Penn-Plax Cascade 1200 Canister Filter - 315 GPH Aquarium Filter for Tanks Up to 150 Gallons - 360 Degree Flow Valves, Poly Fiber Pads, Bio-Sponge & Activated Carbon -Fresh & Saltwater -11.5x11x20.5in

Excellent filter and a great choice for beginners. Easy to maintain, clean, and prime, with strong suction and reliable seals. The filter media trays clip together smoothly, making setup simple. Leaks mentioned by others can happen with any canister filter if gaskets aren’t properly seated or maintained. Always test after setup, keep gaskets lubricated, and handle the motor gently when cleaning. Replacement parts are readily available, unlike many other canister filters. Overall, it’s reliable, well-built, and a great value. This is my one-year review, and I’ll update if my views change!

I have waited about a year after purchasing this to write a review and I am glad that I did. When I first purchased this filter and set it up, I would have given it a 3 star rating due to my own faults. Now that I have cleaned it out and set it back up several times, I absolutely LOVE this filter. 1st it does not need to be manually primed (eeeww) like some other filters out there, which was the main reason I purchased it. 2nd it purrs like a kitten. This filter is VERY quiet, I don't hear it running until I open the stand door and even then I have to listen for it. 3rd It keeps my water crystal clear (which has more to do with the media than the filter, but more on that later) 4th I have had no issues with this filter in the year that I have had it. When I first got this filter and tried to prime it, it didn't fill up right away. It was a pain in the butt. I followed the instructions and I just couldn't get it to work. I almost considered returning it. Other reviews said the same thing. Since then, I have learned a much easier way to get it to run. After I clean it out and put it back together, and all the hoses are connected, I plug the filter in and turn on the valve for the intake hose only. Then I push the prime button 4 to 8 times until I hear the water filling up in the canister at which time I turn the valve for the outtake hose ON. This filter will start filling up on its own and running smoothly immediately. It is so easy. I have been playing around with the types of media I use in this filter and how I pack it. I use this filter in a 55 gallon aquarium for a AST (American snapping turtle) who is a very dirty guy. My aquarium is only half full of water so probably about 25 to 30 gallons of water. I have left over ceramic rings, and instead of tossing them I put a VERY thin layer on the bottom of the canister BEFORE I put the trays in. This keeps most of the muck on the bottom while the cleaner water moves up. I pack the bottom tray with 3 different sponges (coarse, medium and fine on top) the middle try is where I put my coarse media, I found that Matrix Bio Media works better than the white ceramic rings as it is more porous, where the ceramic rings are smooth and don't help keep the water clea. In the top tray I use a mix of Marineland Diamond Blend Ammonia Neutralizing Carbon and Black Diamond Premium Activated Carbon, I also add a cuttel bone to the top tray for added calcium in the water. So far this has worked great for me along with the filter, my turtle tank is crystal clear and I clean it out about once a month. Hope this helps anyone considering purchasing this filter. It is a great price and works great. I would purchase this again in the future.

I have a 13" pleco.....bunch of guppies texas map turtles and some other stuff in a 75 gallon tank that had to have its fluval filter taken away. I went away and when I came home it smelled terrible and I couldnt even see through the water. The pleco had to be at the window just for me to see him. I could not use the fluval 305 I use to have and I could not find another one on craigslist for 25 bucks. I researched for a day and decided to go with the cascade 1000 based on its accessories and the good reviews. Great Choice so far Pros 1. price, 99 bucks for a filter that can handle a 100 gallon tanks is great. 2. The way it is made in some ways is much better than the fluval. For one it has a clamp on each side as opposed to just two. I use to have a fluval that only had two clamps. it was much harder to clamp down and one broke...it was over then. The cascade is much easier to clamp down and if one breaks you still have three more to compensate. another way it is built better over the fluval 305 is the connectors to the motor move around so you are able to move the tubing in many more directions in a much more comfortable easier way. With the fluval the tubing was so stiff and if I wanted to re arrange the tubing I would have to take it completely out the water which was a pain. And last the biggest is the primer. instead of a little pin with a finger side handle to push and pull the water in to get it started the cascade instead uses a button. I had a fluval one I had to prime it for so long the pin broke and I had to order a new one. it still didnt work. Because the cascade is a pump button you dont have to worry about that. Another huge factor the button is far superior is because you can use the ball of your foot to pump it instead of your hands. I did this and it started in less than 30 seconds no joke. With the fluval I have tried to get it started the first time for about twenty minutes and some people give up. the way the water flow changer is made is better than the fluval because the fluvals plastic piece that is thin can get bent easily in not slide up and down in the slit. you will have no issue with that here. 3. very very easy to set up. you can see the water fill in the canister the tubes are very flexible and easy to connect. IF YOU HAVE A PRIMING ISSUE SIMPLY STOP USING YOUR HANDS< STAND UP AND USE THE BALL OF YOUR FOOT. THIS WORKED FOR ME IN LESS THAN 30 SECONDS!!!! 4. Water flow rate is great. You can adjust the water flow for output and input separately so if you are using a spray bar and want to quiet it down at night you can slow it down. The spray bar is cool but loud if you use it above water. 5. Accessories for this are pretty cool. It comes with a spray bar thats probably about 3 feet long. At first I hooked it up and it was so long it sank down in the water and looked nothing like the cool pics of spray bars I see. Then I thought about that fact that I got 8 suction cups with connectors on them. I only needed one or two for the input output hose so I connected one to the end of the spray bar and it fit perfectly. Now my spray bar is level out of the water and I can create a kind of love tunnel type thing and it sounds much better and ALSO distributes the filtered water much better. These suction cups stay on, I had a hard time with the fluval suction cups and the cascade 100 provides you with 8. you only really need 3 t 5 at the most. 6. It looks nice its not loud and the base that it sits on is much much wider than the fluval so it wont accidentally fall over. thats a big deal if you have pets or kids CONs 1. the spray bar can be a little loud if you are using it above water to fall down into the tank but I like it and some people may as well. 2. the carbon pack provided does not fit all the space mostly in the canister. it covers about 88%. with the fluval it cam with a custom sack that was large enough to cover the whole tray inside. At some point you will have to replace the carbon so if you wanted you could buy your own carbon somewhere and use some kind of product like pantyhose to make your own bag if you cant find anything for perfect fit. But either way I dont think its a big deal so I didnt worry about it. In probably 2 hours the tank stops smelling. In 14 hours I have crystal clear water from a filter thats quieter, much much easier to set up and cleans better than anything I have had before. I recommend this and I'd buy another one. if you are having troubles priming make sure you twisted the correct way to connect the hoses as tight as you can. you twist to make it go up towards the part you just connected. make sure you have the LONG plastic piece on the intake part and the short one on the outtake. Make sure all four clamps on the base are on properly and USE THE BALL OF YOUR FOOT THE PRIME IT QUICK> Once you see a little water fill up you sont have to go as quick. After it fills up it will push water through the out put and you can then plug it in. Easiest set up I have ever had. Less than thirty seconds. If you cant get this its probably not connected right or you are not doing it quick. Use your feet If you cant afford this try the 700 and if thats still too much try the underwater cascade 600. the 600 is good to use if you have a cover and the hoses would get in the way. I have two on my other tank and they work awesome too and is more like a 3 in 1. I have done my research an am VERY happy with the 600 and 1000

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I attached this filter to my 60 gallon tank several weeks ago. I am extremely pleased! The filter is very quiet and has excellent flow. Assembly was fast, easy and leak proof. The valves and quck connections make this unit a breeze to disconnect and move to a sink for cleaning. The water quality and clarity is substantially better than my HOB unit. I highly recommend!

For some reason did not notice this was a US product with US voltage. Managed to blow fuses! I know this is a very good product but need to be compatible.

Excelente filtro, mantiene muy limpia la pecera y no succiona a los peces como otros que son sumergibles

I did have issues with is being noisy on initial install, support was great, described the issue and paid the shipping and they sent a new impeller, and locking cap. Problem resolved it was the impeller that was faulty. Had no issues priming, I make sure I close the valves as described in instructions and no problem when disconnecting. I also fill the canister first with treated water before turning on as is oversized for my small 36 g tank and drops the water level a lot without a pre fill. I have this on a 36g with overstocked goldfish( had to put accidental baby Goldie’s that hatched somewhere) I used the cascade and a tidal 75 for an insanely overstocked tank. My recommendation, get a prefilter like the ehiem that attaches to the intake - best thing to save clogging the canister. That said, easy to setup, I would recommend at this price point as a good reliable canister filter.