Lee's 20L/29 Premium Undergravel Filter, 12-Inch by 30-Inch

I ordered this Lee's 20L/29 Premium Undergravel Filter (12"x30") for my 29-gallon show tank to replace the non-premium, flat, blue, grate-like one that I had which was falling apart after about 10 years of continuous use. I am hoping that the "Premium" status of this UG filter means that it will last longer than its predecessor. So far it's been 8 months with no problems.PROS for this filter:-Made in the USA** (thanks, Lee's!)-UG filter comes with tubes (2), elbows (2), carbon cartridges (2), pre-cut lengths of tubing (2), Discard-a-Stone airstones (2), and black plastic caps for the tube openings that portrude from the UG filter ((3)- see CONS below). Unlike the picture though, there are no connector rings since the tubes fit directly into the UG filter openings.-Price on Amazon for this Premium filter is cheaper than at any pet/aquarium store I could find, as long as you make the minimum for free shipping.CONS (good to know, but not dealbreakers):-The UG filter only came with 3 caps; the UG filter that I got had 4 openings (instead of 3 like in the picture). This is not a problem unless you want to cap off all 4 openings to use a bubble wand or an alternative aeration system instead.-The UG filter I got was black, not blue (only a problem for those who have blue gravel they want to blend with the UG filter color).-The tubes weren't cut to matching lengths (Come on, Lee's. We can do better. We have rulers in America.)-Discard-a-Stones bubbled unevenly at first. Over time though, they caught up with each other.-Included carbon cartridges are HUGE. Not sure yet if the elbows they come with will accept normal-sized cartridges when I need to change them out.***NOTE: You should carefully examine your order upon receipt. The first filter that I received was cracked, even though it was packed very well within the shipping container. It looked as though the tubes were not sitting in the Lee's box correctly, and were bulging the box and undergravel filter so that it cracked where the plastic was thinnest (one of the "valleys" as you look at the UG filter from the end). Amazon's customer service was really good about sending a replacement after I returned the first one however, so slight inconvenience time-wise, but no real problem there.**I recently switched out the carbon cartridges included with this kit and noticed tiny lettering indicating they were made in China. Also good to know: the elbows work with normal-sized carbon cartridges as well. (2/7/14)

I am a aquarium enthusiast for 40 years. The charcoal cartridges is the worse designed product Lee's company has ever made in my 40 years of using their products. I would love to add a few more colorful words but won't. LoLHire me you need my industrial design skills to improve this product. The base plate is the best out there the basic standard air tube is fine but charcoal cartridges SUCK THE LIFE OUT OF WHAT COULD OF BEEN A WIN WIN WIN! They don't snap in easy I put my old model ones on the tubes. My rant is over no joke.

I bought this for my 29 gallon tank to run in reverse filtration mode with my canister filter because it looked like a replica of my old dependable white Penn Plax (I think) under-gravel filter. I also wanted a black colored unit that would not show up whenever my Pleco decided to dig in the dark gravel and expose it. However, the product mold must be different because it is about a 1/2 an inch shorter than my original 30 year old version and the plastic is A LOT flimsier. But the biggest PITA was dealing with the mold flashing. Be prepared to spend a while using a hobby knife to open up about 3/4 of the slits in the plastic, which was a messy and time consuming affair. For the price of this filter, I expected a little better quality in the final product, but it will work for my needs. Everything else available out there is even cheaper and flimsier than this one.

I really like this UGF by Lee's. I like that it is just one long piece that fits perfectly for my 29 Gallon long tank.I didnt like the bubbly slurping sound from the top of the riser tubes so I cut small holes on the top so air bubbles can get out and not go through the carbon port, works great! I still use a hang on filter for carbon and foam as its quiet and I have a years worth of filters. I use the UGF with no carbon, 2 riser tubes on each side powered by a 40 gallon size pump. MY tank is super clean but its also understocked, I like the way UGF looks with the air bubbles coming up the tubes, relaxing, UGF is the only way to go, if I ever do get rid of the hang on filter, I dont know if carbon is all that needed for tank really but it will be a long time before i cross that bridge.Great design, great workmanship by Lee's.

Don't waste your money with cheaper filters. This is a better choice and still not expensive. I found the openings to be the right size and shape (slits - not holes) to prevent the gravel from falling through to any great extent. The plastic it is made of is strong enough to last. My only complaint is the riser tubes were not quite long enough to reach the powerhead I chose when hung from the aquarium lip. Fixed that with a new tube that I cut to size.

Easy install and has worked pretty well. I like this product and currently use it in a 29 gal tank. I am a novice when it comes to aquariums and this was a very easy install. I use the air stones and i can tell a difference between my water changes and how my water changes got a little more spaced out. Been using it for a couple months and works as intended.

This filter is a perfect fit in our tank. The only reason it didn't get a 5 star review is that it was missing pieces when we received it. It was missing the uptake tubes and the free charcole filters.I contacted the company and they were very fast at coming to a resolution to make us happy! Great customer service is important to me and this company has amazing service.

This seems to be a great filter. Our tank is cleaner than ever, and no more messy cartridges to replace. It also gives our tank a cleaner look than the bulky corner filter. Highly recommend.

The Lee's Premium Undergravel Filter is the best aquarium filter system available. An experienced aquarists would never again have to do anything with the aquarium other than to add water when it evaporates. The quality of the Lee's Premium Undergravel Filter is far superior to all other undergravel filters.