Interpet Fish Pod 120L With CF3 Internal Cartridge Filter - Independent Review

This is an updated version of the Original Interpet Fish Pod 120L with PF3 Internal Filter.

Judging by online feedback and commentary, the original was reasonably well-liked but suffered from a couple of frequent complaints.

Apparently the supplied PF3 filter was noisy and the lighting was inadequate.
The original had 2x 15W Bright Day bulbs which many people felt weren't powerful enough.

The new model comes with a CF3 filter which is extremely quiet (and efficient too) and 2x 18W Bright Day bulbs which seem fine to me.

The front is slightly bowed and has no framing at the side edges.
This is an acquired taste because there is some distortion at the front corners. I don't mind at all.

The included heater is 200W and perfectly capable of heating the tank to the 85-87F you might want to speed up your cycle.

There are a couple of minor negatives.

1. The feeding door catches so it makes a thud every time you open it. I took some fine glasspaper and sanded the back of the door down to stop it catching on the hood. Shame they didn't do similar in the finishing process.

2. The filter was really lacking in ceramic noodles. It was more than half empty. I opened the little plastic cage and packed it full of more noodles I bought from my LFS.

3. Condensation! The inside of the hood is getting wetter than I would like, although my water level is low to allow more oxygenation to aid the cycle.
Maybe when I raise the water level and lower the temperature this will become less of an issue...?
{EDIT} The condensation issue was only a problem whilst I was cycling and had the water level much lower than in normal use. Using the tank normally and there is no problem with condensation at all.

A quick word about the filter. It's rated for up to 160L and I really put it to the test the other night.
I took the dirty foam from the kid's Guppy tank and swished the gunk and slime around to seed my tank with Nitrifying bacteria.
Needless to say the water ended up filthy with suspended particles.
I went for a shower and by the time I came back it was perfectly clear.

Overall I feel this is a really good value tank.