Add BIO Filtration to A HOB Filter

Ok guys well today I picked up my new HOB filter with the tank I purchased.
I have always used canister filters but the tank only has two small cichlids I did not plan on buying a tank but it was dirt cheap. I had some money left but would like to keep it for an emergency.

Basically is what I did was take some established BIO Cyclinders and put them in some material that they came with ( kind of like a potatoe sack)



And put them on the outside of the Filter pads. Next I took some carbon ( Some people say carbon isn't nesscary but my other tank is clear so I would say it does a good job) and put the carbon in mesh bags and put them on the front side of the filter pads

Basically this is what my filter does Water flow --> carbon --> filter pads--> Bio Cyclinders--> back to tank.

My HOB may be louder and may not have the media space of a canister but mine has more GPH and is a little louder hope this helps.

 

shouldn't you put filter pad then carbon?or it becaause of the lack of space?

 

That sounds good to me.

I personally don't use activated carbon & my tanks are crystal clear without it. Using it is a personnel preference.

 

Good morning,

I have moved your thread from General Discussion to Freshwater Tank Equipment/Filters and Filtration section of the forum.

The bio media such as the Fluval bio tubes, should be placed in the filter where it will remain the cleanest.

Ken

 

The bio media such as the Fluval bio tubes, should be placed in the filter where it will remain the cleanest.

Ken[/QUOTE]

And I assume that is the last step of the filtration process ( The end)

 

Yes, biomax should be last.

I also have crystal clear water without carbon. I stopped using it a while ago when I started using custom media and didn't notice any change, so I never went back to using it. Of course everyone's water is different, but you'd be surprised how many people don't use it.

 

Yes, biomax should be last.

I also have crystal clear water without carbon. I stopped using it a while ago when I started using custom media and didn't notice any change, so I never went back to using it. Of course everyone's water is different, but you'd be surprised how many people don't use it.

I don't think it. Works either I ran the hob filter for a day without it and it was good but. What else could I put in. The space ir probally half inch deep by 3 inches wide

 

I don't know....what kind of filter is it?

 

yah what kind

 

Honestly it was a craigslist buy and I can't find any markings on it I will look at it closely tomorow and take a pic I would also like to know too the reason is when I. Rinsed the gravel it was very dirty. And I ran my old canister in the tank for an hour(which was bad because it spat out a bunch of old shrimp into the water) after I took the canister out I left the HOB in and within about 12 hours the water was crystal clear. Also 70 percent of the water was sitting in coolers with condioner and 30 was from my running 75 gallon. This HOB filter is amazing so I will try to find the brand tomorow or take a pic if I cant

 

hard to find name..........Emperor or maybe penn plax cascade hob?

 

It was a cascade 300 power filter. Its got about 300 gph if I read right and its fairly cheap on amazon but I put some carbon in it and within 4 days my tank was crystal clear I am going to get abnother one

 

hey petco filters are the same thing! fyi

 

What do you mean?

 

petco brand hob filters are exactly like the penn plax cascade filters(exept for the lid and plastic color)

 

That will work just fine. But just so you know its not the carbon that makes water clear, unless you have cloudyness from some sort of chemicals. Its filter pads that polish the water. The finer the filter material, the clearer the water will be.

 

...and finer the filter material the fast it will clog