What filtration should I use for 29 gallon tank?

Hi all. I am converting my 29 gal standard tank from a panted tank to a blackwater botanical. It will be lightly stocked with 2 Betta antuta and 6 Three-lined corydoras. Right now I have 2 sponge filters in this tank. They have served me well but I think I want to switch over to more heavy duty filtration for this build. I am debating between an HOB and a canister filter. Here are my pros and cons for both:

HOB-

Pros:

• Easy to clean and monitor
• Adjustable flow
• Potential for me to get a free Marineland Penguin 400

Cons:

• A pain to prime
• Limited media space
• Takes up room on the back of then tank
• Hard to hide
• Hard to get off the tank if there's an issue

Canister-

Pros:

• Plenty of media space
• Powerful
• Easy to hide/sleek

Cons:

• Expensive
• A pain to clean
• Hard to prime
• Limited adjustable flow rate

I am leaning towards a canister filter but I can only afford one of the cheaper models (like a SunSun) and I am worried by the reviews that I have read. Does anyone have any advice for me? Thanks in advance!

 

If you want more pros and cons I have compiled a list in one of my articles: Resource 'Filtration 101'

Also, I personally just wouldn't do sunsun, because on here whenever people talk about it on here, they are always saying they break so quickly.

Also, just wondering, why is it that sponge filters aren't heavy-duty compared to others? In my personal opinion, I think a lot of times they are more powerful, but that's just my opinion.

 

I run both canisters and HOB on all our aquariums 20 gallon and up.

Save your money and get quality equipment. My choice is Marineland, but there are other quality brands.

 

If you want more pros and cons I have compiled a list in one of my articles: Resource 'Filtration 101'

Also, I personally just wouldn't do sunsun, because on here whenever people talk about it on here, they are always saying they break so quickly.

Also, just wondering, why is it that sponge filters aren't heavy-duty compared to others? In my personal opinion, I think a lot of times they are more powerful, but that's just my opinion.

Thanks for the link! I will look at it. Based on the threads I've seen, the main issues with sunsun are leaking and the clips breaking. Based on my experience with equipment in the lab I'm used to maintaining cheap equipment so I'm honestly not too worried about it, but I will look into other brands.

Sponge filters can be very powerful and are a good cheap option, but my experience with them is that they get clogged very easily which diminishes their efficiency, and are a pain to clean. Of course other types of filters get clogged too, but the electric pumps on HOB/canisters means that they maintain efficiency longer imo. Canisters are the most efficient filtration that are commonly used in freshwater because they are pressurized which forces water through even when clogged.

I run both canisters and HOB on all our aquariums 20 gallon and up.

Save your money and get quality equipment. My choice is Marineland, but there are other quality brands.

Have you had good experiences with marineland? Everytime I've used their products they break in some way so I'm wary of them. Idk, maybe I'm just cursed XD.

I'm thinking about Penn-Plax Cascades but I'm wary or Penn-Plax's quality.

 

Hi all. I am converting my 29 gal standard tank from a panted tank to a blackwater botanical. It will be lightly stocked with 2 Betta antuta and 6 Three-lined corydoras. Right now I have 2 sponge filters in this tank. They have served me well but I think I want to switch over to more heavy duty filtration for this build. I am debating between an HOB and a canister filter. Here are my pros and cons for both:

HOB-

Pros:

• Easy to clean and monitor
• Adjustable flow
• Potential for me to get a free Marineland Penguin 400

Cons:

• A pain to prime
• Limited media space
• Takes up room on the back of then tank
• Hard to hide
• Hard to get off the tank if there's an issue

Canister-

Pros:

• Plenty of media space
• Powerful
• Easy to hide/sleek

Cons:

• Expensive
• A pain to clean
• Hard to prime
• Limited adjustable flow rate

I am leaning towards a canister filter but I can only afford one of the cheaper models (like a SunSun) and I am worried by the reviews that I have read. Does anyone have any advice for me? Thanks in advance!

I have a 29 with a hob, specifically the aquaclear 50 model, so that is what I would reccomend

 

Thanks for the link! I will look at it. Based on the threads I've seen, the main issues with sunsun are leaking and the clips breaking. Based on my experience with equipment in the lab I'm used to maintaining cheap equipment so I'm honestly not too worried about it, but I will look into other brands.

Sponge filters can be very powerful and are a good cheap option, but my experience with them is that they get clogged very easily which diminishes their efficiency, and are a pain to clean. Of course other types of filters get clogged too, but the electric pumps on HOB/canisters means that they maintain efficiency longer imo. Canisters are the most efficient filtration that are commonly used in freshwater because they are pressurized which forces water through even when clogged.

Have you had good experiences with marineland? Everytime I've used their products they break in some way so I'm wary of them. Idk, maybe I'm just cursed XD.

I'm thinking about Penn-Plax Cascades but I'm wary or Penn-Plax's quality.

I have three (one being used at this time) Magnum 350 canisters. One is 18 years old. Best filters I ever had. I wish they still made them. I also have 3 Magnum 360's all running with no issues after several years. Several penguin 350 and four Emperor 400 and after years they are wearing out. Just replaced the impeller in one.

Have no experience with the new line.

The thing with canisters is that people do not lube the seals and fittings and make sure they are seated properly during assembly.

 

Over the years, I have maintained a variety of tank sizes and used a variety of filter types: HOB, canister, internal boxes, and canisters.

For a 29 gallon aquarium, my recommendation would be for a HOB filter plus a sponge filter. I always recommend two filters so that you can clean one of them while leaving the other untouched. That way, you nitrogen cycle remains stable.

From what I have seen, the best HOB filters for your tank would be the Aquaclear 70 (300 gph) which has a long history of use in the hobby, or two newcomers with similar designs. One is the Seachem/Sicce Tidal 75 (350 gph) or Tidal 55 (250 gph) and the other is the Fluval C4 (264 gph).

I currently have a 29 gallon tank in which I am using an Aqueon Quietflow 75. I like the design of the filters with one exception. The impeller is mounted in two ceramic bushings that are inserted into the pump body. If the pump is taken apart, it is easy to lose the bushings. Finding replacement parts is difficult. Thus, I have difficulty recommending them.

You might wonder why I am recommending filters rated for tanks far larger than 29 gallons. The larger filters have larger chambers that allow you to pack in more filter media which is beneficial to maintaining water quality. I have an Aquaclear 110 plus Aqueon Quietflow 75 on my heavily stocked 55 gallon tank (platys multiply rapidly). I use prefilter sponges on the filter intake tubes to reduce the flow though the filters and to minimize the frequency of cleaning the filter media. I just clean the prefilter sponges when they start to clog and the filter flow drops off.

 

I didn't know canister filters were hard to prime. I guess I'm just lucky with mine. Never once had a priming issue, but how often do you need to prime it anyway? As for flow control, my canister filter flow can be reduced up to 50% (Fluval 207). If I need less than that I should buy a smaller filter.

Also, why are canisters a pain to clean? Takes about 5 minutes 3-4 times a year. Use a prefilter and you need to clean even less frequently.

My first tank was a 29g with an Aquaclear HOB. The filter worked great, but I switched to canister filters because 1) I didn't like seeing that filter hanging on my tank, 2) the HOB was much more noisy than my nearly silent canisters. 3) I wanted more room for bio and mechanical filtration. 4) much less maintenance.

 

The thing with canisters is that people do not lube the seals and fittings and make sure they are seated properly during assembly.

I was definitely going to lube everything no matter what brand I go with, it's just standard practice imo.

I didn't know canister filters were hard to prime. I guess I'm just lucky with mine. Never once had a priming issue, but how often do you need to prime it anyway? As for flow control, my canister filter flow can be reduced up to 50% (Fluval 207). If I need less than that I should buy a smaller filter.

Also, why are canisters a pain to clean? Takes about 5 minutes 3-4 times a year. Use a prefilter and you need to clean even less frequently.

My first tank was a 29g with an Aquaclear HOB. The filter worked great, but I switched to canister filters because 1) I didn't like seeing that filter hanging on my tank, 2) the HOB was much more noisy than my nearly silent canisters. 3) I wanted more room for bio and mechanical filtration. 4) much less maintenance.

My experience with canister filters has mostly been in my lab. They're all Eheim, so a good brand, but ime they're all hard to detach and clean, and whenever I prime them something always goes wrong.

Right now my plan is to definitely get a canister for this tank, either the Sunsun 602 or the Penn-Plax 700. I may or may not get a free HOB for this tank (it depends on if the filters in my lab still work- they've been sitting on a shelf for years).

 

I clean my Eheim canister once a year*, and this happened to be today. The professional series at least; is easy; no need to touch the hoses. Priming too is easy; keep the canister totally empty; attach the hoses and suck on the outlet a few times until the water moves in by itself. Power on, and that's it.

(*so at least for me, this cannot be a criterium for selection)

Anyways, I run different canisters and also HOBs on different tanks. I only have one criterium for selecting between the two, which is, how water is released into the tank. Because, to me, water movement is of paramount importance. Bacteria are everywhere; surely in high concentrations inside the filters, but also plenty in substrate and scape.

HOBs work well if the water level is at par with the HOBs outlet. If water level is below, you get a concentrated waterfall, and this seems to restrict a proper flow in my tanks.

With canister you have much more flexibility in terms of the outlet. I typically use a spraybar which you can direct (and lengthen) any way you like.

 

I was definitely going to lube everything no matter what brand I go with, it's just standard practice imo.

Well, it should be anyway. It is very surprising how many people do not do it or have even heard of doing it.

Sounds like you know what you are doing.