FISHER PRICE NEXX

thats right this is a review of the API NEXX filter or as i like to call it, the fisher price filter. It looks like something that belongs in Toys R Us.

Sorry I do not have a picture. I had one and it leaked real bad after 2 weeks so..... took it back ha ha. here is a link so you can see one though. Also there is a video that will show you how it works.

http://www.petco.com/product/115812/API-nexx-Aquarium-FILTER.aspx?CoreCat=MM_FishSupplies_AquariumFilters

well first off lets start by describing this filter. Its a great idea. the motor is located inside the tank. basically a normal water pump that sucks water through a screen before sending it through the tube. with this there is no primping needed. the water is fed down to the bottom of the filter and up through the cartridge holder (its what I'm going to call it). the holder is the main body of the filter that lifts off with a twist of the yellow handle on top. the water is then fed back through the base of the filter and back into the tank.

when the yellow handle is turned it does cut the water flow off and bypasses it through the base so the water never stops moving. like i said a great idea but the holder is hard to get off the base sometimes. also the reason i got rid of the filter it leaks right at the bottom where the base and the holder connect.

there is also a problem with the filter inserts. there is no real treys or anything like that so you can't really change the media to your choice. there's this square thing of filters that go over top of this yellow frame. (you can see it in the video) on top of the frame is a little tray that accepts bio media. this is the only place you can put non-api media. its hard to really customize it. you just have to go with API's opinion of what they think is the best for your tank ha ha. the caps that hold the fame down sometimes are hard to screw back on and sometimes hard to get off.

the material of this filter is almost entirely plastic except for a few metal rivets. the rivets, from what I've read of other reviews, rust. the filter all together is just designed poorly but the idea is great. i wish API would have done this one right. not worth the money at all. the only reason i bought it is because it was so cheap and if i did not like it i could return it. well i did and paid a little more for a fluval.

They had a great idea but poor engineers when I came to the design and construction. When I worked for Petco we had several get returned because they leaked. I always tested them out and found none of them to leak while in the store but found out why they leak. The housing is a joke and the materials is more suitable for toys than equipment. Once the filter is placed under a stand. The hoses tend to put stress on the base and twist the housing. The twisting force is what causes it to leak. The only fix to this is to make sure the hoses are not too long or being pushed by anything under the stand. Another problem was the two lids to the top. Easily screwed on wrong and causes it to leak. Having two canister carpartments is just a marketing gimic since they don't come close to the efficiency of a single larger marineland filter. Another design flaw is the fact that the pump causes pressure buildup inside the housing because of its location. Almost all other designs cause a suction action inside by pumping water out of the housing. Had they designed the pump to be placed on the output hose, this problem could have easily been solved. Instead, as the filter gets clogged, pressure builds up, and increses the chances of a leak occurring around the weak seals in the base. IMO its poorly designed, poorly constructed with cheap material, and designed to fail from the beginning. I'm sure if Marineland had built something similar it would have been a great success. I loved the idea of it being modular and expandable as your tank increases or the bioload increases.

Guys.. it's called a "rush to market" before a competitor comes out with the same concept. These things like software should always await a 1.3 release at least!

Good review and a great Public Service Announcement.. tks. Bill

they haven't changed anything sense i had it i don't think. my mistake is your gain

AA.. you for one should know my style by now... If it's part of a "deal" I'll end up owning one.. till that happens...?

lol yea. well least i ended up with from what some say is one of the best canister filters out there. i'll be doing a review on the fluval one day soon. i was ganna do a review on it tonight but the hockey game went into overtime and just couldn't divide my attention anymore. GO CAPS!