Suggested filters?

[biofish]

Hello fish fam!

I’m looking for new filters for my 10, 20, and 30 gallon tanks. I currently have AquaClear for all of them and well for the most part they’re great. They are *quiet* which is very important because I have 5 tanks in my bedroom next to my bed, they trap a lot of nasty stuff while not needing replacement filer stuff for a long time, and they haven’t managed to suck up one of my baby fish yet.

But! They have a teeny tiny little microscopic problem….

They flood. A lot.

Water gushes out of the back at random intervals (normally when I’m not home because karma). They come with the leveling pieces but those pop off easier than dandelion seeds. And when they do, it turns into a very big issue that’s ruined a few of my floor boards. I’ve half a mind to glue the levelers on at this point. And the tubes clog. Very frequently. Fish poop, so I can understand a clog in every now and then but it’s kinda ridiculous how quick the tube turns brown and the flow is reduced to a trickle. And the one I have on my 20 gallon, almost half the time I plug it back in after cleaning it, the motor doesn’t start. The little propeller doesn’t spin and the filter doesn’t filter. But the motor gets HOT even so. So I typically either take the filter back out and reclean the motor, taking the propeller out and gently rinsing it out. Other times I leave it unplugged for a while before trying again. Sometimes these methods work. Sometimes they don’t. Right now the filter isn’t working but it’s also 10:30 at night so I’m just leaving it unplugged for now.

So any sturdy quiet filter suggestions so I can put the 20 galllon aqua clear to rest and save the rest of my floors?

 

[DragonScales+Doubletails]

If you don't mind a wonderful waterfall sound a HOB penguin 100 power filter would fit the bit for a 20. they also come in different sizes for different tanks.

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[Lajos_Detari]

If your filter floods, it could mean that the filter media has clogged especially the foam/sponge pad.
If you use a fine foam pad, it will clog faster than a coarse foam pad.
You have to clean the filter media probably once a month.

Anyway, if you want a filter that has lesser problems, an internal filter is always the best choice.
Just make sure that the filter media volume is big enough to support your tank.

Some internal filters come with venturi which is useful to push air into the tank though at the same time it can be a bit noisy.
You can have the option not to install the venturi if I'm not wrong.

Or you can put the filter higher to reduce the venturi noise.
The deeper you put the filter, the more noise it creates.
Or you can reduce/adjust the air flow to the venturi to reduce the noise.
Some internal filters have the option of rain bar(sprinkler) for the output.

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However, if you still prefer a "hang on filter", Seachem Tidal is a good one but more expensive.
Seachem Tidal self priming is powerful especially for Tidal 5 and above.
The motor/impeller is inside the tank rather than outside as most hang on filters are including Aquaclear making it very powerful.
In the event of a power outage, the filter will restart by itself when the power come back.
And you don't have to worry that the filter won't restart.

Seachem - Tidal Power Filters

www.seachem.com

 

[Oblio]

Hello fish fam!

I’m looking for new filters for my 10, 20, and 30 gallon tanks. I currently have AquaClear for all of them and well for the most part they’re great. They are *quiet* which is very important because I have 5 tanks in my bedroom next to my bed, they trap a lot of nasty stuff while not needing replacement filer stuff for a long time, and they haven’t managed to suck up one of my baby fish yet.

But! They have a teeny tiny little microscopic problem….

They flood. A lot.

Water gushes out of the back at random intervals (normally when I’m not home because karma). They come with the leveling pieces but those pop off easier than dandelion seeds. And when they do, it turns into a very big issue that’s ruined a few of my floor boards. I’ve half a mind to glue the levelers on at this point. And the tubes clog. Very frequently. Fish poop, so I can understand a clog in every now and then but it’s kinda ridiculous how quick the tube turns brown and the flow is reduced to a trickle. And the one I have on my 20 gallon, almost half the time I plug it back in after cleaning it, the motor doesn’t start. The little propeller doesn’t spin and the filter doesn’t filter. But the motor gets HOT even so. So I typically either take the filter back out and reclean the motor, taking the propeller out and gently rinsing it out. Other times I leave it unplugged for a while before trying again. Sometimes these methods work. Sometimes they don’t. Right now the filter isn’t working but it’s also 10:30 at night so I’m just leaving it unplugged for now.

So any sturdy quiet filter suggestions so I can put the 20 galllon aqua clear to rest and save the rest of my floors?

What is your stocking in your tanks? I've never had an issue with clogging with my AC 110. Perhaps a sponge pre-filter will minimize the uptake of gunk past the impeller. You will still need to frequently clean the pre-filter but at least it shouldn't flood. Reducing the flow rate might also reduce the uptake of mulm.

I've not tried it, but winding a small bit of cellophane tape to the shaft of the leveling cam may hold it in place. Wrap just enough so that it does not drop out.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Ditch the sponges, use 100% poly floss instead, and change out weekly during your WC's....around $8 at Walmart, a pack lasts me over a year, changing the floss in 5 different AC's weekly

As for the leveler, ditch it, and use a piece of folded cardboard between the filter casing and the tank glass to level...I use double-sided sticky tape to attach the cardboard to the tank, so it stays in place

Are you cleaning your filters monthly?...if so, the buildup in the intake pipe should be minimal

If the motor freezes and won't restart, use a long thin object (like a bent paper clip) to reach into the filter, and give the impeller fins a nudge...should start right up...the intake tube will have to be moved to the far right to expose the impeller

A write-up I did on cleaning the AC's you may find helpful:

For Those Who Use AquaClear HOB Filters

I've written a few articles/DIY pieces on the AC HOB filters in another forum, and would like to share a few tips/tricks in this thread. Some are bit lengthy, apologies in advance, but tried to be as thorough as possible. I'm a fan of these little filters, currently have 6 in use, and have...

www.fishforums.net

 

[Slaphppy7]

And for prefilters, use these...much nicer/neater looking than sponges, and very easy to clean with an old toothbrush

Stainless Steel Mesh Pre-Filter Intake Guards For Aquariums Shrimps Tanks

www.jungleaquashrimp.com

 

[GaryE]

I still like the sponges for biofiltration, but I have to squeeze them out in a container of tank water regularly. Every time you remove poly, you kill the filter. I hate changing media, and rinsing's quick.
Make a ball of tape and replace the levelers.
I like aquaclears because they last a very long time. The worst ones I've had were marinelands. I had some no name Chinese AquaClear knock offs that were brilliant. I haven't tried the Tidals yet.

 

[biofish]

My tanks are basically barely contained guppy apocalypses. Started with a small handful in a 10 gallon 11 months ago and then I discovered the reason I was cautioned against female guppies. 60 additional gallons in tanks later with separated genders and I still haven’t managed to fully escape the curse. I think between four tanks I have like. 170 Guppies. And then when I first upgraded to a 20 and 30 gallon for the separate genders I got 6/7 cory catfish for each of them and a candy stripped pleco for both. And then the guppies were like “you wanna see something cooler than reproducing at rabbit speeds? Rabbit reproduction speeds for 8 months after gender separation.” Curse that sperm pouch. So. There’s a concerning amount of fish.

As a result they get frequent water changes, like at least 50% every couple weeks but oftentimes more, and even more frequent filter declogging between water changes. Ive discovered putting a mesh over the filter arm helps prevent the gunk from getting into the arm, and it’s much easier to remove and clean. But the mesh makes me forget to clean the sponges, charcoal, and biomedia.

And I just found a bunch of leftover suction cups that fit nicely behind the filters to push them up and remain suctioned to the glass. If that doesn’t work, I’ll try the cardboard and tape! I think the poor levelers that came with the filters are the main reason for flooding. My room isn’t straight apparently so the filter without a leveler dips down quite a bit.

And I am very interested in an internal filter! My 30 gallon has a UV clarifier and even though it’s an eye sore, that tank has been by far the healthiest tank I keep and it’s easy enough to hide behind plants.

Thank you for all your suggestions! And I will definitely be looking through and trying to implement your suggestions to see what works best for me

 

[Oblio]

I use both sponges and poly batting, along with bio rings. In order from bottom to top in my AC 110: Stock sponge, 2 rectangles of poly-batting, ceramic Bio-rings. I replace the batting each WC, and do a quick squeeze rinse of intake and internal sponge.

 

[Slaphppy7]

I still like the sponges for biofiltration, but I have to squeeze them out in a container of tank water regularly. Every time you remove poly, you kill the filter. I hate changing media, and rinsing's quick.
Make a ball of tape and replace the levelers.
I like aquaclears because they last a very long time. The worst ones I've had were marinelands. I had some no name Chinese AquaClear knock offs that were brilliant. I haven't tried the Tidals yet.

Not in a well-established tank. The BB colony is not only in the filter, but it's in the substrate, as well...and on deco...and the BB will colonize the other filter media, as well

There are some here who actually rinse their filter media in chlorinated tap water, because of this fact, without fear of killing off their entire BB colony

I'm not brave enough to try that, however

I loathe nasty, stinky sponges...there's other filter media that works just as well, and is easier to keep clean

 

[AbbeysDad]

Aquaclear's are great so you don't need different filters...

> For the adjuster you say falls out (mine never have!) just determine the correct setting and use a drop of super glue
(I'm a fan of Max1 German glue). Alternatively a bit of gum or clay in the hole could also work.
> For the impeller sticking, once a month or 6 weeks you need to remove the filter, then remove the motor and clean the impeller cavity. Then the impeller will spin freely even if/when there's a power interruption.
> If there are times an impeller sticks, just remove the inlet tube and use a chop stick or pencil top down to give it a nudge.
> For water changes or filter maintenance, don't unplug the filter, just pull out the inlet tube, then reinstall when water level is correct again.

I have my Aquaclears full of sponge material and never service until output flow is very reduced. This ensures a well developed biology in the filter.

 

[GaryE]

I bought this tangled blue plastic matting, all recycled, sold as Japanese filter matting. I bought a large sheet of it 10 years ago, and still use it as biomedia in aquaclears. That below, sponge on top. While there are bacterial colonies all over an established tank, I still trust my filters to do the lion's share of the ammonia eating. I never get a smell from the sponges, but the houseplants sure like what I do squeeze out.

 

[Slaphppy7]

We are about to redo our front flower bed, and install some knock-out roses....they're gonna love water change day

Old tank water is so nutrient rich, it's a shame to dump it down a sink...we water plants instead...and have noticed a real difference....practically free fertilizer....and "free" happens to be my favorite price

 

[Oblio]

We are about to redo our front flower bed, and install some knock-out roses....they're gonna love water change day

Old tank water is so nutrient rich, it's a shame to dump it down a sink...we water plants instead...and have noticed a real difference....practically free fertilizer....and "free" happens to be my favorite price

Been dumping on Monkey Grass now that it is Spring in the Southeastern US, I can see the new growth. Also use for houseplants.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Aquaclear's are great so you don't need different filters...

> For the adjuster you say falls out (mine never have!) just determine the correct setting and use a drop of super glue
(I'm a fan of Max1 German glue). Alternatively a bit of gum or clay in the hole could also work.
> For the impeller sticking, once a month or 6 weeks you need to remove the filter, then remove the motor and clean the impeller cavity. Then the impeller will spin freely even if/when there's a power interruption.
> If there are times an impeller sticks, just remove the inlet tube and use a chop stick or pencil top down to give it a nudge.
> For water changes or filter maintenance, don't unplug the filter, just pull out the inlet tube, then reinstall when water level is correct again.

I have my Aquaclears full of sponge material and never service until output flow is very reduced. This ensures a well developed biology in the filter.

@AbbeysDad , could you elaborate on the highlighted above...please and thank you

Plugged in to an electrical wall socket during maintenance?