Seachem Tidal Power Aquarium Filter - 35 Gallon Large Fish Tank Filter,black

This could very well be the best HOB power filter for a small fish tank. By small, I mean tanks less than 30 gallon. The Tidal 35 has some standout features that make it an excellent choice for a small tank. It is capable of comprehensive filtration: biological, mechanical, and chemical.I say "perhaps" because I have not tried the newest Marineland Penguins. I owned an Emperor 400 many years ago and threw it away because it was a pain to prime the pump after a water change. I understand that issue has been resolved in the new products from Marineland. Anyway, back to the Seachem Tidal 35. This filter's most important feature is the internal (In the tank) motor. This filter will restart even if the media box is completely dry. It does not rely on siphon to work. It is a "push" system. The impeller is inside the fish tank, below the water level. The impeller pushes the water to the filter. This means it will restart reliably after a power failure. There is never any need to prime the filter. Priming means to add water to the filter box in order to start the siphon.The Seachem does not require manufactured filter media. Yes, you can roll your own. Your knowledge and choice of materials will determine the effectiveness of the filter. The size of the filter box will allow you to pack a lot of filtration material. More than enough for a 35 gallon tank.There are other very good power filters on the market. I also love the Fluval C series and the Aquaclears. The Fluval C series has the advantage of having the biological media above the water level. Thus, the Fluval C series has a small wet-dry area to grow beneficial microbes. Biological filtration is greatly improved when your media has exposure to the atmosphere. Bacteria thrives on oxygen. So this is where the Fluval C series and the Marineland filters have their advantage over the Seachem Tidal. However, most situations do not call for maximum biological filtration efficiency. Bacteria grow on every interior surface of your tank. Even submerged media will have more than enough capacity to provide biological filtration for the filter's rated gallons. This Seachem will easily handle the biological load for its rated capacity.This is a great product from Seachem. It is made for them by the Italian maker, Sicce. Yes, it is more expensive compared to its competitors. But the fact that you do not need to prime the filter is a big convenience factor. It also makes the filter more dependable. The surface skimmer will work great if you have carbon in the filter box. Otherwise, it will not be able to remove surface oils. You can reuse or repurpose the small zip bag that comes with the filter.I have freshwater clams in this fish tank. Therefore, I do not want to filter out the floating debris from the water column. Clams are filter feeders. This filter's main purpose is to provide biological filtration and water circulation. I removed the foam filter. I am only using the bag of Matrix biomedia. This allows small particles, such as phytoplankton, to pass through. At least most of them. I either reduce the water flow or turn off the filter when adding phytoplankton to the tank. I also have a Seachem Ammonia alert in this tank. Yes, adding liquid phytoplankton adds to the biological load of the tank. But the clams have to eat too. The Ammonia Alert will let me know if a spike should occur.This is a great filter. I can recommend it without any reservations. For bigger tanks, you might want to also check out the newest Marineland Emperor Pro 450. I have not owned the newly redesigned Emperor. It is only for big tanks. The Tidal 75 is probably its biggest competitor.

so far so good, this filter is a winner when compared with other brands. I used it to setup 30 gallon fish tankgood:The plastics looks good, well made, sturdy, no leaking, easy to replace the material, quiet (but you need fill tank with enough water otherwise the water falling might be noisethe best:you can customize your own material at your preferences, no need to pay for expensive cartridge , in my case will add an additional thin sponge and floss medianice to have:I would like a telescopic tube or hose to adapt into the intake to allow siphoning the floor .

Great overall filter. I am new to aquariums and did a lot of research to find this, glad I did.Features I particularly like:** self-priming -- particularly fantastic for power outtages, absent-minded family members who don't think about restarting pump when you are at work, and when you have to do water changes and need to restart. Worth the extra coin.** customizable media -- Do yourself a favor and read up on filter media (chapter 7) at aquariumscience dot org. I removed the seachem rocks and replaced with 8 plastic pot scrubbers to increase biofiltration surface area.** cleanability?? -- based on aquariumscience dot org website, you will do better NOT to clean your filters regularly as the filter company suggests. This will allow you to build up your biofiltration in the filter media and get clean water faster.** overpowered for my 10 gallon tank -- this 35 gallon-worthy filter is enough to create airflow in my 10 gallon tank so I don't need an extra pump. It should be enough if/when I upgrade to 20 gallon.** quiet sound -- only really hear the waterfall effect.If you are new to aquariums and/or having problems with your current aquarium, read up on evidence-based aquarium management at aquariumscience dot org. I really wish I had found that page BEFORE I bought all the fancy media (this filter pump is still a good purchase, though!).

This is second Tidal 35 filter for my second fish tank. I bought this one again because I like the adjustable flow setting for this filter that I need for the Betta fish I have. On one of my tank, it has a faster flow for my community fish tank and a slower flow for my sorority betta tank.PRO: Quiet, Adjustable water flow, and easy to clean.CON: Small fish can get sucked into filter vent, no standard sponge filter to cover vent (diy a square sponge filter to cover vent).

The media could not be loaded. It's a great filter with little to no noise, just a little rattle from the motor,the water comes out like a water fall,great design. This is in my 20 long gallon and it moves the water all around the tank. Only complaint is that the cord was designed wrong,it's on the opposite end of the motor and you have to go to the other side of the filter to come out of the tank,when you get one you'll see what I'm talking about. I would recommend this,others are complaining about no tube going down near the bottom of tank, you don't need one, a filter is designed to filter water not pock up fish waist and left over food,you need to vacuum the rocks every 1 to 2 months with a gravel cleaner.

This things is a great filters. Work well is the quietest filter I’ve ever had. Easy to clean the pump in the water so it is self priming.