Crazy New Drop From Fluval!!!

[TheBettaKeeper]

I do not work for Fluval, but I just got an email about their newest product and it is CRAZY! I knew right away that I HAD to share it with the rest of the fishkeeping community. Fluval just released a new version of the Aquaclear! Check it out here: https://fluvalaquatics.com/us/shop/product/aquaclear

I meant New, not Mew.

 

[Lucy]

I meant New, not Mew. My apologies.

I was like, Crazy Mew drop. Whaaaat?!?! haha

Fixed it for you

 

[Fishfur]

I do not work for Fluval, but I just got an email about their newest product and it is CRAZY! I knew right away that I HAD to share it with the rest of the fishkeeping community. Fluval just released a new version of the Aquaclear! Check it out here: https://fluvalaquatics.com/us/shop/product/aquaclear

Looks a bit sleeker than the old tried & true original models I have. Other than a new look it doesn’t appear as if anything has changed much other than the pleasant addition of an intake sponge cover.

Would have been nice if they could have found a way to make the flow rate more adjustable.

The rather small range of flow adjustment and the fact they can’t be relied upon to restart after a power failure (though they usually do) were the main downsides to them. After all, nothing is ever truly perfect.

Using crystal clear plastic for the whole thing just makes it easier for algae to grow in them. I would have greatly preferred to see them make it all fully opaque, uptake tubing included.

But if they fixed the glitch that makes some of the lids on the original model rattle no matter what one does to quiet them, that would be good.

If they have improved the materials used for the impellers that would be really great.

 

[TheBettaKeeper]

I was like, Crazy Mew drop. Whaaaat?!?! haha

Fixed it for you

Thank you

 

[briangcc1997]

I know these have a cult following but no thanks, I'll pass. I don't see anything that is advancing aquarium filtering other than maybe the add on surface skimmer, which you buy separately, and I have no need for. Clear plastic - that'll be a rattle trap.

Opaque is easy...got sandpaper and a bit of time? 220 grit would do it. Use wet/dry sandpaper and do the work outside, can have your garden hose dripping water into the filter to rinse out the filter. Would also give the bb a bit more surface area to grab onto.

I'm all about Fluval but nope, not this one. I'll just keep replacing my HOB's with Fluval canisters that are whisper quiet, no rattling.

 

[SteelersChris]

Looks like a good refresh from an esthetics standpoint, but prefer the tidal line from seachem. The pump being submerged makes all the difference for me. A power outage potentially knocking out a filter while on a week long business trip would scare the heck out of me.

 

[Fishfur]

Looks like a good refresh from an esthetics standpoint, but prefer the tidal line from seachem. The pump being submerged makes all the difference for me. A power outage potentially knocking out a filter while on a week long business trip would scare the heck out of me.

I agree tbh, but the one thing I find with the Tidals is that you can’t keep water levels lower than the maximum level the motor requires, obviously, and that has been an issue in tanks where I house mystery snails.

I love that Tidals start up lickety split after power interruptions but most of the time, so do my Aquaclears. ( mine are all old enough to be branded Hagen rather than Fluval) .

But I can’t absolute rely on them to restart every time and with Tidal, I could rely on it.

But in my invert tank which used to house my giant apple snail among others, I prefer to keep the water level at least 3” below the bottom of the top frame so those that need to can spawn on bare glass.

That wasn’t much higher than the minimum level for the Tidal and it didn’t take long for the level to drop enough for the filter to start making noise.

With the ACs, that never happens.

 

[SteelersChris]

That makes sense if you need your water level lower and never tested at what point mine would stop working. I do water changes or top offs weekly and keep all water levels to the tip top with lids so hasn’t been an issue to date for me. But thanks for sharing that knowledge, Its good to know in case I have a situation where I need the water level lower. I’ve thought it would be fun to have a turtle tank at some point, and I’d need the water level lower for the basking area, but that’s probably way down the line. Have other wish list tanks ahead of that one.

 

[Fishfur]

That makes sense if you need your water level lower and never tested at what point mine would stop working. I do water changes or top offs weekly and keep all water levels to the tip top with lids so hasn’t been an issue to date for me. But thanks for sharing that knowledge, Its good to know in case I have a situation where I need the water level lower. I’ve thought it would be fun to have a turtle tank at some point, and I’d need the water level lower for the basking area, but that’s probably way down the line. Have other wish list tanks ahead of that one.

Turtles most definitely need serious filtration among other things

I had a number of them for well over a decade starting while I was still in grade school. People kept giving them to me once they discovered I liked them and would look after them. I had two Yellow-spotted Side neck Amazonian river turtles, one Painted and I think 7 RES of assorted sizes. The Painted turtle still had its egg tooth when it was given to me, poor thing. It had just hatched.

I would love to have a chelonian again but they live too long for me to start up now plus so many of them need more space than I can provide.

But they are interesting to keep - if not exactly friendly. Some seem to tolerate being handled a bit (though I don’t think any of them really can be said to enjoy it ) while others never want to be handled and it’s wise to respect that.

They can bite a good size chunk out of one’s hide & may mistake a fingertip for something tasty if one isn’t paying attention.

At least there are a lot more choices now for filtration for them than there were 60 years ago.

 

[SteelersChris]

That sounds like so much fun! I’ve been thinking of a tank with something relatively small like I musk turtle when I get around to doing a Central American cichlid tank, or possibly a RES if I do something larger outside but we shall see.

 

[EllisBell1845]

I saw this drop very interesting might get one

 

[AndyP]

The rather small range of flow adjustment and the fact they can’t be relied upon to restart after a power failure (though they usually do) were the main downsides to them. After all, nothing is ever truly perfect.

My experience with this is all about the impeller shaft.

The impeller shaft WILL wear out over time. It's a user-replaceable part. You can buy a new one for a few dollars online. Grab the one that's in there with a pair of plyers and pull it out. Put the new one in the hole on the bottom of the open cavity. Push the impeller shaft against a hard surface and you'll feel it slide it.

Then I use a bit of food-safe synthetic lubricant on the shaft.

I replace my shafts once a year and have never had one not start after a power outage.

Before I started doing this, I would frequently have them not start up. When I checked the shafts on those they were worn and rusted.

Here are some pictures of my worn impeller shafts:

Thread 'Impeller shaft wear on HOB filters other than the Aquaclear'

Feb 19, 2023

I have quite the collection of Aquaclear HOB filters, and I have pointed out on various forums that the impeller shaft is removable and needs to be replaced occasionally, as it wears out and rusts. The impellers, on average, cost around $10.00, and I replace them once a year.

Tonight I was putting away an Aquaclear 30 for long-term storage,and I pulled the impeller shaft out, and is was worn and rusty. So, I'm going to replace it before I put the filter away.

Looking at other power filters that I own or have owned, the impeller shaft is usually part of the impeller. So, to replace the...

• AndyP
• Replies: 5
• Forum: Aquarium Filter

And here is a reddit thread about an AC110 impeller shaft wearing out:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Aquariums/comments/131qs3j/replacingng_my_aquaclear_impeller_shaft_after

 

[Fishfur]

My experience with this is all about the impeller shaft.

The impeller shaft WILL wear out over time. It's a user-replaceable part. You can buy a new one for a few dollars online. Grab the one that's in there with a pair of plyers and pull it out. Put the new one in the hole on the bottom of the open cavity. Push the impeller shaft against a hard surface and you'll feel it slide it.

Then I use a bit of food-safe synthetic lubricant on the shaft.

I replace my shafts once a year and have never had one not start after a power outage.

Before I started doing this, I would frequently have them not start up. When I checked the shafts on those they were worn and rusted.

Here are some pictures of my worn impeller shafts:

Thread 'Impeller shaft wear on HOB filters other than the Aquaclear'

Feb 19, 2023

I have quite the collection of Aquaclear HOB filters, and I have pointed out on various forums that the impeller shaft is removable and needs to be replaced occasionally, as it wears out and rusts. The impellers, on average, cost around $10.00, and I replace them once a year.

Tonight I was putting away an Aquaclear 30 for long-term storage,and I pulled the impeller shaft out, and is was worn and rusty. So, I'm going to replace it before I put the filter away.

Looking at other power filters that I own or have owned, the impeller shaft is usually part of the impeller. So, to replace the...

• AndyP
• Replies: 5
• Forum: Aquarium Filter

And here is a reddit thread about an AC110 impeller shaft wearing out:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Aquariums/comments/131qs3j/replacingng_my_aquaclear_impeller_shaft_after

There is no question that the impeller shafts, despite being made of stainless steel, eventually get corroded and worn and it is essential to replace them, though I don’t do it annually, though I probably should. I do lubricate them with a food grade lubricant.

What I wish is that they’d make replacements for the blades, which I have had break more times than I care to recall. Occasionally a sneaky MTS snail gets into the filter and breaks the impeller blades.

The blades are made from a pretty flimsy plastic to start with so they’re bound to break or wear out and once they do, the magnet portion becomes waste too, which really bugs me.

There are very limited uses for a round magnet the size of the ones in the AC filters, plus it seems to me that they can last at least as long as the filters do. I haven’t yet seen one that was so beaten up it couldn’t serve anymore and I have at least one that’s got to be more than 25 years old.

I think it would be better if they sold new impeller blades rather than the magnet+blades assemblies - maybe even package them with new impeller shafts since if the blades have worn out, it’s wise to replace the shaft at the same time. It would be so easy to pop off the old blades and pop on a new set.

 

[AndyP]

There is no question that the impeller shafts, despite being made of stainless steel, eventually get corroded and worn and it is essential to replace them, though I don’t do it annually, though I probably should. I do lubricate them with a food grade lubricant.

What I wish is that they’d make replacements for the blades, which I have had break more times than I care to recall. Occasionally a sneaky MTS snail gets into the filter and breaks the impeller blades.

The blades are made from a pretty flimsy plastic to start with so they’re bound to break or wear out and once they do, the magnet portion becomes waste too, which really bugs me.

There are very limited uses for a round magnet the size of the ones in the AC filters, plus it seems to me that they can last at least as long as the filters do. I haven’t yet seen one that was so beaten up it couldn’t serve anymore and I have at least one that’s got to be more than 25 years old.

I think it would be better if they sold new impeller blades rather than the magnet+blades assemblies - maybe even package them with new impeller shafts since if the blades have worn out, it’s wise to replace the shaft at the same time. It would be so easy to pop off the old blades and pop on a new set.

I've never had a problem with the blades, but I can see how people could.

One thing I thought was neat about the Aquaclears is that the flow rate is controlled by the impeller. So, if you wanted the flow rate of an 50, but wanted more room for media, you could buy a 70 and put a 50 impeller in it. It take the filter longer to prime, but it works.

I also once needed a new motor for my AC70. So, I bought an AC20 used for $10 and just used the motor off of it. Much cheaper than buying a replacement motor.

 

[Fishfur]

I've never had a problem with the blades, but I can see how people could.

One thing I thought was neat about the Aquaclears is that the flow rate is controlled by the impeller. So, if you wanted the flow rate of an 50, but wanted more room for media, you could buy a 70 and put a 50 impeller in it. It take the filter longer to prime, but it works.

I also once needed a new motor for my AC70. So, I bought an AC20 used for $10 and just used the motor off of it. Much cheaper than buying a replacement motor.

I’ve been able to get quite a number of useful parts buying used ACs at auctions or yard sales, including motors. It definitely is a saving,

 

[AndyP]

I’ve been able to get quite a number of useful parts buying used ACs at auctions or yard sales, including motors. It definitely is a saving,

Aquaclears have been around for so long that there are plenty of used filters in the market. I just saw a 110 on Facebook Marketplace for $35 last night, and two Aquaclear 20s for $10/each.

Plus those sponges last FOREVER. I don't think I have ever replaced an Aquaclear sponge.

 

[Fishfur]

Aquaclears have been around for so long that there are plenty of used filters in the market. I just saw a 110 on Facebook Marketplace for $35 last night, and two Aquaclear 20s for $10/each.

Plus those sponges last FOREVER. I don't think I have ever replaced an Aquaclear sponge.

The sponges do eventually start to disintegrate but I’ve only seen one that truly had to be replaced, which came in a very old AC from an auction. I have some that are more than ten years old and still in good condition.