What's the deal with this?

Maxi-jets are awesome!!! them and the seio's are all I've been using for the last 5 years in all my tanks.

For that price I would buy them fast.........before I do lol

I also have very positive experiences with Maxi-Jets. I have only 2 problems with them:

1. The Maxi-Jet 400's venturi will not function if the pump is a little deep in the water, this is probably due to it's low power/flow. I do see it as a design flaw.

2. The Maxi-Jet 1200 uses waaaay too much power (20W) for it's 295 GPH - it wastes electricity and heats the water. The best balance would be the Maxi-Jet 900 at 230 GPH for 8.5W.

Other than these 2 things, I love these powerheads. They are very durable, reliable, relatively quiet, and comes with all the accessories that you can expect.

Yeah they do make a sponge attachment. Its been so long since I've bought a new one, but I'm pretty sure it actually comes with the filter

That's the one.

230 will be fine for a 55 as long as your fish can take it.

These are much better than the aquaclears, my aquaclear kicked the bucket in a year.

One of the attachments let you connect these to actual sponge filters, I've done it with the ATI Lustar Hydro-Sponge 2 - these are stackable so you can use 2 of them with 1 powerhead on your 55.

Personally I do not like these powerheads. They are ineffective, and use a ton of energy. Look at a Hydor Koralia 1 pump. These will get you much more flow, for way less energy, and they don't clog ever. They cost more, but in the long run, they are worth the cost.