Fluval 107 vs Seachem Tidal 55

[Vítor]

Hi guys, i have 40 cm cube my filter is a Seachem Tidal 55, now i only have red cherry shrimps, but im thinking about adding Celestial Pearl Danios and some Chilli Rasborras, and i've been thinking about getting the fluval 107. Is it worthit the change or not? The LPH of the fluval 107 is lower than the tidal 55 but i think the fluval will be a lot more efficient than the tidal 55. What do you guys think? Anyone that have a fluval 107 have anything good or bad to say about the filter?

Edited April 13 by Vítor

[Pepere]

I had a Seachem Tidal 35 which I regard as a ridiculous waste of money…

 

while it might have flow, it had precious little filtration as the vast majority of the flow bypassed the filter media through big holes in the basket…

I replaced it with a Fluval 207 with a spray bar below the waters surface  in my 29 gallon tank.  It gives great circular flow and keeps injected CO2 in suspension and has dramatically increased biomedia capacity.

 

I also have a 107 on my 20 high..

On a 40 gallon I would likely be looking at least at a 207 myself.

[Vítor]

On 4/13/2024 at 5:38 PM, Pepere said:

I had a Seachem Tidal 35 which I regard as a ridiculous waste of money…

 

while it might have flow, it had precious little filtration as the vast majority of the flow bypassed the filter media through big holes in the basket…

I replaced it with a Fluval 207 with a spray bar below the waters surface  in my 29 gallon tank.  It gives great circular flow and keeps injected CO2 in suspension and has dramatically increased biomedia capacity.

 

I also have a 107 on my 20 high..

On a 40 gallon I would likely be looking at least at a 207 myself.

I wrote it wrong i have 40 cm cube so it will be about 64 liters i think in gallons its about 17. 

[Pepere]

On 4/13/2024 at 12:43 PM, Vítor said:

I wrote it wrong i have 40 cm cube so it will be about 64 liters i think in gallons its about 17.

A 107 would be fine then.

 

Switching from the Tidal to the Fluval meant only having to service it once a month as opposed to every few days with the Tidal…

[Vítor]

On 4/13/2024 at 5:46 PM, Pepere said:

A 107 would be fine then.

 

Switching from the Tidal to the Fluval meant only having to service it once a month as opposed to every few days with the Tidal…

Do you think it would be better for the this tank the 107 or 207? Besides the maintenance, the filtration is good? Did you have any leaks or problems with the 207? Can you use filter wool on the fluval like change the sponges for the filter wool?

[Pepere]

I think a 107 is fine under 29 gallons.  
 

I clean the filter on the first Saturday of every month, and when I do I clean and relube the o rings.  And I have spare Orings and impeller on hand as well as a spare aquastop valve.  I intend to replace the O ring every 6 months as the manual recommends.  I have not had any leaks.

I keep the foam for prefiltering and use quickclear polishing pads.  You could use filter floss instead of the quick clear.  I use nylon scrubbies in the other media trays instead of ceramic media..

[Vítor]

On 4/13/2024 at 6:08 PM, Pepere said:

I think a 107 is fine under 29 gallons.  
 

I clean the filter on the first Saturday of every month, and when I do I clean and relube the o rings.  And I have spare Orings and impeller on hand as well as a spare aquastop valve.  I intend to replace the O ring every 6 months as the manual recommends.  I have not had any leaks.

I keep the foam for prefiltering and use quickclear polishing pads.  You could use filter floss instead of the quick clear.  I use nylon scrubbies in the other media trays instead of ceramic media..

I will have a look at both fluval filters , and i will probably go for one of them , i just don't wanted to buy a filter that would give me problems but if the filtration is better and it takes less maintenance that sounds perfect. The difference between the 107 and the 207 is 7€ do you think it would be too much flow for the tank?

[Pepere]

On my 20 gallon high, I think the 107 is plenty.

 

As fas as leaking goes, my suspicion is that failure to clean and relube the O Ring would be the greatest chance of failure, followed by a failure of the Aquastop valve.

To that end, I would have replacements of both on hand, and replace them according to the maintenance schedule in the manual.  
 

o ring is recommended to be replaced every 6 months.  If someone doesn't replace it for over a year and it starts to leak..  whose fault is that?

[AllFishNoBrakes]

I have a 107 on my 29 gallon tank and I like it! Can’t really add much to what @Pepere has already said other than I enjoy the filter and it’s great for my needs on that tank. 

[madmark285]

On 4/13/2024 at 12:23 PM, Vítor said:

but i think the fluval will be a lot more efficient than the tidal 55.

I own a Tidal 75. The basic problem with these filter is water bypass. As the sponge filter collects crap, the less porous it becomes. On the Tidal, the water will bypass the filter and go around the basket. I think this is a common problem with all HOB filter, some filter are better dealing with this.  I even had this problem with a sump filters. Simple put, water will take the path of least resistance. 

Canisters filters use pressure to force the water thru the media. In a well designed canister, there is no possible bypass for the water. One issue I see for canister, people tend to clean them once a month or longer. This means organic material is broken down inside the filter and ends up as nitrates. With my sump filter, I have to replace the filter socks every week or two as the water will start to overflow. I am removing organic material before it is breaks down. But nitrates is not a big deal, just do water changes. 

I bought the Tidal 75 in an emergency, my 75 gallon tank had a slow leak and I needed another filter. My original plan was to use the Tidal on a 40 gallon tank but instead, I built a sump filter for it. I ended up connect to the Tidal 75 to an undergravel filter on a 29 gallon tank, I love it so far. The Tidal is mounted on the side. 

On 4/13/2024 at 1:27 PM, Vítor said:

The difference between the 107 and the 207 is 7€ do you think it would be too much flow for the tank?

For 7€, I would get the 207. 

 

[Galabar]

A canister filter with inline heating and CO2 would really clean up the look of that tank.  I'm not saying that it doesn't look good now (it does).  However, I'm imagining it without the heater or CO2 diffuser. :)

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 4/13/2024 at 9:43 AM, Vítor said:

I wrote it wrong i have 40 cm cube so it will be about 64 liters i think in gallons its about 17. 

As far as the x07 series....
107 = 10g
207 = 20g
307 = 30g
407 = 40g
(definitely ignore what the box says because I can tell you it's dramatically under powered.)

I have done extensive testing on a ton of filters including the ones that you're mentioning.  I would recommend something different for shrimp.  The intake strainer on the x07 series isn't great.  It's bulky, it's sharp, and there isn't a prefilter that works well with it.  Especially with neo shrimp.  It's perfectly fine for fish, but for shrimp, I don't recommend it.

The tidal is not great at all unless you dedicate the time to modify it for fish/shrimp.  You need to use silicone or other materials to close off a variety of sections, all of this is out of warranty and is detailed in my tidal thread.

The pump on the tidal is great, but the filter itself isn't something I would encourage for fish or shrimp.  It killed a tank for me one by one and I spent years "fixing it" and researching methods to use the items I had on hand to alleviate the situation of sleeping fish being sucked in.

Please feel free to ask any questions.  I do have filters I like, but setup is extremely critical.

In my shrimp tank I only run hikari sponge filters.  I use the plastics/internals from an ACO filter just so I don't have to modify it to run an air stone.  Either setup is perfectly fine, the key is that the finer sponge works well with neo shrimp.

[macdaddy36]

I have the fluval 107 on my 20 high. It’s really quiet and overall really sleek to have it in the stand. Its just kind of a pain to clean and I always manage to drip some water in stand.

[Pepere]

On 4/14/2024 at 1:26 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

As far as the x07 series....
107 = 10g
207 = 20g
307 = 30g
407 = 40g
(definitely ignore what the box says because I can tell you it's dramatically under powered.)

I have done extensive testing on a ton of filters including the ones that you're mentioning.  I would recommend something different for shrimp.  The intake strainer on the x07 series isn't great.  It's bulky, it's sharp, and there isn't a prefilter that works well with it.  Especially with neo shrimp.  It's perfectly fine for fish, but for shrimp, I don't recommend it.

Well, certainly not my experience flow wise.   With a spraybar and inline diffuser I am keeping all the bubbles nicely dispersed and in suspension.  You can see the bubbles rising to the top and taken by the flow to the front of the glass and down and looking through the side of the tank you can see a circular gyre of bubbles…. And all the foliage in the tank is gently swaying…

 

That is with a 207 on a 29 gallon tank and a 107 on a 20 high.  I dont perceive any need for greater flow…

 

i dont use the included pick up though.  I use a glass lily pipe pickup with a surface skimmer instead.  And yes, I doit with fluval ribbed hoses…

[nabokovfan87]

On 4/14/2024 at 3:22 PM, Pepere said:

That is with a 207 on a 29 gallon tank and a 107 on a 20 high.  I dont perceive any need for greater flow…

I think the 407 is "rated for" something like a 90gallon aquarium and there's no way I would use it for anything larger than a 3 foot tank. In the 55/75g it struggles to move water that distance. It just is specific to setup sometimes.

There's also preference too. I tend to run a particular setup and higher flow demanding fish, but that comment and recommendation is something that was posted elsewhere and made a lot of sense to me after trying to understand the filter I have and some of the quirks on that filter.

I wish the spraybar just came in the box!!!

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 4/13/2024 at 11:26 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

The intake strainer on the x07 series isn't great.  It's bulky, it's sharp, and there isn't a prefilter that works well with it.

A medium sized ACO pre filter works great on mine. I have a ton of shrimp in my tank with my 107

[Pepere]

On 4/14/2024 at 6:28 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

There's also preference too. I tend to run a particular setup and higher flow demanding fish, but that comment and recommendation is something that was posted elsewhere and made a lot of sense to me after trying to understand the filter I have and some of the quirks on that filter.

I wish the spraybar just came in the box!!!

I would agree on needing more flow if keeping high flow loving fish, though that can also be cheaply dealt with using an extra wavemaker or such.

my enjoyment is more geared to the plant side of the tank and the 207 has plenty of flow for a 29 gallon to ensure good nutrient and CO2 dispersal as well as waste organics…

 

If Fluval included the spray bar, you would still be paying for it through a higher purchase price….  As it is I paid for  ceramic media, a pickup and a nozzle I am not using…

 

Fluval sells rubber connectors that fit over the ribbed hoses. I use this to attach to the glass lily pipe and use stainless steel hose clamps to further secure it instead of a simple friction fit.

[Vítor]

On 4/14/2024 at 5:51 AM, Galabar said:

A canister filter with inline heating and CO2 would really clean up the look of that tank.  I'm not saying that it doesn't look good now (it does).  However, I'm imagining it without the heater or CO2 diffuser. :)

 

I really thought about that, but i think the only canister filter with inline heating is the oase , correct me if im wrong. But i would be really nice to only have the lily pipes in the tank.

On 4/14/2024 at 6:26 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

As far as the x07 series....
107 = 10g
207 = 20g
307 = 30g
407 = 40g
(definitely ignore what the box says because I can tell you it's dramatically under powered.)

I have done extensive testing on a ton of filters including the ones that you're mentioning.  I would recommend something different for shrimp.  The intake strainer on the x07 series isn't great.  It's bulky, it's sharp, and there isn't a prefilter that works well with it.  Especially with neo shrimp.  It's perfectly fine for fish, but for shrimp, I don't recommend it.

The tidal is not great at all unless you dedicate the time to modify it for fish/shrimp.  You need to use silicone or other materials to close off a variety of sections, all of this is out of warranty and is detailed in my tidal thread.

The pump on the tidal is great, but the filter itself isn't something I would encourage for fish or shrimp.  It killed a tank for me one by one and I spent years "fixing it" and researching methods to use the items I had on hand to alleviate the situation of sleeping fish being sucked in.

Please feel free to ask any questions.  I do have filters I like, but setup is extremely critical.

In my shrimp tank I only run hikari sponge filters.  I use the plastics/internals from an ACO filter just so I don't have to modify it to run an air stone.  Either setup is perfectly fine, the key is that the finer sponge works well with neo shrimp.

Every time i clean the filter there are some shrimp inside but its rare to find some dead, which canister filter do you recomend other than fluval?

On 4/14/2024 at 8:28 PM, macdaddy36 said:

I have the fluval 107 on my 20 high. It’s really quiet and overall really sleek to have it in the stand. Its just kind of a pain to clean and I always manage to drip some water in stand.

Do you regret buying the filter? Would you go for other one? The filtration over all is good?

[Vítor]

On 4/15/2024 at 12:26 AM, Pepere said:

 

 

On 4/15/2024 at 12:26 AM, Pepere said:

I would agree on needing more flow if keeping high flow loving fish, though that can also be cheaply dealt with using an extra wavemaker or such.

my enjoyment is more geared to the plant side of the tank and the 207 has plenty of flow for a 29 gallon to ensure good nutrient and CO2 dispersal as well as waste organics…

 

If Fluval included the spray bar, you would still be paying for it through a higher purchase price….  As it is I paid for  ceramic media, a pickup and a nozzle I am not using…

 

Fluval sells rubber connectors that fit over the ribbed hoses. I use this to attach to the glass lily pipe and use stainless steel hose clamps to further secure it instead of a simple friction fit.

In my case i don't really want a high flow as the Celestial Pearl Danios and the Chili Rasborras don't like it, i just wanna have a good filtration, i will be honest with you the Tidal 55 has been great i use filter floss and change it every week not much work the water has been looking great except when i went on holidays so nothing to say about the filter. But i feel that a canister filter would do a better job , would have a cleaner look, less flow , and with the prefilter sponge it would be safer for the fish and shrimp, because the Chilli Rasborras can definitly go into the skimmer

[macdaddy36]

On 4/15/2024 at 7:33 AM, Vítor said:

I really thought about that, but i think the only canister filter with inline heating is the oase , correct me if im wrong. But i would be really nice to only have the lily pipes in the tank.

Every time i clean the filter there are some shrimp inside but its rare to find some dead, which canister filter do you recomend other than fluval?

Do you regret buying the filter? Would you go for other one? The filtration over all is good?

I don’t regret buying it. It is good but over kill and if I had to do it again I would probably just get another aquaclear. The good news is that when I upgrade my tank to a bigger size this and the sponge filter I have with still be enough filtration.

[nabokovfan87]

On 4/15/2024 at 4:33 AM, Vítor said:

Every time i clean the filter there are some shrimp inside but its rare to find some dead, which canister filter do you recomend other than fluval?

Try using Marine and prefilters. Never had a shrimp in mine.

I am going to end up getting a steel one, I recommend just get a sump.

Or an insert kit for a mini sump

You just glue them into a 10-20g aquarium. Much better in my eyes.

On 4/14/2024 at 4:26 PM, Pepere said:

my enjoyment is more geared to the plant side of the tank and the 207 has plenty of flow for a 29 gallon to ensure good nutrient and CO2 dispersal as well as waste organics…

Mine too. It's absolutely to get even circulation.

I run the filter in one spot and then "add on" a skimmer.