Filter Systems

[DanL]

I am setting up a 20gal and a 30gal tank. I also want to change the entire filter system on my 72 gal tank since I am really unhappy with it. The current filter system on my 72 is a Emperor 400. It creates a whole bunch of pin head size bubbles all throughout my tank and it makes the tank look unappealing to the eye. So I thought about going with a AquaClear 500 for my 72 gal tank and smaller models of the AquaClear for the 20 and 30. I would like some feedback about this...

Also...

What is the diff between a HOB filter and a canister filter besides the fact that one hangs on the back of the tank. Is one better than the other? With a canister filter do you also need to run a sump? Are there any benefits one has over the other?

 

[CoNMaN]

I use a aquaclear 150 on my 29 gal and love it. It is slient (as long as you keep the water level above a 2/3 the way up the tank,) and i had a lil case of the bubbles at first then after the 2nd week of haveing it they all cleared away. couldnt be happer, My only grip is that i had to add a sponge to the intake to keep the damn snails from trying to escape!

 

[rdmpe]

HOB filters typically "pour" the water back into the tank, so they create good aeration and have some wet/dry action which helps bio filtration, but are more noisy, messy etc. IMO. And if you are adding CO2 to a planted tank, an HOB filter will cause major CO2 loss due to stirring up the surface of the water so much.

Canisters typically hold much much more media than an HOB, so although they don't usually provide wet/dry action, they do have so much media that their bio filtration is very good. Personally I have replaced the HOB filters on all of my tanks (incl. two Emperor 400s) with Eheim cannisters which I bought at great prices new in the box off Ebay. I have two on a 55g mbuna tank, one on a 30g puffer fish tank, and one on a 30g heavily planted tank. I think they are the best things ever! I paid approx. 50 to 60 $ each for them.