The Aquaclear 110 vs the Seachem Tidal 110

[tiger15]

Ac110 is a proven workhorse but if the seachem is quieter i would give it a try. My ac110s have gotten noisy with age.

The reason it makes noise is worn out impeller. Just like worn out car tire is noisy because the rotation is out of balance. The only remedy is to replace with a new impeller, even though the worn out impeller still functions and may look perfectly fine.

Penguin is a Workhorse too that lasts forever but it gets noisier with age and I replace the impeller every few years. I prefer the cartridge style than the bottom up flow style in AC/Tidal because it’s easier to clean and has larger flow through area for better mechanical filtration.

 

[Jexnell]

Well ive never considered the ACs to be quiet filters. But they have always outperformed the quieter ones on the market by a wide margin and they are certainly passable in noise. i have three of them and its really only one that is intolerable. Ive cleaned it, lubed it several times but its always a grindy mf'er. Still works perfectly fine so for now its my garage tank filter.

You can get new shafts, this has quieted mine down.

Amazon.com : AquaClear Impeller Shaft for AquaClear 110 Power Filter and Powerhead Pumps, Replacement Part, A16551 : Aquarium Power Filters : Pet Supplies

Amazon.com : AquaClear Impeller Shaft for AquaClear 110 Power Filter and Powerhead Pumps, Replacement Part, A16551 : Aquarium Power Filters : Pet Supplies

www.amazon.com

These are old ones taken out after about a years use.

 

[RD.]

Yep, I have replaced impeller shafts, and still ran the same impeller. In my case sand was the cause. Each case can be a different, but they are easy enough to replace, and spare parts have never been difficult to source. I've also found emery cloth will clean up a slightly worn or pitted shaft in a few minutes of work, so it really depends on a number of factors as to replace/clean, one, or both parts.

 

[TheReefer]

Thank you for all your responses, it seems like the consensus here is that the aquaclear lasts very long, but the tidal is new (about a year or two old), but I have heard numerous people say it's held up, so we'll see how long they last, if the tidal lasts as long as the aquaclear, then I'm going with tidal

 

[celebrist]

tidal is made by Sicce which has a good rep. also in retrospect it SHOULD be more advanced than the AC considering the age difference. that being said i am not dumping my AC's just to get one but i will likely buy one when i get my next HOB. the way ACs last that may be a while!

 

[Lepisosteus]

Tidal looks like cheap plastic to me. Looks very similar to the biowheel plastic

 

[Jexnell]

That's the thing tho, AquaClear has the rep for being a workhorse. Plus add in the availability of spare parts for every component of the filter from the basic sponge it comes with to motor's, rotors, you can even get a new main case if have butterfingers like me and drop your filter and break the main case.

 

[jaws7777]

Thank you.

K rich make sure you read the description. Every peice of 30 ppi i purchased has been blue. Green was 20 ppi which was similar to what comes with the filter already. The colors and sizes are interchangeable but i wouldnt be surprised if this could get easily confused by a third party seller.

I never tried 45 ppi id imagine it would need to be cleaned more frequently.

Most of my ac's have been set up with 20ppi on the bottom and 30ppi on top of it. Get 2 inch sheets. Anything thicker will take up too much room.


Edit : forgot the link

http://www.swisstropicals.com/filtration-shop/poret-foam-shop/
http://www.swisstropicals.com/filtration-shop/poret-foam-shop/

 

[TheReefer]

tidal is made by Sicce which has a good rep. also in retrospect it SHOULD be more advanced than the AC considering the age difference. that being said i am not dumping my AC's just to get one but i will likely buy one when i get my next HOB. the way ACs last that may be a while!

Yeah lol, I just got a tidal for my axolotl tank a few months ago and I got a new dwarf pike tank and decided to get an AC for it just so I can see for myself which one I see better. But yeah, definitely try out tidal, hands down among the best filters I’ve ever had.

 

[TheReefer]

Tidal looks like cheap plastic to me. Looks very similar to the biowheel plastic

I find it’s very good, very rigid and doesn’t break easily.