My issue with the Tidal filters (pics for evidence) Read before buying

[BullyBee]

Every time I go to any of my LFS and someone says “this is our best hob filter” and then points to the tidal, I get an impulse to yell “my ass it is”

Sometimes I test people’s will online because all I see is praise for it. When I tell them my issues, I get the same old “all Hob’s do that.”

I even almost bought two more because I was willing to believe “these must be the best” even though I have the exact opposite experience with them.

Well now I’m gonna do it. “MY ASS!”

Look at all this bypass!! If I have course filter foam on the bottom with floss in the middle and bio media on top explain this sludge?



(EDIT) Notice how the filter floss under the bio media is white, yet the bio media is goo’ed up (END EDIT) There’s no way in a canister filter that would make it past the foam and floss into the bio media. There’s no way in the Aqueon HOB I used to run that would make it through to the bio media.

Don’t get me wrong- the submersible pump made by sicce is top notch, the surface skimmer works very very well. It’s def built better than anything else I have seen.

But without filtering the muck and sludge out before it hits the biomedia so the most amount of bacteria can thrive makes this filter a dud to me.

 

[Empyreal]

I always loved aquaclears

 

[esoxlucius]

Just to be clear, I have never kept those type of filters but i'll have a stab at a possible cause in my ignorance.

Is there no plastic lid type cover thingy that slots on the top? Reason I ask is that if there is no cover and it is run like that 24/7, then could that gunk be some kind of diatom/algae growth encouraged by the light?

If the flow of water goes through your mech side first, assuming that your mech side is adequate, and correctly placed, then I can't see why "bits" from the water should be getting through, other than if the sludge was "growing " there, somehow, AFTER the water as already been filtrated, which would fit in with some kind of diatom/algae growth.

 

[duanes]

I see this as a maintenance problem.
I have used the Tidals on small tanks, and they have worked fine.' They just need to be cleaned often.
Every time I did water changes, I swished out the bio-media bag in old tank water (I tend do water changes every other day), and to clean out mechanical media probably every other day too (dependent on stocking), to keep nitrate from building up in the tank.

 

[Machine 79]

I have two tidals. It's from the surface skimmer. If you lift up your basket there's an empty space on the left side. I got the sludge on the bio media myself, so I took a price of sponge filter replacement from an aquaclear 70, cut it to size and placed it in the empty cavity and reinserted the basket. Don't know if you tried this yet but it made this problem go away and helped clear my tank even better. I treat it's as almost a prefilter. I hope maybe this helps

 

[BullyBee]

Just to be clear, I have never kept those type of filters but i'll have a stab at a possible cause in my ignorance.

Is there no plastic lid type cover thingy that slots on the top? Reason I ask is that if there is no cover and it is run like that 24/7, then could that gunk be some kind of diatom/algae growth encouraged by the light?

If the flow of water goes through your mech side first, assuming that your mech side is adequate, and correctly placed, then I can't see why "bits" from the water should be getting through, other than if the sludge was "growing " there, somehow, AFTER the water as already been filtrated, which would fit in with some kind of diatom/algae growth.

no there is a cover

 

[neutrino]

I have two tidals. It's from the surface skimmer. If you lift up your basket there's an empty space on the left side. I got the sludge on the bio media myself, so I took a price of sponge filter replacement from an aquaclear 70, cut it to size and placed it in the empty cavity and reinserted the basket. Don't know if you tried this yet but it made this problem go away and helped clear my tank even better. I treat it's as almost a prefilter. I hope maybe this helps

I suspect this is it. I'm not having the issue with mine-- Tidal 110 on a 50 gal tank-- not really using the surface skimmer. I also skipped the coarse pad, just poly floss ahead of the bio-media. After that is maintenance imo, though my 50 is lightly stocked and filter maintenance is low. (not to say your maintenance is lacking, just that it's another possible factor)

 

[BullyBee]

I see this as a maintenance problem.
I have used the Tidals on small tanks, and they have worked fine.' They just need to be cleaned often.
Every time I did water changes, I swished out the bio-media bag in old tank water (I tend do water changes every other day), and to clean out mechanical media probably every other day too (dependent on stocking), to keep nitrate from building up in the tank.

I clean it every week. I’m just getting really frustrated

 

[BullyBee]

I have two tidals. It's from the surface skimmer. If you lift up your basket there's an empty space on the left side. I got the sludge on the bio media myself, so I took a price of sponge filter replacement from an aquaclear 70, cut it to size and placed it in the empty cavity and reinserted the basket. Don't know if you tried this yet but it made this problem go away and helped clear my tank even better. I treat it's as almost a prefilter. I hope maybe this helps

thats what I’ll do!!!!

 

[Rass]

I hot rodded a marineland filter in a very similar fashion. The bio media bags do get some mulm on them over time, but honestly I dont worry about it. I have a planted 40 breeder with shrimp, endlers, and snails all breeding in that tank long term and the filter honestly never gets cleaned more than once or twice a year. It's only there for flow and some biological filtration. I pretty much treat this tank like a pond and let it grow wild with 25% water changes about once every 4-6 weeks. Unless you have mulm being pushed back into the tank and causing water clarity issues it really isn't going to hurt anything. I'd try prefiltering the skimmer a bit better and see if that helps. If the fish are healthy and your tank looks good I wouldn't worry about it too much.