SeaChem Tidal VS Fluval Aquaclear

[Justin V1]

I’ve heard on the podcasts that Cory does that he and many others prefer the aquaclear over the tidal HOB filters.

It’s seems as though there’s some secret joke on why not to use the tidal from SeaChem. I have never run a Fluval aquaclear, I currently have two tidals that have been doing the job well for me. However I’m fairly new to the hobby and have limited first hand experience.
I’ve seen Cory’s analogy of the filter being a trash can to be very accurate and I’m fully bought in to that theory.
 

If Fluval is a better product I’d like to know why so I can buy one for my next set up. 
 

thanks for the wisdom!

 

[quikv6]

There is lots to search for on this topic. I suggest you do so, and will quickly give you some of my .02, having run both the Seachem Tidal 110 and the AquaClear 110. They both have pros and cons. For me, the Aquaclear is a better filter for what I need it to do, far and away...so that will be all I discuss, by giving my "con" list to the Tidals. (Note: I have not tried the brand new Aquaclear design)

1) The Tidal has a tendency to have the water bypass the media FAR too easily. It does not want to be full of media. Not at all. And even still...it'll bypass FAR too quickly.

2) The Tidal has a surface skimmer. There is no factory way to shut it closed, and pull from just the intake tube. For me this is a negative.

3) Related to the above #3...the Tidal does NOT want the water level to be remotely low. It will get noisy...and IMHO, unreasonable so.

I can talk about the pros of both....but for me, personally....the con list to the Tidals above is all I need to make my choice.

 

EDIT: I just noted you already have two Tidals. So...perhaps the above list isn't an issue for you. I'll add a pro list for the Aquaclear.

1) The basket feels bigger; the shape is more standardized to cut, customize, and personalize media. And it can be loaded far more densely without causing a noticeable bypass.

2) Parts are readily available, as they have been around forever. There are tried and true Aquaclears that have run for decades.

3) The normal "cons" to the Aquaclears are rather small, and can be easily rectified.

-The lid rattling can be fixed by putting something on it, rubber band/etc.

-The motor can be serviced (easier access/removal than the Tidal), and the shaft can be lubed w/food grade silicone to ensure quiet operation.

4) To me, the water level can be run lower and the filter will still remain quiet.

5) It seems to move more water than the Tidal. While this may be inherit to the media itself....in short...it seems to do a better job "filtering"

 

Edited September 4 by quikv6

[WhitecloudDynasty]

On 9/3/2024 at 8:19 PM, quikv6 said:

There is lots to search for on this topic. I suggest you do so, and will quickly give you some of my .02, having run both the Seachem Tidal 110 and the AquaClear 110. They both have pros and cons. For me, the Aquaclear is a better filter for what I need it to do, far and away...so that will be all I discuss, by giving my "con" list to the Tidals. (Note: I have not tried the brand new Aquaclear design)

1) The Tidal has a tendency to have the water bypass the media FAR too easily. It does not want to be full of media. Not at all. And even still...it'll bypass FAR too quickly.

2) The Tidal has a surface skimmer. There is no factory way to shut it closed, and pull from just the intake tube. For me this is a negative.

3) Related to the above #3...the Tidal does NOT want the water level to be remotely low. It will get noisy...and IMHO, unreasonable so.

I can talk about the pros of both....but for me, personally....the con list to the Tidals above is all I need to make my choice.

 

EDIT: I just noted you already have two Tidals. So...perhaps the above list isn't an issue for you. I'll add a pro list for the Aquaclear.

1) The basket feels bigger; the shape is more standardized to cut, customize, and personalize media. And it can be loaded far more densely without causing a noticeable bypass.

2) Parts are readily available, as they have been around forever. There are tried and true Aquaclears that have run for decades.

3) The normal "cons" to the Aquaclears are rather small, and can be easily rectified.

-The lid rattling can be fixed by putting something on it, rubber band/etc.

-The motor can be serviced (easier access/removal than the Tidal), and the shaft can be lubed w/food grade silicone to ensure quiet operation.

4) To me, the water level can be run lower and the filter will still remain quiet.

5) It seems to move more water than the Tidal. While this may be inherit to the media itself....in short...it seems to do a better job "filtering"

 

This correct for me also

I like the aquaclear better

[MWilk]

If someone told me the skimmer on the tidal would eat duckweed, I would buy it in a heartbeat. It just looks to me like it would clog immediately. 

[PaleoShrimp]

For me (and I believe Cory has mentioned this) the surface skimmer on the Tidal makes it an automatic no go. All my tanks have had shrimp in them and I like to do breeding. There’s no easy way to cover the surface skimmer, so it can easily eat up shrimp and baby fish. If you don’t have either then this obviously isn’t as big a deal. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I only have experience with the AquaClear. It doesn’t self prime. In fact, in a power outage it dumps all the water. If you’re not home when that happens, you can count on it grinding dry for the rest of the day. Needless to say, I promptly returned it. If you choose the AquaClear, I would recommend running a sponge filter in the tank as well so your fish aren’t without filtration in those situations.

People like the tidal because the pump is in the tank and it self primes, but they dislike it due to the bypass issue. @nabokovfan87 has a thread on that with mods he has tried on it.

If you like a HOB that self primes and has a pump in the tank, I highly recommend the Aqueon. I picked one up a few months ago due to the rebate offer, not knowing much about it. It’s awesome. I love that I can unplug it when feeding live or frozen foods and replug it after without the need to add water to it. You can also turn it off and on with a kasa wifi smart plug. Very convenient. (Mine is called Aqueon QuietFlow 20, and it really is quiet too!) Comes with a nifty removable baffle that you can load a specialty sponge into (ie: ammonia removing, phosphate removing, carbon infused, etc - in my case I just threw a strip of coarse sponge into it).

Edited September 4 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[MWilk]

On 9/4/2024 at 12:37 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I only have experience with the AquaClear. It doesn’t self prime. In fact, in a power outage it dumps all the water. If you’re not home when that happens, you can count on it grinding dry for the rest of the day. Needless to say, I promptly returned it. If you choose the AquaClear, I would recommend running a sponge filter in the tank as well so your fish aren’t without filtration in those situations.

People like the tidal because the pump is in the tank and it self primes, but they dislike it due to the bypass issue. @nabokovfan87 has a thread on that with mods he has tried on it.

If you like a HOB that self primes and has a pump in the tank, I highly recommend the Aqueon. I picked one up a few months ago due to the rebate offer, not knowing much about it. It’s awesome. I love that I can unplug it when feeding live or frozen foods and replug it after without the need to add water to it. You can also turn it off and on with a kasa wifi smart plug. Very convenient. (Mine is called Aqueon QuietFlow 20, and it really is quiet too!) Comes with a nifty removable baffle that you can load a specialty sponge into (ie: ammonia removing, phosphate removing, carbon infused, etc - in my case I just threw a strip of coarse sponge into it).

If you keep your tank full, the aquaclear will stay primed on a loss of power. You only have to refill it a bit after maintenance in my experience. 

[quikv6]

I experience the same. My Aquaclear remains primed as long as there is water that remains in the basket. If the water level drops, that is when it loses prime.

The Tidal can prime itself, because the pump is submerged in the tank. I think folks have a tendency to mix-up "self-prime" and "stay primed." An Aquaclear can (though not always) stay primed during an outage, if the water remains in the basket. But it will NOT self-prime with an empty basket.

The brand new style Aquaclears have a slightly different angled "U" tube, which should allow it to prime easier, and remain primed if shut off.....but I don't see how it can "self-prime" if the basket is empty, as the motor is still out of the water.

Edited September 4 by quikv6

[MWilk]

On 9/4/2024 at 1:38 PM, quikv6 said:

I experience the same. My Aquaclear remains primed as long as there is water that remains in the basket. If the water level drops, that is when it loses prime.

The Tidal can prime itself, because the pump is submerged in the tank. I think folks have a tendency to mix-up "self-prime" and "stay primed." An Aquaclear can (though not always) stay primed during an outage, if the water remains in the basket. But it will NOT self-prime with an empty basket.

The brand new style Aquaclears have a slightly different angled "U" tube, which should allow it to prime easier, and remain primed if shut off.....but I don't see how it can "self-prime" if the basket is empty, as the motor is still out of the water.

Technically, a self priming pump is one that can pump air out of its own housing well enough to draw a suction of sufficient head for normal operation. Plenty of pump designs are self priming, basic plastic impellers in a fish tank filter are not one. 

[TOtrees]

I think it comes down to use case. And personal preference/priorities obviously. I've used the tidal 35 and 55, but not the 75 or 110. I think the tidal's achilles heel is the many-routes-with-little-control (or ineffective control) on the intake side. There's no way to prevent water coming in the slots at the water line (the skimmer aspect), AND there's a lot of water that enters the pump housing right in that area (ie not from the skimmer and not from the down-tube). With so many points of entry for the water, that can't be shut off and are difficult to (cleanly and in a nice-looking way) screen or cover, they are murder on small babies, if you have them in the tank and they swim anywhere near. That being said, I run a tidal 35 on a 20 long with multifasciatus, and it's a good fit. No shrimps to chew up, and babies stay at the bottom of the tank, as least until they're big enough to join the fray in the upper 2/3 at feeding time. 

One thing I've always liked about the tidals, right from the start, is the way the water exits the filter horizontally, ie across the surface, if the waterline is at or near the bottom of the spillway. This creates really good gas exchange at the surface. 

Oh and they're super quiet. And the plastic they use for the build is really nice (as in strong, doesn't break, looks nice). 

On the aquaclear side (I also run a few of them), I agree with what was said above about how easy it is to customize or tailor the media you're using, due to the more "standard-shaped" media basket. And I do think the overall design does a better job of taking whatever water is coming in (from only 1 place, ie the down-tube), and pushing all of that water down to the bottom of the basket housing, then up through the media. Since all the water comes in that 1 tube, it's a better match for a prefilter too. It's kind of old-school, but I also like how you know your media is blocked/clogged when the whole basket starts lifting out of the housing. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 9/4/2024 at 10:37 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

I only have experience with the AquaClear. It doesn’t self prime. In fact, in a power outage it dumps all the water. If you’re not home when that happens, you can count on it grinding dry for the rest of the day. Needless to say, I promptly returned it. If you choose the AquaClear, I would recommend running a sponge filter in the tank as well so your fish aren’t without filtration in those situations.

People like the tidal because the pump is in the tank and it self primes, but they dislike it due to the bypass issue. @nabokovfan87 has a thread on that with mods he has tried on it.

Aqua clear, new or old, has very similar issues that need to be addressed. Mainly the pump, impeller, shaft longevity.  Everything else about the filter is "fine" with the single exclusion of issues where the filter itself can take on too much water and flood.  That is in part due to its "rustic" design motif for adjusting the angle of the housing.

 

The tidal has, without question, the best pump of any filter you can buy. The 55 and up are very good at water movement, flow, etc. The issue is that the pump is so good that it's too strong for the media basket, filter housing, and there are a variety of issues in the intake side of the equation that can lead to fish death. The use case on the tidal is extremely setup dependant and varies greatly based on how your fish will interact with it when they are sleeping.

I would avoid both. Honestly.

On 9/5/2024 at 4:37 AM, TOtrees said:

One thing I've always liked about the tidals, right from the start, is the way the water exits the filter horizontally, ie across the surface, if the waterline is at or near the bottom of the spillway. This creates really good gas exchange at the surface. 

Absolutely. The spillway design is fantastic for surface agitation and not crashing into all of your delicate plants.

[mynameisnobody]

Fill your tanks up and the aquaclear is a non issue. 

[quikv6]

On 9/8/2024 at 12:54 PM, mynameisnobody said:

Fill your tanks up and the aquaclear is a non issue. 

Agree fully. Also, lube the impeller shaft, and appreciate the silence and smooth operation....along with accessing it MUCH easier than the Tidal.

[mynameisnobody]

@quikv6 what’s your choice of lube for the impeller? 

[quikv6]

I have used both food-grade silicone, and even vaseline in a pinch. Both worked very well....and lasted many many months. I have read that the silicone is the more accepted method.