Penn Plax Cascade 200 HOB Review

[@SnarkyRC]

I've been using Penn Plax filters for over 15 years. No issues. Great filters.

[@kevinbrown3150]

Yes. They are great filters. This one has been running strong since 2018 and I'm sure it will keep on running with some minor impeller cleaning every 3 months.

[@forevercoke22]

I love my aquaclears. They are quiet filters for me. The only time they seen to get loud is usually when the impeller needs replaced. But I do like the look of this one. I might have to try one. Thanks for the review. 🙂

[@VIDEOHEREBOB]

I still have my discontinued API Superclean hob. Extremely quiet and had it now 11 years.

[@danseabreeze1404]

They definitely paid attention to aesthetics because it's beautiful with that see through teal and black plastic.

[@peaceful4you408]

I can't lie but from my experience, this exact filter is probably one of the best HOB filter I've ever seen. Im running 2 of these and my 75 gallon tank and my water stays crystal clear and clean. One of the best I've ever owned

[@jonnywick4402]

Ryan Heard you think this will work good for a turtle?

[@saikong2553]

Does the 200 fit a 75 gallon tank?

[@tabathaholtz8626]

Thanks for the comprehensive review! AquaClear filters are too loud for me so I may give this one a try. I also like your aquascaping.

[@kevinbrown3150]

You're welcome! Definitely give this filter a try. Here's a tip for you. If you have an Aquaclear already, you can make it quieter by removing the impeller and spreading a thin coat of vaseline on the magnet. Reinstall the impeller and you should notice a difference.

[@demonpride1975]

i bought me a 55 gallon bow front and used the aqueon power silent 55, and let me tell you it made a god awful noise. turns out the impeller was going nuts. opened it up cleaned it reseated it. now it's dead silent.

[@fallsfamilyblessings526]

THANK YOU SO MUCH ! I HAVE RED EAR AQUATIC TURTLES . thank u so much you are the first of dozens I've found that actually speaks clear .. shows parts and system .you explain so well thank you !!

[@soggyfries4347]

Thank you. Every other damn video about penn plax is about their damn canister filter. These penn plax HOBs are underrated.

[@kevinbrown3150]

You're welcome. That's exactly why I made this video. ;-)

[@soggyfries4347]

@@kevinbrown3150 Received my 300 yesterday. Its going to be used in my new setup, a 33 long. I had a $10 Prime coupon so I paid $17 for the 300. Right now I'm just testing it on my already established 20 long. Its sitting right next to my Marineland Penguin 150. Cant hear the 300 at all aside from the water fall. Amazing! But this thing is freakin huge though. haha thats my bad, better to have too much filtration than not enough. Overall damn fine purchase, I must say.

[@kevinbrown3150]

@@soggyfries4347 Nice!!! Keep us all updated on how it continues to work for you.

[@soggyfries4347]

@@kevinbrown3150 Will do.

[@iandejongh5371]

I have pimped my cascade 200 filter exactly as you have. How often do you clean or rinse the ceramic tubes?

[@kevinbrown3150]

Once every 6 months does the trick for me.

[@iandejongh5371]

@@kevinbrown3150 Thanks for the quick response mate. Hope you are well

[@benmillns6209]

Great video, you just convinced me to try one of these on my 20g fry tank. Managed to get it for £15, great deal!

[@kevinbrown3150]

Awesome! Check back in and let everyone know how it worked out for you. I'm pretty sure you're going to like this filter!

[@solorefrain750]

Dude im from Greece and im about to take it for my fisrt ever aquarium, i do a lot of research and i just order Penn Plax Cascade 150 for my 60 litres aquarium. So it cost me (with shipping) 50 euros... but i think it's much better from other filters around this money!

[@pdunc1976]

if you want a nice easy low maint tank,get some pool filter sand,wash it very,very well then put it in.i have a 75,55 and also a 26hex.all have pool filter sand,the cory cats love it since they do not have to dig into gravel.everything sits on the top of the sand for easier clean as long as you are careful to not suck up the sand.i cut 1/2in. notches in a few spots around the bottom edge of my vac tube to have much better control when i vac.i like your tank...best wishes.

[@kevinbrown3150]

Thanks for the tip. I just bought a 40 Gallon Breeder tank and plan to set it up with Cichlids. I'm going to use a sand bottom.

[@palmbeachcitizen]

Great advice, po dunc, but what does that have to do with this filter?

[@danielcondon1607]

I had 2 cascade 300 years back, No other filter came close to being as quiet!! Just ordered 2 more from amazon and a toms surface skimmer. I just got back into the hobby and cant wait for my filters to get here. I currently have a aqueon 30, just returned a 75 and those are absolute trash!! The emperor 400 that I have on my 55 with the quietflow 30 is also trash. Microbubbles all over the place. Your setup is great however your getting back flow. I would recommend the original bio sponge and filters as they worked choice for me. Aqueon should not sell hob filters just my .02. Thanks for your vid.

[@The_Cholo]

Did I miss something or did you set this up bio filter then mechanical? Or did I miss the first layer of mechanical before bio?

[@jamescrumley2613]

I owned one of these and returned it a week later I noticed the bottom had a built in water bypass under the filter pad. The filter pad like sat on to plastic ribs and gave like a quarter inch gap between the pad and the bottom of the filter allowing a lot of water to bypass the filter pad with your set up it’s probably not a big of a deal tho because you have a prefilter sponge but yeah for the price with a built in water bypass I couldn’t recommend this filter to anyone like so others can see

[@kevinbrown3150]

Hmmm... I learned something new today. Next time I service the filter I'll take a look. But like you said, I run a pre-filter sponge so it doesn't effect me. I feel everyone should run a pre- filter anyway.

[@jamescrumley2613]

Yeah I owned mine like maybe 2 years ago tho so the design could have changed but it looks just like the one I had

[@MarysPlace]

I am going to sew the hole shut for my intake filter. Thank you for explaining this filter.

[@rustybraids]

That's what I was thinking.

[@MarysPlace]

@@rustybraids worked great for mine but I wish I had gotten the aquaclear

[@MicklowFilms]

Not too many reviews for these Penn Plax hang on back filters. Very underrated filters and it’s a shame.

[@specialdaymedia]

That's why I made this video. I wanted to show people an alternative to the Aqua Clear filters.

[@plcc07777]

I ordered the 300 version from Amazon today for my 29 gallon. My Aqueon bit the dust. I'm looking forward to giving the Cascade 300 a go.

[@kevinbrown3150]

I'm sure you'll be happy with this filter. :)

[@plcc07777]

@@kevinbrown3150 10 months later.. I am very pleased with my Cascade 300. I really don't think one could find a better HOB at any price.

[@jp-us9rq]

I just ordered the smallest one for my plant tank how can u reduce flow even lower then u can adjust got a lot of floating plants

[@kevinbrown3150]

It should have a flow adjuster on the intake. When turned all the way down, it really restricts the flow. Should be fine for floating plants. Good luck.

[@kevindeeter5280]

Very informative and I enjoy watching!

[@brendamowery7540]

I have a 40 gal tank with a 14 " butterfly kio …..with a 300 filter …..will have to move my kio to a pond soon ….but a awesome fish to watch grow which he did fast …...hoping this filter helps keep clean better...…….

[@lilyrosedaisy2003]

What type of fish it that at 1:25? The blue white fish with the whiskers? I have the fish, but can't remember what it is.

[@kevinbrown3150]

It's a male Powder Blue Gourami. Handsome fellow, isn't he! :-)

[@smashtoad]

I've been using nothing but Aquaclears since the early 90's....but I have to admit, they can get loud, and the flow decreases significantly over time, though the tanks did stay healthy. I think I'm gonna try this 200 on a 20 long with an arrowhead puffer. Can you share a link to those prefilters?

[@kevinbrown3150]

You'll definitely like this filter on the 20 long. Here are the pre-filters I purchased from Amazon. Just do a search for "uxcell 9pcs 2.6 Inch Dia Cylinder Pre-Filter Sponge Filter Media for Aquarium". They're only $7.19.

[@KaltrinaDemiri]

Ordered one of these but the Cascade 20 for a smaller tank :) hoping it works good

[@kevinbrown3150]

I'm sure you'll be very happy with this filter. Keep me posted on how it works out for you. :)

[@rustybraids]

At the end you mention "up to a 40 gallon breeder". I have a 40 gallon long. Would you recommend one of these or another brand/model?

[@kevinbrown3150]

Hey Rusty.... This will work on a 40 Gallon Long as well. It really all depends on how you're going to stock your tank. If you plan to have it heavily stocked, you might want to run two of them (one on each end) or go with an AquaClear 70. I say get one of these, stock your tank appropriately and add lots of live plants. Hope this helps!

[@alainbibi0047]

Hey Thanks to you i'll not buy a noisy pump.🙏

[@BlueJeansOverland]

Dont forget to add the cost of ceramic rings as they aren’t cheap, if i could suggest just plain ol 20-30 ppi foam would provide 5-8x more surface area for good bacteria than ceramic rings (been tested extensively) and its very cost effective.

[@palmbeachcitizen]

Thank you for this great review.

[@kevinbrown3150]

You're welcome!

[@ryanolson680]

I have the 150 on my 20 gal and i love it! Any idea if i could use these filters for saltwater?

[@kevinbrown3150]

Sure... you can use this on a Saltwater tank. Just make sure you follow a strict maintenance schedule and that your water parameters are stable.

[@morganBossW]

The adjustable flow control need to be vertical or horizontal, so the water flow can be low?

[@kevinbrown3150]

Vertical is high flow. Horizontal is low flow.

[@morganBossW]

@@kevinbrown3150 okay thx

[@WilliamHunsaker02]

Can you please please please tell me what pre filter you put on this filter? i have the pen plax 300 and need a pre filter. I subscribed and would love if you could reply, preferibly with an amazon link

[@kevinbrown3150]

These are the ones I ordered from Amazon. a.co/avNpUWK Hope this helps!

[@WilliamHunsaker02]

fits on perfectly, just earned yourself a sub! Thanks!

[@chrissweeney416]

I just bought the 300 cascade. Do you think it would be too much for my 20 gallon high tank?

[@kevinbrown3150]

Chris Sweeney The 300 will be just fine for your 20 gallon tank. If there is too much flow, just turn it down. The benefit of the 300 is a larger media chamber so remember to take advantage of it by filling it with ceramic rings and foam.

[@sabretooth0467]

You have too much media or the media is clogged since water is coming out the overflow.

[@kevinbrown3150]

The water was coming out of the intake area because of the extra foam pad I put on top of the bio rings. To alleviate the issue I just removed a few bio rings so the pad would sit more flush with the overflow. Now the water only comes out the correct area.

[@badtrekee4348]

The pads hold more bacteria then the bio rings do

[@smashtoad]

@@badtrekee4348 says who

[@NicoleDesigns]

Would that filter system work for a 5 GAL Betta tank? I have 1 Betta and 1 snail, not too many decorations........the filter I got with the tank is so loud and a SUPER high flow which my Betta is not liking to much...

[@kevinbrown3150]

This filter is way too strong for 5 gallon tank. Plus bettas do not like a lot of water movement. You're probably better off getting a small sponge filter with an air pump. Or search for a small hang on the back filter that had a flow control knob so you can slow down the flow. Hope this helps.

[@NicoleDesigns]

I was thinking more of the Cascade 20, which is the smaller version made for tanks up to 7.5 GAL..... I should have been more clear, yours was really all I could find in ways of reviews for the Cascade filter...

[@NicoleDesigns]

BTW, thanks for the quick reply

[@kevinbrown3150]

Yes... I just took a look at the Cascade 20 and feel it will be a good choice for your betta. :-)

[@bmbmaurer]

You just sold me on this filter

[@kevinbrown3150]

I'm sure you're going to like it!

[@kingkato21]

With the intake or prefilter stuff the hole with filter floss or polyester.

[@marcusbraun7606]

You can buy the sponge pre filter sponges in China. 1-3 pcs for a dollar.

[@kevinbrown3150]

Yes... you can save a little money by ordering straight from China. But you're going to have to wait 2-3 weeks for delivery. I just paid a few extra bucks and bought them from Amazon. They were at my house in 2 days with Prime.

[@diamonteoliver344]

How's the filter going now?

[@kevinbrown3150]

Diamonte Oliver Still going strong and quiet. I did get 2 new 40 Gallon Breeder tanks and bought Aquaclear 110's for them because I wanted the biggest HOB I can get. I just hooked up the first one yesterday and it's much louder than the Cascade. But I learned a little trick to make it much quieter. I'll do a video on that soon.

[@FIRYX-]

Good video.👍😄🔔

[@kevinbrown3150]

Thanks! Glad you liked it.

[@williamsnyder1424]

You need filter media before your bio-rings. The way you have it, muck will build up on your rings!!!!!

[@toguro5117]

About to remove my aquaclear from my tank and install one of these the aquaclear is noisier than my marineland

[@kevinbrown3150]

That Aquaclear must be pretty noisy because I've heard the Marineland BIO-Wheel filters squeak like crazy! I'm sure you'll be pleased with the Cascade filter. Mine is over a year old and still completely silent.

[@VHP153YO]

this sells for 100dollars in india

[@truthfactreality6814]

Seachem tidals beat them all

[@kevindeeter5280]

Had 2 of them they didn't last more than a month !

[@kevinbrown3150]

Kevin Deeter Wow. That's weird. Mine has been going strong with regular maintenance since January. I'll keep everyone updated if it dies out of the blue.

[@BAELZADEN2000]

Penn plax its filt

[@kevtanjohnson]

Too much bypass. Top pad is blocking the water flow

[@kevinbrown3150]

Kev... that issue was fixed a few weeks after I posted the video. I updated the comments over a year ago. No more bypass.

[@badtrekee4348]

DUDE THE DIRTY WATER IS BYPASSING THE SPONGES YOU ADDED AND GONG BACK INTO THE TANK LOL GET A MARINELAND

[@MrPicaso72]

Geez. Lot's of bypass..

[@kevinbrown3150]

Bypass fixed a LONG time ago.

[@MrPicaso72]

@@kevinbrown3150 How did you fix it? I'm considering buying the 200.

[@kevinbrown3150]

@@MrPicaso72 Had to remove the top filter pad and move it to the middle of the chamber. So I now have bio rings, filter pad, then more bio rings. No more bypass.

[@MrPicaso72]

@@kevinbrown3150 Thanks. Good to know. I'll probably go with lava rock or matrix and poly fill. Hope it's quieter than this Auqueon.