The Tidal HOB Filter is widely considered a premium filter with some great features. One of my favourites is how the media is contained in its own container so you can easily remove all the media at once for cleaning and maintenance. There are no proprietary filters required to run this HOB. You can also easily use your own bio media, although it comes with some great media out of the box.
With a fairly steep price tag for a HOB, it comes with everything you need to get started. It comes with a course sponge for good mechanical filtration, and a mesh bag containing bioballs to start your biological filtration from Day 1.
When I first set this up, it was wonderfully quiet, and I was able to adjust the flow quite easily. I would of liked the ability to turn down the flow even more than it allows, as it did create quite a lot of current in my tank. The flow rate is impressive and makes short work of cloudy or murky water, which is a huge positive point for using this filter.
Maintenance
For the most part, maintenance was quite easy with the filter container (see above), but I did find it difficult to take apart the bottom to get at the intake pump. The filter successfully removes a lot of sludge and impurities from the water and it gets everywhere inside. The pump needs to be scrubbed and cleaned regularly to keep the flow at optimal efficiency.
Stability
I found that once the tank was established, the filter easily handled the full bio-load and kept the water parameters fairly stable. Proper biological media installed inside definitely contributes to its success in this regard.
Longevity
Here is where this filter loses some points with me. When the filter was new, it seemed unmatched and worked so well. Over time, however, despite meticulous cleaning, the flow rate started reducing, it clogged up a lot more frequently, and slowly started to get louder and struggled to keep up the same flow rate.
Final Thoughts
Overall this is a solid hang-on-back filter and is much better than most I’ve seen. The flexibility it brings with the media box in the back makes this filter stand out above the rest. This filter would have a near-perfect rating, but I feel that when comparing it to other filters in the “longevity” category, it falls a little bit short.
As I progress my knowledge and experience in the hobby, I find myself moving away from HOB filters in favour of canister filters (for larger tanks) and/or sponge filters that offer a quieter experience for the fish and create a lot less turbulence in the water for those fish sensitive to it.
4 / 5