Review on 🐠 Seachem Tidal Power Filter - 35 Gallon Fish Tank Filter for Large Aquariums by Gabriela Alexander

Pros: You get 4 stars for a sturdy hard plastic box with no ugly garish colors, auto refill after power failure, easy to remove media basket, debris extractor and adjustable flow regulator. (it actually does something) and the included biomedium bricks are all great features compared to the competition. Cons: Contact your Italian manufacturer as the 3rd impeller blade is crappy and stained and has a slight cutting error causing the motor to be unbalanced in the filter housing and making a rattlesnake-like noise. They lose a star for impeller quality control issues and expect people to pay big bucks for top-notch loud rattle features. Solution: Remove the motor housing by pulling back the black plastic clip on the lower front and pulling the motor housing to the right. Then take 500 grit or higher sandpaper and sand the 3 impeller blades so they are smooth and evenly sized. Then take a small can of store bought white petroleum jelly, apply a thin coat around the shaft and rubber o-ring and reinstall it into the motor housing. Now reattach the motor to the canister and reconnect the filter and you will notice a reduction in the rattlesnake noise. Cons: The intakes on the left and front are too big. Small cherry shrimp and small fish can die if sucked into the vents and crushed by the propeller. Solution: Remove the impeller motor by pulling the black plastic tab on the front and sliding the motor to the right (Fig. 1). Remove the black wheel holder by twisting and pulling down (Fig. 3). Cut and install AquaClear filter foam inserts to act as a protective screen to keep small fish and shrimp away from the deathblades (Figure 2). The foam works great without sacrificing suction and also helps filter out large debris. A tidal filter is installed in my 10 gallon rimless tank and does a good job of mixing/exchanging oxygen at the water surface. The water in my tank is beautifully clear thanks to the yellow AquaClear filter foam at the bottom, the cut quilted cotton in the middle and a biomaterial filter bag at the top. You can buy quilted cotton at your local fabric store or department store instead of buying expensive boxed fabrics at a pet store. Think of it as buying generic drugs, not branded ones. The material is the same, but you don't pay for fancy packaging or product promotion. Click Helpful if you found this information helpful. Thanks :) Update September 25, 2020: The HOB filter still works like a champ and the noise is almost gone after my handy fix mentioned above. I would like the waterline to be higher for viewing aesthetics. Hopefully Seachem will read these comments and make improvements in future releases.