Tidal 110 or Aquaclear 110?

[FLFishChik]

I’ve determined I need one or the other for my 75g tank, but I’ve seen talk that the Tidal 110 needs mods to make it work as well as the Aquaclear. What mods would I need for the Tidal?

[Jeff]

There's a skimmer on it. If you ever have fry, it could suck them up. 
 

Also, there are certain parts of the filter that are blue, such as the skimmer dial.  That sticks out like a sore thumb, in an aquarium, imo. 

[mynameisnobody]

@FLFishChik I have 5 aquaclear 110 filled with aco sponges topped off with polyfil. Pre filter on the intake tube and you’re all set. I’ve never owned a tidal, but imo you can’t beat the life expectancy of an aquaclear. 

[govsfabshop]

I've got all the tidals from 35-110 and love them, i tried an aquaclear a few years back and hated it, could never get it to quit rattling and was allot louder than the tidals. 

[T. Payne]

Aquaclears for the win.

[jwcarlson]

I have a Tidal and I'm not a fan.  The Aquaclears that I have, I do like them better.  But everything has its drawbacks.  I thought I'd like having the pump in the tank on the Tidal and it might be one of the dumbest things I've ever dealt with.  It's impossible to get it apart and back together.  The cord never stays where it is supposed to.  And it draws like 95% of the water it pumps comes through the skimmer, not the lower intake tube.  In fact, I'm not sure it would really be appreciably different if it didn't have the tube at all.

My biggest complaint is that any tiny amount of debris jams up the Tidal and tearing it apart to get to the impeller is a task that really upsets me.  The Aquaclears will also have this issue, but it seems less often (and with less maintenance).  And the Aquaclear you can pop the pump off without being up to your armpit in water.  Also the Tidal's twist out leveling thing behind the tank will fall out everytime you bump it.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 2/29/2024 at 8:00 PM, jwcarlson said:

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

Lmaoooooo. 

[quikv6]

I have both, and I would vote AquaClear every day of the week. Many reasons were discussed in "Ted Talk".......but I would also add a couple of points:

1) Media/Space: The Aquaclear has a much more straightforward rectangular area, which makes it easier to cut customized media. I also feel there is just more space in the basket. (The Tidal always has bypass issues for me.)

2) Noise: At a lower water level, the Aquaclear remains quiet. Overall, the tidal is a tad quieter, but if you drop the water level even a small amount, the intake (all skimmer, really) noise increases SIGNIFICANTLY. Plus, much of the noise folks complain about with the Aquaclear can be traced to the lid rattling. Putting some weight on it, or wrapping a rubberband around it fixes that small issue easily.

[Galabar]

I would never buy a HOB with an external pump.  You can search here and various YouTube videos to see the priming problem that folks have with them.

The Tidal has an in-tank pump (as do the Marinelands, Aqueons, and Tetras).  At some point, Fluval will probably come out with an Aquaclear with an in-tank pump (most modern designs are in-tank).  Until that happens, avoid them.

If you do decide to go with the AquaClear, I did find these videos on how to deal with various issues they might have:

 

Edited March 1 by Galabar

[FLFishChik]

Thank you all for your input! I will do a bit more research before I make a final decision as it seems both have their advantages and disadvantages!

[johnnyxxl]

Personally I would just put sponges on the intake large debris and fry issue fixed.  Fill the basket up with sponge and done all necessary mods made.  I was researching these before I decided to go sponge filter only.