new aquaclear filter

[aquabeast]

while i was at my lfs i bought a new filter for my new 10 gallon tank ive set up, an aquaclear power filter. its rated for 5 to 20 gallons... i was ondering if anyone knew about this filter and if so, did i buy the right brand?

 

[Deckape]

You did well in my opinion. They are dependable and run like a champ. They are also versitile.

 

[aquabeast]

this thing seems a bit more complicated with all the stuff packed into the filter.. alot more complex than my other filters..

 

[TraceyB4602]

Aquaclears are the best HOB filters in my opinion. I have had the same one on my ten gallon for 5 years and haven't had an issue yet. All the stuff inside is really unnecessary unless you've treated with medicine. If I were you I would leave out the carbon and add another sponge filter in it's place that's what I do.

 

[JOMA]

aquaclears are the bes HOB filters out there. you can choose what to put into the filter, you dont have to do a certain amount of anything. whatever seems good to you works.

 

[Deckape]

Yea but its layered. From button to top. Sponge provides mechanical filtration and some biological filtration, next the carbon removes ammonia and is considered chemical filtration and finally the rock looking things are for giving the beneficial bacteria a home, this is the biological filtration stage.

Now you have decisions to.make. I am just gonna let you decide on your choice. Some people will tell you not to use the carbon unless your water gets real nasty or you are removing medicines. You could either exchange it for another sponge or for more of the ceramic rocks. Your choice I am not going to tell you what to do. I personally right now am not running carbon in mine, but do have a double dose of the ceramic in my AC50.

See it is versitile. You did well in getting an Aquaclear

 

[Deckape]

Have you cycled your tank yet or is this a new start up?

 

[aquabeast]

the tanks been set up since november.

 

[Deckape]

Cool

 

[CoyoteWildfire]

To chime in with everyone here, AquaClear has been fantastic. I'm using an AC50 on my 29G tank. Since it's multi-staged, you can remove the carbon and change that as necessary, while still keeping the ceramic pellets (BioBag) running in the tank. Some people even run two BioBags and just ditch the charcoal.

This is a beautiful thing when it comes to filter changes, as that preserves a lot of your biological filter. Another fantastic aspect is that it's strong. That thing sucks crap out of my tank like no tomorrow. I'm running it in tandem with a Tetra Whisper 10 and the AC makes the Tetra look like child's play.

 

[aquabeast]

i have a tetra whisper 10 and it makes it look cheap and weak..

 

[Rokuzachi]

Great filters. I run mine with double bio-max and a sponge but always keep a carbon pack on hand in case I need to remove meds or whatever else.

You really can't do better for how inexpensive they are compared to other options.

 

[Amicus]

I am running an emporer now but I agree that the AC filters run like champs and the versatility is awsome. I got the biowheel because I anticipated a larger bioload but stopped short when buying fish.

 

[BillD]

Prior to the renaming of the AC line, bio rings were not part of the setup. the sponge was the mechanical and bio component of the filter. As several have mentioned, adding a second sponge instead of the carbon is a good option. You are increasing the total bio capacity of the filter. if running 2 sponges, you can add a layer of polyester floss between them to filter out even fine particles. This will likely clog quickly, but is a snap to replace. In addition, the sponges last for years. They do not need replacing until they start to disintegrate. They are a great filter.

 

[aquabeast]

im running one of each thing until i find my preference..