|
Exo Terra Waterfall with pump Large
|
Because of its unique design, the Exo Terra Waterfall can be installed anywhere in the terrarium. The waterfall consists of several parts to facilitate cleaning. For safety reasons, the walls of the collection tank are...
|
Searched Exo Terra Waterfall with pump Large in Reviews
Visually pleasing, but hard work to maintain. 
| Installation and Operation |
The waterfalls from Exo Terra come as multiple sections which are easily assembled sequentially. The benefit of this, is that it allows the user easy access to the pump, and also allows each section to be removed for thorough cleaning (which is essential). The instructions that come with the item are well explained, and will allow you to set the unit up pretty quickly. Depending on the type of vivarium you intend to use this item with, you may need to make an additional hole in the vivarium to run the power cable for the pump (it may also requite you to take the plug off for this, so care is essential). When the item is installed, water can be added, and then the item can be switched on. It is essential that you monitor the amount of water in the reservoir carefully, as the pump will over heat, resulting in damage, if the unit runs dry.
Keeping the item functional is simply a case of maintaining the water level, and so operation is also easy.
|
| Performance vs. Expectations |
This type of item exists for aesthetics, and if this were their only requirement then they would be a great success. However, this item is unfortunately plagued with issues. The largest, and most time consuming of these is the amount of cleaning this item requires to maintain water quality. The main reason for this is that the unit does not have a filter, so any debris (live food, substrate or feces) that gets into the water will immediately have a detrimental affect on quality. Bearing in mind the frequency with which this happens (multiple times daily), this adds up to a lot of time spent cleaning the unit. In an ideal world, live food (particularly crickets) would not be able to get into the unit, but unfortunately this is another design flaw with the unit. Crickets can, and will get into the reservoir, and then cannot get out.
While cleaning is intended to be simple (with the removable parts), actually getting the unit clean can be difficult. The rock effect requires intensive scrubbing, and the channel down which the water flows, is very difficult to clean. More difficult however, is the pipe which takes the water from the reservoir to the top of the waterfall (via the pump). This is almost impossible to clean, making it a real liability for drinking water. This is especially relevant when we consider that this item is designed for animals that will only drink from moving water.
|
| Value for money |
Aesthetically these waterfalls are very good looking, and they DO function as intended. However, the down side to these products, far out number the aesthetics, making these units very expensive, and VERY time consuming. It is unfortunate, but the only situation I could really recommend this item, is if it were used in a vivarium which contained no animals. That way water quality would not be essential.
|
| Liked about it |
Unfortunately there are very few things thatI really like about this item, but the way it looked (both in the vivarium, and outside of it) was certainly a positive for me. You can really make your setup look impressive using an item like this, however it is very unfortunate that the setup will likely get disturbed once a day for thorough cleaning.
This item will raise the humidity of a vivarium it is used in, which can certainly be a positive for 'tropical' species.
|
| Didn't like |
For me, the negatives far out weigh the positives. You cannot have an item which will so directly (and negatively) affect your animal which requires such intensive maintenance. Having to clean this item once a day negates the use of it as both a humidifier and a drinking vessel. It becomes much simpler (and more effective) to use a hand spray to mist the environment once or twice a day. This way, you know the humidity is fine, and most importantly you are in control of the water quality.
|
|
| Overall satisfaction: |
|
2.0 |
Was this review helpful to you?
Report this review
|
Nightmare product
| Installation and Operation |
I found it very easy to setup, but unfortunatly it is a total nightmare to maintain, i was using this in a water dragon viv and was constantly removing faeces,dead livefood and substrate from it.
The pipe used to channel water is nigh impossible to clean and during the summer the water area became a breeding ground for midges i ended up having to throw this item away
|
| Performance vs. Expectations |
Yes it does perform as advertised
|
| Value for money |
No, i wouldnt pay for another one it is far to time consuming to be of value
|
| Customer Support |
the company as a whole are easy to deal with and i have never had issues with any other product they produce
|
| Liked about it |
1) Visually it is very attractive
2) It kept humidty very well within the vivarium
Unfortunatly they are the only things i liked about it
|
| Didn't like |
1) Nightmare to maintain
2) Attracted insects to breed in areas you cannot clean
3) Design flaws allowing live food to enter but not exit the water
|
|
| Overall satisfaction: |
|
1.5 |
Was this review helpful to you?
Report this review
|
it looks great but
| Installation and Operation |
the waterfall comes in a couple of parts withthe pump bein inclosed in the unit. fill with water and plug in. good to go
|
| Performance vs. Expectations |
it does what it supposed to do, however not in the way we would like. it does create humidity and looks great.
|
| Value for money |
very pricey and alot of effort in cleaning and maintenance involved.
|
| Customer Support |
never needed
|
| Liked about it |
1. looks great
2.can hold fogger
3.raises humidity
|
| Didn't like |
1. needs alot of cleaning
2. a smart animal will get inside with pump and hide for days while the owner rips apart his house.(true story)
3.the cons outway the pros.
|
|
| Overall satisfaction: |
|
2.5 |
Was this review helpful to you?
Report this review
|
not to great
| Installation and Operation |
there are both good and bad things to this waterfall. it looks really good in the right vivarium and can be a good center piece but it is and can be high maintenance and needs regular cleaning to keep the pump running well. it is easy to install and assemble but in the end can be quite hard to access the pump when it is all set up and done. the wires can be difficult to hide when it is in the vivarium and if you add exo terra humidifier you have a wire coming out the front
|
| Performance vs. Expectations |
performed as described and advertised does its job and creates a nice water feature in a rainforest type vivarium
|
| Value for money |
is a bit expensive for what it does but can be quite good if you shop around
|
| Liked about it |
keeps the humidity high in the vivarium
looks good in the right setting
has a area for a humidifier made by exo terra built in
|
| Didn't like |
can be hard to stop soil and substrate falling in water area and clogging up the pump
can be hard to access pump for cleaning
wires can be hard to hide
|
|
| Overall satisfaction: |
|
3.5 |
Was this review helpful to you?
Report this review
|
mixed opinions
| Installation and Operation |
it's real easy to set up, there's a bowl shaped section, a flat section that covers it and then a few little extra steps for the water to run down, in adition to this you get an underwater pump and cable that attaches from the pump to a tube at the top of the waterfall and another leading to the mains supply. It's easy to do this and once it's plugged in it's done. That's all there is too it.
|
| Performance vs. Expectations |
The water comes out at a good rate, not too fast or slow and my water dragons LOVED it they'd typically sit in the stream for hours on end just letting it run across their bellies and tails. However as with most semi aquatic reptiles they defecate in water which either hugs the crevices on the water fall which is impossible to clean or circulates by the pump leading to strong possibilities of mouth rot. If my water dragons could be taught to not defecate in the waterfall this would be a fantastic product.
|
| Value for money |
Fairly expensive but a good product if your animals have the sense to use a separate bowl for defecation
|
| Liked about it |
1. natural looking
2. pleased my dragons to no end
3. the sound was kinda nice
|
| Didn't like |
1. cleaning it every day takes about half an hour at least to do a good job
2. a degree of heat will cause some of the sealent to run
3. filter will recycle water that may not be clean
|
|
| Overall satisfaction: |
|
3.0 |
Was this review helpful to you?
Report this review
|
great for humidity
| Installation and Operation |
easy to assemble
|
| Performance vs. Expectations |
these are great to keep the humidity in a viv such as for a chameleon
|
| Value for money |
good value for money however some places can be expensive
|
| Liked about it |
everything
|
| Didn't like |
some prices
|
|
| Overall satisfaction: |
|
4.0 |
Was this review helpful to you?
Report this review
|
internal use: spec85 spec88 spec943
|
