Aqua Clear Filter

[taylorgs8]

I just recently set up a 10 gallon tropical fish aquarium for my kids and remember
when I was their age loving the hobby! But of course over the years much has changed
with accessories, etc. It was like a whole new ballgame! But one thing that I heard
among the many I asked regarding filters for your aquarium was to get an AQUA CLEAR.
Of course I didn't heed the advice and trying to be cheap, I bought one of those 10 gallon
aquarium kits from Wal Mart which had a filter and all this other stuff. Well, needless to say
within a few days I noticed the water in the aquarium was turning cloudy and I got
distressed...

So I paid a visit to this highly recommended pet store in Houston and was given an education
on filters. I picked up an AQUA CLEAR A-610 which is rated for 20-50 gal aquariums.
A friend recommended getting a "stronger" filter for better results overall and he was right.
After "packing up" the Wal Mart filter I ran into a bit of difficulty with the hood that came
with the aquarium..the filter I bought was too long..even after "popping" out the preset
plastic "snap outs"...

What to do? I tried cutting through the plastic with scissors with nary a dent then all of a
sudden I thought "pruning shears"..It just so happened I had a heavy duty set in my garage
so with a "determination" to get this filter set up I took the shears and easily cut through
the plastic to make room for the new filter with the 10 gallon hood...If I ever get a flourescent
hood I'm going to make sure the snap outs will accomodate my filter...Sheeesh!!

Well...after setting up the filter I was impressed with the "silence" and the flow rate..and within an
hour I could see the improvement and by the next day my aquarium was "crystal clear!
Everything I heard was right! These filters are great! One thing though..later I noticed this
irritating rattle as the pump was working that I could not figure out..so I started "googling" this
issue and happened to find in a "cichlid" forum a thread that addressed the issue and the advice
given was that the impeller might be clicking against the housing..the advice was to remove the
intake "U" tube and press down slightly in the top of the impeller, which I did and wa laa...no more
rattle...

That's why I love forums! So I found this one and decided to join!

 

[OldMan47]

Welcome to the forum Taylor.

 

[bitteraspects]

welcome to the forum, and congrats on being the proud owner of one of the best filters on the market.
the ac50 is quite a bit bigger then you need for a 10g tank, but it will absolutely do the job. (i would have suggested the ac30 rather then the ac50, but more fitration wont hurt). you may want to adjust the filter to the low setting. this will activate the refiltration system, and keep your flow rate at a tolerable level for your fish.
once you get it set up properly, which it sounds like you have, you will be amazed with the performance. usually any problems with these filters are user error, and easily remedied.

also. i assume youre using the media that came with the filter. (mech sponge/ bio-max pellets/ activated carbon bag). if this is the case, i would suggest getting rid of the carbon all together. you dont need it. you can replace it with more bio-max, or suppliment with bio-balls/ceramic rings/ or one of many other bio media options. alternatively, you could add another sponge, or more mechanical media of some sort. (i use poly fill in mine)