AquaClear 20 Power Filter UL Listed With A597 A598 & A1370 – AquaClear A595

Review by J. Burke for AquaClear 20 Power Filter UL Listed With A597 A598 & A1370 – AquaClear A595
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Unlike other filters that force you to spend money on new filters pads every two weeks, spending a lot on money you didn’t think you would have to, this filter does not require replacement filter pads. Instead, it has a block of foam that is used to trap the dirt in the water. Every two weeks, simple clean the foam in water by squeezing it a few times! Just do it in your water changing bucket with de-chlorinated water.

You can change the carbon filter whenever you choose to. In fact, it is not needed all that much. I have run my tanks without carbon for a month at a time, no big deal. If the water starts to look yellow or brown, it is time to change it and put in some fresh carbon.

Review by C M LaFleur for AquaClear 20 Power Filter UL Listed With A597 A598 & A1370 – AquaClear A595
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My daughter has a small aquarium (approx. 5 gallons),and we purchased a smaller filter, top of the line name brand, when we purchased the tank (as recommended). We had many problems; did not circulate well and left residue on the top of the water as if it were stagnant. Our angelfish kept dieing. I researched filters and decided to give this one a try as it said it did not allow “stagnant” water to happen since it was constantly circulating and flowing back into the tank from rim level. It is wonderful!! It sits comfortably on the rim of the tank in the cut out area. The water flows rather like a gentle waterfall. Our angelfish are doing well and I am very happy with the appearance and quality of the water in the small tank at all times. I have never seen any slimy areas and definitely have not seen the top look like pond water!! Our new angels love the filter and were hanging out by it and getting pushed around a little by the flow of the water…they seemed to be enjoying the activity. This is a very reasonably priced small filter that actually does the job it states it does….I highly recommend it to anyone.

Review by R. Pincus for AquaClear 20 Power Filter UL Listed With A597 A598 & A1370 – AquaClear A595
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Like the other reviewer mentioned, this filter isn’t exactly silent. The impeller makes noise. Not noticeable when there’s activity in the same room, but when the room is quiet you can definitely hear it. That being said, the filtration that this unit provides is EXCELLENT. My water is so clear I can see the warm-water currents coming out of my heater. Performs wonderfully, and I appreciate being able to dial-down the force of the filter….I have this one in my 10 gallon aquarium, and my fish didn’t like the current at full blast.

Review by Judith Hoppe for AquaClear 20 Power Filter UL Listed With A597 A598 & A1370 – AquaClear A595
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This filter comes with three types of media to filter the water, loose carbon a nylon bag, ceramic disks, and a block of foam. It seemed to do a pretty good job of filtering the water (some people remove the carbon and buy an extra bag of ceramic disks), but I did not like the trickle waterfall sounds it makes. It has a design flaw on the waterfall that causes bubbles intermittently. There are no curved surfaces on the spout — only sharp angles. Some of these are shipped with motors that are a little noisy and I was told that there is a break in period of sorts. My motor had a gravelly sound that did not diminish significantly over nine days of use.

I ended up returning my filter to the local fish store where I bought it. Right now I only use a Koralia Nano powerhead on my 10 gallon marine tank because it’s very quiet; freshwater tanks require a filter however. You can get by with no filter on a marine tank if you have sufficient live rock or live sand.

update 1: I did go back and buy this filter a second time, because my nano reef tank (saltwater) became dirty. Don’t try to go without a filter all of the time — it is a good idea to use activated carbon for at least a few days each month)….. also, do water changes at least once a month even if your nitrates test at zero. Water changes help replenish trace elements in a marine tank and can help maintain proper PH in a freshwater tank.

update 2: The plastic impeller blades are delicate and will break if you drop it (I broke my impeller blade while taking the motor off the filter for inspection). The company does not sell the blades separately, but they make you buy the whole impeller for 11.95 plus shipping.