If you’re worried that getting a highly effective power aquarium filter automatically means having to put up with a rumbling, whirring motor, this HOB (hang on back) aquarium filter from Aqueon will change your mind in no time.
Priced at a little less than $32, this is a great option for those who want a clean, healthy aquarium minus the sound, which could be a problem if your tank is in your bedroom or office. Here’s a quick look at the specifications and the features of the Aqueon QuietFlow 50 LED Pro power filter:
About The Product
At first glance, the Aqueon QuietFlow 50 looks like your usual aquarium filter. It’s only when you begin to use it, that you discover one feature after another, that makes your life easy in more than one way.
For starters, it’s probably one of the quietest power filters in the market right now, and is also possibly the smartest, with intelligent features that ensure you have to do as little as possible to get this aquarium filter to work properly.
Features
The Aqueon QuietFlow 50 is an aquarium filter designed for maximum effectiveness and minimum maintenance, and is one of the most preferred aquarium power filters in the market. Here’s why aquarists are loving it:
Noise-Free Functioning
The only reason this feature keeps getting mentioned more than once, is because it is arguably the one feature which sets apart the Aqueon QuietFlow 50 from all other products in the market. While it isn’t too difficult to find another aquarium power filter that offers the same gallon flow, it is practically impossible that it will return the purified water back to your tank without making noise.
Experts have rated the Aqueon QuietFlow 50 at par with canister aquarium filters in terms of quietness, while still delivering a filtration experience that leaves behind crystal clear water in your aquarium tank.
LED Indicator For Filter Replacement
There’s no exaggeration when the Aqueon QuietFlow 50 gets compared to that one smart guy in the office, working half as quietly as the others, but twice as smart. With most other power filters, you have to look for signs like cloudy water or fewer bubbles before you know it’s time to replace a filter or cartridge.
Most often, by the time you notice this, your aquarium filter is already functioning at half its capacity. Either this, or you’ll need to get the filter out and check manually for any media that needs to be replaced.
With the Aqueon QuietFlow 50, however, you simply set it up and wait for the LED indicator to light up, telling you when it’s time to replace the media. Be careful though, sometimes, the powerful gallon flow of this filter can cause splashing, which might cause the LED indicator to light up even in a couple of days. Is this a big problem? Not really. You’re definitely better off getting an alert before time, as compared to days after your media actually needed to be replaced, right?
Self-Priming Internal Pump
The list of smart features on the Aqueon Quietflow 50 doesn’t stop with the QuietFlow technology and the LED indicator. In fact, the same internal pump design that helps dampen noise and eliminates leaks, is also a self-priming pump.
This means that not only can you unpack the filter and put it to use straight away, but it will also start the filter automatically if power is interrupted and restored. This is particularly helpful if you live in a neighborhood that is prone to frequent power cuts, since you won’t have to manually start the filter each time the power comes back on.
A common problem faced with other aquarium filters is that they overheat trying to reprime, eventually getting damaged much before they should.
The internal pump of the Aqueon QuietFlow 50 on the other hand, not only saves you the trouble of having to check on your filter after each power cut or cleaning cycle, but also ensures it keeps your aquarium filter running for longer, giving you more value for your money.
4-Stage Filtration Process
Along with its quiet functioning and smart features, the Aqueon QuietFlow 50 also makes sure it delivers on the basics - that is, ensuring it offers you top-notch mechanical, chemical and biological filtration.
In fact, here too, this power filter outdoes other basic filters by including an additional layer of filtration media in the form of a wet/dry grid, which supercharges your aquarium with more oxygen as it returns to your tank, making sure your more active fish get plenty of oxygen to grow and thrive.
Here’s how the Aqueon QuietFlow 50 filters the water in your aquarium tank, giving you nothing but 100% clean and pure water.
Stage 1: Mechanical Filtration (Dense Floss)
The first layer, comprising of special floss effectively removes even the tiniest particles and debris, in effect preparing the water to flow much cleaner into the next layer.
Stage 2: Chemical Filtration (Activated Carbon)
With a cartridge that contains nearly 25% more activated carbon than other brands of power filters, the Aqueon QuietFlow 50 gives much better results when it comes to effectively removing dissolved organic waste materials, toxins, odors and discoloration, leaving behind water that is clear and free of toxins and odor.
Stage 3: Biological Filtration (Patented Bio-Holster)
The Aqueon QuietFlow 50 power filter also offers much better biological filtration thanks to its patented biological grid which has a large surface area. This means that there is always a higher concentration of beneficial bacteria in the filter, in turn removing harmful chemicals such as ammonia and nitrates at a much faster speed, and far more effectively.
Stage 4: Wet/Dry Filtration (Diffuser Grid)
Also known as its “water polisher” grid, this last additional layer of filtration in the Aqueon QuietFlow 50 power filter works as a final check against every last bit of toxins or harmful substances. In addition, this layer adds more oxygen to your water, and also reduces splashing, which means there’s no noise as your water returns, clean and refreshed to your fish.
What Users Are Saying
The Aqueon QuietFlow 50 seems to be getting a few hits and misses with users, although the pros clearly outweigh the cons, even in the most popular reviews.
The one thing customers are extremely happy about is that this is probably the quietest filter they have used, so now you know that the Aqueon Quietflow totally lives up to its name.
Users are also loving the powerful pump on this filter, which means it pulls in any particles it sees within as little as 2-3 inches of intake. On the downside, customers say that this also leads to the mechanical inserts clogging up pretty fast, making frequent replacement necessary.
Overall, the Aqueon Quietflow 50 seems to be a solid product, with a few flaws, mostly in the enhancement features, as you’ll see below.
What To Lookout For
While having a LED light on a power filter seems like a great way to remember to change the filter media, this feature on the Aqueon QuietFlow 50 seems to be giving users some inconvenience.
Source: aqueon.com
A few reviews mentioned that the powerful pump of the filter results in water splashing right under the lid, where the pins of the LED indicator are located, which means the LED starts to blink as soon as the pins get wet. A few users ended up following the LED and realized it was blinking much before the media needed to be replaced, so you’d be better of checking your inserts manually and ignoring the LED light.
Users also were unhappy with the quality of the sample filter that comes with each unit; however the quality of the actual replacement inserts that can be bought were quite good.
Final Verdict
The Aqueon QuietFlow 50 seems like a good option if you’re particularly looking for a quiet aquarium power filter. Buy it off for under $35 from some place like Amazon, and you’ll realize it was a good purchase within hours of using it.
Our Rating