Fluval 50 Power Filter – Aquarium Filter for 20 to 50 Gallon Fish Tanks – Quiet Energy Efficient Pump – Mechanical, Chemical & Biological Filtration – Easy Install & Maintenance (Packaging May Vary)

I’m really impressed with the Fluval 50 Power Filter. Within just a few hours of setting it up, my aquarium water went from cloudy to crystal clear. It runs quietly, is easy to install, and provides strong filtration without being too bulky. The build feels high quality and durable, and I like that the media compartments are customizable for different filtration needs. My fish are thriving, and the tank looks cleaner than ever. Definitely worth it if you want reliable, efficient filtration for your aquarium.

I purchased an AquaClear 50 Power filter for my 29 gallon freshwater tank. This filter replaced an Aqua Tech 30-60 model which would not keep my water clear unless I replaced the cartridges every week (as you can imagine, that was getting ridiculously expensive). My fish kept looking sick and I eventually decided it was the filter not working right (I had an Aqua Tech 20-40 before and that one didn't work either; thought bigger filter is better but apparently not with that brand). Anyway, I installed this filter in the evening and at the time my fish were REALLY sick looking and I was of course checking on it often hoping it would work. The next morning the water was still cloudy and my fish weren't behaving much different, so I did a 10% water change (changing too much water + new filter = trouble). Ten percent really isn't much, so the water was still cloudy. I did notice that 24 hours after installing the filter, my fish began to look slightly better and a bit more active. Within 36 hours this filter made my tank water crystal clear! (See my product images for before & after shots.) I just purchased a 2nd Aqua Clear 50 because I do have a few messy fish in my tank and this filter only moves 200 gallons per hour - for a 29 gallon tank it should be moving about 230 gallons minimum. I didn't buy a larger model because I have only about 2.5" between the back of my tank and the wall. If you have that issue, here are the approximate measurements of the unit and how much space you need between tank and wall: AquaClear 20: 5"L X 4"W X 6"H with 2 1/2" of the width behind the tank AquaClear 50: 7"L X 4"W X 6 1/2"H with 2 1/2" of its width behind the tank AquaClear 70: 8 1/2"L X 6"W X 8"H with 3 3/4" of its width behind the tank AquaClear 110: 13 1/2"L X 6 3/4"W X 9"H with 4" of its width behind the tank Will try to update about longevity once I've had it a while. So far, minimal noise, easy to install, no problems! Fish are very active, they like it! Update (6/12): The first filter I got leaked by the cord. It did cause some water damage to my stand (wood). Thankfully my 29-gallon background was folded at the bottom and it caught most of the water in the fold. I contacted Amazon and they sent a replacement with 1-day shipping. My 2nd 50 filter worked while the first was being replaced so I was glad I had 2 to start out. Despite the leak, I still purchased more of these filters for another tank I set up and am not changing my 5-star rating. I really feel these are the best out there! One suggestion, though, be sure to place something behind your tank, under the filter in case it leaks, and check it regularly. I'm going to use a Rubbermaid container (with the lid off). I have not had problems with any of the other filters leaking, hopefully it was just that unit and not a common thing.

I’ve bought just about every brand of HOB filter. Some lasted a few months, one came with a tank and was so noisy I tossed it and then there are the aquaclear filters - as far as I’m concerned, they are the only HOB filter I’ll buy for a 5 gallon and above tank and here’s why: 1. They are easy to get started 2. Super easy to find accessories if you want a baffle to control the flow speed or a filter end cover to protect tiny fish or shrimp from being sucked up 3. Quiet - yea you heard me - these are quiet! 4. You can use whatever media you want. You don’t have to buy their cartridges. This is huge in the longer run 5. They keep running Ok so that’s my perspective as someone who has purchased other name brands and had to toss some almost immediately, others a few months in. These just keep running. One note: buy up a size - if it says 10-30 gallons, and the next size says 30 - 50 gallons and you have a 30 gallon tank. Get the bigger one. You will have less water issues with better filtration. Now I am an over-filterer… I usually run a HOB and a sponge filter. For sponges I like a few brands - but this review is about the aquaclear. I don’t need to use a sponge filter but I like to over filter. On big tanks (I’m a weenie in aquarium terms- when I say big for me that’s 75 gallons) I will use a HOB and a sponge and a canister. (Yes - I am an admitted over filterer) - and yes I change my water by 10-25% every week on smaller tanks (30 gallons and under. And every other week on my big tanks - up to 75 gallons). Unless my water tests (using the actual API water test - not strips) show I need to take action. I tend to heavily plant my tanks and I don’t overstock with fish or shrimp. I figure I’ll do what I can to keep fish alive since they have no control. Anywho - buy one of these if you are looking for a steady Eddie HOB that will keep working and not cost you and arm or leg to replace media over time. (Not that I change media that often since that’s where most the beneficial bacteria live anyway) Note: My water tends to be a bit brown as I use a bunch of leaves and other botanicals to keep my fish and shrimp healthy and happy. It works!

I took in a friend’s fish when they couldn’t keep them anymore. I was given a ten gallon tank and this filter along with all the other fish essentials. I was new to fish and the filter was already several months old, so when it started acting up, I drew it down to myself not maintaining it properly. So every week for about 2 months I would pull this thing apart (after watching some instructional videos/ reading some forums about it) and managed to get it to work again. Eventually, got tired of that, and I decided to buy a new filter. Same type, same brand, same size. A size bigger than what I actually needed for a ten gallon tank to keep the water nice and crispy. I’m about a month into my new filter, I found the SAME THING HAPPENING. The filter would either start buzzing and stop flowing entirely, or just stop with no warning at all. Again, I took this all down to my lack of knowledge about fish ( although I was probably more well versed than the person who I adopted the fish from in the first place). It must have been me. Maybe I wasn’t changing the filters at exactly the right times of the month, maybe it was just bad luck, maybe I got a fluke filter. I’m a college student so I don’t have a whole lotta money to begin with, so I made it work. I’d take the thing apart every week/two weeks to clean it. Tubes and all. Changed the layers of filter as on time as I could, trying to hit the one month, two month, and three month mark for each type. But even so, pulling it apart and cleaning it was the only thing that kept it from busting on the regular basis. Had the second filter for about a year, and I finally had enough. I thought I’d buy a third one, and this time, I’d make sure to stay on top of things. My calendar is marked for cleaning, and for changing my filters. I only have 2 cory catfish and a plain tank with one bag of sand at the bottom. There’s not a whole lot to clean honestly, but I still make sure to change my water and scrub the algae off the tank every week. Two weeks into this new filter, it stops in the middle of the night. No warning. I was like haha, okay?? So maybe this isn’t actually me. After the usual round of unplugging and replugging and changing the flow of water back and forth, moving the filters around and making sure there wasn’t something lodged in there, I put it all back together, filled it up slowly with a cup, and it hesitantly, painfully, gurgled back to life. Only after another minute of changing the flow of water back and forth did it quiet down. Next week? Same thing. I was SO frustrated haha. This thing was, what? 3 weeks old and already working worse than the second one I bought that was a year old already. And now, here I am, writing my review with stanky fish hands at 4AM because my filter decided to come BUZZING to life, screeching at the top of it’s lungs. I spent the past 2 hours pulling this filter apart, cleaning it head to toe, turning it back on. Did it three times. It worked for about a minute or two each time before screaming again. This thing wanted me to put it out of it’s misery so badly, I just had to unplug it. What’s worse is that it seems like it’s putting out debris now instead of filtering it??? Like a filter is supposed to?? My fish are scared, I am scared, and the neighbors probably think I killed a cat or something with how loud this thing was. Save yourself the trouble my friends, do not get this filter. It won’t last. I can’t return it, but you can save yourself the trouble by learning from the mistake I made 2 times in a row.

"New product" came used with sand all over but box looked new and it had new shrink rap around it. It works fine, but the motor motor was annoying until after a week and the slime coating built up. On the first day, it was fixed temporarily when I put petroleum jelly on the shaft. The sound doesn't bother me anymore, but if it gets irritating or I have to clean it, I will try reef safe 100% silicone plumbers grease because the PT jelly only lasted 2 hours. I should've spent more money and upgraded to a bigger HOB instead of the clear 50 for my 20 gallon even though I also have a wavemaker. I do trust Aqua Clear enough that I would've just gone for the 70.

My explanation for some of the bad reviews: I have noticed that almost all of the bad reviews about this product are from people complaining about "noisiness". 99.9% of the cause for the noise is the lid rattling on the filter housing. It is a quick and easy fix. Usually all it takes is a quick "tap" on top of the lid to fix it, and sometimes it does take a slight adjustment. If that doesn't work, placing a small weight on top of the lid (if it really bothers you) will mitigate and get rid of the rattling lid. Easy fix. In the rare occasion that the motor is being loud, it is usually because the filter is new and hasn't developed a "bio-slime" around the impeller. It takes about 1-2 weeks for the impeller to develop this slime, and once it does, it will quiet down substantially. If that is not the case, then it is usually because the motor well needs to be cleaned out. After a couple years, the impeller and impeller magnet will wear down, and will need to be replaced. Just wanted to throw that out there... On to my actual review... Summary: Like the title states, I have been using these filters for almost 7 years. I have an AquaClear 20, 50, and two AquaClear 110s. All of them run like champs, and I have one that has been running strong since I purchased it in 2013. AquaClear's filter the water more efficiently than any other Hang-on-the-back filter out there. Compared to the Seachem Tidal, there is simply more room for filter media and it has much better "suction" power than the Tidals. The AquaClear will blow any cartridge type filter out of the water, no pun intended. In my opinion, these are the best filters for the money. The Good: Great filtration power (sucks up floating debris very well), plenty of room for filter media in the media basket, and overall great value. AquaClears are tanks, and they are built to last. One of the oldest filter models out there. The Bad: The only thing bad I can say about these filters are the lids. The lids rattle around every now and then, making an audible rattling noise, and it usually just takes a "tap" on top of the lid to fix it. What I have done is apply some silicone grease to the edge of the lid to dampen this rattling, and it usually works and lasts for a couple months, until I need to do it again. If you have a 10 gallon tank, an AquaClear 20 or 30 will be best. If you have a 20 gallon tank, an AquaClear 30 or 50 will be best. If you have a 29/30 gallon tank, an AquaClear 50 or 70 will be best. If you have a 40 or 55 gallon tank, an AquaClear 70 or 110 will be best. Anything above 55, I would personally use a canister filter. Or multiple AquaClear's.

12-7-2013 Update and some additional information: I moved my aquarium to another room the week 11/24/2013. When I moved the aquarium, I decided to clean the housing, impeller, and the cavity the impeller sits in. Up until this time, the AC 50 had been running quiet. However, after cleaning everything out, the impeller was making noise like it did when it was new. As of today (12-7-2013), this noise has been reduced by about 1/2. If things continue, the filter should be quiet again after the impeller builds up a slime coat. I also removed the undergravel filter from my aquarium. 12-13-2013 filter is quite again, just the sound of the motor running. I have been reading several negative reviews about this filter not priming itself after a power failure, filter cleaning, or a water change. One thing that appears to be an issue when reading these reviews is that the water level in the aquarium has gone below that of the top of the impeller cover. When the filter is turned off, the water level in the filter will become equal to the water level in the aquarium. If the water level is below that of the intake tube, the syphon will be lost and the intake tube will drain of water and the filter will not be able to start on its own without refilling the water in the filter. This is typical of many Hang Over the Back (HOB) filters. Sometimes, the impeller will fail to restart. This can be due to residue on the impeller shaft or on the magnet of the impeller. A good cleaning will usually remedy this problem. However, a long stick or skewer can be used to jump start the impeller if it fails to restart (this however only works if you are there to witness the problem). Any HOB filter that has a stuck impeller, and remains plugged in, has the risk of motor burnout. Another issue I see is that people are getting a AquaClear that is rated right at the size of tank they have, for instance a 20 gallon tank gets a AquaClear 20. This filter will filter a 20 gallon aquarium with minimal bioload, however the next size filter should be chosen. This would mean an AquaClear 30 and not the AquaClear 20 for a 20 gallon aquarium. I am personally using a AquaClear 50 on my 20 gallon and I am very happy with it. It is always best to have more filtration than needed rather than having too little or just the bare minimum. I am still very pleased with this filter and have no plans to change to another brand anytime soon. This review was updated on 12-25-2011. I purchased two of the AquaClear 50's on a buy one get one free deal. The price was right for the two filters and it gave me spare parts and extra media. The first filter was noisy from the impeller vibrating. I read various postings online about checking the impeller for damage, and manufacturing flaws. I also used petroleum jelly to lubricated the motor shaft, it was still very noisy from the rattling of the impeller. I removed the lid just to see if that made a difference, it did, but I could still hear the impeller vibrating from 15-20 feet away. It sounded like I was running the filter dry. I hooked up the second filter to see if it was any different. It still had a slight vibration/rattle, but it was not as much as the first one and was acceptable. I have been reading that this slight vibration/noise will go away in a month or so. After a week, the filter impeller started to quiet down and is hardly audible. I exchanged the noisy Aquaclear 50 for another Aquaclear 50. ***Update: 12-4-2011: The filter is now quiet with just a hum of the motor running.*** The small amount of noise coming from the current Aquaclear 50 has even subsided and is almost silent at this point. The lid does rattle from time-to-time, but it is not very loud. The Aquaclear 50 was hooked up on 11-25-2011. Today (12-2-2011) I had to clean the foam as it was matted on the underside with debris that had collected on it. I could tell it needed cleaning as the flow was somewhat slowed. My previous over the back filter was a bio-wheel 100. I have a 20 gal tank and the bio-wheel worked well when I first got it about 5 years ago. Over time I found myself getting annoyed with the bio-wheel stopping all the time. I also have an undergravel filter to help with biological filtration. When I saw the Aquaclear 50 on sale (buy one, get one free), I decided it was time to try something different than the bio-wheel 100. The Aquaclear 50 has double the flow rate (200GPH) than the bio-wheel 100 (100GPH) and is a much improved upgrade from the bio-wheel 100. Higher flow rates are available in the bio-wheel line as well, but I wanted to try another brand of filter. The water in my aquarium has not been this clean for a long time. I have not any problems with the filter not restarting after the power is has been shutoff. I did a few tests to see if it would restart on its own after being stuff off for 15 minutes and it always restarted. This could change over time, and I can see this being a problem if the water level in the tank goes below the equilibrium line of the filter and the tank's water level. I do recommend a pre-filter for the intake tube if you have small fish as the rate of intake can catch fish. I had this happen with one of my guppies and added a Fluval Edge pre-filter to the intake to prevent this from happening again. I like the ability to be able to rinse the foam insert in the filter without having to replace them entirely (although the manufacturer recommends every 2 months) unlike the bio-wheel system's filter cartridges. The foam insert can be cleaned many times, in conditioned water, to get the debris and to keep the nitrifying bacteria. The bio-max can also be rinsed in conditioned or tank water to allow it to be used longer. With the old bio-wheel I had to replace the filters every month due to the activated carbon in them. With the aquaclear I can run the filter without the activated carbon. Other than the noise of the first unit (which was exchanged), and to some extent the second unit (very little noise), I am very happy with it. The Aquaclear 50 comes with a foam insert, carbon filter, and bio-max media. There are two extension tubes that come with the filter. The filter is easy to assemble and attach to the back of the aquarium. There is an adjuster to level the filter with the aquarium that is located on the bottom of the filter. I am currently running it with two of the foam inserts and one pack of bio-max. I am debating on running only one foam insert and two bags of bio-max. Tank Size: 20 gallons. Current Filters: Aquaclear 50 and undergravel filter. Prior Filters: Bio-Wheel 100 and undergravel filter. Fish: 3 platies, 2 guppies, 4.5yr old angelfish, 4 albino corydoras catfish. Other: 3 ghost shrimp and 15-20 ramshorn snails. In my video I mention that the lid was a bit difficult to put on. It is much easier to put the lid on when the filter is actually installed on the back of the aquarium. It is not really an issue at all. Just something I came across while doing the video.

I bought two of these filters for two different tanks and at first, both were great - quiet, efficient, and a noticeable difference in water quality within the first hour. I gave it an hour before seeing how it was working and one was still going strong, but the other was no longer working. I unplugged it, took it off the tank to pour out the water and see what was going on, and the power connection at the base of the filter that has the power cord attached to it was so hot that it actually burned the tips of my fingers when I grabbed it. I disassembled everything and pulled the fan in the middle of that part out to find it still vibrating even though it was not plugged in. I found this very strange and it was the source of the heat, which I again found out by grabbing it. I cleaned all the parts off, put everything back together, and tried again and it took a second, but ended up turning on again. I put it on the edge of a plastic bin with water to see if this may have happened because it was over worked with grime from a dirty tank or just a fluke, and within a few minutes, the same part on the filter was dangerously hot. I am not happy to purchase it and for this to happen, but happy it stopped working so I could catch it. It seems like it would be a hazard if it stayed that hot over a long period of time or the temperature increase over time. It seems like it’s just a faulty device, since the other one works great and the same part of the filter isn’t eve barely even warm. I haven’t reached out to the manufacturer yet but will update my review with their response, if any.