Penn-Plax Cascade 200 Power Filter – Hang-On Filter with Quad Filtration – Great for Freshwater and Saltwater Setups

After researching a number of different filters for my 20-gallon gourami tank, I decided to give this one a try. It is designed with function in mind, including an adequate system of bio-filtration and flow control. Flow control, though simple in design, is a nice feature to have that is sadly lacking on many HOB filters. This feature was important to me as gouramis are labyrinth fish who prefer slow-moving water, and I wanted the ability to adjust the flow, if necessary. One reason I hesitated to invest in this filter is that, although the filter itself is very reasonably priced, the replacement filter cartridges are somewhat expensive. Fortunately, the size of the intake tube is just right to use one of these pre-filters: Pre-Filter Sponge 3 Pack for Fluval Edge Aquarium This increases the biological filtration even more while filtering small particles before they ever enter the filter itself. I simply rinse the pre-filter in aquarium water ever two weeks or so and replace the filter cartridge once a month, since activated carbon expires monthly. Rinsing the pre-filter is an easy step, since this has an extendable intake tube, making it easy to detach the endpiece from the filter itself without having to actually pull the sponge off the intake every time. The filter even continues to run while I do this, as long as the end of the intake is submersed. As an added bonus, my flower shrimp loves to eat the particles of food that collect on the sponge, and as a filter feeder, she enjoys the luxury of hanging on the intake to make use of the flow without the danger of being harmed by the filter intake. Meanwhile, between some tinkering with the flow control and the addition of the sponge, the flow itself is weak enough to not upset my male/female pair of gouramis, who are able to blow bubble nests and engage in spawning behavior. Even though this is only a 20-gallon tank, the flower shrimp, clown pleco and mystery snails have their own space, and the gouramis have theirs. Having a sponge pre-filter and flow control also benefits the live plants in my tank, especially the java fern, which proliferates easily and abundantly, but often can be damaged by filter intakes when the young ferns float about the tank before finding a piece of driftwood or other material where they can grow. In terms of reliability, I have run this filter steadily for four months as of the writing of this review, and, used in conjunction with some additional sponge filters, this has proven itself to be reliable. It is self-priming and consistently restarts automatically following a power outage. It even runs steadily during a partial water change, and the 'Bio-Falls' system seems to provide additional aeration for the water, which is important not only for providing oxygen for my water-breathing creatures, but helps remove toxic substances, which benefits all of the creatures in my tank, including the air-breathing gouramis. To conclude, I will provide a brief list of pros and cons: PROS: 1. It is inexpensive 2. It is effective in terms of mechanical, chemical, and biological filtration 3. It is reliable and self-priming 4. It fits the inexpensive Fluval sponge pre-filters 5. It has flow control CONS: 1. Replacement cartridges are not easily found in stores 2. Replacement cartridges are expensive (but this can be easily addressed by using an inexpensive sponge pre-filter, extending the cartridge life to at least a full month)

The story of my review may be like a few others . I ordered the first Penn Plax Cascade Aquarium and it arrived on time and by appearance not damaged. Putting it together was easy. I put it in my 20gal fish tank. I plugged it in and the motor and impeller started up and it started to work just fine. I then checked on it about an hour later and the motor was humming and the impeller had stopped. I took it out and checked the directions and all was correct. I put in back into the tank and it ran for about a minute and then the impeller stopped working. I tried to hand turn the impeller by hand but it would not work. While the unit worked initially it seemed to be doing a good job and the motor was very quiet. So I put in a return request. I received a response within a few hours. I returned the unit and within 3 days my replacement came. I put it together and plugged it in and tested it in my sink. It worked just fine. I then put it into the tank. Again it worked fine. I checked on it in an hour and it was working perfectly. I have now had it 2 weeks and I love it. No problems, motor quit and it does a good job to keep the water clean. I like the option of being able to adjust the water flow. I would highly recommend this product. My only advice is that after you put it together test it first before putting it into your fish tank. I was impressed with Amazon's return policy. I have been buying from Amazon for more then 6 years and purchased almost 80 items, this was only the 2nd time I had to return an item. I gave it 5 stars because not matter what the item is or where you purchased it you will get lemon from time to time. In the end the new returned item worked great.

Ok. First, this is so little it's adorable! Would I use it on a 10g? Absolutely not. I have this on a 3g tank that has a betta and a couple shrimp in it. The flow rate is adjustable. It's quite. It fits a 3g rimless tank! I put a sponge on the intake....cuz shrimpies. I also cut my own sponges I have for other tanks instead of the premade ones. Worked just fine! It's only been up a day. So not sure the longevity of product. Will update if it crashes to quickly.

ive got a 10 gallon and the filter i ordered (the Cascade 100) stated it was good for 10>20 gallon tanks so i figured it would be more than fine for my small tetra tank. it is easy to assemble because its very uncomplicated, but directly upon opening it the little plastic pieces that brace it against the outer tank wall (to make it sit perfectly level) broke just from handling. but, i wasnt too concerned about it since its not /really/ a vital part to the filter. i gave it one star (not zero, if it were possible) because it IS definitely quiet, basically impossible to hear from across my living room (in my opinion), and, it does keep the water moving mostly. BUT. doesnt move a lot of water... not really any major current keeps up. and i would absolutely bet that what the listing says as "delivering 100 gallons per hour" as total bs. theres no way it does that much. the filter is also so small that the tip of the filter intake just barely reaches halfway past my tank even when fully extended. my last filter sat closer to the bottom and had intakes along the shaft of it too and it took care of debris at all levels really well. i got this as a replacement but i assumed way too much was true about this filter. my water is still clear, so no major fish health issues, but the filters inside it also barely seem to pick anything up, which i actually found to be pretty odd?? my last filter collected all kinds of crud within a week so it seems suspicious to me that this filter (even when admittedly, left alone for a few weeks) barely had anything? im really unhappy i wasted my money on this and also kept "giving it a try" past the return date. it works for my tank for now (with covid-19, i cant get a filter from my local shop) because it does move some amount of water, but everything else about it is poorly made. this would probably work just fine for tanks well under 10 gallons, but what the listing states is definitely not accurate.

First one quit working after a day. The other two both came with broken parts, the thing that keeps it level or away from the tank. Both purchased at different times, both prime, not sure the vendors. Quick fix, just added a suction cup next to the part and the loop for airhose does the same thing, the other I put a little pad. Needed filter didn't want to wait. They are very quiet, have it right next to my bed and don't even hear water falling (water level high). Using it for a 40 gallon tank. Have to touch it to see if it's running. Filter runs great, can see the suction. Put squeaker (leak detector) under it, last filter leaked. It's very easy to set up, seems strong, quiet. I like it. The only downside is that it does not cause enough (hardly any) surface movement. I have two on a 55g, one on each end and added a bubble wall in the middle, just to have some surface movement. Second one is on my 20 gallon long, with a sponge filter. There is a humming/vibration noise to this one, only noticeable because it's also next to my bed. So far not too bad. Cheaply built, most problems can be fixed by taking it apart and starting over. If you have the money, go for an Aquaclear filter. If not, this seems to be a decent filter. I'm sure if you keep sending them back you should be able to find one without broken components. Get a feeding station if you have floating plants, blocks output perfectly.

Such a tiny power filter!!! Who knew of such a thing existing??? Works great, easy to clean, keeps my 3 gallon long tank sparkling, and makes the water move alittle, too, which the fish seem to appreciate.

For $10 how could I say no? It’s a fantastic little filter. It has adjustable flow which is nice. I had a horrible algae bloom in my 5 gallon planted tank and made the decision to strip it wash everything and get a new filter. Strange thing happened with my sand substrate. Even though I did the slow refill with the cup to controll the dusting of the water my whole tank was black. Idk what a mess. Particles everywhere. So this little filter had quite the task at hand. It took my tank from completely black and couldn’t see a single thing to almost clear again. One particle at a time. I rinsed the filter ever time I walked by and remembered. It has really shown what it’s capable of.

I upgraded from a Casdcade 150 that was perfect for years until the motor failed. Thought I would upgrade to the 200. Fired it up and it was a little noisy, checked impeller and seemed ok. Pumped a lot of water! Matter of fact too much.. it overflows back to the tank around the pick up tube on high. Had to remove the second filter and leave it on roughly 50% flow to keep all the water flowing through filter. I purchased this in September and now the noise is terrible. I have cleaned several times but this time I pulled the impeller apart and the shaft is heavily scored. I am now using the impeller from the 150 that died and it’s a little better but still loud. I have put a service request into Penn-Plax and will adjust rating based on the results. UPDATE: 12-11-25 Penn Plax finally replied and after spending $10 for them to ship me a new one, it is now nice and quiet. I do like this filter but spending another $10 for a warranty replacement? Very disapointed with the customer care... upgraded to 3 stars from 1, customer service is important!