HOB or power heads

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mint ranch

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Apr 18, 2008
Messages
8
Location
South Of Tucson, AZ
I'm kinda new to the hobby, I have a 38 gallon with under gravel & 2 Aqua clear HOB's in place of the UG power heads. Works Great !

Now I'm setting up a 125 gallon it came with UG (3- 2 ft plates), the question is... can I use four HOB ( 50-70 gallon capacities) or should I go with plain 70 GPH Power heads ? It also came with an older marine land 350 canister filter. It will probably be a community tank or African Cichlids.

Thanks:D
 
i would use the marine land cannister filter and a couple of the AC HOB. I would take out the UGF But thats my opion. What are you planning on stocking and are you going planted? That may help people with there suggestions
 
the roots of your plants get wraped around the plates and get suck up the intake tubes and clog them. It also makes cleaning under the plates really hard.
 
Most people find that they have to periodically tear out the UG filter to clean under it. In most cases this wouldn't be a problem, but with live plants you're likely to end up damaging the roots that have grown through the plants. Further as the plant roots grow through the plates they can hinder how well the UG Filter functions.
 
I wouldn't recommend using a UGF at all these days. For a 125g tank, definately consider looking at canister filters, especially if you opt to go with a planted tank. I think you'll be much, much more pleased with the results over any other type of filter. HOBs can work just as well, also, but in the long run the UGFs can cause you too many problems.

I believe that cichlids prefer very fine sand. If you go that route, the UGF will never work with a PFS type substrate.
 
If it's planted or sand, I agree. If not, a UGF is a fine choice. I've run a UGF alonq w/ a HOB for years on my 30 FW.. no problems. Water params never waiver, crystal clear water, happy bacteria If you ask most everyone who trashes them you'll find out that they never used em. Pop a PH on them and you get flow too
 
Most people really like them or severely dislike UG Filters. We had them on my mom's aquarium when I was a kid. I never liked how noisy they are (used with an airpump) or how much of a pain they are to clean. On the other hand many people don't mind the noise and have found ways to clean them that they find easy.
 
I've always wondered this myself. Why everyone despises the ugf? I know its a pain to clean if you have to rip it up. If you are using plastic plants and gravel I would see no reason why you couldn't as long as you do gravel vacs occasionally. As far as the noise levels with them using air pumps, with powerheads you can hardly even hear them running.

I removed my UGF out of my 10 gallon when I started out (per advice of AA). I had a HOB, 2 powerheads and an UGF, my tank was like a washing machine.
 
I have to agree with the folks. UGs are proabaly not the way to go when doing a planted tank. I'm not a Freshy but I have done a bit of research on the UGs and I think I would go with a canister as well.
 
UGFs are simply out of the question if you're going (or might go) planted b/c of the roots

I have no problem with HOB, and love mine, but at the same time if you're using an aquaclear or others that have the waterfall effect, you may offgass too much CO2 if you ever get into CO2 fertilization for your plants.
 
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