Is it worth it to get a Seachem Tidal power filter?

[RD.]

The issues of AC have been brought up many times, and RD has always been defensive of AC. It appears that he has used AC exclusively for such a long time that he became personally attached to it.

AC is marketed for versatility of using any media one wants, but when it overflows, he blames on operator error. Nonsense. A good design HOB should have a bypass spillway when the media is clogged.

The external O ring is another vulnerability. There is no reason why the AC motor must be unscrewed in order to clean the impeller and over time, damage the O ring.

Leak and overflow are no minor defects. The fact that AC can still pump when the water level is drawn down 90% makes it more dangerous. It can drain the tank and cause major flooding.

Nope, no attachment to AC's, personal, financial, or otherwise. I have also never said that they are a perfect design. Clearly they aren't. Are they an excellent HOB, yes, they are, and their market share among HOB filters certainly proves that point.

But that doesn't mean that operator error isn't just that, operator error. I have also never had an o-ring fail, I must just be very lucky for close to 3 decades. lol If AC failed as often as Tiger would have everyone believe, they would have stopped selling them 40+ years ago, because their sales would have flopped. BTW - the only lubrication that I have ever used on AC o-rings before an install, is water. Never an issue, but I also don't remove mine very often, since I no longer have sand in tanks with AC impellers running, almost never. I have spare AC o-rings sitting around for several yrs, just waiting to replace an older one (15+ yrs old) that shows wear - but have never had the need yet. Maybe next year, who knows?

 

[rockarolla70]

I agree with Rocksor & Zanzag, firstly one should not use third party parts other than the manufacturer parts. They would have designed every part/s to work without any flaws. Secondly there is no need to over stuff the media basket beyond it's capacity. Finally I don't understand about clogging of filter media, this will never happen if the filter & the media is cleaned when weekly/fortnightly/monthly tank maintenance or during water changes are done, until & unless the HOB filter you are using is under powered for the size of the tank.

 

[viejafish]

The overflow issue is ENTIRELY operator error. If you attempt to load the media basket beyond its capacity then, yes it has a chance of overflowing. Same thing would happen if you crammed the penguins full before the cartridge. The o-ring issue is again operator error for either incorrectly maintaining it or incorrectly fitting it. I use a chunk of pool noodle to keep mine slightly angled towards the tank.
Looks like i was too slow typing my reply. Lol

Not true. Penguin and all cartridge style HOBs are designed to bypass flow into the spillway when the filter is clogged. So there is no chance of overflow. When the AC foam is clogged, there is no bypass but pops up and pushes the cover aside. It’s not only unsightly, but potentially drips over. The O ring is uniquely AC design issue. There is no O ring issue with any other HOBs I’m aware of except AC.

 

[Zanzag]

Not true. Penguin and all cartridge style HOBs are designed to bypass flow into the spillway when the filter is clogged. So there is no chance of overflow. When the AC foam is clogged, there is no bypass but pops up and pushes the cover aside. It’s not only unsightly, but potentially drips over. The O ring is uniquely AC design issue. There is no O ring issue with any other HOBs I’m aware of except AC.

Firstly the o ring is not an issue. They are a safe and effective gasket design. Improper maintainance would be the issue. As for the overflow issue. It is easily avoided. I even throw a few floss pads on top of my bio to keep it under and when my media is clogged i get.... diminished flow just like any other filter. No overflow no nothing. Its operator error that causes both issues you state. The only negative with ac filters is the levelling foot whis has several easy remedies.

 

[RD.]

when the filter is clogged

There's the key, don't allow your filters to get clogged. I clean my AC's once every 3 months or so, and I have never had one get clogged, or overflow. No clogging, no problem. If your filters are getting clogged up that easily, and/or overflowing, then again, that would be operator error, due to laziness, or whatever the case may be. Keep your filter media clean, end of problem. This isn't exactly rocket science.

 

[tiger15]

If AC failed as often as Tiger would have everyone believe, they would have stopped selling them 40+ years ago, because their sales would have flopped.

It's not a logical deduction. Canisters fail more often than any other types of filters, but that doesn't stop people from buying. In fact, planted tank folks prefer canisters over any other type of filters. Read this.

Eheim Pro II 2026 failed
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...ded-due-to-broken-filter.517601/#post-6198184

Marineland canister failed
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...ilters-i-have-ever-owned.556520/#post-6639985

Good marketing sell. Big fish keepers prefer AC because it can deliver higher gph than any other brands notwithstanding poor correlation between gph and performance.

There's the key, don't allow your filters to get clogged. I clean my AC's once every 3 months or so, and I have never had one get clogged, or overflow. No clogging, no problem. If your filters are getting clogged up that easily, and/or overflowing, then again, that would be operator error, due to laziness, or whatever the case may be. Keep your filter media clean, end of problem.

Filters can get clogged while you are away. It's not laziness or human errors. I cleaned all my filters before I went away for vacation, and often returned 2 to 3 weeks later finding some of my Penguins clogged, but no overflowing due to good design.

It's amazing that you clean your AC only once every 3 months and seldom clean your impellers. I have high plant mass and heavy fish load, and need to clean my Penguins twice a week and impellers once every 3 to 4 months.

 

[Zanzag]

I only clean my media every 2 months or so. Canister or hob. I use prefilter sponges and clean those every week or two. Its not hard to keep it clean...

 

[RD.]

The only logical deduction that I can make from that, Tiger, is that I am amazing. Thank you.

 

[viejafish]

Don’t forget that the op asked for opinion between AC and Tidal. I have no experience with Tidal. But from the product description, it’s an improvement over AC. It has a motor located inside the tank, so there is no O ring issue. It said to have a bypass channel for clogged filter, so does it really work.

AC has been in use for over 40 years, so we all know its pros and cons. Are there more input from Tidal user to share their experience.

I notice there is a new line of filters that place the motor inside the tank claiming that they are quieter and self priming, such as Whisper IQ, Aqueon, Marina, and Cascade. Are they any better?

 

[Rocksor]

I notice there is a new line of filters that place the motor inside the tank claiming that they are quieter and self priming, such as Whisper IQ, Aqueon, Marina, and Cascade. Are they any better?

Motors inside a tank quieter than a canister? If you have ever used a powerhead in the tank, it's not that quiet. There is a low hum, which I find much louder than a canister filter under the tank behind the closed doors.

It's not really that hard to only service the AC every few months, and not touch the impellers. Keep the bio-load (fish and plants) moderate to low. Once you start stocking a tank heavy, every filtration system needs more cleaning and maintenance.