HOB filter recommendation

[Paul1792]

Geez Brian ........ you're sure on top of crystal clear water

Whoa... this is a lively thread! Finished a bag of popcorn as I was reading

Anyways... a big +1 here on the fluval C series. Most innovative HOB I've had the pleasure of owning. The only filter I like more than it are my fluval 06 canisters. But for ease of cleaning and value, the C series all the way. I have AquaClears as well, but C series is an improved system and worth the small increase in price.

I'm a college student, too.. media is really not that expensive to argue about. To each their own. But in all honesty, fluval comes boxed with great media off the bat. Extra cut-to-size polishing pads, filter floss, extra bio media (i.e. biomax), and purigen isn't necessarily going to break the bank.

To the OP, check out my ADA 60P (17g) thread. I have plenty pics there. It's a high clarity tank so anything less than crystal clear water would not be tolerated -- well... by me at least. I've been using a C2 and SunSun surface skimmer since my tank is topless. I've recently switched to a C2 and eheim skim350 combo.

Here's the link:
Brian's ADA 60P (17g) Rimless - Journal - Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community

******************
Gosh darn Brian .... you've got some mighty fine crystal clear water. Hey everyone who wants crystal clear polished water ....... go here to the video at post #113:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/brians-ada-60p-17g-rimless-journal-279701-12.html

or here

ADA 60P (rescape) with Ohko + Africana - YouTube

I didn't even know the SunSun even existed until I saw your picture of the box it came in along with your C2.

Amazon.com: SunSun HBL-301 Hang on Power Mini Filter w/ Surface Skimmer 90gph: Pet Supplies

Looking at your tank makes me want to ditch my fake silk plants !!!!!!!!

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Thanks, Paul. You should ditch the fake plants (if that's what you're using) and venture to the high tech planted side. It's fun and engaging to learn the nuances of balancing light, CO2, nutrients, aesthetics, plant species, etc... the SunSun was just a cheap solution that worked surprisingly well. If I had a different lighting system, one that you can suspend over the tank, I probably would have used a fluval 206 with Lily pipes. However, I'm a sucker for innovation and the Current Sat+ LED lights I'm using fall right into that category. It's only downfall is max light intensity (hence, why I'm using two directly on the tank).

Anyways... sorry to stray a bit off topic. So yes, the C series works fantastic

 

[xsryman]

I'm the guy running 29g wide hightech planted tank with the Eheim 2213 canister. This tank is 8 month old.

We don't see the canister on the picture, but the final result. We can see the stock spraybar and how I inject CO2 into canister intake.

On this one we see a bit on the tubing.

That is some crystal clear looking water. I have been doing this for a couple of years and after doing some research for a new filter i have become obsessed with clear water. Had no idea you could get it that clear.

 

[xsryman]

I'm actually trying to find plastic scrubbers to put inside of the Fluvals I have but can't find them

I have a collection of vintage Fluvals 203's and 204's that I have purchased over time from Craigslist and they still work superb. I don't feel like spending lots of money on their proprietary media so I've been using the loose media filter pad that comes in a big bag, blue on one side white on the other but it's way too fine and clogs up fast.

Have you looked a dollar store? maybe you have a Dollar Tree or Dollar World in you area? I think i have some some here in my area.

 

[mrvincent]

Nice tanks! On your salt water tank, is that a HOB filter you're using and is it the only filter you're using?
I see what looks to be a skimmer on the side.

This picture was taken in the first days I setted up my SW tank. I used my old Fluval C3 to clean the white water and for carbon cleaning...

Now I don't run this HOB filter anymore, I'm only running the 50-90g skimmer that you see on the side.

I think the secret behind crystal clear water is maintenance and testing. Here tap water is very good (soft). I make 50%WC /week on my FW tank. I'm using cheap filter polywool in the canister.

For the Saltwater, I run a skimmer made for 50-90g tanks on my 20g... I'm starting to dose vodka... The key in saltwater is to use ONLY and ONLY RODI water. It's very long to make a single 4 gallon water change, because of the time it take to osmose the water. But I have great results !!!

 

[mrvincent]

That is some crystal clear looking water. I have been doing this for a couple of years and after doing some research for a new filter i have become obsessed with clear water. Had no idea you could get it that clear.

But I cheat a bit on the picture, I always take them 1 day after a big WC and maintenance.

 

[xsryman]

...and to Brian this really an amazing thread.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/brians-ada-60p-17g-rimless-journal-279701-12.html

I wound up reading the whole thing before i got to the video post #113. Very sorry to hear about the fire. You have an amazing eye for aquascaping. I wish i could learn this.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

...and to Brian this really an amazing thread.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/brians-ada-60p-17g-rimless-journal-279701-12.html

I wound up reading the whole thing before i got to the video post #113. Very sorry to hear about the fire. You have an amazing eye for aquascaping. I wish i could learn this.

Thank you the compliment and taking the time to read through the many pages of that journal. The fire sucked but we're finally getting back to normal. Thank God for renter's insurance!

You can most definitely achieve an eye for aquascaping if you applied yourself to it. Just takes research and asking questions. Plus, there's many helpful and experienced planted tank folks in this forum. If you ever want to embark down that path, I'd be happy to help.

There's also great resources online. Check out my signature and click on the "planted rimless club" banner. You'll have to use a regular browser and not the app to see the signature and AA groups. There's a topic there with links to some resources for inspiration on aquascaping. I really like Tropica's website as they have easy to understand layouts based on light levels and various difficulties.

 

[gilpi]

Have you looked a dollar store? maybe you have a Dollar Tree or Dollar World in you area? I think i have some some here in my area.

Weird coincidence, I ran into a Dollar store today and they had it. I got more scrubbers for a couple of bucks than I'll ever use!

Thanks.

 

[gilpi]

This picture was taken in the first days I setted up my SW tank. I used my old Fluval C3 to clean the white water and for carbon cleaning...

Now I don't run this HOB filter anymore, I'm only running the 50-90g skimmer that you see on the side.

I think the secret behind crystal clear water is maintenance and testing. Here tap water is very good (soft). I make 50%WC /week on my FW tank. I'm using cheap filter polywool in the canister.

For the Saltwater, I run a skimmer made for 50-90g tanks on my 20g... I'm starting to dose vodka... The key in saltwater is to use ONLY and ONLY RODI water. It's very long to make a single 4 gallon water change, because of the time it take to osmose the water. But I have great results !!!

So let me get this, you have no biological filtration in the SW tank? And you can get by with just the skimmer?

 

[mrvincent]

So let me get this, you have no biological filtration in the SW tank? And you can get by with just the skimmer?

I think you don't know how reef aquarium works...

1. Biological filtration is made by the live rock. They cost a fortune, and are already populated by BBs when you buy it. I didn't have to cycle the tank, as the live rocks were already cycled in the LFS tank. (And I mesured levels just to be sure). You know, the rock in the middle of the tank we see on the picture ?

2. Skimmer is made to remove proteins from the water. Is can be bacterias, or any other organic that may later transform into nitrates. Nitrates levels must be kept at 0. PO4 too. Or it may result huge algae problems. The liquid removed by the skimmer is nasty, brown, and nasty, and smell bad !

It cost me around 125$ for 20 pounds live rock.

In bigger tanks, usually people get a sump, it's a tank under the main tank that its only purpose is for cleaning water. They get skimmer, mechanical filtration, more live rock, refugium where they grow macro algae in this place, put the heater in there and give more total water volume to the setup. I'll say it's a midtech setup I owned, I don't have sump.


Some folks just put a lot of HOB filration with bio-max inside, but I think it's unusefull, as biological filtration is mainly done by rocks... Thoses rocks are like your filter media, they must NEVER be rinsed under tap.

 

[gilpi]

Well, maybe I do know how they work since I had reef and salt water tanks for many years.
That tank that sits below the reef or saltwater fish tank called the wet dry sump filter is also used as a biological filter as well as mechanical and for volume. I also know very well how a protein skimmer works since I made my own.

My question did not ask for a lesson, just simply if you do or do not use any biological filtration.

 

[mrvincent]

Well, maybe I do know how they work since I had reef and salt water tanks for many years.
That tank that sits below the reef or saltwater fish tank called the wet dry sump filter is also used as a biological filter as well as mechanical and for volume. I also know very well how a protein skimmer works since I made my own.

My question did ask for a lesson, just simply if you do or do not use any biological filtration.

Ahhh !!! No, I only use 1 pounds LR/gallon for biological filtration. I have low bioload in this tank. Also I have overpowered skimmer .

For some reasons, I just came at home tonight and the skimmer was in problem.... All the water is white... I just cleaned it, started it again, and there's a lot of (How do you call the nasty liquid coming from the skimmer?) thing coming out of it .

Water is already starting to clear . Tested for ammo/tries, 0ppm and 0ppm.


Sometime I run my fluval C3 on it, just to carbon filter the water a bit, like 2 days per month...

I'm starting vodka dosing.

 

[gilpi]

SW tanks have come a long way, some people use sump filters with live rocks rather than bio balls or other media as biological filtration for their fish tanks.

Years ago I used to dive off the Florida keys and collect live rocks on occasion then bring them to my tanks, not a pretty site since so much stuff dies during transport and then into the tank, yuck!
But eventually with lots of filtration it will take a turn and sort of flourish, these were added to a reef tank along with coral and inverts. Never back then did salt water aquarist thought of it as "Filter Media" per say and the only water used was conditioned every day tap water but, as your tank, the bio load was kind of low but the biological filtration kept strong so the water changes were far and few in between and everything used to thrive, providing all the conditions were right, lighting, water movement, temp etc.

Reason I retired from salt water is the cost of fish and inverts has gone out of control, not to mention live rock and some of the rocks I see might as well be called dead rock.

So, how often do you change water using RODI water?

BTW the nasty stuff coming out of the skimmer is called... Nasty stuff or gunk!

 

[trinifella]

I have owned 2 Tetra Whispers and 1 Aquaclear in the last few years, and the Aquaclear was definitely better. And my next filter will be a Fluval C Series (Hagen again) after reading that it's un apgraded AC more or less. My AC50 is 5 years old but has really only been active for about 2 out of those 5, and it still operates like it did on day one. I think I'm gonna call him my Silent Killer!! Or how about Smooth Operator???

 

[tonygua]

I just upgraded my tank and came to this forum for advice on HOB filters. It seems like eveyone was touting Aquaclear or fluval C series. With those reccomendations I ran out to all the local stores and could not find a C series, so I went with the AC. For the first day the water was not clearing up. So back to the forums, I went.
It seems that most people like the ACs for the ease of cleaning and the large BB mass from the sponge and ceramic beads. The down side is that a polishing pad is not offered, and there is a design flaw in the water flow.
both of these are simple easy to fix:
First get some floss filter media or polishing pad cut it to size and put it on either, or both, sides of the charcoal filter. that takes care of the polishing pad.
The design problem comes from a little hole at the bottom of the intake chamber, and the holes on the side filter basket that lets the water flow back into the intake chamber. I supose this is to let water flow back into the intake chamber when the flow rate is turned down. The Problem is tha most of the time some water bypasses the filter media and overflows through top of the basket back into the tank.
To solve this problem, some people were suggesting plugging the holes with glue or some other perminant method. I didn't like that Idea; seems to me like there would be the possibility of burning out the motor if you turn the flow rate down. I simply cut a small piece of the floss media and covered the side of the basket up to the top of the overflow lip in basket. This way it doesn't matter which way the water flows the small particles will be filtered out.
By morning my tank had cleared up and the water has been perfect ever since.

For my next tank I will probably get a C series instead, but the Aquaclear is a great HOB.

 

[xsryman]

I just upgraded my tank and came to this forum for advice on HOB filters. It seems like eveyone was touting Aquaclear or fluval C series. With those reccomendations I ran out to all the local stores and could not find a C series, so I went with the AC. For the first day the water was not clearing up. So back to the forums, I went.
It seems that most people like the ACs for the ease of cleaning and the large BB mass from the sponge and ceramic beads. The down side is that a polishing pad is not offered, and there is a design flaw in the water flow.
both of these are simple easy to fix:
First get some floss filter media or polishing pad cut it to size and put it on either, or both, sides of the charcoal filter. that takes care of the polishing pad.
The design problem comes from a little hole at the bottom of the intake chamber, and the holes on the side filter basket that lets the water flow back into the intake chamber. I supose this is to let water flow back into the intake chamber when the flow rate is turned down. The Problem is tha most of the time some water bypasses the filter media and overflows through top of the basket back into the tank.
To solve this problem, some people were suggesting plugging the holes with glue or some other perminant method. I didn't like that Idea; seems to me like there would be the possibility of burning out the motor if you turn the flow rate down. I simply cut a small piece of the floss media and covered the side of the basket up to the top of the overflow lip in basket. This way it doesn't matter which way the water flows the small particles will be filtered out.
By morning my tank had cleared up and the water has been perfect ever since.

For my next tank I will probably get a C series instead, but the Aquaclear is a great HOB.

That is fantastic. I dont know why I did not think of that...(smacks forehead) I noticed that same problem with the Aquaclear. That sounds like a great solution.

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[trinifella]

Yea that's actually genius tony. Thx!!

 

[xsryman]

I just stuffed some polishing pads in to my TopFin60 but I also just dosed ferts(SeaChem Flourish) will the polishing pads filter out my ferts?

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[xsryman]

Hoping for clear water. (thumbs crossed)

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