On October 11, 2011:
Turtles are filthy... that being said, this filter keeps my tank sparkling clean. I do have to clean the filter every 2 weeks but that's nothing for turtle maintenance. Filter cleaning is easy. I keep an extra on hand to rotate them. I recommend the water polisher vs the carbon as it cleans the water amazingly. Priming is not difficult as previously noted.

On September 14, 2011:
Prefect size filter system I been looking for. Well recommended system and I wouldn't buy any other brand.

On April 8, 2011:
I like this filter, a little tricky to prime at first but you will learn quickly. Install everything you want to run. Fill canister full tilt up to the rim with water. I recommend the silicone on all the O rings before first start up. Insert filter in tank, Do not plug in. Make sure filter is level to water level in tank. Plug in unit press start button and run for four seconds, stop button off for 15 seconds, repeat 4 or 5 times until unit primes out. Works every time. Enjoy......

On April 8, 2011:
For starters, a little tricky to get primed out. Had canister filters in the early 80's. This one was easy with experience. Just install everything as the manual instructs. Fill canister full tilt with water. Put unit in tank, plug in power cord with unit off. Turn on power on filter for about 4 seconds and shut of wait about 15 seconds and repeat about 4 times until unit siphons water.

On February 11, 2011:
I use the Magum HOT 250 as my media filter with Matrix as my media. I also use an Aquaclear 70 with Purigen. My 55 gal is crystal clear and has terrific readings. I highly recommend both of these filters.

On February 3, 2011:
Works great. Quiet and efficient.

On December 13, 2010:
We now own 3 of these. They do such a great job keep my aquariums clean. We have two in our 75 gallon tank with 6 Wolf Chilids all 3 inches or longer, Aquatic Frog fist size, Tiger Oscar 8 inches, and a Blood Parrot/Gold Serum mix that is huge. We only have to clean the filters once every two months and that is just to keep the flow going good. We spent over 100 on a Fluval 2 recommended by LFS for our 55 hexagon and it doesn't even come close to being as good.

On November 24, 2010:
Marineland magnum 250 h.o.t is one awesome filter. I ordered these filters because of a cloudy water problem in my 55gal tanks. One houses a pair of breeding jd's the other 3 bloodparrots and 5 corycats. Both have aquaclear 70 which in my opinion are the worst filters I've ever owned along with Tetra Whisper 40i in tank filters. Water kept decent health parameters just constantly cloudy n hazy on both tanks. I've removed all filters, replaced them with only the magnum 250 h.o.t and within 48 hours my 2 55gal tanks are crystal clear and water parameters are perfect. IMO this is THE BEST filter for your money. I haven;t even used the micron polishing filter, the filter is powerful quiet easy to assemble and maintenance and absolutely does what they say it will. DO NOT waste your hard earned money on other filters buy a magnum 250 h.o.t and your filtration problems are solved!

On October 1, 2010:
This is an outstanding product. I paid half the amount at Pet Mountain that I would have at a LFS. The product works well, comes complete with chemical filtering and water polishing filters. The chemical filter works with activated carbon that you put into it and actually came with it, which was nice that I didn't have to go to the store to buy it. The water polishing filter is also re-usable. The tubes to bring water in and out feel a little cheap, but the rest seems to be quality made. I'm using the chemical filtration in my 55 gallon salt water tank and it makes a huge difference.

On September 20, 2010:
The Hang on Tank filter is much easier to maintain than traditional canister filters and works great. Love the additional option to use the polishing filter. Keeps water from spitting all over the wall as well.

On September 3, 2010:
I've used this filter system since the early 90's when i purchased my first (longevity is a big plus). I now own 3. I find them easy to maintain and clean. As expected they are silent. They do an outstanding job at keeping the aquariums crystal clear. I never had need to use the micron filter media (a testament to this filters excellent filtration using standard filter media)so I'm unable to comment on that feature.

On April 11, 2010:
The Hang on Tank filter is much easier to maintain than traditional canister filters and works great. Love the additional option to use the polishing filter. Keeps the water crystal clear.

On January 3, 2008:
The HOT Magnum provides decent canister filtration for its relatively low cost, compared to most canister filtering units. The style allows you to avoid filling your aquarium space with tons of unsightly tubes, and the system is not difficult to maintenance, provided you don't go too long between rinsing off the foam sleeve that fits over the carbon container. I actually used this system with a softshell turtle at one point, one of the dirtiest aquarium residents you can own. It performed admirably, although I wish I could have found a way to modify it so the water level could have been kept much lower, as I was using a regular aquarium and not one of the turtle tanks with the filter cut-out.

On September 26, 2007:
I was skeptical at first since this product is considerably cheaper than other canister filters but it has been working perfectly for the last two years.

On January 4, 2007:
This filter keeps the water clear and it's a great price too!

On December 23, 2006:
I love IT. Water is Crystal clear!