# Red Sea Ocean Clear vs. Inland Seas Nu-Clear Canister filters



## MissileBear (Aug 6, 2013)

I became frustrated when I could not find a good comparison between the Red Sea Ocean Clear canisters and the Inland Aquatics Nu-Clear canisters. I ended up buying both, only because I was not pleased with my initial choice.

This will outline the differences between the comparable Red Sea Ocean Clear model 340 canister and the Inland Aquatics Nu-Clear 530 canister.


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## MissileBear (Aug 6, 2013)

*Specs*

Ocean Clear 340 High Capacity Mechanical Filter w/ Bio Core
Maximum flow: 1200 GPH
40 sq. ft. 25 Micron paper filter cartridge – model 82340
Filter Media: 50 sq. ft. polystrand bio-core (Nine filter pads: 4.25” Dia x 1” T)
Pressure Gauge: 0-30 PSI
Dimensions: 13” W x 11” T
Inlet: 3/4” FNPT
Outlet: 3/4” FNPT
Drain: garden hose threaded

Nu-Clear 530 Mechanical Filter 
Maximum flow: 1200 GPH
30 sq. ft. 25 Micron paper filter cartridge – model 2330
Filter media: none
Pressure Gauge: none
Dimensions: 13” W x 12.5” T
Inlet: 1” FNPT
Outlet: 1” FNPT
Drain: garden hose threaded


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## MissileBear (Aug 6, 2013)

*Unboxing the Red Sea Ocean Clear 430*

The box is thin corrugated cardboard. There is no packaging, wrapping, bag, or otherwise on this canister or in the box. It is literally the canister in a box and a bag of parts.


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## MissileBear (Aug 6, 2013)

*Contents*

User manual 
warranty registration card 
vinyl spigot adapters for both 1” and ¾” tubing (both straight and elbow adapters included)
female x female garden hose drain adapter with built in ball valve & cover 
top bleed plug 
5” section of ¾” vinyl tubing 
2 plastic speedy clamps 
1/4” pipe plug

Opening the unit I see a small white box that looks like it should have a pressure gauge…however it is empty. Bummer. **Note – after speaking with the retailer, they agreed to return the item but assured me that this was a new unit and not a return.


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## MissileBear (Aug 6, 2013)

*Construction*

The first thing that I notice is the sticker on the side; it is grainy, streaked, and blurry, looking like it was printed on an inkjet printer. There are lots of bubbles under the sticker. I know that seems petty, but this is a $180 canister.****note – the below picture is not blurry/out of focus, that is the sticker.


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## MissileBear (Aug 6, 2013)

The plastic retaining ring threads on and off this unit with ease; it is surprisingly smooth and really allowed me to tighten the lid. There was no o-ring or other seal between the top cover and the canister body. This made me a bit nervous.


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## MissileBear (Aug 6, 2013)

Within the center of the 25 micron filter cartridge is a 4” hole running all the way through the center of the filter (this is very similar to a very large shop vac filter). There were 9 white filter pads composing the 50 square foot polystrand filter core. I was also unnerved to discover that two of the filter pads were badly yellowed and miscolored; other filter pads had faint grey streaks that felt slightly greasy. I think it should be expected that the consumer will rinse filter media well but this seemed questionable to me.


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## MissileBear (Aug 6, 2013)

The hold down points on this filter (essential for a filter with an external pump) are screw slots molded directly into the plastic. There are four slots; each is ½” deep.


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## MissileBear (Aug 6, 2013)

The filter is composed entirely of plastic. The finish of the parts on this filter are rough. Flashing is present on many seams and threads (including the hold down slots, as present in the above pictures). The plastic is not aesthetically pleasing; there are rough spots and some discoloration within the clear plastic itself. Certain areas have almost a grain, which I can only assume if from the molding process itself. The threading is dirty; not in a used way, but appearing to be from the manufacturing process itself. There is an obvious lack of QA with this unit.

At this point I am pretty disappointed. I do not see my $180 in this filter.


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## MissileBear (Aug 6, 2013)

*Unboxing the Inland Seas Nu-Clear 530*

The box is corrugated cardboard but slightly heavier than the Ocean Clear box. There a sheet of foam on the bottom and top of this canister, but is otherwise also just a canister in a box.


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## MissileBear (Aug 6, 2013)

*Contents*

-User manual
-Model list 
-vinyl spigot adapters for both 1” and ¾” tubing (both straight and elbow adapters included)
-female x female garden hose drain adapter with built in ball valve & cover 
-top bleed plug
-roll of Teflon tape 
-2 stainless steel hose clamps


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## MissileBear (Aug 6, 2013)

*Construction*

The design of this filter is very similar; one of these filters is a copy of the other. This filter stands 1.5” taller than the Ocean Clear. 

The molding on this filter is much cleaner. Most of the flashing was properly removed. There is still some slight discoloration of the clear plastic in places. The body of this canister has additional ribs/rings running around the circumference of the body.


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## MissileBear (Aug 6, 2013)

The lid on this unit is domed instead of flat and incorporates a cartridge sealing plug. The lid is held down using a really beefy stainless steel t-clamp and ring. There is an o-ring between the lid and canister body.

This filter has a filter cartridge rated at 30 sq. ft. as opposed to the 40 sq. ft. cartridge found in the Ocean Clear. Additionally, the core of this filter is empty but can be filled with media if desired. These filter cartridges are of identical dimensions and are interchangeable.


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## MissileBear (Aug 6, 2013)

The hold down points on this filter ¾” long molded tabs, drilled for a ¼” screw/lag. The hole is 5/8” (on center) from the edge of the filter body. There is enough room on the tab to enlarge these holes if needed.


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## MissileBear (Aug 6, 2013)

*Thoughts*

This should really come down to how these perform; this review is based on observation alone. There really is not much to these; they are a plastic housing with a filter cartridge inside. Out of the box the Ocean Clear provides better filtration. I had many concerns about the construction of the Ocean Clear and ultimately the shoddy workmanship made me question the reliability of this unit. Combined with the fact that the Ocean Clear was $30 more expensive than the Nu-Clear, I could not justify the value in the Ocean Clear. That said, even $150 for the Nu-Clear unit seems expensive for what you get.

I ended up keeping the Nu-Clear 530 for several main reasons not mentioned below:

1.	I much prefer screw holes over screw slots.
2.	1” inlet & outlet is going to ensure that my canister is not a bottleneck if pushing that 1200 gph limit
3.	I’m a sucker for stainless steel.

****note the side of the outlet on each model. Units are posed back to back.


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## MissileBear (Aug 6, 2013)

*Red Sea Ocean Clear 340*

Pros: 
-includes a better filter cartridge
-includes filter media
-includes a 0-30 PSI pressure gauge

Cons:
-QA problems/manufacturing flaws
-3/4” inlet and outlet
-It looks cheap

*Inland Seas Nu-Clear 530*

Pros:
-More robust build/better manufacturing
-1” inlet and outlet
-Extra height (from base) provides more clearance for the drain and outlet port
-SS hose clamps and Teflon tape included (nice touch!)
-$30 less expensive than the Ocean Clear. 

Cons:
-No filter media included
-No pressure gauge (This filter will accept a standard 1/4 “ MNPT pressure gauge like found on the Ocean Clear and other Nu-Clear models)
-cartridge rated for 10 sq. ft. less than the Ocean Clear


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## MissileBear (Aug 6, 2013)

Update:

I developed a leak in one of the canisters. There was a slow drip coming from the top lid and after removal of the o-ring and multiple cleanings the drip continued. Per Nu-Clear's recommendation I purchased some Lifegard Silicone Lubricant, provided a thin coating on the O-ring, and reassembled. The leak was fixed.

I would consider this stuff a must have for use with these canisters. Any silicone o-ring lubricant should work, but be careful of additives as some brands are not food safe.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Nu Clear has some issues with the seal and the clamp, I've broken a few of the screws that lock the seal into place. 

I generally will be careful when changing the filter and re seating the seal.
I put the seal into the lid, and then turn it a bit as I set it into the slot on the filter. Then once I feel a nice narrow even gap all the way around, I place to clamp and gently tap all the way around the clamp as I tighten it. 

Then turn back and and check.

Getting the OC's filter cartridge in/out is a PITA, but I had fewer leak issues. 

Note, "Pur Flo" sells the SAME filter and is cheaper. They also sell the dual and triple height modules and cartridges as well as all replacement parts. 

So that should tell you I've fixed a few things over the years with these.


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## MissileBear (Aug 6, 2013)

plantbrain said:


> Note, "Pur Flo" sells the SAME filter and is cheaper. They also sell the dual and triple height modules and cartridges as well as all replacement parts.


I actually came across one of these at my LFS. It was being used on a show tank and looked as though it was the same filter (I'm guessing one is rebranded?). I was unable to find a full Pur Flo filter for less cost than the Nu-Clear, although parts for the Pur Flo seem readily available.

I picked up a spare SS ring & screw and a set of spare o-rings in case there were additional issues.


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## Clear Water (Sep 20, 2014)

I've own and Ocean Clear filter for 15 years they were not made by red sea then. The only problem I had was the lid cracked on it and buying those pleated filter could get costly. They do a great job filtering the water and with the pressure gauge you knew when to replace the filter. Best of luck on your build nothing like setting up new tank.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Rinse the pleated cartridges well after removing them, then soak in hot water and bleach for a day, rinse again, repeat. Blast off again, then soak in dechlorinator for a few hours, allow to dry well. 

You should get 6-12 months per filter cartridge.

The double stack and cartridge can clean a 200+ gallon tank well for 2-3 months between cleanings. You need a lot more head space though for those under a standard cabinet.


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## MissileBear (Aug 6, 2013)

I ended up buying a set of 4 filter cartridges so there is a set ready to go when I need to refresh the filter. The tank has actually been running for a while and I am very surprised with the amount of runtime a fresh cartridge provides. With the very high bioload currently in the tank I can run a single filter for days without worrying about water quality. The aforementioned LFS runs this same cartridge on a 125 gallon with great results.

Overall I am pleased. I have yet to introduce CO2 to the tank which was really a driving factor for purchasing these in the first place. I'll provide updates once some additional time has passed.


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## goodship (Oct 15, 2014)

I have had both. Now I only have NU CLEAR just built better.


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## h2oskibumz (Sep 30, 2018)

"One of these is a copy of the other..." 

Yep. I bought an Ocean Clear 340 from the long defunct "Mail Order Pet Shop" (MOPS) that was in NY and Pennsylvania and had a huge fold up catalog... Sometime around 1992... This was also a LONG time before Red Sea took them over... 

A spare cartridge is a must. Kill the pump, shut the ball valves that you should have plumbed to the inlet/outlet sides of the pump/filter, crack the vent, open the drain to let a pint or so of water out of the housing, unscrew the lid and pop the cap to pull the dirty filter and drop it in a bucket. Put the new (or freshly cleaned) filter in, snap the lid on, screw down the retaining ring, open the ball valves, let it vent until a little h2o comes out the vent and tighten the vent. Turn the pump back on... About 2 minutes of down time.

Clean the dirty filter as already outlined and put it on the shelf for the next time...


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