# fluval aqua clear filters



## eric19 (Nov 16, 2013)

hello there,
has anyone in here have had experience with a fluval aqua clear 50 or is currently having one?
if so would you reccomend me buying one for my 20 gallon long tank?


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## Tetranerd (Oct 26, 2012)

I have a 50 & a 100 in my 90 gal tank. Went back to them after hoses on a cannister filter blew a leak. Won't change again. I only use the sponge filters & they work great. No CO2 on my tank, just lights, heaters & filters. I would HIGHLY recommend it. 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


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## MERSF559 (Oct 18, 2013)

ihave a AQ 30 on my 20 long and its good. just sometimes itll make a noise (rattling) from the lid and sometimes when your done with your WC andnl plug it in, it won't start cuz you have to clean the impeller. 

but a real good filter and real quite.


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## Tetranerd (Oct 26, 2012)

Putting some bubble wrap under it solves the rattle. You do need to reprime it after you unplug it - small price to pay for a good filter

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## Django (Jun 13, 2012)

I just switched from an AquaClear 30 to a Fluval U2 in my 10g. The AquaClear is a great filter - I always kept it on the lowest setting - but I didn't like the water surface agitation and I went for an internal filter.


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## Aqualady (Jan 14, 2013)

MERSF559 said:


> ihave a AQ 30 on my 20 long and its good. just sometimes itll make a noise (rattling) from the lid and sometimes when your done with your WC andnl plug it in, it won't start cuz you have to clean the impeller.
> 
> but a real good filter and real quite.


+1 Iagree


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## jem_xxiii (Apr 5, 2013)

The AC50 should be more then fine for your 20L. I use an AC50 on my 10g.


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## dprais1 (Sep 12, 2012)

I have an ac20 on my 20, but I feel it is not doing what I want it to. If i was to go back in time, which I can't, I would have got the ac50.

+1 on just using the sponges, btw IME the ac sponges only last a 6-9 months, I would find something better quality.


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## Django (Jun 13, 2012)

I looked at the Amazon ad for the 50 and I saw from the picture that its got flow control, which is a plus, but at 200 gph (20 gallons 10 times per hour maximum) I would worry that I wouldn't be able to get it low enough to keep the fish and plants happy. It's iffy.

However, 10x is a slower flow than the 15x max for the 150 gph AC 30 I was using on my 10g. So, on that basis I would guess the AC50 would work in your tank and have space to go up or down.

BTW, I always kept the 30 on the lowest setting in my 10g and circulation was fine, especially with the filter in the middle of the back glass.

Hope this rambling in-depth analysis helps.


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## Entomologist210 (Nov 16, 2013)

I love my Aquaclear 50 on my 20gal high. Clears the water so everything is sparkling and the fluval edge prefilters fit it like a glove so it's totally shrimp safe now! No problems or complaints other than that I've had to prime it a couple times after unplugging it for tank maintenance.


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## Fishermike (Feb 24, 2013)

Highly recommended. I use one in a 20H that I set up in my daughter's kindergarten classroom, and two of them on the 26 bowfront that's in her room at home.

Bulletproof, easy to service, room for tons of media. I usually use two sponges, plus a packet of Purigen.

On a 20l, you might want to use two, or consider getting a Koralia nano or similar, just so you don't get dead spots. 

That's one of the few disadvantages of HOB filters - you can't place the intake at one end of the tank and the output at the other. (At least not without some pretty fugly jerry-rigging.)


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## MERSF559 (Oct 18, 2013)

Fishermike said:


> Highly recommended. I use one in a 20H that I set up in my daughter's kindergarten classroom, and two of them on the 26 bowfront that's in her room at home.
> 
> Bulletproof, easy to service, room for tons of media. I usually use two sponges, plus a packet of Purigen.
> 
> ...


+1 on the hydor koralia. that's what igot too lol the nano 240 gph


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## tattooedfool83 (Mar 15, 2013)

I use an aquaclear 20 on a 20 long and a couple small power heads. One power head is how I inject co2. The tank gets greAt circulation


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

I have at least one each of all the sizes of Aquaclears. 
I generally run them on the next size down tank to what they suggest. 
The AC50 on a 20 gallon is a good idea. 
Other options for a long tank would be 2 x AC 20, or either AC20 or 50 + small Koralia. 

I have run my 20 long with several arrangements of water movement, filters, power heads and even a divider (2 Bettas). 
The only way that I did not like was with a divider! All arrangements of water movement equipment just took a little thought and test to make them work. 
I generally like to aim for 10x the tank volume per hour, using the manufacturer's values. I know they over estimate the water movement, so I might really be getting about 5-8x, and that is OK. 
I have also run the 20 long as a river tank per the set at the bottom of this link...
http://www.loaches.com/articles/hillstream-loaches-the-specialists-at-life-in-the-fast-lane
... with over 20x, all aligned the length of the tank.


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## twentypoundtabby (Dec 7, 2013)

I think I use an aquaclear 30 on my 20 gallon tanks, but it might be an aquaclear 50, along with power heads. I tend to keep spares for when one fails so whatever is on there is what I had as a spare.
I find if I keep the filter clean so the flow into the aquarium is a nice sheet of water, plus keep the water level high, there is not to much surface agitation and it's nice and quiet.
I've used aquaclear HOB filters for decades and they are my favorite HOB. They do fail over time - motors seize or they start to leak. Impellers sometimes fail but those can be replaced.
So, Hagen makes both Fluval and Aquaclear, but there used to be Fluval and Aquaclear filters. Have the aquaclear filters changed now that they are called Fluval Aquaclear or is it just the name?


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## sowNreap (Jun 10, 2012)

Just curious how to know when the AC sponge needs to be replaced? Mine looks just like it did when I bought it about 2 yrs ago other than the color isn't quite the same now. It's not falling apart or anything. I assumed you didn't need to replace the sponge unless it was falling apart. ???


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## twentypoundtabby (Dec 7, 2013)

sowNreap said:


> Just curious how to know when the AC sponge needs to be replaced? Mine looks just like it did when I bought it about 2 yrs ago other than the color isn't quite the same now. It's not falling apart or anything. I assumed you didn't need to replace the sponge unless it was falling apart. ???


I have sponges that are over a decade old. They have darkened, but if it isn't falling apart, I don't replace it.


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## NYCaqua (Dec 26, 2013)

I have an aquaclear 30 with the motor of an aquaclear 50 on it. Gives me extra flow on a smaller body. So the media in there really has high flow. I had a spare aquaclear 50 with a crack i could no longer use and decided to put it on the aquaclear 30 with some polishing pads, sponge, and some eheim substrat pro.


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## Imaginary1226 (Jul 27, 2010)

I also have various aquaclears and they are great! Also the sponges that come with them also make fantastic filter intake covers. I have the sponge and biomax in mine and it works great.


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## jem_xxiii (Apr 5, 2013)

My AC50 is loaded with the sponge and de*nitrate. As someone stated before, the fluval edge sponge filter guard fits the AC20/30/50 models like a glove.


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## sowNreap (Jun 10, 2012)

twentypoundtabby said:


> I have sponges that are over a decade old. They have darkened, but if it isn't falling apart, I don't replace it.


Ok thanks!! That's what I thought. If they're not falling apart no need to buy new ones. I thought I read someone say they needed to be changed often. Maybe I mis-read & they was talking about something else.


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## dprais1 (Sep 12, 2012)

IME the sponges that they used to have included would last for a very long time, they were high quality.

the ones that they have now are different, cheap, brittle. they seem to degrade very quickly.


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## Django (Jun 13, 2012)

I've seen a difference over the years in initial quality too.


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## Culprit (Nov 6, 2012)

I have a AC50 on a 29g and thought the flow was too much.
There was nowhere the fish could hide from the flow.
I finally put the impeller of a AC30 in it and now seems perfect.


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## Culprit (Nov 6, 2012)

oops nevermind its an AC70 I have lol sorry.


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## Gotcha38 (Apr 13, 2010)

I've got an Aqua Clear 30 on my 20 Long. It's my first aquarium filter, but I'm happy with it. The lid rattles some when it's on, so I just leave it off. I also keep it running full blast. I have some java fern to break the flow some.


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