SeaChem – Large Aquarium Fish Tank Filter, Tidal 110 Gallon (400 Liters) by Sicce

This started out as my secondary unit to my canister filter, but I've since rearranged media so that it's now my primary mechanical and my canister is strictly a secondary bio/CO2 filter.The pro: This is the only "all-in-one"unit I have found that pulls water from all levels. Even freshwater tanks need a surface skim, to keep those natural oils and floating debris from building up. This one excels at filtering the middle to upper portions of the tank. Media is infinitely configurable and customizable to your needs. I currently run a coarse sponge topped by the medium sponge it came with, then bio media on top of that. It's quiet, (so long as you keep the water level high). And by design, the motor/impeller doesn't need maintained as often as other filters. It's powerful and variable; this unit can push as much water as you desire.Cons: it doesn't pull a lot of water from the lower column of the tank. That's about the only location a canister pulls from however, which is why running two different types of filtration is advantageous. Running by itself, it's very selective towards the top. The other con I've found is that it doesnt like fine filtration. If I put a water polishing pad in there it almost immediately starts bypassing. However, combining the coarse with the medium sponges as I mentioned above, it captures most of the suspended particles and only needs cleaned once a week. If/when the motor impeller needs maintenance, it's a small ordeal to disassemble the submerged part of the unit to access. It also needs more behind-tank clearance than other filters.Verdict: it's not perfect, but it's the best HOB I have found in 20+ years of fish keeping. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.

Most aquarium filters aren't very good. My Tidals (I've had a pair of 110s since 8/20) are an exception, having won me over after my initial annoyance with a rattling noise in one, which I eventually fixed. Water flow is good, the self-priming feature is very welcome, and their reliability has been great.I use a pair of these filters on a 90-gallon planted, CO2-injected aquarium with five large angels, four young keyhole cichlids, five black neon tetras (great fish), seven emperor tetras, five corydoras, and three SAEs--so it's moderately stocked. I also run a pair of Aquarium Co-op's coarse sponge filters with two air pumps. I guess I like my symmetry!I like them better than my two Eheim 2217s. Yes, two again. The Eheims get rattly after about eight years, so I have to periodically replace the shafts and grommets. Canister filters are a PITA to maintain regularly. I've relegated them to my other tank, a 55-gallon with about 20 yellow lab cichlids (Labidochromis caeruleus). Obviously that tank is heavily stocked, but the Eheims and another sponge filter work fine in that setup.I like a lot of Seachem products, but I've found I don't really need anything any more besides Prime and Purigen, since I already have CO2 and my favorite fertilizers are pond tabs (cheap) for plant roots and NilocG for DIY water column fertilization for leaf feeders. Seachem's Tidal filters are a quality product, just like Prime and Purigen.

I trust Seachem for the quality of their products so when I first saw they had built an HOB filter, I had to acquire one (two actually). I’ve been keeping fish nearly 40 years, both Marine and Freshwater and used a number of different filters including several brands of canister filters. My favorite filter until this one was an Aqua Clear from Hagen (Fluval), because of the ease of maintenance and their versatility in what media can be used. My only complaint about the Aqua Clear units is that more recently, the quality of their internal parts has dipped a bit, particularly the motor shafts and impeller assembly with the result being very noisy filters. They continued to function, but were loud. With all of that said, I am impressed with the build quality, design and features of the new Tidal line of filters. I have 2 110’s running in a 60 gallon tank that is heavily populated with Convict Cichlids. Current media load is the Seachem sponge, double bags of matrix and chemi-pure with the second filter the same swapping the chemi-pure with Purigen. So far, so good - excellent flow, quiet operation and yes, crystal clear water. At this point, I’m extremely satisfied with these filters. As with all new items, reliability can only be determined through extended use. After 6 months, I’ll post an update regarding noise and function.

I got this as a backup filter for a 75G. I have a Fluval FX4 running and decided to add a HOB filter to polish my water. It is a powerful filter with a lot of space for filter media. I added Renew and some Matrix. It comes with some media but it just fills up half the space. After adding this filter, my water clarity improved. I also added 30 amano shrimp to combat algae, and so far, it has worked.The only downside to this filter is the noise. As a canister filter kind of girl, I am used to a gentle hum in the background. This filter, however, requires a specific water level to not be "splashy" (like every HOB) but I noted that the filter is more sensitive to water level than others due to how powerful it is. Even if you adjust water levels, adjust how the filter sits on your tank, there will be water splashing noises. The motor is also pretty loud. Compared to my FX4 which is more like a background noise, this filter's loud noise takes a while to get used to.I do not recommend this filter if you are sensitive to noise, if you have a small room or using this in a bedroom. However, if you are desperate for a good HOB filter and don't really care about noise, then buy this!