TETRA Whisper IQ 20 REVIEW | Aquarium Filter HOB

[@ArchangelHornet]

When the impeller cover flew, the rubber thing is stuck to that cover which also flew when it hit the floor. Go find it.

[@Merb34st]

I am surprised at the negative comments you're receiving on this. Thank you for the review.

[@EverydayAquarist]

Thank you, if I'm positive I get accused of having been paid for the item and if I'm negative I get moaned at 🤷

[@DanielKeepingFish]

I bought an Aqua Clear imported from the US once. Sounded like a helicopter trying to take off whilst stuck in a tree even with a converter. Not sure if it's something to do with them being on a different electrical current system than us?

[@EverydayAquarist]

Yeah someone else mention this however my transformer should be OK with this. The missing rubber bit is allowing the impeller to move up and down the shaft but also the intake vibrates against the lid and housing. I have looked at some amazon / tetra reviews and other people have similar experience with this item and many remove the lid or celotape it down lol

[@josephposada1830]

I have a Sicce syncra silent return pump in my 100liter AIO tank. It is anything but silent. I'm looking around for a new pump to fit. Sicce pumps vibrate like crazy

[@jessiecorceles6317]

I suppose we can't use this for tanks with rims?

[@ianshepherd6336]

I think when you pried the impeller housing cap off the impeller rubber went across the room too?

[@EverydayAquarist]

No it doesn't actually attach to anything it just hangs there

[@FightingSportsMedia]

yep

[@nicklloyd6362]

nice to have you back, hope your family is ok , hope to the switch over to marine next month , will using 2x 407 fluval 55 uk gal with reef flow pump just to improve flow. did the clown eggs come to any thing ? . i have never really rated hang on back filters even for my tropical tanks unless it is a well planted out tank , look forward to your next post.

[@EverydayAquarist]

Thank you

[@nicklloyd6362]

@@EverydayAquarist Hi there would it ok if i pick your brain for one min . i brought a Fluval sea light at 25% off. 25,0000 k 46 watts. should I keep it at the hight that the legs/ stands are set at or do I need about 12" from the surface , as getting right is key, your advise or throughts would be very much appreciated . cheers nick

[@mrvera1970]

I had a seachem tidal for a week and got rid and got a fluval canister in the end after watching your reviews so thank you 👍 , I think hang on backs are a wast of time they hold hardly any media. .

[@EverydayAquarist]

Glad I could help

[@mrvera1970]

@@EverydayAquarist you do help 👍you are my go to for advice on all things aquarium and you are handsome . Also If a product is called whisper that is a big red flag from the get go 😂

[@Charlie-kp1yo]

I'm always surprised by how much water hang on backs can actually move, they don't look like they'd be up to much. I love canisters though and can't see myself ever being tempted away from them.

[@Iamadrummer]

I used to use canister filters and hated how much of a pain they are to maintain. I have switched and have been using hang on the back filters for over 30 years. Hang on the back filters work just about the same as canister filters and can usually hold all the same filter media. Cleaning the hang on back filter is easy, just rince the filter pads and replace.

[@Rob-dv8wt]

These are actually pretty reliable filters. Have had a couple for years with no issues. Can’t say the same for Aquaclear or Tidal filters

[@andrewwhittaker2908]

Exactly I bought a aquaclear 110 and hate it! I'm going back to my whisper IQ 60'S. I just swap out the oem media with my own. I've got 9 of these with diy media and they're Awesome! I've had canisters internal and external and they're a pain.😅😅😅

[@andrewwhittaker2908]

His noise is 💯 the missing part. Mine are completely quiet.

[@JonathanWill-p3b]

This is number one reason to buy from a local retail Pet Stores or, get a Aqua Tech 15 - 45 gallon excellent water cheap filter for $43.00 dollars, for oxygenated, moving water filter, for, eatable, . Aquatic Duck Weed . I place in a 7 Texas A. M. Quail egg omelette.

[@philiphudson880]

I have this exact filter. The only thing I hear on mine is quiet water movement. It moves a lot of water at full flow but doesn’t create a powerful current in the tank. I have it in a 10 gallon with neon tetras and they don’t get blown around. Flow can be reduced easily at feeding time too. The design takes up more internal space than most other HOB filters but less than most internal filters. It is absolutely worth it. I replaced an AquaTech 5-15 that hums like a tattoo gun. I like the filter cartridge design. The carbon can easily be taken out and replaced with different media. (Seachem Purigen, matrix etc). I will eventually replace all my other filters with Tetra IQ filters. I absolutely love it. It is as quiet or quieter than an air powered undergravel filter.

[@martinarnaud1266]

Perfect review. Thank you

[@joemartinez9040]

I've bought several . About to buy another. Never had any problems. May have been damaged in shipping or just a defective one. Sendit back

[@guitarslinger359]

These are reliable filters. the only problem I had with this filter was when feeding Brine shrimp they get stuck in the intake filter which fills the media basket. and restrict flow and you have to remove and wash the tube.

[@EmmanuelLopez-ij7sf]

I think the voltage/frequency differences with the UK vs US power is causing issues with the AC motor. Those things are tuned and made as cheap as possible

[@EverydayAquarist]

My adapter has a (transformer?) in it which makes it work on uk voltage. I bought it for a recent holiday and it worked ok whilst i was overseas and it is one which works both ways if you follow me. Might be causing some issues though potentially

[@EmmanuelLopez-ij7sf]

@EverydayAquarist yeah that might be good enough for somethings but I think for AC motors it requires an expensive transformer. If the transformer is supplying a 120V 60Hz then it's probably fine

[@EverydayAquarist]

Ah thanks for the heads up 👍 I have another 3 US items to review so if they trend to be not working OK then I can say it's the power supply issue

[@artandgrow9240]

In the US at least, this brand does the job better than a lot of the entirely Chi nese based companies 😅 Their air pumps have been a life saver for me, they are so cheap and quiet, and even the weakest can power 3 bubblers at once! 🫧🫧🫧🫧

[@EverydayAquarist]

Yes their air pumps are class I have used them and I agree very silent

[@Iamadrummer]

I have used wisper hang on back filters for over 30 years. I think they are fantastic and require very little easy maintenance. First you complained about the quality of plastic used. Sure, they could have used a better quality plastic, but that would drive up the price, and the plastic that is used does not affect the longevity or workability of the filter. The filter cartridges you do not like are actually good. Yes, the manufacturer wants you to replace the filter cartridge monthly. Most advanced aquarium hobbiest know the reason the manufacturer wants you to replace the filter cartridge monthly is not only so they can sell you more filter pads but also because the carbon inside will be used up. The amount of carbon in the filter pads is only slightly helpful for reducing oders, clearing out medications, and it helps to clear discolored water. In a proper maintained and tank setup, carbon is really not needed or recommend, and as I had said, the carbon can be useful, but in order to do a complete job, you would actually need more carbon than what the filter pad comes with. So most that use hang on the back filters rarely change the filter pad. Instead of replacing the filter pad monthly, you just rince them out thoroughly and put them back( my Wisper Filter Pad is a little over 3 years old). A typical filter pad can last years that way. The other thing that many aquariest do is not use the filter pads but use filter sponges that are easier to rince out and reuse as well as medua bags for carbon or added biological media You also complained about the propeller being loud. The propeller is only loud during the priming stage. Once all the trapped air is gone from the filter and the filter is only pulling water, you will no longer hear it as they are very quiet filters. I just do not think you let the filter run long enough. Not that it really matters for testing purposes, but you did try it on a saltwater tank. The Wisper Filter you have is designed and works best for freshwater. They do make hang on the back filters with built-in u.v. sterilizer and ptotein skimmer as well as slightly different filter media for saltwater use. I just think you were trying to find every reason so as not to like the filter rather than actually giving it a chance or doing more research on them to know how they are actually used in the hobby. If you go through KZbin, there are hundreds of videos on how good hang on the back filters are and how to modify them for optinal performance and usability. The hang on back filters when setup and used properly are a lot easier to maintain than a canister filter or an internal filter with practically the same filtering results.

[@EverydayAquarist]

Well I have another few models of hob filters to review so I'll bear your comment in mind. I am however reviewing the item based on what comes in the box and how the manufacturer intends, not the potential modifications etc that end users might use

[@LordBonesaw]

Iamdrummer let me tell you that this filter is absolute garbage. Your either a cheerleader for tetra in which they can never do wrong or you’ve been sniffing that pritt stick again

[@OdinChupantu]

The profile is kind of large but that’s why it’s a hang on back and not a hang on front lol. Gotta get creative to make it blend in

[@precise3291]

I've had 3 already. They can malfunction sometimes, fragile plastic. Mediocre product imo.

[@dennisvanopstal7360]

Tetra has great products, but i dislike every filter i ever used of this brand. All where noisy, inpractical and canisters leaked and had start up problems

[@Sec_coach]

But most canisters are hard to start anyway the ex plus series sounds fine at least from my experience Even tough we all expects eheim quality from a German manufacturer that’s definitely not tetra level these days anymore

[@raptowdragon]

Some critiques and advises. Firstly, I'd like to differ about absence of hang on the backs in Europe, i think it's just a UK problem. For example, in eastern europe hang on the backs are quite popular. Also I don't like the critique about cartridges - you are not obligated to buy this expensive useless crap, when you can just put sponges inside it like with the canister! I did this with my Tidal 55 hang on the back, and it does great mechanical filtering. Hang on the backs are quite quiet(or quiet quite 🤣) if the motor is placed in the tank(they even can be silent if water level is right, but some models house motor outside and are more noisy, but still can go in the bedroom. The main problem wuth these filters can be a damaged rotor/abcense of rotor parts , like you had. Also even "ultra quiet" ones can rattle a little for a week, but then sound disappears because of biofilms and becomes silent. Overall i recommend hang on the backs as a little "sump" for mechanical filtration to use in fresh and saltwater. Can be used for biological too, but i mainly rely on plants and rocks/sand for it. As for my opinion it is cheaper and easier in maintenance version of a canister.

[@EverydayAquarist]

Thanks for your comment

[@paul528i]

It's a basic inexpensive filter with one purpose and that is to clean your aquarium water so I don't know why you're criticizing the esthetic design of it because that seems petty.

[@OdinChupantu]

He’s doing a review on the product as a whole and even states it’s cheap so you get what you pay for. Your comment seems petty

[@JonathanWill-p3b]

Take it apart, see what it is, that makes that loud a noise, really ? I stay with cheap but holds lots of Activated Charcoal Aqua Tech 15 - 45 gallon Water Filter

[@fishingfromsandiego]

we just received a kit that included this filter. It's horribly noisy. I wouldn't buy it ever again.

[@jon368100]

Ah yes, the “take my house keys to the plastic of my filter” quality test 🙄. Not sure what you were attempting to test there…it’s a HOB filter. Nobody expects them to be made of stainless steel. Carbon should be sealed from the outside air until it is going to be used. Carbon will react with the air and become less effective over time. Less of an issue when you buy a 3 or 6 pack of cartridges, but definitely a factor when the filters sit on the shelf in a warehouse for a while before selling. The StayClean tablet is easily removable from the cartridge, you just have to disassemble the cartridge. This brings me to my next point; these cartridges are really easily customizable because all you do is pull the clip and frame out of the bag, and then clean the floss in some discarded tank water during a water change, change the carbon (or not, can also add sponges, ammonia remover, whatever you want) put the frame back in, shake it around a bit so everything fits, and put it back. It’s easier than any canister I’ve used.

[@andyd834]

That bio thing. Yea I'd be sticking polyfill in it.

[@jorgediaz8382]

You criticized the filter from the very beginning and hadn't even opened it. I've used this brand of filters all my life and they are excellent. The problem here is you !

[@EverydayAquarist]

I was biased probably from the fact they have dyed tetra on the packaging...

[@dennisvanopstal7360]

They are not excellent. They are okay when you are on a budget. But brands like Eheim, Oase, Fluval, Aquael or JBL are so much better.

[@jaki1979]

They are shit like all tetra products and I am surprised the company is still trading

[@jon368100]

@@EverydayAquaristthey absolutely do not. Those are Glofish, which are genetically modified to have that color via jellyfish and other similar genes. They are not dyed.

[@Sec_coach]

😂

[@MrShawncobbins]

In America we call you a hater!

[@EpicConspiracy]

War crime lmao. You definitely wasn’t in the military.

[@OdinChupantu]

You definitely weren’t in English class.

[@no-knickers-emma1112]

You wouldn't look out of place on an Extinction Rebellion march.

[@EverydayAquarist]

It makes me laugh I have to pay 10p for a plastic bag when these companies can create endless 1 use plastics and charge the consumer a premium for them