I just set it up yesterday and so far it's exceptionally quiet, my GloFish Tetras are very active and Happy, the water is very clear and it hasn't leaked a drop. What more could one ask for? I've read several of the critical reviews and tho I'm sure they were valid , I think some have had air leaks causing priming and noise issues. I feel bad for those with fish dying but suspect that unless you're very careful about the temperature, chemistry and bacteria levels that may need to be addressed with supplements (especially bacteria add in) as you add an new filter and new water, especially in a smaller tank that the stress can easily kill fish. I made sure to use treated water and added Prime and a little bacteria supplement to help it get started properly, and that's likely helped the fish a lot.

I was a little disappointed that only the two large end latches of the 4 actually help compress the o-ring seal, the two on the sides don't seem to help do anything except release the seal when opening it later for cleaning. The handle seems sturdy as is all the other material. The 4 tube end fitting's assembly was very easy, leak proof, and effective, the U-shaped over the back fittings weren't a problem .. certainly it fit much better in my custom wooden tank enclosure than expected so overall I'm really happy so far.. after watching A few YT videos outlining the importance of both aerobic and anerobic bacteria in the nitrogen cycle I don't plan to change the filters for very long time intervals except perhaps swap out the carbon bags. Mine came with three carbon bags, ( I put in only 2 of the 3) about 7 white fine mesh ones I used 3 of these in the canister) and one coarse black extra one for the bottom as the 1st filter .. as well as the hard anaerobic bacteria cylinder tubes (which I placed on top) .. so there was a lot of spare excess filters with it. I only have a 20 gal tank and wanted this canister primarily to keep the ammonia level, nitrite and nitrate levels in check so I can stock a lot more fish than a normal 20 gal tank can support. Currently I only have 4 but would like to triple the number of GloFish in this tank, and I think once the filter biology is established I'll be able to do that and keep the chemistry in check .. We'll see. That probably also depends on if I can keep the 4 grandkids from accidentally dumping in too much food in too? By the way I did have to cut back the water flow using the intake valve about 50% cause it was just way to much for a 20 gallon tank, I hope this doesn't void the warantee but the fish were a bit stresses by all the bubbles and swimming against new water currents until I did this. The photos are Fe fore and after adding the 1000 Elite canister

Next best canister filter after Fluval fx4 for 1/3 the price. Have used many different canister filters this is well made. It has 4 filter media baskets that you can choose different filter material. I bought two, 1 was used and had a cracked base trim. It did not affect it's stability and works great. The prime is easy to used. You may have to push 10-12 times but it works fine. The clamps are very secure and canister does not leak! I would highly recommend again. Will buy a spare.

Wow! What a great product and at an amazing price. I bought this for my 55 gallon freshwater tank. My water has never been so clear and ammonia free. It took a bit to set up though and mine came with 3 trays instead of 2. Just make sure you read up on how to set the trays because it wasn't really clear in the guide. The other thing was priming it before plugging it in. You have to keep priming until the whole canister fills up. You will know when it is flowing right.

It is so quite and has been running solid now for a couple of weeks. I will be using this exclusively for my next freshwater tank.

This Cascade 1000 filter is pretty much ready to go right out of the box. Connectors are a little complex for those not familiar with them, if you're at all mechanically inclined you'll have no trouble with it. Three trays come with filter floss pads and one smallish bags of charcoal filter media. The charcoal is sealed in a mesh bag which is sealed in plastic to avoid contamination. Very quiet! Seriously, my air pump is louder than this filter. There is a primer on the top of the unit that is vert convenient as well. So far, after 24 hours of operation, the unit has made a fairly substantial difference to water clarity.

Using it as a hot tub filter for a Bestway Lay-Z-Spa inflatable. Pretty simple to plumb it into the recirc hose. Only need to clean once per month, instead of dealing with the costly, messy, in-tub filters. I wrap it with foam to reduce heat loss. My biggest complaint is that I can't find anyone selling the rubber gasket that seals the motor section to the filter stack. Heat & chlorine are hard on it. The impeller has worn to the point that it won't always run after 2 years use, but I turned the ceramic shaft around to get a little more life before I replace the assembly.