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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 307 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 28 found the following review helpful:
 This is a great, cheap to run filter! Sep 28, 2008
By J. Burke
Unlike other filters that force you to spend money on new filters pads every two weeks, spending a lot on money you didn't think you would have to, this filter does not require replacement filter pads. Instead, it has a block of foam that is used to trap the dirt in the water. Every two weeks, simple clean the foam in water by squeezing it a few times! Just do it in your water changing bucket with de-chlorinated water.
You can change the carbon filter whenever you choose to. In fact, it is not needed all that much. I have run my tanks without carbon for a month at a time, no big deal. If the water starts to look yellow or brown, it is time to change it and put in some fresh carbon.
37 of 39 found the following review helpful:
Great Filter Mar 02, 2005
By S&H
Hi..if you are reading this and looking for a new or replacement filter, AquaClears are great. My 70 (300) is extremely quiet and my aquarium is crystal clear. Even though the filter comes with sponge, carbon and BioMax, you can set it up which ever way you want. The sponges can be washed in aquarium water to save a few dollars and maintain your biological filter. Cleans easily. The old number represented the gallons per hour. The new number represents the maximum size aquarium. Good luck.
24 of 24 found the following review helpful:
 A very effective, powerful, and inexpensive filter. Feb 15, 2011
By M. Newman
There is so much to say about this filter, it's hard to know where to start.
I bought this filter to replace a very ineffective Marineland Pengiun HOB filter. I have a 20 gallon tank, but have a heavy bioload due to a dozen or so fish being born in our tank (thank you Petsmart). The issues we ran into with the Penguin filter were many (see my review), so I looked for a more powerful and configurable filter. The Aquaclear 70 fit the bill.
The housing has plastic walls that I think are a bit thin. I feel the need to be very careful with it when I take it apart and put it back together. That's about the only critical thing I have to say about this filter. It has a dial on the back to help keep the filter level. The impeller and motor can be easily replaced with a simple twist.
You get two intakes with this unit, so you can have it at mid-level, or extend it to get closer to the bottom. The intake swivels a bit, which causes a reduction in the water intake. This is a very useful feature, as it recycles some of the water already in the filter to mix with the water from the intake to give you extra clean water, just at a slower rate. This also comes in handy when you want to reduce the water disturbance for feeding.
The filter media included with the unit is exceptional. You get a filter sponge that catches the debris, a carbon "sock" to catch the very fine particles and chemicals, and "bio max" which is just a media to keep beneficial bacteria. The sponge can be rinsed and reused to your heart's content. It's very sturdy and seems to be effective. The carbon "sock" is huge! Although there is some debate among aquarists if you need continual carbon filtration or not, you certainly can get a lot of chemical filtration should you so desire. The last media, "Bio Max", is rough surfaced cylinders meant to capture bacteria to help keep your tank clean. This is very helpful since, if you were to replace your sponge and carbon, the beneficial bacteria would still reside in the "Bio Max".
Now the true beauty isn't with what you get (which, again, is great), it's what you can CHOOSE to do. The filter housing is very simple, and you can put in most any filter media you want. You can cut filter fabric to size, remove the carbon and add another sponge, or use a different biological filtration method. This, I feel, is key to running a clean tank. If I were to treat the tank with a chemical, I can simply remove the carbon and leave the other filter media in place. This wasn't possible with the Penguin and wound up being a serious problem.
Another great aspect of the filter media is the price. Seeing as how you don't need to replace the sponge or biological media, you just have to replace the carbon "sock". With that, you can buy a replacement for this specific model filter, or you can create your own by buying a filter sock and carton of activated carbon.
We've been running the filter for months without issue... Ok, somehow our Otocinclus got into the filter. Luckily, I found him and got him back into the tank. He must have been watching when we had Finding Nemo on the TV. Maybe an intake with thinner grates would be something to explore.
One thing I would caution against is Hagen's return procedure. I had picked up one of these from Petsmart and it was defective (I'm almost certain it was used and Petsmart put it back on the shelves). Hagen said that if I want to return it to them, I would have to pay for all of the shipping. Luckily, Petsmart exchanged it without issue.
I highly suggest this filter and hope it will work out as well for you as it has for me.
43 of 48 found the following review helpful:
For Crystal Clear Water Jun 27, 2008
By ' Groovin' guy
"music historian"
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1XZ43PZGAIHWY I set up the Aqua Clear in water that was yellow and pretty cloudy. The Aqua Clear clear cleaned the water and diminished the yellow tint within a day.
I was being told by my local pet store that the Fluval filter was the best filter for my turtles. Even with cloudy yellow water, my local pet store said it was natural and fine.
It wasn't so fine with me. I could hardly see my turtles and had to change the filters every two weeks and use a turkey baster every day to pick up larger debris which that filter couldn't handle.
Now I have very happy turtles that are enjoying the water more and getting out of their shells, I'll let my turtles speak for themselves.
18 of 18 found the following review helpful:
Perfect filter! Sep 05, 2006
By L. Moore
I received this filter when I acquired a 125 gallon freshwater tank. They had two on the system.
I purchased new carbon bags and rinsed the filters and sponges and it is the BEST filter I have ever had, and that's a lot of filters.
I usually use biowheels, which are wonderful but they are splashy and loud. The Aquaclears are not loud plus have an adjustable flow which is a HUGE benefit alone.
They are perfect as you can add media just like you could a canister filter, as it has a media basket instead of cartridges. It's really brilliant!
I will certainly be purchasing the smaller versions for my future tanks, the rest are set up w/ biowheels. My hospital tank will be sporting a new aquaclear very soon as it's in the bedroom and these filters are very quiet.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!!
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