Equipment Review and Discussion :: Aquaclear 70

[adam85491]

Hey, I finally got my new twenty gallon long tank set up and while it doesn't sound big it is a much needed upgrade that sometimes seems unnecessary to friends/relatives. I used a reptofilter rated for twenty gallons in my ten gallon tank and am using it in the new tank which has about 14 gallons in it. I want to get an aquaclear and have about forty dollars thanks to my Mom buying me a table, but I have to ask...What media should I get? The reptofilter had cartridges but I see ammonia cylinder things, a black sponge, some carbon things..sort of confused. I hope it comes with media but I do expect a 70 gallon filter to do the job in a 20 gallon tank. Thanks for the help.

[DavidY]

I have a couple of Aquaclears that I've had for over 10 years when I used to keep freshwater fish. They still work great and they're pretty easy to clean too. I just use the sponge and the carbon bags that are specifically made for my filter.

[marisa]

I have an Aquaclear 70 in a 20-gallon long. It works well with one smallish turtle. I did extend the intake to the bottom, which I think helps, though.

The filter should come with everything you need---Biomax (those ceramic rings, which are the biomedia), a sponge for mechanical filtration, and a carbon bag for chemical filtration. I use all three---follow the directions for the order to place them in the basket. The carbon needs to be replaced about monthly. If you're ordering on-line, it's good to get some extra (some places sell a "value-pack" of 3 bags).

[adam85491]

Only one smallish turtle? What about two which are still pretty small but can use a small turtle dock without submerging it? You can buy attachments for the intake, correct? How often should I replace the biomax? I use cartridges a few times and replace them like once a month but never used the rings before..Thanks for the help.

[marisa]

My preemie eastern painted, whose SCL is about 3 inches. (Ideally, he should be in a bigger tank, and he is when he's outside, but for lack of space, his indoor home is a 20L for now.) What size are your two---aren't they painteds as well? A bigger tank, even if they're smaller, would have been better, because you're still going to have to go even bigger at some point. There's no problem with biting?

I think my Aquaclear 70 came with an extra intake tube, but I bought yet an extra one as well. (It will also fit the Aquaclear 110 if you ever get one.) I don't know about a regular 20-gallon, but a 20-long isn't that tall, so adding a full-length tube wasn't possible. I cut one of the tubes to extend the intake so it was exactly at the bottom.

You should be able to use the biomax for a good long time and replace the carbon (monthly) and the sponge (not as frequently as the carbon but more frequently than the biomax). I used to reuse the same sponge until it looked really bad, but more recently I've been replacing it when it starts to look fairly used and is smelly. You're going to have to use your jugement on this. I've had more snails in the tank than I've wanted, so for a while I was rotating between two sponges, letting one dry out to kill the snails hiding/trapped in it while the other was in use (it's good to buy extra sponges---there's a value 3-pack for those as well).

Rinse the sponge and the biomax in the tank water and keep them in tank water until you're ready to put them back in the filter. I keep a bucket of tank water for this purpose (I take it out of the tank before I start to clean) to preserve beneficial bacteria.

[adam85491]

I think one is a painted but one is a slider-they really should be in a slightly larger tank but I hope to build an above tank basking area soon to maxamize the size of the tank. There isn't a biting problem probably because they have been together for a while..they started out in a small dish (I didn't know any better). But after saving up for a tank, filter, and heater and getting some help along the way this is really a decent upgrade which I hope will make them happier for a while..It is hard convincing my parents that a big tank is necessary when they used to be in such a small container but I bought most of the stuff anyway..Thanks for the help.