If you are interested in the Seachem Tidal 75 here is the Amazon Affiliate Link: amzn.to/2Z9EOA2 Here is an Amazon affiliate link for bulk filter floss: amzn.to/3pqgqVH Want to learn more about hang on back filters? Check out these videos: Marineland PRO 375: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JA6b2ks-YLk.html Seachem Tidal 55: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NVdFJHp9zLg.html Seachem Tidal 110 vs Aquaclear 110: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VukmBw38Yto.html Our new shirts can be found at: www.primetimeaquatics.com/merch For the latest in the fish room check us out on Instagram primetime_aquatics For more cool behind the scenes stuff consider becoming a member! ru-vid.com/show-UCYVN7EN0ALL6CE4U7NpMUTAjoin If you want to see all the cool stuff Joanna does with other types of scapes check out her channel! ru-vid.com/show-UCPEZk1MpOTGiBVh6BtWjlRg
Jason while I like most of features of the Tidal Line there’s one that made me pull the one I was using. The surface skimmer always clogs which severely affected the flow and to clean it out completely the filter had to be pulled from the tank and taken apart. While the Marineland Pro may not have all features of the Tidals it keeps the water in my tanks just as clean and it’s easier to service. Just my 2 cents.
I agree. I was dong weekly water changes and monthly filter maintenance of the sponges and bio, and after 4 months started getting ammonia spikes. The skimmer was pulling decaying plant matter down and clogging up the motor/impeller area. Had to take it out and take it apart. If they got rid of the surface skimmer and blue knobs, I'd get another, they do work great, but that skimmer is a real problem.
Hmm. Always thought the skimmer was just gimmicky. Like how it draws water from the middle column though. Might just go with the Aquaclear 110 on the other end of my 125 Gallon. And I'll just get an actual surface skimmer.
agreed, I have 2 Tidal 75s and a 35 love 'em , and yes change the blue to black but like that the basket is white. Like the flow some fish just sit in it and wait for food bits to come to them.
I just bought a 110 yesterday for a 40B that I have to give to my MIL. This morning I found a 75 for a great deal on marketplace though. A little bit of cleaning and some fresh silicone and my new filter will be installed in its forever home
Finally someone who says where the filter floss is supposed to go. I’ve seen so many people say to put floss at the end and that just clogs all the mulm/ detritus between the bio media. Great info as always Jason.
You did a good job as always. I have two hang on backs and when they stop working I’ll be all air driven filters. When I was in the hospital 2017/18 I watched the Aquarium Co Op video on what type of filter provided the most oxygen in an aquarium. Something air driven with bubbles was the clear winner. I would be interested in you with your scientific mind maybe trying the same test. The other reason is I’m cheap if I am running air into a tank I want the most out of it that I can get,plus they always restart after power outages.
Ive been using this filter for 2 weeks now and it's ok. It's my first tank ever therefore my first filter but I find it annoyingly loud. Its louder then my tetra air pump. Also the bottom intake knob wasn't attached properly and it came off adjusting it in the water. Put it on properly after its working fine.
The surface skimmer is a major flaw. Smaller fish will get sucked in, covering the skimmer with a piece of sponge solves that issue but then the sponge clogs in a couple of days and the filter starts making a horrible noise in a middle of the night 😆😆. Good review as always.
Hey J just set up a 40g breeder tank for wifey with a Tidal 75 filter. Water is crystal clear. I have 2 Tidal 110s on my 100g all male Cichlid tank. Same thing water crystal clear. Seachem is an awesome product...
a bit late to this post but, I have the 55 on a 29 Tall. works great. I have a HUGE course sponge on the intake. I also run an airstone / sponge filter in other corner of tank. (planted) As for the blue dial in the tank, If you are going to run it wide open then you do not need it. It is easy to pop off and remove it. As for the skimmer vents, i saw someone use black electricians tape to cover the vents.
if you cover the vents does it lessen the flow? i am considering this one but i have a heavily planted tank w tons of floating plants. i’d hate to see them get sucked in by the skimmer & id also hate to lose intake suction by covering the vents.
I got a Tidal 110 on Amazon for $66.18. My first Tidal and I love it so far. I haven't had the problem of the skimmer clogging, but I don't see the point of having one for fresh water tanks either. I don't see the point of buying a Tidal 75 when the 110 is only a few bucks more. One other thing I've found annoying is the leveler bit keeps falling out when I move the filter or take it off the tank.
Great review Jason. Self priming is a must. Surface skimming is a plus. Strange question, however. What do you use for your head? You always have a flawless shave!
I filled the skimmer hole with black silicone and removed the blue tube adjustment knob and restrictor- no blue for those that have that issue - I want the draw to be low in the tank.
Thanks for such an in depth video on this filter. I was in need of a new HOB for my 40b axolotl aquarium as my 10 year old Tetra Whisper no longer whispered. The 55 would have been totally sufficient but the 75 was only a few bucks more. The skimmer is great for animals that need a very low flow. It's absolutely silent (my WFH and fun time computer desk is inches from my aquariums and I can't deal with buzzing or trickling) and has more than enough space in the media compartment to use my canister filter rings, floss, etc.
All my filters are Fluval canisters, except for my polishing filter. It's the Tidal 75. It's fantastic as a polisher after tank cleaning and replanting. I can't fault it. 😁
I love the surface skimmer. I guess I'm the only one. It's there for a reason. If you have frye or shrimp, I can see why, but for my use it is perfect.
That blue dial really sticks out too, deal breaker, for me, but I love Seachen, they make quality stuff…. so maybe 🤔 Great video, extremely helpful as always.
I use one of these on my 29g planted community tank. I had it and a tidal 110 on my 75g Oscar tank but upgraded to the Polar Arora 525 this past month. Very happy so far with the canister. I personally feel like the tidal 75 is to small to use on a 75g tank unless it is very lightly stocked.
I have a Tidal 75 on my 55. As far as filtering it does a fantastic job. It gets pretty dirty but still filters. What I don't like is my skimmer gets completely covered in duck weed and then it gets real loud. I also have a Tidal 55 that I had in the 55 but now it's on my 38. It was in the 55 for 2 years. It ran fine in the 38 for a few months but now in a weeks time the motor gets entirely covered in plant debris and other stuff to the point of no out flow and then I have to take it all apart and clean it.
I had 2 of these filters and ended up pulling them out in favor of Fluval 07 series canister filters. They tend to clog up very quickly and needed to be serviced every 3-4 days. The inlets in the bottom of the basket are insufficient in open area and cause the sponge to quickly become clogged at these openings which in turn caused the water to bypass the filter sponge and bio media altogether. On one tank I was constantly battling a malm buildup that required me to have to do some serious cleaning only to have it reappear within a week. After I switched to a 307 the problem disappeared. Secondly the pump motor itself clogs fairly quickly causing it to not want to run thus necessitating the removal of the whole filter to break it down to clean. They did this even with a sponge on the intake. The “skimmer”, which is non defeat- able, greatly contributed to this problem. Cleaning a canister may be somewhat of a pain (the Fluval being one of the easiest to clean) but I’d rather have to do that once every 2 months than twice per week.
I purchased a couple of the 110 tidal filters after seeing the tidal reviewed on KG tropicals a while back....never was a big fan of hob filters due to the priming issues some have if the power goes out and they have to restart ........i am in love with these filters
I want the 110 when I set up my 75 gallon soon for my S and C American tank but I see you have the 75 with 2 sponge filters which is what I want to do. You are the master so I may just go with the 75.
Too big for my tank. What about those of us who have ten or twenty gallon tanks. I have tetra and aqueon. Both have prod and cons. Also have internal lee filters in each tank. Keeps the tanks clean. By the way, you are 💯 percent right about the motors being outside versus inside
I saw the ratings. Three stars vs. Aqueon four stars. Can you give me your reason why this is better? I would consider changing the next time I need to buy a filter but I would like to know your arguments for it
I actually like the skimmer as I find it satisfying to watch all the gunk get sucked inside 🤣. I do wish they had a way to adjust it, though, as I feel like most of the suction comes through the skimmer and I get very little through the bottom suction pipe. I commented elsewhere, but I had an amazing experience with their customer service as well, helping me troubleshoot (noise/rattle), then sending me a new motor to try, then finally replacing the whole thing (which was much better). BTW - my ONLY positive thing to say about black beard algae… I let it grow over my blue dials for camouflage!!
I got a 75 Tidal on a 36 bow front and two tidal 110 on a 49 bow front also a 110 tidal and a marien land 450 with a fx six on a 125 happy with all the filters
I have two 110s. I found that putting plastic media balls on the bottom of the basket then the sponge an so on. It helps with the basket not clogging up on the bottom an running out the overflow.
I really appreciate your video today! I am still trying to learn about filters and tank equipment. It seems to be information that is not readily available.
What kind of prefilter sponge could fit onto the 75? I don't want potential sand issues. Loving the information your channel brings for newer hobbyists like myself
Nice review Jason, self priming is an excellent feature. The filter floss you use, any difference then the poly fil? I thought you used that in the past?
I added one of these to my heavily planted and stocked 29 gallon as my tidal 35 was getting dirty quickly. I am running them both side by side and already love the difference it's made even running the 75 at 1/4 flow. Does it really make that much of a difference putting the filter media at the top? I've always been putting it at the bottom 🤣🤣🤣
At full flow, IT DOES make noise.. water gurgling type noise as the water flow exits the filter and back in the aquarium. I've got one of every Tidal filter model and everyone makes that noise(which I hate) if I run them at full flow. I switched them all out onto my tanks that I have running in my basement because of the noise they make and replaced them with Aquaclears for all my main living area tanks. The aquaclears are virtually silent!!
SKIMMER DELETE:. Gorilla tape will stick just enough to stay on, and can cover the skimmer intake. It comes right off, and sticks right back on. I use this so I get more flow through my prefilter sponge. That seams to cut down on my service intervals as well. Side note, the motor on my 110 is so loud I can hear it across the room, in the kitchen. It's louder than my old penguin 350, and pounder than my tetra 30-60gal air pump. This noise came before my tape modification, and also before the prefilter sponge. Is anyone else having a noise issue?
I have 5 of these running in my fish room and 1 started getting quite loud. I tried to remove and reinstall the impeller, still noisy. I replaced the impeller, still noisy. I contacted seachem and they sent me a new motor under the 1 year warranty. Simple process and real easy to deal with customer service.
My first Tidal was a 110 and same issue with the noisy motor. Seachem customer service was attentive and quick to to respond. They asked for a video and helped me troubleshoot what I had (no help with reinstalling and lubing the impeller), then sent me a new motor. That one was still noisy, so they thought likely just a slightly “off” plastic fit, so they promptly sent me a whole new filter which was much quieter.
Hi. Very useful video. Does the tidal 75 have room for chemical media such as purigen or phosguard? Thanks for any advice you have. I have a 48 gallon tank and this looks like a perfect filter for it.
Thanks for the video and review. I just saw a video on the Bulk Reef Supply beginner series on salt water quarantine tanks. The Tidal HOB was their choice for a salt was quarantine tank filter. Do you think SeaChem has the second intake to attract salt water users? Thanks for your work for the community, Jim
Great video. I actually decided to go with Tidals from your original video. Don't think I would go with anything else. The 35s are a bit easier to cover up the skimmer with some pieces of foam. The 55 and 75 would have to be something glued on the external part of the filter. I don't have issues with it sucking in pieces of plant material etc but I could see it being an issue with people with shrimp and fry. I had an issue with the Tidal 55 being to tall for my 44g lowboy but ended up cutting the intake tube and putting a prefilter on it and it fits a 12" tall fine like your 55 lowboy. I think if Seachem was able to make the Tidal in a smoked plastic like the aquaclears and had a on/off for the skimmer, I think it would be the best filter. Edit: I've never had an issue with water going past the overflow other than when the filter needs a bit of cleaning. I'm running the standard Tidal sponge, an extra 1 inch of cut sponge, filter floss and the bio media above it.
I have three 110,s and one 75. The 75 sits too high on the tank rim and as a result makes a lot of water return noise. Water level has to be very high to help limit this noise. The skimmer box is another annoying feature.
The lower edge of the Water Return Ramp should be under the Water Surface for quietest running. This will also improve your Oxygenation because of greater Surface Action.
I like the filter, but the surface skimmer results in cherry shrimp getting into the filter leading to their demise. Has anyone devised a way to block it off?
I ended up getting 2 Tidal 75 filters for a 55 gallon Cichlid tank. Would it be ok to put 2 tidal 75 sponges in one filter including the bio media. That wouldn't over crowd the filter would it? appreciate feedback and Merry Christmas everyone!
Two questions. Would you use a wave maker with this filter? If I was switching filters would I just take all the media in the old filter and put it in the new filter or just start the new filter with all fresh stuff?
Hi Jason. Have been a subscriber for over 4 years and love your channel. Just had a problem I hope you can advise on. Have a 125 gallon south American tank and the cycle crashed. It has been cycling for 16 weeks now with fish in, 8 survivors and no where to move them to. The ph is always just below 6 and ammonia is now down to about .75 ppm. I am dosing stability and prime everyday. Will it ever cycle or is there something else I should do that won't harm the fish? Thank you for any advice you can provide.
Hello Jason, so as a beginner in this hobby, I always came across the "1 inch per gallon rule" everywhere on Reddit. I kept searching and searching for more answers and one person mentioned that he didn't go by that rule, he used a site called AqAdvisor to see if his stock was compatible. Not sure if you're familiar with the site but on the site you can list your tank dimensions and filter in gallons. I asked this question here before but without the knowledge of the site. Basically, I have a 16 gallon heavily planted tank and with this Seachem Tidal 75, on the site it says I can have supposedly 60 Neon Tetras and be fine with 50% water change every week. I'm just throwing a crazy amount of fish just to test on the site but would this really be plausible you think, just like the site says?
On a 75 gal tank, not overly populated, but knowing this can change...would the Tidal 110 be up to the task or is it wiser to go with two 55's? In some of your other videos you seem to be a proponent to going with 2 filters as opposed to one, especially when it comes to larger tanks.
Well, my Marineland 280 (I think it was a 280 because size E media cartridges fit in it but it's so old I don't remember and I can't find it anywhere on the internet) hasn't died yet but I don't feel it's big enough to handle my bioload anymore. I only use it for mechanical filtration and to aerate the water. I just got the motor, housing and intake tube for a 400 from ebay and I plan on replacing the old 280? with it. I already have 2 clamshell E cartridges which I will fill with floss. I don't need the biowheels as I already have a lot of biofiltration in a large canister filter. I did have to run silicon up the gaps where the biowheel assembly should go so all the water will be redirected through the floss. I'm looking forward to firing it up once the silicon dries. A complete new Marineland Emperor 400 costs around $60. I paid a total of $20 (including the small tube of black silicon).
I would consider the 20 gallon a temporary set-up for goldfish so I would go with whatever HOB moves water through the system and pack it with filter floss.
Jason, For whatever reason, the Marineland 375 doesn't fit over the rim/lip of my 75g. If you were to compare the gap between the box and the output on the two filters, would you say the Tidal is bigger, smaller or about the same? I've toyed with the idea of getting a couple of these but I don't want to run into the same issue as I did with the 375.
I carefully filled the skimmer slots with BLACK silicone and it works fine. Can't even see the skimmer slots anymore, looks like it was bought that way and now only sucks the water up through the bottom of the intake tube.
@@mayerkatz2836 I don't know who told you that but every single tank I've ever resealed, I've used black 100% silicone to do it with and have never had a problem. I've got tanks 8-10 yrs old that I sealed with black silicone and all are still doing just fine. I resealed my 125 gallon 3 yrs ago and it's been totally fine and it's been filled with 12 Discus fish since I resealed it.
@@PrimeTimeAquatics OK. I watch all videos you and The small scape create and was surprised with your appraisals of the Tidal filter. Seachems a good company however the Tidal range seems to have a design fault whereby water pushes out from the sides of the filter totally missing the filteration compartments as a result a lot of water being pushed out and not being filtered. There are many videos on RU-vid demonstrating this.
Re: self priming. Couldn't you just plug a HOB into a wifi plug, where you can control when it turns on/off remotely (via an app) for a power outage....instead of having the self priming feature?
The issue with something like an aquaclear is if the power goes out, brown out etc they usually wont refill the filter basket and will continue to try sucking the water up with no luck. With the Tidals this is a non issue as the pump is in the water and pushes the water up into the filter basket and restarts the filter without having to fill the basket with water
The problem isn't whether the motor starts again after a power outage. The issue is after a HOB starts off the water seeks its own level and some will drain back into the tank. After power comes back on some of the motors don't have enough lift to get the water back into the filter chamber to start the pumping process again.
In my experience this filter was not worth the money at all. I’ve tried two different 75’s and they were both very loud even after making sure the pump and body were properly put together. Also the bypass is crazy. I couldn’t run anything more than the blue sponge at full flow without major bypassed water, and with full media I could get only 30-40% flow before it would start bypassing. I returned them and will never buy them again unfortunately.
@@davidadkins8805 Yea id love too, but moving the tank away from the wall will take alot of work just to get a few inches. I currently have a Canister and Tidal 35 on it, the tidal 35 just fits nicely but i believe the other ones are alot bigger?
I wonder why nobody ever talks about the ledge that comes out at the outflow that keep the water from crashing into the tank and instead pushes it up to the surface and creates more agitation and reduces the flow into the tank (something that the Accu Clear does not have and a lot of people complain about it)
The pump output is not matched to the filter media basket capacity. Either turn down the dial or don’t pack the media so tight. The filter sits too high on the tank rim and return water flow is noisy.
@@joec2174 I am not packing media very tightly - but I use polyfil. I only put it on one side though, so you'd think it could handle it. I drilled a bunch of extra holes in the media basket which helped a lot... still though, I don't really understand all the hype for this filter.