Product Review


Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Pond pH Buffer
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Review:
My pH was all over the place. From morning to night it would range by over 2. I started adding this and it stabilized it right around 7.8 and it never changed by more then .3 so I figured that was very good. The filtration seemed to do better as well, but not sure if that is directly related to this product or not.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Microbe-Lift Biological Mosquito Control
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Review:
Didn't use in a pond, but in my large bird bath. Kept the bugs away and the bird weren't bothered by it.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Islandscapes
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Review:
I love my islandscapes. Plants grow very well and the fish love to eat the roots that grow out the bottom. One tip though, it makes it hard to catch your fish, so set it up so its easy to remove from the pond. The first time I had it tied to a rock on the bottom which made it hard to get out. So I retied it to the side and now I can just pull it in.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Green Clean by BioSafe Systems
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Review:
I had very good results and the algae died off quickly. The koi didn't seem to be bothered in the least. I am still hesitant to use it unless its a last resort though. I found that I had high phosphates and got a phosphate remover and that got rid of the algae as well, although not as fast.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Interpet Anti Fungus & Bacteria
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Review:
I ordered this online when one of my koi got fungus along its tail. I treated in QT with this and it took over 3 weeks to clear, but it did finally get better. It was nice because other then moving the koi into the tank and back, I never had to catch or treat the koi during the process.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: EA Health Koi Food
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Review:
I started feeding this and I noticed the amount of koi poop went down almost over night. The colors also seems more vibrant and smooth after awhile. One of the more expensive foods out there so i don't use it very often. Its kinda like my special treat when I feel like spoiling my koi.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Yamato Nishiki Koi Food
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Review:
I have used this several times. I like to mix up the koi's diet and try new things. This food proved to be a very good buy and the koi eat it very eagerly. I saw good growth and color while using it.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Hikari Excel
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Review:
I get this at my local pet store whenever I run out and need something quick. It seems like a very good food and the koi really like it, but it is really expensive per pound. Maybe its cheaper online, but local retail stores charge an arm and a leg for it. 1 pound was like 18 dollars. I could feed them fresh shrimp for less then that!

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Tetra DynaMag Pumps
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Review:
I added this just for effect. I wanted a stand alone fountain. It kept clogging on me si I took out the internal filter material and wrapped the pump in mesh and put it in a 5 gallon bucket with tons of holes drilled in it. It wasn't pretty but it never clogged even once and never had to be removed. I had a fountain for years and never even had to think about it.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Alpine Cyclone
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Review:
This was a good pump for me over the years. I clogged numerous times, but always kept running. The price was good too, so I am happy with it.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Leader Ecovort Pumps
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Review:
I don't use this for my pond, but I have a big drainage ditch in my backyard that fills up and clogs every time it rains. I drop this pump in there and it pumps it dry even when the ditch is full of leaves and trash and dirt. It handles solids really well and never clogs. The float is a bit tricky and I have to secure it to the top so it won't turn off when the water gets below a foot deep.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: EasyPro Stainless EP-Series
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Review:
This pump moves a lot of water and I have over 15 feet of head to the top of my water fall from my skimmer. The watts are pretty good (not great though). If you need a submersible pump to push the water high, this is a good pump to do it.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: PondCare Phos-Out
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Review:
I have a big phosphate problem and string algae takes over. This gets rid of the phosphates very quickly and the string algae dies off. I like this much better then algaecides, seems much safer to me. The only problem is this is a bit expensive for the amount of water it treats.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Autumn Leaves Digester
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Review:
I get load and loads of leaves every fall. I use this religiously to keep sludge from building up before going into winter. I have used it 3 seasons in row with great results.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: PondCare Biofilter Booster
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Review:
This worked really well for me. My filter died off when my pump died and I had a huge spike in ammonia. I added this and within 3 days my filter was back up and running and my ammonia back down to 0.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Filter Brushes
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Review:
very happy with my black knight filter brushes. The catch a ton of fine debris and never ever clog no matter how much stuff gets caught in them. The best thing for a skimmer if you ask me.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Koi Smart Net Handle
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Review:
it works fine, but its basically a fancy pool handle at twice the price.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: KOI Nations Magazine
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Review:
I have been subscribing to this mag since the first issue came out and I am collecting them all. I suspect some day the complete collection will be worth some money because this is sure to be a classic in the koi world. Great mag, you just gotta get it!

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Pondmaster Pro 5000 Bio-Filter 18-inches
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Review:
I have the pondmaster waterfall and the pondmaster skimmer. I was able to put lots of bio media (currently spring flow) into the basin. It works really well and both the skimmer and the falls handle my 5000 gallon pond very easily. Very well made and strong. easy to install

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: PondCare Pond Salt
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Review:
Salt is great for ponds if you ask me, but this stuff is crazy expensive. You can get 50 lb bags at most hardware store for around $6 and its the exact same salt.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Waves of Grain - Barley Straw Pellets
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Review:
Bought this online. It made a mess of my bio falls as the stuff decayed and broke down. But after about a month i did notice a big difference in my green water, so i guess it works, you just have to give it some time.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Tetra Water Clarifier
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Review:
I picked this up at my local aquarium shop. It didn't do all that much for clarity, but it seemed to help a little.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Ultimate Koi Clay
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Review:
Really amazing stuff. The koi love it and my water is so much more clear now. I even mix it into my potted plants around the yard and I get a ton more flowers then i ever did. Its true what they say, this clay is good for all living things!

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: PondMaster Pro 5000 Pond Skimmer
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Review:
very sturdy skimmer. Handles my high flow rate no problem and its weeks before the skimmer basket needs to be changed, except in the fall of course, I get tons of leaves then and still it takes a few days before the flow is reduced.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: AquaMeds Dechlor and More
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Review:
all dechlor products are the same if you ask me, so long as they remove the chlorine and bind ammonia I am happy. It comes down to cost for me. I got a 5lb bag and it lasted me over a year! Really inexpensive for what you get.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: PondCare Chlorine and Heavy Metal Neutralizer
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Review:
Got this at Pet Smart i think. works well but very expensive. I just got it once because I was out and needing something right away. Its cheaper online.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Milwaukee ORP Meter SM500
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Review:
My results were mixed. Not sure why, but from day to day i would get different results. Not sure if the water was actually changing or if the meter was not giving good readings.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: AquaChek Pond Test Strips
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Review:
really easy to use. I use them twice a week and they give very consistent results. I read that strip don't give good results but these ones work for me. I never use anything else.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Matala UVC
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Review:
I upgraded from my little Oase to this UV. i went with a larger unit then i had before and it really made a big difference. This UV was very well made and never leaked. The bulb lasted almost 2 years before I had to replace it.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Oase Bitron 36C
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Review:
I had this on my first pond. I got it at the same time as my oase filter and pump. All together it worked well. I bought the recommended size uv for the pump and filter I had but it still seemed a tad undersized. The water was clear but never 100% crystal clear like I wanted.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Tetra 3-inch Bottom Drain
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Review:
very good bottom drain. I have two of them on a 5000 gallon pond and they each hook up to their own pump pulling about 3000 gph each. They haven't had any issues or leaks and were very easy to install. The dome cover was a bit light weight though and came off easily even when filled with sand. I ended up draining the pond and putting silicone on the feet to keep it in place.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Laguna PowerGlo
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Review:
These are really bright and the price was good, but the light was a bit of a bluish white rather then a nice warm yellowish light like the halogens. But the LED use so few watts and never burn out so its worth it to me.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Savio Springflo Bio-Filter Media
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Review:
I was happy with this in my biofalls. It was easy to squeeze a lot of it in without hindering flow and I didn't need any sort of bag to contain it. Grew a bio film very quickly and was very easy to clean. I just grab a handful and shake while draining the chamber and 95% of the gunk flows away.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Microbe-Lift Bio Mini Pads
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Review:
These make for great filtration but they are tough to clean. The clog, but without reducing flow which is good I guess. Each little pad will get coated in muck and its hard to get all of them completely clean.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Filter Media Bag
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I used this to hold my activated carbon. Worked well for me.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Filter Carbon
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I have lots of trees near my pond and every fall my water turns brown from all the leaves. So I hooked up a mesh bag and filed with activated carbon and within a few days my water was much better. within two weeks my water was completely clear.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Dimilin
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Review:
I had a new fish I ordered online come in with 5 or 6 nice big juicy anchor worms attached to the lower belly area. I put it in a qt and treated with dimilin. The worms died off and that was 3 years ago and none of the worms ever came into my pond or effected any of my other koi.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Kusuri Sealer Spray
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Review:
Really happy with this product that I use with the medical spray. They two together work very well. Usually takes 4-5 treatments, but in the end the koi heal up very well.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Kusuri Anti Bacterial Spray
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Review:
I have used this, along with the sealer spray many times and it usually take 4-5 treatments, but the koi always respond well and heal nicely.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Argent Paracide Green
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Review:
This worked very well for me. Fish stopped flashing and I haven;t had a problem since. It seems a bit expensive compared to a couple other brands, but it did work so I am satisfied.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Microbe-Lift Pond Fish Wound Healant
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Review:
I tried this first as it was all the local fish store had for treating koi. It helped a little, a few got better, the rest stayed the same. So i kept using it and started using an ointment treatment at the same time and the koi all got much better. I think like most pond wide treatments they don't really work 100% all by themselves but work well as part of a health program.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Medo 45 Air Pump
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Review:
very reliable and quiet. I had this running for over 2 years and I have not had to worry about it even once. It has not needed any repair or cleaning at all. Lots of air through my stones at 4 feet deep.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Emperors Choice
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Review:
I tried this several times because it was less expensive and I saw good results. I will buy it again in the future.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Microbe-Lift Dried Silkworm Pupae
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Review:
The koi ate it, but not like they ate the fruits and veggies blend. It took them awhile to even accept this as food, but once they did they ate it, they just didn't go wild for it and often there was some left over in the skimmer. I only used it once so hard to say if it had any impact on the development of the koi.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Microbe-Lift Fruits & Greens
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Review:
makes a great treat. My koi gobble them up so fast they make the water almost boil with activity.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Dainichi Color Intensifier
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My pond was going to be part of a pond tour with my club, so i bought a bag of this about a month before and fed them every day along with my regular food. The colors really came out very nicely and I got a lot of compliments on my koi.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Debride RX Medicated Koi Food
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I use this food for all my sick koi. I don't think any medicated koi food will treat the koi completely. But I use this while I am doing other treatments and I feel it really helps a lot.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Microbe-Lift All Season Variety Mix
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I like this food and so do the koi. They have grown big and have bright colors. The price is good also.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Odyssey Muck Vac
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I really like this vac. Its almost too powerful. I was told you need high water pressure to make this work and I have very high pressure when i bypass my regulator for the house. this little thing sucks everything up, even my mosquito fish. Plus it was like $200 less then a regular pond vac.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Fido Shock
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This is a bit tricky to use. Nothing can touch the wore, not a plant or a leaf, not even when the wind blows, otherwise it will trip and turn off. So I had to do a lot of trimming around the pond, but I got it to work. I used it to keep the cats away from my goldfish and it did seem to do the trick. I lost no more fish once it was set up.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Pond Armor / Pond Shield
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Review:
My pond was sealed with this stuff years ago. I did it myself and it worked pretty well. I did notice a few pin holes but I patched with additional product and it seemed fine after that. I have read online how some people had much worse problems, but I suspect they did not prep the surface correctly. I called them before I applied the product and they heavily stressed the need to prep. So I followed their instructions to the letter and really had no serious issues

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Savio Water Master Clear Pumps
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Review:
It is a good pump and ran well for me, but the watts were way way too high. That's why i gave it 3 stars. The watts are more then double what other pumps use. I could figure out why my utility bill went up over $100 a month when i started using it. So i switched to a lower watt pump, got the same flow and saved over $70 a month.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Laguna Max-Flo
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Review:
I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 because it doesn't handle head as well. flow rate really starts to drop off if the depth of the pond is more then 4 ft. But I love that it almost never clogs and even if ti does, it doesn't burn up. Plus the watts are lower and the cost is less then other pumps. So if your pond isn't too deep then it should work great. Also, the quick release fittings make it a snap to remove and clean.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Sequel 750 Kohaku Pump
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This is a dynamite pump. I couldn't belive the watts it used for the flow. Its the best I found. i verified with a watt meter and it was actually 175, not 180. I was very impressed. Most other pumps in this flow range are well over 250 watts. If you are looking for a very efficient pump, this is the one to use. Its more expensive, but you really save in the long run.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Pondmaster Mag-Drive model 50
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Review:
This little pump did a very nice job for me. I took away one star because it clogged to easily, but it still didn't die even when it ran dry from being clogged. So i went out of town for a couple weeks and my neighbor was supposed to check the pond and I guess never did. Came back to the pump running dry because it was clogged, must have been that way for days because the water was green. But I cleaned it off and it ran like nothing ever happened.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Torpedo Pump
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I got this at the same time i got my cal filter. The pump didn't last as long as the filter and the filter only lasted a year.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Little Giant Mechanical Filter
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Review:
This was my very first filter purchase for my first 500 gallon pond. It did a fine job the first year, but as the koi grew it just couldn't keep up. it clogged a lot and I always had to pull it up to clean it out. That got pretty old pretty fast so I upgraded to an external system. But I think this will be ok for smaller ponds with small fish.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Oase Biotec
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Review:
I was so happy with their pressurized filter that i went ahead and got this as additional filtration behind my waterfall. i am equally pleased with this unit. It was simple to clean and did a very nice job. The filter overall seem veyr well made and designed.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Cal Pump Bio-Filters
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Review:
This filter worked well for about a year, but then it started to fall apart on me. It was less money so I guess I got what i paid for. But I like the Oase filter much better.

Dale Masters (Hobbyist) on Tuesday 19 October, 2010
Product Reviewed: Oase Filtoclear Filters
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Review:
I used this filter for year and it worked very well for me. Its easy to clean and the parts, handles, etc didn't break off even though it was left in full exposure to the outside elements. It kept the water clean and the fish happy.



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