After a Canister Would You Ever Go Back To HOB?

[Dacotah7]

After having a canister filter would you ever go back to a Hang On the Back?

I have MTS, and am thinking about a heavly planted 29g with some small tropical fish. The AC70 Big Al's has on sale for $20 + $10 S&H is very enticing.

How much I spend up front is not important.
Important:
* Buying the right stuff the first time,
* It must work well,
* Minimal operating costs, replacing sponges,
* How often I have to service (clean) it.
* Adequate or extra media space inside the filter

I don't run carbon.
I like to use Renew, Purigen and ceramic. I could put a sponge on the intake, but don't like man-made objects in the tank. I like to minimize the mechanical stuff in the tank, having an all natural appearance. Call me fussy.

Some of the AC70 reviews state that the intake is not long enough; sucks water from about mid tank level.

[Zilla]

Yes I would and I have.

I bought a canister last summer and hated it from day one even though it was supposedly the best on the market. That was $280.00 I could have saved or spent better elsewhere...

I don't use carbon either.

I'm not sure how far you'd like the extension tube to go down. Mine reach mid-point on my extra tall 55 and do a excellent job. I vacuumed the tank once a week as well, so there is no need for the intakes to go lower than that.

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

It would all depend on the tank size and location for me. On a larger tank (40gal or larger) I would stick with my canisters, I love them. One of the big reasons I would go for a canister over the HOB is the increased evaporation I get with HOB filters. Where I live the increased moisture = mold, for this reason I do everything I can to keep evaporation to a minimum. I have nothing against HOB filters, but it's more of a personal preference for me.

[gadget228]

All the filters that I use are Hob's but have to be fair, the only canister I've ever had was twenty years ago and it was a pain to service.

[Lady Hobbs]

I much prefer the canisters by a long shot. No noise, no splashing, no spotting up my glass tops and no knocking over the plants from the water fall. But I agree with SW that on tanks less than 40, I would probably stick with just a HOTB.

[Cliff]

I think it can be a personal preference for most people. As long as the filter has enough of the correct biomedia and flow rate to support your tank, you good to go. I have a canister and a HOB filter on my 55. I’ll be using a HOB filter for my 36 gallon when I set it up this weekend.

I really like the canister better because it’s quite and less noticeable. Also allows you to place the tank closer to the wall.

Eventually when I have the $$$$, I will change all of my filters to canisters

[rhonin]

For me it really depends on what I am looking for.

For my Tanganyikan tank/stand/hood combo I really like my canister, on the other hand my Malawi tank I have displayed, no stand/hood, HOB made more sense; easier access, like the sound.

Then again I also have a few Eclipse systems that I like once I had a DIY filter.

Would I go back?
I never left :hmm3grin2orange:

[j0hnh0lmes]

I prefer the HOB. As most said it's really preference.

[annageckos]

I am running one canister and four AquaClear HOB and two sponge filters. If I can get a canister cheap ( I paid $10 at a flea market for mine) I will use them, but I had five AC filters from over the years and love them. I like the ease of cleaning the AC when needed, I also like the canister. But I can put out over $100 on a filter, unless it was for a large tank. Basically what I am saying is that both work great, and both have thier places. It is a personal choise.

[Braccus]

I already have.

Wasn't a big fan of HOB's until I tried AquaClear's. My biggest gripe with other HOB's was the noise level but I don't even hear my AC's running.

Though I still love my Rena XP3. I just don't have the room for one on each tank.

[KatzeSlaugen]

personally i like both. i have an eheim ecco 80 and absolutely love it but i also have an ac110 (i believe) and love that, as far as other HOB brands go though i do not like them nearly as much

[Dacotah7]

It seems people that bought a canister with a design flaw, maybe an older model or el-cheap-o brand, or maybe did not understand them or the instructions, dislike them.

I only have experiances with the Hagen-Fluval 204 and 404, and do like them very much. I have also had some awful and long "Grrrr moments", but when they were over, I realized it was my own fault, not Fluvals' or my particular filter.

I feel I was going backwards with the AC70 HOB, but just ordered two from Big Al's for $49.97 with shipping:

[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

For the money and with the overall reviews, I don't think I can go wrong. If I don't like them I should be able to resell them on Craigs' List or eBay and at least get my $$ back or make a few nickels.

I only need one for the future 29g planted tank, I have yet to buy.
The bare 20 gallon with a nice black ornamental metal stand that I picked up on Craigs' List for $20 has no accessories. I am thinking of throwing in an AC70, some used but clean gravel and plastic plants (from the past) and reselling the package for a fair profit; still providing a good value to the buyer.

For the same money as two AC70's, I could start to look at one canister. I'll post the saga after it develops.

[bushwhacker]

myself i run both an xp3 and a hob on all of my tanks

[kaybee]

I'm more of a canister & HOB combo fan (running the aquarium with both types of filters). For example my 180gal is filtered by two XP3 canisters and two Aquaclear 110 HOB's.

I like the canisters for their biologic media capacity and the HOB's for their greater flow rate, mechanical filtration performance and contribution to overall water movement in the tank.

I'd probably even lean more toward a tank with just HOB's (particularly Aquaclears) than one with just canister filters if I had to choose between the two.

[dane]

I too would rather have the HOB i use both though canister and HOB i havent really had a great experience with my canister but then again i bought it used so that could be why

[thatcichlidguy]

I've used all sorts of filters over the years and they all have their strengths and weaknesses. I currently dont have any HOBs but do have a canister and wet/dry on my 125. For me what filter I use depends entirely on the specific aplication I'm needing it for. For a small tank (under 100 gallons) I normally go for a HOB or dual HOB setup. For large tanks I go canister with another type of filtration. Redundency has it's advantages. No one type of filter is perfect. Combining filtration helps to balance the strengths and weaknesses of the different types. Thats my theory anyway.

[sheamurai]

I'm another combo fan - canisters are great once you get used to them, and the extra biomedia is a plus. HOBs are handy for popping in carbon or whatever else. Also, if you alternate cleanings, you never have a time when your bacteria get overly depleted.
If I had to run only one tho, I would go with canister.

[lowlight]

I run 4 of those little plastic cannisters with floss and charcoal powered by 2 air pumps...:hmm3grin2orange: just kidding. As a few others have posted it would depend on the size and stocking of the tank. I am running a Rena Xp3 on my 55 gal and I have a 20 gal that if I ever set it up I will most likely use a HOB.

[Dacotah7]

I run 4 of those little plastic cannisters with floss and charcoal powered by 2 air pumps...:hmm3grin2orange: just kidding. As a few others have posted it would depend on the size and stocking of the tank. I am running a Rena Xp3 on my 55 gal and I have a 20 gal that if I ever set it up I will most likely use a HOB.

thumbs2: I had to read that twice! WHAT? Brings back memories from my first childhood aquariums. What a pain the cleaning task was. My how far this hobby has advanced. Makes me wonder why it took so long for better systems to develop and become poplular, or if they existed why it took me so long to discover them.

[Mith]

It would all depend on the tank size and location for me.


Absolutely! I think HOB filters can only do so much... and Canisters have SO many options regarding media etc. Now granted, I haven't used an HOB for 25 or more years so I'm sure they've improved a LOT... enver-the-less.... unless it's a 20g or there-abouts... it's canisters all the way for me. thumbs2:

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

';Now granted, I haven't used an HOB for 25 or more years so I'm sure they've improved a LOT

You could say they've changed a lot. LOL My first HOB was 20 years ago or more and it was an airstone driven HOB. LOL