Loud. Expensive media replacements. Dosnt have the same biological capicity as other hang on sponge type filters. Impeller goes after a few years.

i have a 90 gallon with two of these set up. huge amount of water turning over. the water is crystal clear. yeah it gets loud if the water level drops from evaporation but i've gotten to it. i end up having to add more anyway. not a big deal to me.

it was always loud it did not filter the water good and it was cheaply made!
don't buy it

I bought the EX70 filter (340 gph) and so far have been impressed. At first it seemed a bit loud, but raising the water level in the tank should help with some of the sound. It was very easy to set up as well. I am using pool filter sand as my substrate and so far it hasn't sucked in any sand; I can actually see a very small pile of sand at the bottom of the intake, but it's not going anywhere since pool filter sand seems to be a bit heavier than normal sand. The little timestrip indicator is somewhat of a handy feature, I've noticed that it seems to take about one month for the indicator to fill up with red color (meaning it's time to change the filter media). It only came with one indicator strip and two filter pads, and the 4-pack of large filter pads comes with 4 indicator strips as well. One negative for people that like to experiment with their filter media is that the tetra brand carbon filters are completely sealed, so you have to physically cut the pouches if you want to replace the carbon. I bought the ex70 model at one of the two big pet stores and it came with a $10 mail in rebate which I have yet to receive, although it has been less than a month since I sent it into them. Overall a good choice for a HOB filter, with the only negatives being that you have to buy their tetra brand filter pads if you want to replace the timestrip indicators and that their pouches don't have an opening at the top.

I have the EX45. First of all, the one down side is a big one, it's very loud. After almost a year, my ears have now started to filter out the sound, but I'd like it quieter, as least as quiet as my older Whispers or my old Aquaclears. But here's the good stuff... The motor is powerful, so just plug it in, sucks the water up and starts doing the job. Seems to pump a lot of water through it. I like the improved cartridges as well over the old Whisper one. But, you can also use 3 Aquaclear sponge medias together in the plastic filter casing instead of the whisper throwaways if you want. A little trimming with a scissor helps them fit a little better. Another thing I really like it it's apparently tolerance for sand. I'm very careful about not stirring up the the sand, but sometimes the my cichlids and synocat like to spit the sand around and it always ends up in the filter. My old Aquaclears used to seize up like once every couple months and I was always replacing the impellers. This EX45 has been going for a year, and has yet to have any problem from sand. If you can deal with a little loudness, it's a very good power filter. Maybe the lower GPH models are quieter. Not sure.

We have 3 of these filters (2 70s and one 30) and haven't had problems with any of them. The 30 is on our saltwater setup and works great. They are quiet as long as you make sure they rest fully on the tank- they fit very snugly and might rattle if they are just perching on the side. They filter through the water really well and I love that they provide the permanent biological filtration that I could steal and use in another tank to get it started cycling. Everything seems to be really well thought out for ease of use and reliability. From reading other reviews, maybe there are some lemons out there so I guess you should hold on to your receipt until you're satisfied. But we're happy campers with all 3 of ours!

Loved this from the start can't believe I ever tried something different (Aqua clear - best rated power filter on here). I have 2 EX45's running alongside a 360C on a 55 Gallon and both are very quiet. I have another EX45 on a 36G and a EX30 on a 20 gallon and I have never had any problems. Easy to use, easy to clean, easy to replace media and keeps your water clean. Can be pricey depending where you buy so shop around.

Nice that you don't have to prime it, but wait until you plug it in... It sounds like you are at a carnival. Way to loud.... I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

I have had this for a couple of months but after a month it just turns off randomly maybe its just mine. When it works it is a great filter and you never have to prime.