Who Gives A Fish Forums

Honestly, I think both filters have their merits - the foam pre-filters on both, in my opinion, get good marks for being the right coarseness without clogging too quickly. The Aquaclear's foam is slightly thicker, at around 1/4 inch, whereas the Tidal has a couple more square inches of surface area, which I think might make it harder to cut your own replacement foam in the long run due to its unique shape.

The mesh bag on the Aquaclear is functional, but it feels kinda cheap - it's just a plastic tube with a heat-sealed end and a flimsy clip for the other. The Tidal's bag, on the other hand, is sewn with a zipper, but I think the mesh is too fine. I had to clean mine out, and the indicators said it was due for a cleaning, but the bags were all clogged up with waste, so hardly any water was flowing through the bio media.

This brings up the bio media - both had what looked like ceramic chunks, but the Aquaclear's were smaller and more porous. In my opinion, both filters could've used more bio media; they were only half full, if that.

The media trays on both filters are a plus - they make it easy to remove the components while the filter's running, which is especially convenient with the Aquaclear's system.

There are some functional differences between the two, which you can review for yourself. In the end, I ended up replacing both bio media bags and supplementing the factory media with twice as much of a ceramic donut that's got way more surface area. I can post some pictures of the cleaning process if anyone's interested.

Since I tend to overstock and over-filter my tanks, I'm curious to hear from others who've used similar filters to these two.

Tidals actually come with Seachem Matrix, which is a great start, and I ended up adding even more for extra bio capacity. I also threw in some Chemi Blue, Purigen, and pot scrubbers to round out the filtration. The storage space in these things is more than enough, and the flow is adjustable - plus it puts out a ton of water, which I really like. And yeah, the removable tray is a solid idea.

I was just browsing online and saw replacement pads for sale - 10 of them for $12, which is pretty cheap if you ask me. I do agree with you on the bags though, they could be improved.

Never had an Aquaclear before, but from what I've heard from friends, they're top-notch - I've never heard a single complaint. I've used just about every other HOB out there, but the Tidal has won me over. With the Sicce pumps inside, tons of storage, great flow, and easy cleaning, it's my go-to from now on.

I've been using Aquaclears on all my tanks for years, from the smallest to the largest. The "2 minutes maintenance done" really speaks to me, and the silent operation is a huge plus. I've found that using a coarse sponge over the intake, another in the first basket, and a medium on top works perfectly for my setup. The customization options for filtration media are incredibly easy to work with.

One of the things I love most about Aquaclears is how effortless maintenance is. Rinsing the media is a breeze, and removing decaying matter before it becomes a problem is incredibly simple. This makes for top-notch bio filtration that I've come to rely on.

I've got an old Mini running on my shrimp tank, and it's still going strong after 42 years. The water always looks crystal clear, and even when I do maintenance and temporarily cloud the water, it's back to its usual clarity in just 20 minutes. I'm definitely a fan of Aquaclears, and I see no reason to switch.