It’s time. Bye bye Marineland and AC

Hello!

ok so I have two ac HOB’s running (a 50 and a 70) on two impromptu tanks (a qt for new fish and an emergency sick tank). I used to have these two filters on my main tanks but they would occasionally fail.
On my one acrylic tank I have a penguin biowheel (one wheel) on one and then the main show tank has a penguin with two wheels. I’m sick of them. They make noise and stop spinning and then the heat doesn’t flow properly from the heaters. I have to constantly put on new intake sponges bc they get clogged. I put a powerhead in that also had a filter that was GREAT but scared my angelfish.
I prefer some things on both the ac and the penguins—the marineland has more flow to the overall tank than an Ac but it also means floaters are blown out more—KIND of. Bc the marineland is spread out it’s not so much a dump in the tank as an AC. The ac is much quieter when it works. They are also both huge and ugly though (would be for a 65 gallon). I have a free ac 300 (I think that’s now called a 100?) that came with this second hand now main tank but it’s kind of a mish mash —like the top is taped together—and this is my show tank so I would be willing to spend a little to get a new top or a new AC if I have to. What should I get? I’m OVER these HOB but not sure I want to deal with leaking messes of canisters. Thank you!

 

I had an Marineland penguin biowheel and I hated it so much, it was so noisy and had so many issues. I usually use AC filters and I love them all. I also have Seachem tidal filters and they are wonderful bc they self start, the only issue I have with them is that they are kind of lower flow compared to my AC.

 

Canisters are super quiet compared to noisy HOBs IMO. I dislike HOBs for that reason. Plus I clean my canister a few times a year. Easier yet in my book. Never had one leak yet....Ive had 2 on my 55g. I only replaced the 1st one because the lever broke on full blast and I couldnt clean it because the quick release stopped releasing. I say stay away from Eheim Pro series. I have a Fluval 407 and LOVE it.

I dont know what happens to them when they leak. Did they crack it somehow? Not replace a gasket in time? Not seat the lid right? Hoses not secured good?

HOBs could also over flow if it gets blocked up too. We are keeping giant glass boxes filled with water in out homes. Something will happen at some point.

 

Thank you GouramiGirl100 and StarGirl !
I was going to edit my post and mention how my floaters are blown so much I have an ugly fake plant floating in the tank to provide cover bc the floaters won’t stay on the filter side. I tried a corral but it doesn’t really work with the penguin. The AC at least has the option to sort of (at least on Etsy) be contained to allow floaters. The marineland has such a wide output.
I am concerned about lower flow bc I have an acrylic tank so I can’t put the filter in the middle and I worry the far side will suffer in terms of flow. GouramiGirl100 i am so sorry if you’ve already told me this in one of my myriad threads, buthave you have floaters with all the hobs and which was the easiest to maintain?
And StarGirl i am SO tempted to get a canister. I didn’t realize they have the same internal footprint as an hob but it makes sense. I only say that bc my tank is narrow. But I mention this bc I know one of the canisters has a built in heater (perhaps the oase?). Just a cool feature. Now I know the Fluval is top notch. Do you get what you pay for with canisters? Bc HOB are fairly inexpensive but canisters do kind of vary and I would def want a good one for longevity and for maintenance. So Fluval is worth it? What size is your Fluval 407 on?

 

Thank you GouramiGirl100 and StarGirl !
I was going to edit my post and mention how my floaters are blown so much I have an ugly fake plant floating in the tank to provide cover bc the floaters won’t stay on the filter side. I tried a corral but it doesn’t really work with the penguin. The AC at least has the option to sort of (at least on Etsy) be contained to allow floaters. The marineland has such a wide output.
I am concerned about lower flow bc I have an acrylic tank so I can’t put the filter in the middle and I worry the far side will suffer in terms of flow. GouramiGirl100 i am so sorry if you’ve already told me this in one of my myriad threads, buthave you have floaters with all the hobs and which was the easiest to maintain?
And StarGirl i am SO tempted to get a canister. I didn’t realize they have the same internal footprint as an hob but it makes sense. I only say that bc my tank is narrow. But I mention this bc I know one of the canisters has a built in heater (perhaps the oase?). Just a cool feature. Now I know the Fluval is top notch. Do you get what you pay for with canisters? Bc HOB are fairly inexpensive but canisters do kind of vary and I would def want a good one for longevity and for maintenance. So Fluval is worth it? What size is your Fluval 407 on?

My 55g has the 407. I have a spray bar on it. I have it pointed at the back glass so flow is minimal up front for the fish to swim, and being around a 3 ft bar it distributes flow pretty even IMO. MYSELF I think its worth it for noise alone. Cleaning them is messier though. I have a quick method I use so it doesnt bother me much.

You can get them on sale, and Petsmart has a treat game you can get a 25% off coupon from, that you can use along with sale prices. They will also match their own online prices in store.

 

Between HOB and canister I would do canister- I myself am going to go all canisters when I upgrade during my move in a year from now. Until then, I do struggle with floaters they do not stay on the filter side unless I dampen the flow a lot. I keep red root floaters, Azola fern, and salvinia. My Seachem tidal doesn’t bother my floaters as much as my ACs do.

 

Between HOB and canister I would do canister- I myself am going to go all canisters when I upgrade during my move in a year from now. Until then, I do struggle with floaters they do not stay on the filter side unless I dampen the flow a lot. I keep red root floaters, Azola fern, and salvinia. My Seachem tidal doesn’t bother my floaters as much as my ACs do.

Yes the problem with my Marineland is there is no way to reduce flow. I can get a baffler but I would rather stop adding on to this and figure out a new set up. Thank you all! So Fluval is the way to go? Maybe I’ll start a poll for specifics. Edit
I guess it’s the nature of the beast. More flow and more floater issues. Less flow and less floater issues. I want high flow with no issues! Perhaps that’s a pipe dream.

 

No, no pipe dream. Stargirl's setup sounds perfect, and the floaters survive.
You can get internal flow through heaters, and they are like tankless waterheaters, keeping a nice steady temperature. Fluval is definitely worth the money. I got mine new through ebay, they have competitive prices.

 

No, no pipe dream. Stargirl's setup sounds perfect, and the floaters survive.
You can get internal flow through heaters, and they are like tankless waterheaters, keeping a nice steady temperature. Fluval is definitely worth the money. I got mine new through ebay, they have competitive prices.

Wait what do you mean internal flow through heaters? You mean how I need high flow to spread the heat?

 

No, these are inline heaters that work with canister filters (and most likely sump pumps and wet/dry filters as well), are installed between filter and return pipe, and are basically a tankless water heater. The water flows evenly through the hose and is dispersed throughout the tank. The temperature fluctuation is very minimal. Hydor has them and ISTA (now Corisrx) as well.

 

Hi guys, I don’t understand why we have to chose one or the other filtration system. I personally now have a 90 gallon with an old XP3 canister, with 2 AC 110’s and 2 large sponge filters. Let me just say, it’s very quiet. I made sure they are easy to clean because I don’t like hassles and making a mess. Just stick to changing out 2 Home Depot buckets of water each week, make sure to use prime to dechlorinate, and my fish are happy. If you can achieve true 10x GPH or more flow of your tank size, then in my opinion, you’re golden. Good Luck