bahahhahahah. another self proclaimed filter guru.
HOB filter + sand + not knowing what youre doing = user error. dont fool yourself.
guess whay pal, the aquaclear (AC, not AQ) pushes more water then its whisper or marineland counterpart. with the added GPH rating, you will initially kick up more sand then you would with a wimpy whisper filter. and if you werent smart enough to use a short enough intake, or a foam pre filter with a fine sand substrate, its DEFINITELY a user error. the only reason the tetra doesnt kick up as much sand is because its a weak piece of garbage. it has nothing to do with the equipment itself, and everything to do with the clown using it. maybe next time you should do a little reading before setting up a filter.
again. i know people who have had the same aquaclear hob running for 20 years+. just because you dont know how to keep one running, does not make the whisper more reliable. you will NEVER see a whisper or marineland HOB running anywhere close to that long.
maybe its better you stick to the cheap crappy whiper filters. apparently you dont have the common sense to operate a more involved piece of equipment.