Anyone with AquaClear filters

So i couldnt figure it out until just moments ago.
For some time now ive owned an Aquaclear 110 and i am VERY pleased with the performance of this thing.
with a 12'' waterfall, and almost silent design... this thing ROCKS.

Ok, so ive noticed that my 12" waterfall, now is something more like... 8" waterfall...
i kept losing an inch at a time on both sides and for some time now haven't been able to figure it out.


So for about 6+ months ive had this thing running, and i was told, never rinse the ceramic rings (Bio media) to only rinse the sponge, and that there shouldnt be any issues.
well, recently i would fiddle with the ceramic rings and notice my water pattern would change.
i got "Some" of the flow back out of it. this inspired me to thoroughly rinse the rings out, and what do you know? big increase in waterfall pattern.


here is the next issue.
at night, i would get irritated at the sound coming from the tank, it soundly like over exaggerated water trickling...
the noise had tripled or even quadrupled..
i would also notice the sound would go from say.. 2x loud to randomly now 4x loud for short periods of time...
these were tale tale signs that something was wrong for the pump to work in bursts like that.
so after thinking my AC110 may be dying randomly...(shouldnt be)
i decided to clean the induction tubes completely...


this just involved an old tooth brush and piping hot water.
since ive cleaned and put everything back together, the tank is now silent, and works as if brand new...


so for anyone out there with an AC filter, that wants some flow back and a little noise gone... CLEAN YOUR INTAKE TUBES! if they are brown.. CLEAN EM!

1. Never clean your filter using water straight from the tap. Rinse using tank water! Otherwise you kill off the beneficial bacteria in your filter and will end up doing a mini-cycle.

2. Lightly shake the filter, the noise sounds like you may have some air bubbles in the impeller well. Try shifting the intake pipe side to side (if the 110 has the adjustable flow like the smaller ones.)

I would keep an eye on your water parameters if you rinsed your ceramic rings out in tap water.

Gryphon wrote:1. Never clean your filter using water straight from the tap. Rinse using tank water! Otherwise you kill off the beneficial bacteria in your filter and will end up doing a mini-cycle.

2. Lightly shake the filter, the noise sounds like you may have some air bubbles in the impeller well. Try shifting the intake pipe side to side (if the 110 has the adjustable flow like the smaller ones.)

I would keep an eye on your water parameters if you rinsed your ceramic rings out in tap water.

Rinsed the rings out in tap water NO.
i rinsed them "IN" the tank, (sorry, never stated how i rinsed them, but yes tank water only!)

As for the intake tubes. Tap water all the way, you dont want bacteria and such building up there. because in my situation all it does is hinder your flow.
and put extra stress on your pump.

Sponge, arguable. i use hot tap water, the reason.. I am not using my sponge as the beneficial bacteria collector.
i use ceramic rings for that. The sponge is just an added "oh hey, that collects BB too?"

ive never once had a minicycle go on in my tank, and at the same time if i do have one, it happens so quick the fish are unharmed.
most of the beneficial bacteria is in the substrate and rocks/driftwood anyways


as for moving the intake tube around, side to side.. great advice, but in my situation moving it around did nothing, because the intake tubes themselves were clogged lol.
so i had no choice but to thoroughly clean the tubes.


but yeah, i see what you mean, rinse the bio media in tank water only, just so you dont end up with a mini cycle in your tank.
rinsing the ceramic rings in hot water definitely will kill your beneficial bacteria off, and put you back into a cycle.

Oh and for the record, my water comes from a well...
so my tap water would be fine to rinse anything with.
it has no chlorine in it.


but to folks that live in the city, no tap water to rinse.
and if you are like me, and really anal with cleaning your filter sponges in dirty tank water.

take a bucket (5 gallon) and throw some water conditioner in it. swash it around and then rinse.
this kills chlorine and any other contaminates that may be in the water

LOL had me worried for a bit. I went through quite a few hair pulling moments when I first started with fish, cause I could never understand why my tank wouldn't stay cycled. Then I found out I was the cause, not the tank lol.

Gryphon wrote:LOL had me worried for a bit. I went through quite a few hair pulling moments when I first started with fish, cause I could never understand why my tank wouldn't stay cycled. Then I found out I was the cause, not the tank lol.

i went through that with my buddies oscar tank

couldnt for the life of me, figure out why his tank would always have weird readings...

then it hit me. HES NOT ON A WELL LIKE I AM!!! lol

I rinse my bio-rings in a bucket of tank water, but everything else gets chlorinated water from the tap. I clean every part of the filter regularly, including the tubes, the impeller area, etc.

I'm can't stand putting a sponge back in if it isn't thoroughly clean with clear water running out of it after cleaning, so I've cut them in half to make them thinner and easier to clean. I take them outside and blast them with a strong flow from the hose and literally squeeze the poop out of them, repeating as necessary to get them completely clear. I've never had a problem doing it this way on tanks that have more than one filter or tanks with only the AquaClear.

Betty wrote:I rinse my bio-rings in a bucket of tank water, but everything else gets chlorinated water from the tap. I clean every part of the filter regularly, including the tubes, the impeller area, etc.

I'm can't stand putting a sponge back in if it isn't thoroughly clean with clear water running out of it after cleaning, so I've cut them in half to make them thinner and easier to clean. I take them outside and blast them with a strong flow from the hose and literally squeeze the poop out of them, repeating as necessary to get them completely clear. I've never had a problem doing it this way on tanks that have more than one filter or tanks with only the AquaClear.

We do the same exact steps lol.
only my sponge hasnt been cut in half.
usually im fairly strong enough grip wise to queeze out all of the poop with just a few "wrings"
But i don't put it back into my tank until its squeezing out clear water.

the bio rings get rinsed and tossed around in a bucket full of tank water (i used buckets to do my water changes, that change tomorrow when my wet/dry is running)


i also never clean the sponge AND the bio rings at the same time, for fear that i may start a mini cycle.