The Aquaclear 110 vs the Seachem Tidal 110

[TheReefer]

Hey guys, I got a seachem tidal 110 for my 20 gallon axolotl tank and I got an Aquaclear 110 for my pike 20 gallon dwarf pike cichlid tank and I would like to compare the two to share which one I think is best.

Seachem Tidal 110 Aquaclear 110

Has a surface skimmer (pro or con, depending on whether or not you have duckweed in your tank and if you like having your water level lower)	No surface skimmer, can be a pro or con so I won't add anything
Holds more media (I had two pounds of biomax and some matrix that came with the filter in there, all fit no problem) +1	Doesn't hold as much media (I got about 1 bag of biomax to fit, I also didn't add in the carbon to try to give more room)
450 gph	500 gph +1
Has a heater clip (not a very big deal so I'll give .5)	Has no heater clip
$74.14 (on Amazon) +1 for being cheaper (though it's not that much of a difference)	$79.99 (on Amazon)
Has an indicator to indicate if filter is clogged +.5	No indicator to indicate if it is clogged
Adjustable intake tube (can adjust length) +.5	Cannot adjust the length of the intake tube
The pump is self priming, just plug in and it works (especially useful if you lose power a lot) +1	The pump is not self priming

Verdict: I think the seachem tidal is better, it just has a lot of things the aquaclear doesn't, but to be clear, I love both filters. What I like more about seachem is that it can hold more media, you can adjust the intake tube (which will help if you have a shorter or taller tank), and the pump is self priming. Of all the HOB filters there are, I definitely think these two are the best.

 

[Lepisosteus]

Let’s see how it does in the long run. Aquaclears are famous for lasting forever. To me a good reputation is better than specs on paper. I voted for AC

 

[TheReefer]

Let’s see how it does in the long run. Aquaclears are famous for lasting forever. To me a good reputation is better than specs on paper. I voted for AC

Yeah aquaclear has been around for awhile and hasn't changed because they work. I still have to go with the tidal though

 

[krichardson]

I'm an Aquaclear fan and am about to purchase another 110 but I do like the surface skimming frature of the Seachem.

 

[jaws7777]

Im an ac 110 fan.

But that self priming feature sounds cool.

 

[jaws7777]

I'm an Aquaclear fan and am about to purchase another 110 but I do like the surface skimming frature of the Seachem.

You should pick up some poret foam too, the stuff is much better than the foam block that comes with it. I used 30ppi in.

 

[krichardson]

You should pick up some poret foam too, the stuff is much better than the foam block that comes with it. I used 30ppi in.

Where did you get it from?

 

[jaws7777]

Swisstropicals

 

[tiger15]

How deep is the Tidal box? One eye scoring thing about AC is that the box is very deep, meaning that you have to sit the tank farther away from the wall.

One stand out feature of Tidal is that the motor is submerged inside the tank, so it is self priming even if the box is empty, and marketed to be quieter. I have no experience with Tidal. I bought one and returned, because the smaller model I bought couldnt fit in my tank rim, so I don’t know it’s long term performance. Is it really quieter? Self priming in empty box isn’t a big deal as you only need to fill up the box the first time.

Self priming in power interruption is an important safety factor though. AC and all HOBs will self primp if the box is not empty and the impeller is not gunk out. The frequency for required cleaning varies with bio load, brand and model. AC is a reliable self primer in power outage, Whisper is worst, and Marineland Penguin is fair. From my experience using power head, all impeller will eventually gunk up and need cleaning. How often and easy to take the Tidal motor apart to clean the impeller is a question for long term use.

High gph is not a key factor to measure HOB performance, but it’s a marketable number customers pay attention to. Too high gph without sufficient media will under perform, for instance, you don’t want to run a sponge filter with a power head which will clog up at no time. If high gph is what you need, get a circulation pump. In fact, I retrofit smaller impeller in my Penguin HOBs to enhance efficiency and prolong filter cleaning. What is more important are the media volume for biological filtration, and cross sectional area for mechanical. The media will get clogged and popped in the first inch of cross section before the full volume. How is the flow through cross sectional area of Tidal compared with AC.

 

[TheReefer]

How deep is the Tidal box? One eye scoring thing about AC is that the box is very deep, meaning that you have to sit the tank farther away from the wall.

One stand out feature of Tidal is that the motor is submerged inside the tank, so it is self priming even if the box is empty, and marketed to be quieter. I have no experience with Tidal. I bought one and returned, because the smaller model I bought couldnt fit in my tank rim, so I don’t know it’s long term performance. Is it really quieter? Self priming in empty box isn’t a big deal as you only need to fill up the box the first time.

Self priming in power interruption is an important safety factor though. AC and all HOBs will self primp if the box is not empty and the impeller is not gunk out. The frequency for required cleaning varies with bio load, brand and model. AC is a reliable self primer in power outage, Whisper is worst, and Marineland Penguin is fair. From my experience using power head, all impeller will eventually gunk up and need cleaning. How often and easy to take the Tidal motor apart to clean the impeller is a question for long term use.

High gph is not a key factor to measure HOB performance, but it’s a marketable number customers pay attention to. Too high gph without sufficient media will under perform, for instance, you don’t want to run a sponge filter with a power head which will clog up at no time. If high gph is what you need, get a circulation pump. In fact, I retrofit smaller impeller in my Penguin HOBs to enhance efficiency and prolong filter cleaning. What is more important are the media volume for biological filtration, and cross sectional area for mechanical. The media will get clogged and popped in the first inch of cross section before the full volume. How is the flow through cross sectional area of Tidal compared with AC.

I have found thr tidal and aquaclear are both quiet, I don't notice any real difference. As for the tidal media, the media is very deep, but the sponge isn't as thick as the aquaclear and the part where the water comes in is larger on the aquaclear, taking up more space. I find both of them to be very good when it comes to circulating the water in the media. I just like how customizable the tidal is, i find it holds more media, has a surface skimmer, can change flow more than the aquaclear, can adjust the length of the intake tube, and you can adjust how much water you want to go in through the intake tube. If the tidal lasts awhile, I would say it's for sure better