Sun.singh1991 Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 Just received my Seachem Tidal 35 for my 10 gallon. I’m actually very surprised by the size of the media basket and how quite the filter is. I took off my Aquaclear 20 and I think the Tidal might be a upgrade. Going to let it run for a few days and I’ll update. So far I’m impressed by the sound, or lack there of, and the internal motor. No need to prime anymore. What do you guys think about the Tidal 35? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty o Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 have never used one, interested to see how it works after a few months. sounds like a good start. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevesFishTanks Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 I have only used the 55. I think it is great filter. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun.singh1991 Posted June 12, 2021 Author Share Posted June 12, 2021 On 6/11/2021 at 11:22 PM, lefty o said: have never used one, interested to see how it works after a few months. sounds like a good start. Yes sir, I will keep you posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 Can I ask....what type of fish do you have and what type of food do you feed? The reason I ask is I use a lot of aqua clear filters I like them and the bottom to top flow ease and compare is easy to media adapt. I have guppies..meaning I ALWAYS have fry. Even with a prefilter sponge over time the fine particle food crushes the impeller and kills them. I also have 2 tanks in front of windows and the clear design is an algae breeding ground I have to cover them. I would enjoy hearing of your experience and wether you feel this is comparable to or even better than the ac’s 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun.singh1991 Posted June 12, 2021 Author Share Posted June 12, 2021 (edited) On 6/12/2021 at 5:05 AM, Guppysnail said: Can I ask....what type of fish do you have and what type of food do you feed? The reason I ask is I use a lot of aqua clear filters I like them and the bottom to top flow ease and compare is easy to media adapt. I have guppies..meaning I ALWAYS have fry. Even with a prefilter sponge over time the fine particle food crushes the impeller and kills them. I also have 2 tanks in front of windows and the clear design is an algae breeding ground I have to cover them. I would enjoy hearing of your experience and wether you feel this is comparable to or even better than the ac’s I have a pea puffer tank and I feed them frozen foods and pest snails.The Seachem Tidal would be a horrible filter for any type of fry tank. The problem is it has a skimmer that is always on so you will definitely get fry getting sucked in and killed. In your case, my recommendation would be to buy a sponge filter with a air pump. You could actually power both your tanks with a single air pump. In my opinion sponge filters are the best type of filtration in terms on biological and mechanical for fry tanks. Edited June 12, 2021 by Sun.singh1991 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 Only one of my tanks actually started as a guppy tank. Guppies being guppies they have just migrated into all of my tanks ROFL! Yeah I have sponges as aeration on all my tanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun.singh1991 Posted June 12, 2021 Author Share Posted June 12, 2021 On 6/12/2021 at 8:50 AM, Guppysnail said: Only one of my tanks actually started as a guppy tank. Guppies being guppies they have just migrated into all of my tanks ROFL! Yeah I have sponges as aeration on all my tanks. Yeah I love sponge filters lol. So far the Tidal has been near perfect for me. I’ve been using Aquaclears for about 7 years and I love them but I wanted to try something new. The internal motor on the Tidal was the selling point for me, I live in Texas and during the summer we get power outages so I wanted to make sure the filter started back up. But because you have fry I think the Aquaclears are better for you than the Tidal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom240 Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 Never used the Tidal, but I honestly hate aquaclear filters. Too noisy, and too many instances where power went out and they failed to prime. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun.singh1991 Posted June 12, 2021 Author Share Posted June 12, 2021 On 6/12/2021 at 9:03 AM, Phantom240 said: Never used the Tidal, but I honestly hate aquaclear filters. Too noisy, and too many instances where power went out and they failed to prime. I think it would be a great filter for you then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom240 Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 On 6/12/2021 at 9:07 AM, Sun.singh1991 said: I think it would be a great filter for you then. Oh yes, the next time I'm in the market for an HOB filter, it will be at the top of my list Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laritheloud Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 I'm in the process of switching to a Tidal 55! Running it alongside my aquaclear. I added a prefilter sponge and some mesh over the protein skimmer portion, and so far I love it. So nice and quiet and I love the self-priming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun.singh1991 Posted June 12, 2021 Author Share Posted June 12, 2021 On 6/12/2021 at 9:30 AM, laritheloud said: I'm in the process of switching to a Tidal 55! Running it alongside my aquaclear. I added a prefilter sponge and some mesh over the protein skimmer portion, and so far I love it. So nice and quiet and I love the self-priming. I agree, it’s a very nice filter. So far I’m impressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun.singh1991 Posted June 12, 2021 Author Share Posted June 12, 2021 On 6/12/2021 at 9:30 AM, laritheloud said: I'm in the process of switching to a Tidal 55! Running it alongside my aquaclear. I added a prefilter sponge and some mesh over the protein skimmer portion, and so far I love it. So nice and quiet and I love the self-priming. Yup, I’m so happy with it so far. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rudles Posted June 12, 2021 Share Posted June 12, 2021 Love my Tidal 55! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tedrock Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 Started with aqua-clear liked them a ton then caught filter envy. The newest and bestest came - Seachem Tidals. I bought three over time because i am a NERM, two 55's and a 75. Never bought a 35 - no tube for bottom of the tank filter suction , they only have the skimmer filter input. All of the good points mentioned are true. Here are some draw backs. 1. When you change the filter media basket you can't see the dirt and gunk left in the filter. We all are lazy and don't always drain this tank of murky water. Well with the Tidal you have no idea how dirty that water really is or if there are shrimp or other life in there unless you take the whole filter off the tank. (I know aquaclear bonus) When you start that puppy up again whooosh gunk ahoy goes into that tank, and you smack yourself in the head. 2. When packing the filter basket you may do so that the water flows around and up over the basket at high flow rates. I believe this means the water is bypassing the filter media all together. So you need to pack the basket loosely and watch the water pumping speed. This should not happen right away but I found this to happen too many times after cleaning. And no I didn't over pack the basket. 3. Clearing the pump and impeller stinks ... well putting it back together does. You pull the cover off the impeller and the pump, there with the wire wrapped around it. Good luck getting it back in and the cover back on the first time. Your are going to pinch the cord and mix up the placement of said cord. It is not intuitive. Now mind you there are some of you that will say "hey, I get it on the first try every-time." Well you are amazing - the average person, like myself, is ready to huck this filter across the room after the tenth try. 4. The pump flow adjustment wheel didn't seem to make a difference in two of my units (the 55's). It didn't seem to move it up or down. I expected more from the units in this area. 5. Also the weird shaped media basket is sooooo annoying, if you use your own media. The "design" forces you to buy their sponges, ya right. It then is a pain to cut rolled filter floss in a weird shape to fit the basket. In conclusion are Tidals good filter sure but, they definitely have to be finessed and handled with tender loving care. If you want to spend time Nerming out cleaning and min maxing you filter this filter might be for you. If you want to get it clean quickly, walk way and enjoy your fish, there are other filters for you. Remember you don't have to pay any attention to me what do I know. Many thanks for reading, Tedrock 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT_ Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 Here's a tip: if you take the motor out you can cram sponge behind the skimmer. You can also fill the skimmer slots with silicone if you don't want them. On 6/15/2021 at 9:48 AM, Tedrock said: The pump flow adjustment wheel didn't seem to make a difference in two of my units (the 55's). It didn't seem to move it up or down. I expected more from the units in this area. I heard that on the 55 if the flow adjuster isn't working it's probably because the adjuster got knocked out of place in shipping (or they have bad qc). You can open it up and bend the plastic piece back and it'll start working. Also, their support email wasn't responding for months but they got a new support system and they're now very responsive and they happily replaced my bad impeller motor recently so it's nice to see they're trying to improve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyjuliano Posted June 16, 2021 Share Posted June 16, 2021 (edited) Best HOB’s out there, IMO. Seachem doesn’t produce them, they are made by Italian company Sicce (they make super quality stuff). but… I dislike HOB’s too. I tried a “35” on a 20 gallon long a while ago, it performed very well, I just hated the look. Edited June 16, 2021 by tonyjuliano 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun.singh1991 Posted June 16, 2021 Author Share Posted June 16, 2021 On 6/15/2021 at 11:48 AM, Tedrock said: Started with aqua-clear liked them a ton then caught filter envy. The newest and bestest came - Seachem Tidals. I bought three over time because i am a NERM, two 55's and a 75. Never bought a 35 - no tube for bottom of the tank filter suction , they only have the skimmer filter input. All of the good points mentioned are true. Here are some draw backs. 1. When you change the filter media basket you can't see the dirt and gunk left in the filter. We all are lazy and don't always drain this tank of murky water. Well with the Tidal you have no idea how dirty that water really is or if there are shrimp or other life in there unless you take the whole filter off the tank. (I know aquaclear bonus) When you start that puppy up again whooosh gunk ahoy goes into that tank, and you smack yourself in the head. 2. When packing the filter basket you may do so that the water flows around and up over the basket at high flow rates. I believe this means the water is bypassing the filter media all together. So you need to pack the basket loosely and watch the water pumping speed. This should not happen right away but I found this to happen too many times after cleaning. And no I didn't over pack the basket. 3. Clearing the pump and impeller stinks ... well putting it back together does. You pull the cover off the impeller and the pump, there with the wire wrapped around it. Good luck getting it back in and the cover back on the first time. Your are going to pinch the cord and mix up the placement of said cord. It is not intuitive. Now mind you there are some of you that will say "hey, I get it on the first try every-time." Well you are amazing - the average person, like myself, is ready to huck this filter across the room after the tenth try. 4. The pump flow adjustment wheel didn't seem to make a difference in two of my units (the 55's). It didn't seem to move it up or down. I expected more from the units in this area. 5. Also the weird shaped media basket is sooooo annoying, if you use your own media. The "design" forces you to buy their sponges, ya right. It then is a pain to cut rolled filter floss in a weird shape to fit the basket. In conclusion are Tidals good filter sure but, they definitely have to be finessed and handled with tender loving care. If you want to spend time Nerming out cleaning and min maxing you filter this filter might be for you. If you want to get it clean quickly, walk way and enjoy your fish, there are other filters for you. Remember you don't have to pay any attention to me what do I know. Many thanks for reading, Tedrock I am a Nerm and shall Nerm out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun.singh1991 Posted June 16, 2021 Author Share Posted June 16, 2021 On 6/15/2021 at 8:06 PM, tonyjuliano said: Best HOB’s out there, IMO. Seachem doesn’t produce them, they are made by Italian company Cicce ( (they make super quality stuff). but… I dislike HOB’s too. I tried a “35” on a 20 gallon long a while ago, it performed very well, I just hated the look. Sicce apparently makes some of the best pumps on the world. I’m pretty excited about my 35, thinking about replacing my Fluval 207 canister with a Tidal 55. What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyjuliano Posted June 16, 2021 Share Posted June 16, 2021 (edited) On 6/16/2021 at 12:36 AM, Sun.singh1991 said: Sicce apparently makes some of the best pumps on the world. I’m pretty excited about my 35, thinking about replacing my Fluval 207 canister with a Tidal 55. What do you think? My thoughts are this… As far as filtration goes, both mechanical and biological, there is no disadvantage. As long as you set the Tidal up correctly. Plus, the Tidals come with Seachem’s excellent Matrix bio-media (no, it’s not just “pumice” as some assert, IMO). As far as your wallet goes, not having to replace Fluvals proprietary (and expensive) media cartridges on a regular basis is a good thing. As far as your time goes, HOB’s are FAR easier to maintain and service than canisters. Edited June 16, 2021 by tonyjuliano 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaitieG Posted June 16, 2021 Share Posted June 16, 2021 On 6/12/2021 at 5:05 AM, Guppysnail said: I have guppies..meaning I ALWAYS have fry. Even with a prefilter sponge over time the fine particle food crushes the impeller and kills them. I also have 2 tanks in front of windows and the clear design is an algae breeding ground I have to cover them. I have mainly guppies in my 90 gallon with a Tidal 110, and I really like it. It's super quiet, and to solve the skimmer issue (which would definitely be a problem with fry--it should be designed to turn off) I just glued a thin (1/4 inch-ish) piece of coarse sponge over the skimmer portion. It hasn't gotten particularly dirty and I can kind of wipe it off with my finger when I need to. Perfect? Nope (see skimmer issue). But the filter seems to be built with quality and quiet in mind, I don't have an issue with it taking me 15 extra seconds to cut funny shaped pieces of filter floss to fit the odd basket shape, and it self-primes which is a non-negotiable for me since we live rurally and have fairly frequent power outages. I like cleaning it about 100X more than I like cleaning my sponge filters too--I still haven't perfected the scoop it into a bag method, and I always end up with fry in the bag that I then have to fish out of gunk water plus particles floating around the tank from the the holes that are inevitably in my bags, even when I inspect them first. Cleaning sponge filters is my nemesis. HOBs are definitely my preference, and the Tidals in particular do what I want HOBs to do--be quiet, allow for fine mechanical filtration, hold lots of media, allow ease of cleaning, and be self-priming. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laritheloud Posted June 16, 2021 Share Posted June 16, 2021 For the skimmer, I cut a small square of very fine metal mesh coffee filter (the reusable type of coffee filter) and slid it into the slots to hold it in place. Works like a charm to block the skimmer from taking in junk and fish/fry/shrimp. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun.singh1991 Posted June 16, 2021 Author Share Posted June 16, 2021 On 6/16/2021 at 5:18 AM, tonyjuliano said: My thoughts are this… As far as filtration goes, both mechanical and biological, there is no disadvantage. As long as you set the Tidal up correctly. Plus, the Tidals come with Seachem’s excellent Matrix bio-media (no, it’s not just “pumice” as some assert, IMO). As far as your wallet goes, not having to replace Fluvals proprietary (and expensive) media cartridges on a regular basis is a good thing. As far as your time goes, HOB’s are FAR easier to maintain and service than canisters. Thank you for your advice. I just ordered a 55 from Amazon and will be selling my Fluval 207. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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