HOB filter

lightning

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Dec 30, 2002
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#1
what is the best HOB filter, i currently have a topfin 60 and an emperor 400, wanting to get rid of the topfin, and considering another emperor,,
 

Jawz

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Mar 9, 2003
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#2
Hmm i really like my acquaclear filters, cheap, no need for new sponges, and u dont have to use carbon if u dont want to. Cheaper than buying new emporer catridges every months. I have 2 AC 150s right now, 1 is used and 1 is newer, run perfectly fine. And the old one has a good 5 years on it. hope that helps
 

#3
Aquaclears are definately your best bet. I've used mine for over a decade and its still going strong. I just bought another one last year and the parts and quality are the same. Everything is simple and relyable. Only repairs I have ever had to make was a new impeller for some reason I can't remember. It was a good one though and I would have been surprised if it didn't break. Go w/ the aquaclear!

PS. Overkill is always better when it comes to filtration...or basically anything for that matter. =)
 

jakano

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Mar 5, 2003
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#7
aquaclear

i would agree with most everyone else. for striaght up mechanical fltration there is no better powerfilter than an aquaclear.and like some one already said the more filtration the better so get a five hundred.that way when you get a bigger tank you wont have to buy another filter to go with it.
 

lightning

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Dec 30, 2002
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#8
i thought emperors was suppost to be the best cause of the bio wheel, so thats when i got the emperor 400, now the shift is to aquaclear ? is this a ford vs chevy type thing?
i have a 55 gal fully stocked SA tank, im either going to buy another emperor 400 or 2 aquaclear 300's..
how does the aquaclears do on bio ?
 

fishboy

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Oct 22, 2002
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#9
Actually when you think about most of the bacteria isnt on the bio wheel, more on every surface of your tank. Aquaclears are great on bio because the sponge provides lots of surface area. But then again most of your bacteria in your tank isnt in the filter at all, most on the surfaces. I would say 10% of all bacteria is on the filter, so not an extrodinary number. Besides i dont like bio wheels because are not good for plants, and they let out lots of co2, which plants need.
 

lightning

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Dec 30, 2002
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#11
i like having the flow on both sides of the tank, it seems i have better circulation than just on one side, i put the heater between both filters and it seems to work well, and i dont have any live plants, so is this a factor to include or not>?,, i like the idea of the aquaclears no filter cartridge ,, that is definatly a plus
 

catfishmike

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Oct 22, 2002
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#12
heres my opinion on hob filters.i own an emperor 400 and it's great for flow but there are some inherent design flaws.the unit that holds the impeler has too many parts that snap into place without any bushings or vibraton dampeners so parts wear out quick.mine i have been running for less than a year and i had to hot glue the flow diverter together and remove the flow adjuster alltogether.also mine has a long startup and breakin time after cleanings and power outages.i like the penguin lie much better than the emperor because there are less moving parts to wear out.the penguin 330 is a great alternitave to te emperor and has almost the exact same functions.i like aquaclears.period. a fine quiet well desigend filter.i mix and match ac's and penguins when i set up a tank.as for filter carts. versus sponges.my new thing is just use an ac sponge and cut to size and put in place of where your filter cart. would go where the filter cart used to go.fishboy what do you mean most of your bacteria isn't on the biowheel.i though that the point behind a biowheel is that it provides a prime surface for bacteria to colonize on?i realize that there are many surfaces in your tank which bacteria will live on,but then why bother with a filter,why not just use plants and gravel vac.also from my understanding bacteria is more effective when not totaly submersed.now i also know more about other kinds of filtration that uses bacteria to break down nitrate,but that bacteria lives in an anerobic(sp?) enviroment versus the bacteria which break down ammonia and nitrite which live in an aerobic(SP?)enviroment. so that's why i would think that a biowheel would be better for biological filtration than a sponge although i use both .but i could be wrong or misunderstood on the subject.feel free to correct me or set me straight in any way.
 

Flex26

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Apr 21, 2003
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#13
I was under the same understanding, Catfishmike. I thought the bio-wheel was the ideal place for bacteria. In fact, it would seem that a sponge and a bio-wheel are really one in the same. Basically, you need bacteria to colonize some place. So, if it's a sponge or a bio-wheel....what's the difference?
 

Jawz

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Mar 9, 2003
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#14
ok imm a give a more detailed run down of my experiences to help everyone. OK ive owned both Emp 400 and many ACs (mini, 2 150's, and a 300). My experience with the emporers was good, but i would not say as good as an acquaclear. Overalll the biowheel does give the emp a slight edge in biofiltration, but the AC makes up for it with higher flow rate (AC 500) and more surface area with their sponge media. I personally run biomax in mine which gives a HUGE amount of breeding area for bacteria. Furthermore, sound is a big difference, straight from the box my emporer wa a tank, it was loud and i had to run it on the highest setting everytime to keep the noise down, if i turned it down for feeding, it sounded like it would blow up. That never changed either, no matter how many times i cleaned it. Oh and another thing, cleaning that sucker out once a months or every 2 months wasnt much fun either. The ACs are easier to clean, just gotta remember to get the little crevices in the motor. Overall strength, Emporer has the edge cuz it is thicker, but the newer AC's are pretty good and getting bettter, but unless you chuck them both against a wall u wont notice. Money wize, i believe in the states, AC's are cheaper, up here in canada, alot cheaper. Mechenical filtration is about the same, but with an AC u dont have to run their carbon. Also i did find a way to rinse the cartidges, by spraying high pressure water on them, the junk would peel off, but when i look back i lost alot of bacteria and it would just clog up faster. Also talking about flow, the Acquaclears almost always have a constant flow, you set it to its highest and thats what you'll get for years to come, over 4-5 months my Emporer didnt seem as powerful as it always was. Another point is the intake design. The emporer's is a little more friendly to smaller fish, but when ur pumpin 400 gph i think it doesnt matter. The AC has a smart design which wont allow most fish unless fish or less that an inche to get sucked up but can handle large particles for mechincal filtration. From an energy use standpoint, Acquaclear is on top, b/c the emporer uses 2 pumps or something like that, 1 for the usual filtration, 1 for the biowheels. Well thats all for now i guess, hope this helps
 

lightning

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Dec 30, 2002
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#15
oh this is all so confusing,, hehe, i have not had any problems with my emperor, its been running since about january, ive broke it down once to completly clean all the stuff, no problems there, i use the little blank cartridges they gave to make my own filters, i buy the media in big rolls and cut it to fit myself and add my own carbon, so im not paying high price for thier cartridges and the media is cheep, i has good sized fish so small fish getting caught in the filter isnt an issue, noise isnt an issue for me either, but agree when the water flow is reduced on the emperor it is noisy, but for me that helps remind me that its on low flow, i guess im in the middle here on what to buy, money isnt really an issue here,
either one any better and helping to control nitrates?
 

Jawz

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Mar 9, 2003
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#16
wouldnt think so because nitrates need to be diluted to be removed or "controlled" so either way when they are up and running both are good. If money, sound, time, decreasing flow rate are no issue, than u could go with either one. Just AC is in my opinion the better overall choice.
 

Somonas

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Oct 22, 2002
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#17
Re: filter cartridges - for the reasons others have stated (biological on the biowheel or hard surfaces in the aquarium) the bue filter pads are strictly for mechanical hence the biweekly-monthly rinse under tap water or bleach cleanse.
 

catfishmike

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Oct 22, 2002
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#20
to addres your concern of removing nitrates,there are a few ways.only one is easy.water changes.other ways are a jaubert plenum,agal turf scrubber,a denitrfycation chamber filled with deniballs,or live plants.no hob filter can take care of nitrates.not using current technology that i know of