"I have been using this filter for years. We tried several others
over a period of several months, this was the only one that
could keep up with amount of waste generated by our turtle.
I have also noticed it in many pet store tanks. A plus is that
it is easy to clean. Remove it from the tank and take it to a
hose or bathtub, take it apart and wash everything, wash out
the sponge, put it back together and put it back in the tank.
It takes about 10 minutes. We have to replace ours once or twice
a year, because the motor seems to burn out. That is my only
complaint. But it's possible it would last longer if we cleaned
it more often."