AC 300 for 55g

G

goldfries

AC Members
Oct 11, 2001
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Malaysia
www.briancyc.com
Ac300

i've never seen much of the mentioned brands of filter product in my country (like Fluval, Eheim, AquaClear, Emperor) however I just saw the AquaClear 300 on one of the PetShop shelf and rated good up to 100 U.S. Gallons.

i'm getting a new 55 gal tank for my oscar, so i'm wondering if this product is REALLY GOOD or at least WORTH THE INVESTMENT

Eheims are too pricey for me, Fluval is rare, Emperor is non-existent.

in short ........... give me your views.
 
Been using them for years and never had a single problem. I have two 300's on my 55, and a 200 and a fluval in my 40. I've had the 200 for about 12-14 years and it still runs like I just took it out of the box. Dependable and easy maintenance.....and no I don't work for or own stock in Aqua Clear. Just love the product.
Len
 
cool, i'd like more feed back as the Aquaclear AC300 costs RM 135 bucks to me so it's a rather costly investment. Eheims go from RM 500 to close to 1k.

Was thinking of custom making my own filter, but if the AC300 is really that good and can last many years i might considering investing on it later on.

more views please. branded products like these are hardly found on shelves here.
 
Agreed - you really can't go wrong with AquaClears. I have them, in varying sizes, on most of my tanks and I've never had a problem with any of them. Keep them clean and they'll last a very long time.

Isn't 135 M$ only about $35 US$ ? If so, that's not a bad deal really...especially if they're difficult to find. I'd grab it up and not look back - you won't be disappointed :)
 
People rate these filters all the time, and everyone always gives AC's a great response. Easy to use, clean, change media. Last you forever if you take decent care of them. I also hear alot about getting a second sponge filter to go in it. That way you have some great mechanical and bio filtration.
 
I have a 300 (as well as several smaller ACs); what I like is the filter basket is big and can hold virtually any kind of media, whatever you like to use, so you're not stuck using the AC media if you don't want to. I've never had an AC motor fail or a part break... for me they have been very dependable filters.

On the downside, I would say "up to 100 gallons" for an AC300 is a fantasy ;) I have mine on a 33 gallon and it's just about right. Sometimes you get noise from vibration with these filters (sometimes it's the lid humming, but other times I haven't been able to find the source) Not really loud, but annoying. I've had no other problems.

Some people have reported that if the media is not cleaned frequently enough, the basket will get pushed up in the compartment and water can overflow out of the filter onto the floor. I've had the basket ride up before, but never an overflow or leak problem. To me ACs are very good value for what you pay. (if it's still about 2.50 ringgit to a Can. dollar the price is about the same here.) Where in Malaysia are you? Just curious because I visited there a few times.
 
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A few things:

AquaClears make great filters. The rating up to 100g is a dream however. Depending on the type of fish you own, you want a water turnover rate of 5 to 10 times the size of your aquarium per hour. Fish from slow moving waters like discus' will appreciate slower turnover filters, while fast water fish like piranhas and most cichlids will appreciate high turnover filters.

For your oscar, I would say an AC 300 on your 55G is not enough. I would either go with an Emperor 400, an AC 500, or an AC 300 and add a powerhead to create some more current. Personally, I always prefer to add more filtration rather than raw current via powerheads. Oscars, like most cichlids, are extremely messy fish that create a TON of waste.

All in all, you can't go wrong with an AquaClear if you're limited budgetwise. If at all possible, try to buy an Emperor 400 (absolutely the best non-canister or wet-dry filter money can buy) or AC 500 though.
 
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