Canister filter vs HOB

Hi. I use 2 Marineland Penguin 350's on my 125 & 55. They do a great job & the price is good!!!

 

Canisters come with a little shut off lever (at least my Fluvals do) where you can stop it pulling water from the tank without having to mess with it in any other way. So long as the input stays below the water surface and doesn't drain out, you won't need to reprime! I have always been a HOB girl but got two canisters (hoping forna third) for my turtles and now I wish I had an excuse to get one for my community aquarium. For large volumes of messy water they are awesome.

 

Hello Fish...

There isn't a best filter, really. None of them do a very good job of keeping the tank water clean. So, for my Goldfish, I use a couple of dual sponge filters. They do a fair job of keeping the tank water clean, but most important for Goldfish is this filter creates a lot of surface movement, which mixes oxygen into the tank water. You should be in the habit of changing out at least 75 percent of the tank water every week. The large water change is the true filter, because it removes the old, toxic water and you replace it with pure, treated tap water.

Sponge filters are inexpensive and work. The type that hangs on the back and pushes water down and creates a strong current. This isn't the best for Goldfish. Canister filters are expensive and much more difficult to clean. Plus, with HOBs and Canisters, there's media to buy. Go with a couple of dual sponge filters and be a good water changer.

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You can minimize what you have to buy from HOB or canisters. For Aquaclears, you won't have replace the sponge or rings for years (you don't have to use the carbon). I've linked it before but this is a great video explaining how to hot rod filters and get off the cartridge treadmill. You can also add cheap filter floss or pads to polish the water.

 

Where do I buy sponge filters? I’ve not heard of them.

Going along with this comment, I use the aqueon water changer that allows you to both empty and fill the tank directly from the facet . I make sure to turn off filter media so it doesn’t kill my bacteria and throw in the tap water conditioner while the water from the sink flows in. Is this okay?

Fish...

You can get the sponge filters on line. Amazon has very good prices and the filters are easily cleaned. The Goldfish tank is set up differently than a tropical fish tank. You won't need a heater for the Goldfish and they'll do better in a tank where the water current is minimal. They simply require higher oxygen content in the water than tropicals. Keep the tank water cool, no more than 68 degrees and keep the surface agitated to keep the oxygen level high and steady.

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Which is better?

 

I prefer canister filters because they hold more media than power filters, and also because I have more room in the cabinet under my tank than behind the tank.

 

HOBs all the way. Canisters are hard to service and time consuming. There also messy, and can leak with a tiny mistake.

 

Better is so objective. Both have pros and cons. Personally I like the simplicity of hang on back filters.

 

I use one or more of each on our aquariums.

 

And there you have your answer.

 

I like the hob filters better. Easier to get to and maintain, at least for me. The canisters are heavy, again for me. An hob is just easier to get to and take care of.

 

Lol yep it's all a matter of preference.

 

I had a canister filter for my turtle and I switched to a display refugium after I upgraded from a 40 breeder to a 72 bowfront.. the canister I had was a fluval 306 "rated to 70 gallons". since I was only using about 60% of the tank (enough where the turtle could sit on his dock and not climb out) I figured I was good.. worked for about 2 days, then it started leaking, well more like flooded.. drawing water but not sending it back. I had the tanks bottom level with the canisters bottom, and it drained the tank to the intake point.

now a lot people use both.. and for the 40 gallon I swore by the canister.. my choices were canister or in tank filter as the waterline is well below a HOB, but after the flood I had to figure something else.. found the refugium, the design I went with does 2 of the 3 in common terms of filtration - mechanical and biological. I have no intentional chemical like charcoal, although the plants may do that naturally.. that I'm unsure of.

anyways point is, both of your choices work well and there are pros and cons.. it depends on what goals you are looking to meet and what your needs are. if your looking for quiet; canister, if your looking for short flow and good areation; power filter, larger cleaning capacity; canister... the pros and cons go on... do some research for yourself and think of the possibilities...

not tryin to be that jerk that says bla bla bla... or x is better, I am trying to guide you to looking at your setup, which was not discribed, and choosing... now if ya asked brand x vs brand y.. I'm sure people could help narrow your choices better...

 

I used hob filters and recently got some canister filters for my tanks. I run an AC 50 on one 20 long and I run a Cascade Marlin canister on another 20 long. Both tanks are clear. I do like the options that are present using a canister like a spray bar or directional flow, in-line co2, media capacity, the marlin has a built in uv sterilizer with on off switch. The AC 50 also works well. Flow is somewhat adjustable, really only room for a small bag of bio media, a coarse sponge, it came with some charcoal if needed. The flow out of the hob is limited to one area and can’t be aimed other than changing the position of the filter, I needed more flow and added a wave maker where as there is plenty from the canister.
As others said it’s a matter of personal preference . I doesn’t bother me to clean either type. The canister has a quick release for the hoses, take it outside, pull the baskets, rinse what you need to, reassemble and reattach the hoses with a simple snap.
To clean the hob it can be more aggravating to take the filter off and the cord swinging everywhere to try to rinse the debris out of the container.
If your like others here, you probably have multiple tanks, buy a canister and try it.

 

Everyone has their own opinion on things like that haha. I prefer hob filters and just put extra media in them. But that’s what works for me in my tanks. I’ve also never tried a canister filter just because of hearing so many cons for a few pros. What works for some people doesn’t always work for other people and every set up is unique. Do you have an idea of what kind of tank and fish/inverts you want? Maybe we can help figure out what would be best for your specific set up instead of just arguing that one is better than the other.

 

I was a HOB gal for 14 years until I got my first canister this spring. I now have five canisters, and am trying to replace the rest of my HOBs as I can. They are a pain to clean, but the water quality has been spectacular.

 

Hey guys.

I’m thinking about switching from a HOB filter to a canister filter for my high tech planted 40g breeder (150ish liters for the folks not in the US).

If I can afford it, is there any good reason not to go with a canister over a HOB? My friend said it was a lot more difficult to clean a canister filter, particular thoughts regarding maintenance on canister filters?

Also, recommendations for a canister filter for the 40 breeder are very welcome!

 

Hey guys.

I’m thinking about switching from a HOB filter to a canister filter for my high tech planted 40g breeder (150ish liters for the folks not in the US).

If I can afford it, is there any good reason not to go with a canister over a HOB? My friend said it was a lot more difficult to clean a canister filter, particular thoughts regarding maintenance on canister filters?

Also, recommendations for a canister filter for the 40 breeder are very welcome!

I just recently switched from a canister and a HOB on my 75 gallon to 2 HOBs.

Some folks will disagree, but in my opinion HOBs are much easier to clean/maintain.

 

I just recently switched from a canister and a HOB on my 75 gallon to 2 HOBs.

Some folks will disagree, but in my opinion HOBs are much easier to clean/maintain.

I agree. And I have a question, don't two HOB Filters compete?

 

I agree. And I have a question, don't two HOB Filters compete?

Compete with what? If each other, maybe. But that’s ok, competition is good!

 

Compete with what? If each other, maybe. But that’s ok, competition is good!

Compete with the other HOB Filter but yeah i guess competing is important

 

Compete with the other HOB Filter but yeah i guess competing is important

They complement each other. More flow and more filtration, especially on a larger tank.

 

Most people find canisters to be more efficient and easy to care with greater flow and flexibility, not to mention usually quieter. Having said that, for my 75g and under tanks I use two HOB's as well. I use aquaclears and use only their biomedia and sponge, adding my own filter floss to keep the tanks clean. Maintenance is a breeze and I've never had issues with water quality.

 

Nothing wrong with canisters, most provide great filtration. They tend to be a bit more quiet than HOB's & can be conveniently hidden inside the stand, under the tank.
They can be a real inconvenience to clean & tend to have more leak potential..
Just buy either an Eheim or a Fluval & things should be fine.

 

Most people find canisters to be more efficient and easy to care with greater flow and flexibility, not to mention usually quieter. Having said that, for my 75g and under tanks I use two HOB's as well. I use aquaclears and use only their biomedia and sponge, adding my own filter floss to keep the tanks clean. Maintenance is a breeze and I've never had issues with water quality.

Where do you add the filter floss?? That adds another element of mechanical filtration which makes maintenance easier yes?

 

Most people find canisters to be more efficient and easy to care with greater flow and flexibility, not to mention usually quieter. Having said that, for my 75g and under tanks I use two HOB's as well. I use aquaclears and use only their biomedia and sponge, adding my own filter floss to keep the tanks clean. Maintenance is a breeze and I've never had issues with water quality.

I agree with that. . . I wouldn‘t use HOBs on anything much larger than a 75.

 

I was almost sold on switching from HOBs to a canister but reading reviews on Amazon changed my mind. Too many problems with leaks, maintenance, poor quality parts, etc. across all the brands I checked out.

My HOBs work fine and my tank is happy so perhaps I will never switch

 

Yeah, Pfrozen, if an HOB breaks, you replace it. If a canister leaks, you may be replacing the floor Ok, slight exaggeration, but it can be a mess. It does alter my decision making.

 

Nothing wrong with canisters, most provide great filtration. They tend to be a bit more quiet than HOB's & can be conveniently hidden inside the stand, under the tank.
They can be a real inconvenience to clean & tend to have more leak potential..
Just buy either an Eheim or a Fluval & things should be fine.

My friend went with an Eheim and said it was a pain to clean :/, although I take everything this friend says with a grain of salt lol. For my planted tank, I’m really considering it because it has a pretty high stocking and I know I could be losing a decent amount of CO2 due to how much surface agitation I currently have from 2 HOB and a sponge filter.

 

If you want a canister I would highly suggest making your own rather than buying one. It's significantly cheaper and building it yourself makes it a lot easier to repair.

filter floss is literally just 100% polyester stuffing but pressed into the form of a mat, you can buy a big bag from walmart for a few dollars. It's good for very fine mechanical filtration. I like to use polyfil and put those green scouring pads on top to get some of the bigger gunk out without clogging the stuffing.

 

If you want a canister I would highly suggest making your own rather than buying one. It's significantly cheaper and building it yourself makes it a lot easier to repair.

filter floss is literally just 100% polyester stuffing but pressed into the form of a mat, you can buy a big bag from walmart for a few dollars. It's good for very fine mechanical filtration. I like to use polyfil and put those green scouring pads on top to get some of the bigger gunk out without clogging the stuffing.

Wow I never considered this. I do some very limited DIY, but nothing that nears this level. Worth considering though if it is much cheaper and can be just as effective like you say.

 

Hey guys.

I’m thinking about switching from a HOB filter to a canister filter for my high tech planted 40g breeder (150ish liters for the folks not in the US).

If I can afford it, is there any good reason not to go with a canister over a HOB? My friend said it was a lot more difficult to clean a canister filter, particular thoughts regarding maintenance on canister filters?

Also, recommendations for a canister filter for the 40 breeder are very welcome!

I use both. There are pros and cons to both. For my 75 gallon, I use an aquaclear 110 (HOB) and an eheim 2217 (canister). The setup for canisters is a little more complicated because of the intake and output valves and tubing, filter media, etc., but it gets easy once you get used to it. It is also easier to adjust flow rate using a spray bar. I find that it is hard to adjust the flow of the aquaclear. The setup for HOBs is much simpler and easier, but they do tend to be louder. My aquaclear is much louder than the canister I have. Both work great and are easily customizable when it comes to filter media. Some other HOB filters may be more difficult depending on the shape and size, but aquaclears are great. I highly recommend aquaclears and eheim classic canister filters.

 

My aquariums had internal filters...the standard rectangles had Interpet CF2 and the hexagonal had factory supplied flow through drippy things that were so annoying they generally get binned straight from the box - they behave the same as an HOB but are across the inside of the aquarium under the lid with intake, powerhead, two media baskets and waterfall on opposite end to the intake (yes, I know description is weird but so are the filters in an Aquael 60 Hex )

Anyway....thought of changing to HOB on all of them but decided against it due to lack of room for them to hang from. Decided on external instead and now all aquariums have the same filter, Tetra EX600 Plus (they do come in 800, 1200 and 2400 too).

Why didn't I do it from the start...peace and quiet, no annoying waterfalls at night and so easy to install/maintain.....and the Danio's in two of the aquariums think Christmas and birthday has all come at once cos they are never out of the vicinity of the spray bar spending all day and night leaping around like demented lunatics

Never using internal filters again....and HOB....well maybe I might try one one day but right now, fishies and me are very happy with the externals (I finally get a decent night's sleep without the waterfall next to the bed )