturer refuses to acknolodge this information by the way.
Don't know what their issue is...... |
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Rating: [4 of 5 Stars!]
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Chad B from Michigan says:
I use this filter on my 20 gal planted tank. It's perfect for this tank mainly because of it's size. It's small, takes up very little room inside the fishtank and will hang on the back of the tank w/ the hanger bracket. I had no problems getting this filter started. Just make sure it's filled up completely. It's a very nice filter and works great on my planted fishtank. |
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Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
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Bill T from Florida says:
This filter is tremendous. I have two red ear sliders both about 5 inches now in a 30 gallon tank. The water will stay clean for about 10-14 days before cleaning is necessary. We can not hear this filter run and it provides decent flow. We really recommend this product. As advertised! |
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Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
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Janice G from Georgia says:
This filter does do a great job of cleaning terrarium and turtle tanks. The BIG drawback is that I do not find it to be easy priming from the start. The top and the small fill area can be a real challenge to open and I often spend quite a bit fo time getting the pump to start up. There can be NO air in the unit at start up or it wont run. I also have frequent problems with the spray bar attachment becoming disconnected in the tank.
That said, I have not found a better filter for keeping turtle tanks clean. |
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Rating: [4 of 5 Stars!]
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Chris A from Utah says:
This filter is awesome! Super quiet, cleans up our dirty turtle cage better than any other filter I've had thus far! Way better perfomance than I wouldve thought! Reptile Supply has the best price for sure! Quick shipping! Thanks Reptile Supply! |
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Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
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Daniel M from New Hampshire says:
This is a serious filter. It filters out a lot of nasty stuff quickly and you get some serious flow. Built well with good seals. Filtering elements include a foam piece and ceramic chunks to catch big stuff and also activated carbon (really thick) to filter the water. Buy a thin pipe cleaner brush, too, so you can brush out the hoses when you change the filter element. |
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Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
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