smalltownuser
Active Member
So I saw on MULTIPLE places like YouTube, reviews, Amazon ratings, etc. that the Tidal HOB Filter is the best, or one of the best filters on the market. I bought it, and it seems to be doing its job, however that dang blue pop-up to tell you to clean the filter just stays up. Looking at its "tech" on how it works, its just a plastic toggle that floats up when water gets in its reservoir, implying that the filter is dirty and not draining water correctly, hence needs a cleaning. I have cleaned that thing at least 5 times, and it still floats. I even got frustrated with constantly having to grab aquarium water to rinse it in, so I took a hose to it and blasted water through every little thing in it. I took it completely apart, hosed off each item in it (the sponge filter, the filter fabric, and the matrix rocks for bacteria growth), and then because I used sink water to do that, I soaked it in aquarium water with Seachem Stability and Prime to remove the chlorine and other chemicals from the tap water to make sure it was safe to go back in the display tank. I scrubbed inside and out the entire filter components (inside the container itself, as well as the removable part of the container). I cant get it any more clean than it already is, and that dang blue sensor still pops up. At this point I feel like I must have something installed incorrectly, because as soon as I turn the filter back on and it starts to suck in water, water gets into that little reservoir and makes the sensor float up again. I dont know if there is a leak from the actual white container to where that reservoir is, or what, but I cant figure it out. Anybody know whats going on, or has experienced this and know what my problem is?
Additional information that might cause it but I dont know why? I have 2 sponges in it to pick up the bigger debris, I have a small amount of filter fabric in it, enough to thinly cover the area of the container, and them I got the Seachem Matrix rocks to add surface area for bacteria, and I have that on the top of the filter, so that the "newly filtered water" flows through it, and then back in to the tank. The pouch with the matrix in it is sitting about level to overflow part of the container where the water comes back out, but its just a little lower so that it is completely covered with water before the water drains back out. There is nothing else in the filter, so I dont know what it would be. The pouch was my first guess, but it sits lower than the reservoir that collects water, so it shouldnt be causing water to get into that area making the sensor float up.
Additional information that might cause it but I dont know why? I have 2 sponges in it to pick up the bigger debris, I have a small amount of filter fabric in it, enough to thinly cover the area of the container, and them I got the Seachem Matrix rocks to add surface area for bacteria, and I have that on the top of the filter, so that the "newly filtered water" flows through it, and then back in to the tank. The pouch with the matrix in it is sitting about level to overflow part of the container where the water comes back out, but its just a little lower so that it is completely covered with water before the water drains back out. There is nothing else in the filter, so I dont know what it would be. The pouch was my first guess, but it sits lower than the reservoir that collects water, so it shouldnt be causing water to get into that area making the sensor float up.
