Are they rated for 60 gallon tanks, or was it 60gph? I have the Hygger version of these. Stock fine sponges. Eheim Substrat Pro in the cups, and max it flows about 60gph with fresh unclogged sponges. So probably not a wise choice as stand alone filter in any tanks over 20g. I just use mine in a few tanks in case of power outages so there is still some flow, surface agitation, oxygen exchange, mech and biological filtration . I have an Alita 15 lpm hooked up to a 900va battery backup UPS that feeds my entire fish room (only about 500 gallons of tanks currently). The UPS will run the air pump for 4 hrs.
Could be a stupid question, still pretty new to aquarium community, could you use two different sponges on either side of a double filter like this? Like do a coarse sponge on one side and a finer sponge on the other? Would that be pointless? Would it even work?
That is a GREAT question! So the reason is when you clean them, you would take one out, clean it in treated tap water or old tank water, then clean the other sponge another time. This way there is much less chance to effect the cycle by killing the BB in the sponges.
well i tried and it did not work as well as i had hoped the water wasnt flowing through each sponge evenly due to water being drawn from the path of least resistance, but i swapped them out with a mixture of lava rock, ceramic, and crushed washed seashells and the water is crystal clear and more importantly healthy. thanks for the video!
I found most hang on backs are annoyingly loud. Is a sponge filter the same or just sound of bubbling ? I built a sump for my 33 long because the aqua clear 110 was so loud !
Hello hello so I have 2 aquarium 5 galon each with Guppy Fry's and 2 small in each one and some snails... So is one of this enough in each one? I don't need the electric ones?
@@pauloalmeida8550 Yes! It is inert, so it does not affect the water parameters, it is very porous so it has many "nooks and crannies" for the BB to colonize, and it is CHEAP!
I apologize if this is a dumb question. I recently purchased one of these for my 10 gallon. Does it make a difference if you have the water flow from the uptake tube above the water level or below? Mine is above flowing down. Yours is below going up, which truthfully seems to break the surface better.
Why would the aquaclear sponges be better than the sponge filter? It seems to me that the sponge filter would trap more stuff? What powerhead would folks recommend for a 10-15gal tank?
I have got a twin sponge filter similar to yours and it offers good biological filtration. In terms of mechanical filtration, it's not that great. There is some excess food and fish waste stuck to filter but the good thing is that it pulls all the waste from the tank towards itself which I siphon out easily.
GREAT INFO I wonder how it would work if you only added the coarse foam to one side and left the fine side to "polish" I like the crushed lava rock and/or filter floss idea Peace ✌️
Seachem tidal is not better than the aquaclear. It has a back pressure problem. I found adding any media other than what is included causes it to overflow. Mine was also not that quiet.
@@MichaelsFishRoom Hard to say. It comes with a very coarse sponge and bio matrix. That is it. Design wise I think it offers more than the aquaclear. The motor is in the tank and it supposed to be self-cleaning. So you do not have to worry about priming. Also may be better in a power failure as some people complain that the aquaclear has problems restarting after a power failure. Not sure if that is because they have let the water level get to low. The Tidal also has a built in skimmer which is nice. Some have said they do not like it because you can not turn it off. I got one and tried to enhance it by installing a coarse, medium, and fine foam before the bio matrix. I found that seems to be too much for the filter. Of course, it all boils down to what one wants for their fish. I would encourage you check out the reviews on RU-vid before purchasing one. Have a good one.
thanks for the remark about the factory sponges being to fine. I have two of those in a heavy stocked guppy/bristlenose/cory tank. when I feed, the filters can burp as long as a whole day... I also have two powerhead internal sponge filters in there, they are actually even worse. after a week they don't even work. probably doesn't help that my bristlenoses keep and guppies making babies...
I used to use those back in olden times...when fish tanks were made of wood and had lead strips to join up the glass...👵👵👵👵👵👵 thought they would be good in a betta tank..would love to see a review here...good call...
I run an under gravel filter on my 10 gal with a Betta and some neons and it has worked great for the last year. Don’t see why the fell out of favor other than the increased polishing you can get from hang on backs.
New subscriber here. I seen some smaller double sponge filters on amazon. Would the stock sponge be fine for a single betta in a 5.5? Or would you still change out sponge?
Some good info Mike..thanks for posting. I checked out your website..nice fish..like the deals you run...we are local...anyway I can pick up to save on shipping and save you a trip to the post office??
@@MichaelsFishRoom Thanks for replying Mike...I "ll let you know when I am back on this knee and able to drive again(just had surgery) I'll send ya an email. Have a great night.
Great review and hot rod of filter. Surprised how effective it is. Do you prefer it to the little boxes? I'm using those, and sponges, in my racks with success. Glad to hear you're going to review the Tidal. It is sold by Seachem however Sicci makes them for Seachem. It has pedigree and now that it's been a couple years, a great track record. Power went off during the night last week. Didn't find that 4 of 14 of my AC's had not rebooted until water changes two days later. All six of the Tidals had restarted as the motor is below water. Tidals rock. Thanks Mike. And on a personal note, thought I saw something moving in your beard (if that was your beard) when we got the close up of long hair while you were finalizing the China filter set up. I mention it strictly for health reasons. Thanks.
Lol...instill prefer regular sponge filters. Yeah I know all about the Tidals. I was at an event for aquascaping given by Seachem, the talked a lot about it.
I'm just chilling in my fish house watching two pairs Angels do their thing simultaneously laying eggs enjoying some RU-vid videos responding to your Fathead comments, I'm living the life 😁. It's 86° I live in the middle of paradise 😉
We're not even on the same page the same chapter or even the same book you're joking a disgrace no I'm not politically correct I'm calling your ass out so deal with it suck it up buttercup fix it....... you're a disgrace to this hobby you shouldn't even let your family live upstairs in that house that you Bobo the basement..... Fire hazard black mold hazard
I searched “china filter” on amazon and couldn’t find it :p guess I’ll have to buy through your links! I agree it looks like it could filter a 30g not a 60g.
this is actually an high end quality filter that´s made in Kina! The airlift construktion on this filter is much more advanced comparing to cheaper brands! Great quality of plastic!
I added a single-stage "Chinese" filter to the intake of my AquaClear 50. Just pulled the air tube, put a dab of aquarium sealant in the hole and slipped a 5/8"-i.d. hose over the lift tube. It worked great... for a while, at least. The problem with the original sponges is they're too porous and clog easily, despite being thoroughly cleaned... as I learned when I glanced at the tank, and saw one collapsing that was cleaned just a few days before. So, a trip to Petland Aquatic Adventure for a 3-pack of AquaClear 70 foam inserts, a little quick reaming through the center with a pair kitchen scissors, and the problem was solved. This works well with the undergravel system with a pair of 80-gph powerheads in my 29-gal. Last water test: 40-ppm nitrite level, with everything else just fine!
Wish is a site that sells all kinds of stuff cheap. They have all kinds of aquarium stuff. You should check it out. I would order some sponge filters but my husband won't let me. Also Got Gills . com has something called a rocket filter. It looks interesting but expensive.
I am really enjoying your channel and also the tips and tricks you share..I am just starting my fish room which I will be keeping Bettas and Livebearers really love fancy guppies would like to talk to you about some of those once I get my tanks up and running..I am starting totally from scratch so I have a lot of work to do and I will be posting my progress on my channel..
I was working on a huge reply to this to explain the problem I was having but I accidentally changed pages and lost my work so I'll retype it I guess. Anyway it basically boils down to how the media basket is designed. It sucks. Like you said, it has a weird footprint and it works more like a cup with holes cut in the bottom. The Aquaclear's is more like a wicker basket, and it allows water to flow in through the side if blockage is high in the bottom(and to refiltrate any water that didn't make it out of the HOB, which increases its usefulness) and at least flow through the upper stages in the media compartment. The Tidal is designed to take advantage of none of this with its cup-shaped basket. Essentially, the Aquaclear allows you to spread your maintenance schedule out and it doesn't punish you as much if you forget to clean it whereas the Tidal asks you to clean it whenever any hint of blockage appears. In my case, the blue indicator on the cap of the Tidal was coming up every other day(it comes up by floating on top of water that is bypassing the filter media) in a tank that had very few fish in it. I had the same problem with the blue foam as you that you show on your other video, it being barely dirty at all. I'd clean out the foam and rebuild the media basket and it would start bypassing again in a couple days. I would get frustrated by this and clean out the whole HOB(which is a pain because of how big it is and complicated its design is) and it would bypass again in a couple days' time. Ultimately what made me ditch it was the ant colony that took up residence inside it. Yet another problem I had to deal with. I went with an Aquaclear 70 because ants won't colonize something that allows light to pass through. Going with a cheaper clear plastic actually works out to be an advantage because you can see if your media is dirty without having to get your hands wet. The Tidal is over-engineered crap.
Bristlenose pleco with 4 angel and 4 gold fish and they get feed 2 times a day sera granex and wells chips and the pleco is 2,7 inch long .ON the aquarium i have a 450l/h filter in a 16 gallon tank
I have that same one..not sure if I have done a review yet..after going on 2 months..umm..well the suction cups ..suck..what's new there..I have not removed the floss and balls that I put in the green cups yet to help cycle the tank..so I have not had the joy of taking the thing out the tank to do that..the sponge is great for me..it's in a 36g well stocked male guppy tank..did well for the first month I now have a second filter in there...as a second filter it's fine but the extra green cups are not worth the pain I believe they will become...
Funny there was a post here I did not make.. thought it was a troll so went to see if I could delete it..which I did...I think your RU-vid is in the twilight zone...😨😰😱 I made a post about a Walmart filter that was $11..that made the water so clear you could see through it.. My joke of the day..and it disappears..🤔🤔🤔🤔
@@MichaelsFishRoom lol sorry what I meant to say is those original sponges that come on those filters I didn't feel like they did the job. As great so I have it coexist with a normal sponge filter so I was thinking on hot rodding it. Like you did ..... Lol sorry for the first message it was very late and I was very tired 😅
I have one and my problem is they plug up so fast. Other than that it does work ok. No where near as good as the aquarium co-op or similar filter like that.
I have 2 of these in my 180g with Seachem Matrix Bio and the original sponges. It's not a heavily stocked tank and I'm not great at my water changes tbh, but it's kept my water crystal clear for the last year or so. I've been really happy with them.
@@MichaelsFishRoom nothing amazing. I got a few small fish to start with, and I kept them. 15 giant danios, 8 neon tetras, 10 black and albino tetras, 2 baloon mollies (man do they eat their babies fast), and an L201 snowball plecco and I don't know how many bladder snails I have but it's a few dozen by now. I end up feeding them to much because of the danios, and man are my tetras some little fatties, but the water stays clear and the fish are healthy.
Michael's Fish Room the expanded clay media they use in hydroponics but instead of the regular large size I’ve seen smaller 5-2mm diameter balls I think it would work very well in many applications
Michael's Fish Room my tank is a bit over stocked and it acts as the third filter on my 65 gallon with 20 fish that will outgrow the tank in I am figuring a yr to yr and a half, I am upgrading as needed with space and budget I already have plans for the upgrade when the time comes. I use this sponge filter with a carbon mix that help pull ammonia and nitrites out of water and help clean water then I have a hang on bang that I have stuffed with polishing pads and then my canister filter is full of bio balls. Since adding the sponge filter last weekend I tested the water with my api liquid test kit and my water came back perfect nothing but a small amount of nitrates witch a water change gets rid of I was shocked as my water always have a small amount of ammonia and cloudy and adding this just added the small amount extra filtration I needed
Michael's Fish Room, I do have a question can I have to much air in my water? My water is testing near perfect in every area but it has a milky color to it. I ask this because I had work for city water department and when customers would call us with this issue with there tap water the issue was always that they had air in there water wouldnt hurt anything, I am running a sponge filter and a air stone and have no dead spots in surface movement
OK, I'll admit, I'm confused. You say that by swapping out the fine foam for coarser foam improved mechanical filtration - how can that possibly be? The finer the foam the more suspended particles it will trap, a coarse foam will trap the big particles (as will the fine foam) but it will allow the finer particles to pass straight through, how is that an improvement? The only advantage I can see to a coarse sponge is that it will need cleaning less often and that's because it is not collecting the finer particles. If you had installed it with the fine foam you would have achieved exactly the same result as you did with the coarse foam, even better in fact but in that pleco tank with so much suspended solids the finer foams would have been completely clogged after a few hours.
The fine foam won't "trap" the largest particles. If anything they they will clog the sponge much faster like you said. If the soam is clogged, it will over no filtration. The coarse sponge traps the the bigger stuff in this tank like I wanted it too. I am not trying to polish the water, just make a cheap (built) filter better for the use I need it.
Hi. Sorry to butt in like this. Surely if you replace the mechanical filtration foam with a larger pore version, you’ll just clog the biological media. I’d prefer the finer, original sponge and have less maintenance.
Keep in mind that the finer the sponges are, exponentially more surface area they have. These sponges have about seven times of service area of your typical sponge filter at an aquarium store. No, it doesn't mean it will mechanically filter seven times as much, however, it does have seven times the amount of beneficial bacteria.
@@MichaelsFishRoom I really like to use one fine polishing filter on one and a course filter on the other. I have found that usually the course filter will do most of the work so then I block the tube a little bit. My favorite sponges are the ones that are a thin layer of very fine with a thick layer of coarse on top of it
It's what we all do, hop up the equipment to suit our purposes better. I started doing that at 10 years old with my aurora slot cars! You probably need 9 sponge filters in the average pleco tank to stay even, with all their poop.
@@MichaelsFishRoom Moron charged is more like it. Cause you defeated half the design of the filter to change the water flow path as it clogs up. But you are too dumb to understand that.
Today on Michael's Fish Room: Michael channel's Clark Gable at the end of Gone With The Wind. ++ Frankly my dears, he DOESN'T GIVE A DAMN! (yeah, yeah, the handsome rogue bit too) ++ Drinking a Badamtan Estate Darjeeling tea and some roasted almonds.
I absolutely enjoy your filter videos. I'm a OFG through and through so learning new filter methods are very helpful! Thank you so much!! OFG?? --> Old fashion girl lol :D
Great video! I hope we're not far from the day when these aquarium product companies do away with suction cups and replace them with magnets. Can't wait for you to get that Tidal.
lol, I loved the BFH comment tho I prefer my BFG as a commando in Star Wars The Old Republic MMO ( have not played in almost 2 years now), also like how you modified the filter
Added to my playlist titled , DIY's for fish keepers! I don't know if it's a new camera or your tan - your looking slimmer and sexier if that was even possible ✌💞🙆🙆🙆
That looks like a qanvee qs100a sponge filter rip off.those filters are more of a biological filtration as opposed to mechanical filtration.from observation they seem to be mostly used in tanks with low bioload like shrimp ,nanotanks/fry tanks.thats why those sponges not as coarse they are like 35-50 ppi.
If I was forced to run a "China filter" I would set it up exactly the same way. I guarantee you it has twice the flow than it had with those high density sponges. I'm not a fan of lava rock as bio media because it clogs up to near uselessness almost immediately but any other decent bio media would make this a home run for any 10 or 15 gallon tank. You polished a turd there buddy! I bet this video helps a ton of people.
Old but Gold. I got my China special filter directly from China to the UK from eBay for like £6 (7.30$ish) around 2 months ago. The sponges it came with are s*** to be completely honest. Just ordered some "replacement aquaclear 50 sponges x12" for £9 direct from China. Hopefully they will be the right size to fit 😂😂. Just have to wait around a month for delivery...
@@MichaelsFishRoom yeah that's basically exactly what I paid but I can't just pop into Petco and get them, have to wait for a nice Chinaman to send them from Shanghai. Plus side is free postage and I've got enough to probably last me a lifetime as I got 12 woohoo. I put alfagrog in the little cups for a bit of bio filtration, running my 110 litre community
