It all began in 2012 during the Obon Festival at the Palo Alto Buddhist Temple. One thing led to another, and before long, we ended up walking out with a goldfish in hand. So cheap to win, so expensive to maintain.
Next up was finding a place to live for our new-found friend. Being non-committal, I started small with a Tetra 3-Gallon Cube Aquarium Kit. Almost a year later, I’m switching out the internal filter with a Hang on Back (HOB) filter. A reviewer on Amazon recommended the AZOO Mignon Filter 60
While the AZOO Mignon comes with some basic filters, this YouTube video offers modifications to enhance the performance of the filter. Hence, my adventure to track down AquaClear Form, BioMax and Zeo-Carb filters.
PetSmart, the closest big box pet store, did not carry AquaClear 20 accessories. However, Pet Club did. AquaClear 20 Foam was $1.19, AquaClear 20 BioMax was $3.29, and AquaClear 20 Zeo-Carb was $2.19.
Now, Amazon has a 3-pack of Aquaclear 20-Gallon Foam Inserts, 3-Pack
Update: The AZOO Mignon Filter 60 works really well, and fits right in the space vacated by the old filter. It cleared up the water in the aquarium right away, and I could see particles in the water head straight for the filter. Additionally, as an HOB filter, it opens up some space in the small tank. However, the AZOO did create a small current, even at the lowest setting, which really excited the White Cloud Mountain Minnows. Suddenly, these docile fish turned really active and even headed to the water surface to grab the flakes. Unfortunately, one of the minnows proceeded to jump out of the tank over night out of the gap created when the filter was replaced. If you do switch to the AZOO, keep that in mind. I closed the gap with a sheet of plastic wrap.