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If you’re looking to buy a filter for your first aquarium or if you need a solid filter but don’t have the budget for a Fluval or an AquaClear, you may be considering a Tetra Whisper Power Filter.
Tetra is a highly respected brand in the fishkeeping industry, and they have been making high-quality fish food and aquarium products for over half a century.
But how do their filters stack up? Is the Whisper series of filters a good option for your tank?
In our review of the Whisper series of HOB filters, we dig into the details to help you make your decision.
Read on to find out if this filter is right for you.
What You Need To Know About The Tetra Whisper
Tetra filters are widely available and inexpensive, so they are often the first filter for aspiring fishkeepers. The Whisper HOB aquarium filter has been around for years, and so far they’ve stood the test of time.
While inexpensive, these filters are still good quality and offer a great bang for your buck. They may not have as many features or be as hyped up as some of the more expensive options, but they are good solid bare-bones workhorse filters.
These filters come with filtration media included, but it’s very low-quality so you’ll want to purchase your own.
Video: Tetra Whisper Power Filter 60 Unboxing
Whisper Power Filters come in five different models for different tank sizes:
- Whisper Power Filter (PF10 Tetra 25771): Tanks up to 10 gallons, 90 gph flow rate
- Whisper Power Filter (PF20 Tetra 25772): Tanks up to 20 gallons, 105 gph flow rate
- Whisper Power Filter (PF30 Tetra 25773): Tanks up to 30 gallons, 145 gph flow rate
- Whisper Power Filter (PF40 Tetra 25774): Tanks up to 40 gallons, 210 gph flow rate
- Whisper Power Filter (PF60 Tetra 25775): Tanks up to 60 gallons, 330 gph flow rate
Just like with other HOB filters, we recommend going a step up on the size, so if you have a 40-gallon tank, you’ll be better off with the Whisper 60.
Pros
- Cheaper than many other filters on the market.
- Easy to clean and requires very little maintenance.
- Generally durable and long-lasting.
- Solid, bare bones operation.
Cons
- Comes with low-quality filtration media, so you’ll need to buy your own.
- Although generally quiet, it’s still noisier than higher-end filters, and the noise level is inconsistent from filter to filter.
- Inexpensive, but still good quality and offer a great bang for your buck.
- Ability to easily adjust the flow rate using the dial mounted on the top.
- The simple design of this filter makes it very easy to clean, and maintenance in general is fairly infrequent and trouble-free..
Click here to see our HOB Filter comparison chart that might work for you.
Hands On Tetra Whisper HOB Filter
Although the Whisper filters come in several different sizes, we tested a Tetra Whisper 40 for this review.
The filter feels plasticky, but it seems solid and well-constructed enough. It comes with everything you need inside the box, but we recommend buying better quality filtration media.
The first thing we noticed when we started it up was a buzzing, rattling sound.
Other reviews on the noise level are mixed, so it seems like it may be a quality control issue. After taking it apart we determined that the impeller tube assembly, which is in two separate pieces, was not seated all the way and was causing the noise.
When setting this filter up, make sure the impeller tube assembly is aligned properly and pressed in all the way, and you shouldn’t have problems.
Even after fixing the impeller assembly, the Whisper
It has a good flow rate, and it was able to keep the water on our 30-gallon tank impeccably clear. The media basket design also allows you to play around with customizing your media mix.
A big selling point of this filter is the ability to easily adjust the flow rate using the dial mounted on the top. We found that this worked very well, even better than the flow controls on more expensive filters.
The simple design of this filter makes it very easy to clean, and maintenance, in general, is fairly infrequent and trouble-free.
Overall, we were very happy with the performance of this
Buy The Tetra Whisper Power Filter
If you’re on a budget, need a solid backup filter, or are just getting into the fishkeeping hobby, the Tetra Whisper
Because of its solid performance and low price, the Whisper
- Designed for Use in Smaller Aquariums Up to 40-Gallon, Uses Large Whisper Bio-Bag Cartridges
- Uses Large Whisper Bio-Bag Cartridges
- Three filters in one for cleaner water and healthier fish
- Please refer the user manual given under product description for any queries related to this product and its usage
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