Tidal 55 Mod / Customize

[dbaldwin]

Hey all,
I’ve got my Tidal 55 all prepped (with coarse sponges on all 3 intakes: typical intake cylindrical sponge and then the 2 intake slat sections’ sponges attached with stainless wire) and am pretty excited about it, after a couple of months obsessing over this filter change.
I just read about this guy actually drilling extra holes into the media basket (along the side but very near the bottom and around the elongated factory intakes) and it kinda makes sense BUT wondering if it’s really a good idea; will it truly help water flow and filtration? Thoughts?

My biggest concern is physically altering something that engineers have taken the time to “perfect” in their minds. In my noob brian, adding all those holes might decrease the water’s “pressure” (for lack of a better word) as it flows through the media.
Anyway, I’d appreciate any opinions or, preferably, experiences modifying the Tidal.
Thanks!

 

[carsonsgjs]

Hey all,
I’ve got my Tidal 55 all prepped (with coarse sponges on all 3 intakes: typical intake cylindrical sponge and then the 2 intake slat sections’ sponges attached with stainless wire) and am pretty excited about it, after a couple of months obsessing over this filter change.
I just read about this guy actually drilling extra holes into the media basket (along the side but very near the bottom and around the elongated factory intakes) and it kinda makes sense BUT wondering if it’s really a good idea; will it truly help water flow and filtration? Thoughts?

My biggest concern is physically altering something that engineers have taken the time to “perfect” in their minds. In my noob brian, adding all those holes might decrease the water’s “pressure” (for lack of a better word) as it flows through the media.
Anyway, I’d appreciate any opinions or, preferably, experiences modifying the Tidal.
Thanks!

Ive got the 35 (thinking about upgrading to a 55 though) and i saw the media basket mod as well. Im not a diy fan at the best of times but frankly, im not going to second guess sicce on their design and development process with my amateur do it yourself skills. I figured that if the basket was designed that way for a reason.

unless of course someone has concrete evidence that the mod improves the design dramatically, in which case ill dust off my drill and get to work...

 

[dbaldwin]

Ive got the 35 (thinking about upgrading to a 55 though) and i saw the media basket mod as well. Im not a diy fan at the best of times but frankly, im not going to second guess sicce on their design and development process with my amateur do it yourself skills. I figured that if the basket was designed that way for a reason.

unless of course someone has concrete evidence that the mod improves the design dramatically, in which case ill dust off my drill and get to work...

Yeah... that’s what my gut tells me too but just wanted a little confirmation.
Thanks!
Oh, and how are you liking the 35? What media do you use?

 

[carsonsgjs]

Yeah... that’s what my gut tells me too but just wanted a little confirmation.
Thanks!
Oh, and how are you liking the 35? What media do you use?

No problem. A lot of people out there have done it so they may share their experience as well.

the 35 is good so far - its the first hob ive ever used but it seems to be doing a good job. Ive got it on a 17g with neons, embers and pygmy corys so its not having to deal with a lot of waste, which is why i didnt go with the 55 - that just felt like overkill. Its also running alongside a fluval u2 which i need to remove but cant bring myself to do it just yet! If i up the size of the tank then ill move to a 55.

in terms of media, i just used the coarse sponge it came with and the bag of matrix. I topped up the bag though with a bit more matrix and added a further fine sponge that i cut to size and added it after the coarse. I may switch out the coarse pad and replace it with a medium sponge as it doesnt seem to be catching much waste though.

 

[dbaldwin]

No problem. A lot of people out there have done it so they may share their experience as well.

the 35 is good so far - its the first hob ive ever used but it seems to be doing a good job. Ive got it on a 17g with neons, embers and pygmy corys so its not having to deal with a lot of waste, which is why i didnt go with the 55 - that just felt like overkill. Its also running alongside a fluval u2 which i need to remove but cant bring myself to do it just yet! If i up the size of the tank then ill move to a 55.

in terms of media, i just used the coarse sponge it came with and the bag of matrix. I topped up the bag though with a bit more matrix and added a further fine sponge that i cut to size and added it after the coarse. I may switch out the coarse pad and replace it with a medium sponge as it doesnt seem to be catching much waste though.

Good info; I appreciate the insight with your Tidal experience. I’m going to TRY and keep it simple and not go overboard with all the various media options.
And, yes, It’s hard to let go of “old” equipment. I’ve been in this fish-game for just a few months and I’ve already acquired a shocking amount of gear... and spent an infinite amount of time online researching. ‍♂️
I hope all is well across the pond!

 

[carsonsgjs]

Good info; I appreciate the insight with your Tidal experience. I’m going to TRY and keep it simple and not go overboard with all the various media options.
And, yes, It’s hard to let go of “old” equipment. I’ve been in this fish-game for just a few months and I’ve already acquired a shocking amount of gear... and spent an infinite amount of time online researching. ‍♂
I hope all is well across the pond!

I fully expect to see you diagnosed with multiple tank syndrome shortly - this is an addictive hobby. Any questions, just post a message on this forum. There are some really helpful people on here with great knowledge.

thanks, we are all stuck inside at the moment because of covid but pet shops are classed as essential so they are all open (ive spent a crazy amount on stuff out of sheer boredom). My uncle lived in texas for 15 years, absolutely loved it and every day reminds us how much better it is in the states than over here!

 

[dbaldwin]

That's a big bummer about being stuck inside; at least, you've got your gilled-friends. Yes, Austin definitely has its share of bad with the exceptionally good but we feel fortunate to live here. Annnnd, LOL... I just noticed that odd symbol (a male symbol variation?) at the end of that 2nd to last sentence... I have no clue how I did that!

 

[jtjgg]

the flow will depend on the filter media and how fast it gets dirty and clogged.
on my Tidal 110's i have the blue sponge (course), then a thin layer of polyfil (fine), then a bag of Matrix, then a bag of Purigen, then a bag of Matrix. i get a lot of overflow mainly due to the Purigen, then towards the end of the week, the polyfil has collected a lot of poo.

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[dbaldwin]

the flow will depend on the filter media and how fast it gets dirty and clogged.
on my Tidal 110's i have the blue sponge (course), then a thin layer of polyfil (fine), then a bag of Matrix, then a bag of Purigen, then a bag of Matrix. i get a lot of overflow mainly due to the Purigen, then towards the end of the week, the polyfil has collected a lot of poo.

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Awesome! Thanks for the insight. Do you have sponges on your intakes? I have fry and a couple very active shrimp. Also, my Matrix seems to put off lots of “dust”. Which is weird because I rinsed the out of it and had it hanging, in the current for a week or so, with my old filter before switching to the Tidal, just to jumpstart the bacteria growth... a little. Of course, I have the old filter’s media cartridge with the Matrix and sponges, in the Tidal, and will keep it there for another couple weeks.
Oh, I’m surprised that it’s louder than my old “came with the kit” filter. It’s significantly more powerful ,yes, but with the pump underwater, It’s just louder than expected. Is that your experience, too?
Thanks again!

 

[jtjgg]

i don't have sponges on the intake, i have large comets.

i only had dust when the Matrix was fresh out of the bottle. I rinsed and soaked them in a 5 gallon bucket overnight, never had any problems afterwards.

they seem to be a bit quiter than other hob filters. but my internal filters are very quiet (Tetra Whisper 20i)

 

[dbaldwin]

i don't have sponges on the intake, i have large comets.

i only had dust when the Matrix was fresh out of the bottle. I rinsed and soaked them in a 5 gallon bucket overnight, never had any problems afterwards.

they seem to be a bit quiter than other hob filters. but my internal filters are very quiet (Tetra Whisper 20i)

That’s a good idea about soaking overnight so the “dust” settles to the bottom of the bucket... I’ll keep that in mind for the next media need. Thanks!