I Am Just About Ready to Pull the Trigger on an AquaClear 110 But...

[Osage_Winter]

A member of AquaticCommunity found a $60 deal on an AquaClear 110 via Ebay, and I think that's a pretty good price, but...

I am very concerned with my ability to "maintain" this filter with regard to the kinds of media it takes -- I know it comes with a three-tiered approach to the media, but how often do these three elements need to be replaced or rinsed, or whatever? It seems more daunting than just a standard HOB with cartridges...

Is this filter easy to set up and maintain? If someone could ease my mind about this, I may just pull the trigger on the one someone found for me on Ebay...

 

[blackomen]

They're real easy to deal with and do a nice job. I just rinse mine in tank water every water change. All I run in mine is the sponge and the ceramic discs. I haven't seen the need to replace either of those pieces. So, it can actually save you money and you won't lose the beneficial bacteria that's established on them. It works almost like a canister filter.

 

[Osage_Winter]

They're real easy to deal with and do a nice job. I just rinse mine in tank water every water change. All I run in mine is the sponge and the ceramic discs. I haven't seen the need to replace either of those pieces. So, it can actually save you money and you won't lose the beneficial bacteria that's established on them. It works almost like a canister filter.

Thanks, omen!

I'm kind of a re-beginner in the hobby, so would you be able to briefly and simply walk me through how to set this filter up for the first time, out of the box? It comes with the three media elements, correct? How do these go into the basket before priming the filter with water?

 

[BigJim]

Sponge goes on the bottom, biomedia goes on the top. Save the carbon for later. You may need it to remove tannins or medication at some point.

AquaClears are really simple to maintain. I run ACs on four of my tanks. They get clean out about once a month. Wash the sponge out with the water siphoning from the tank during a PWC. Rapidly dunk the biomedia in the same PWC water to clean it off. Wash the plastic stuff, impeller, and inside of the motor in tap water. Scrub with a bottle brush.

 

[Drayven]

I have Aquaclears on my 3 tanks and as the others have said it's no big deal. I just rinse the sponge and bio bag in the tank water every cleaning and everything seems pretty good. I have been replacing the sponge every 6 months or so just because that seems to be the time when it stops rinsing as clean as I'd like.

 

[Osage_Winter]

Thanks for all the replies, guys; I actually purchased the filter this evening and have set it up, but have questions about its operations, so I'll begin a new thread on that and allow mods to close down these subsequent threads...