External filter vs hang on filter

minivan said:

I'm thinking about doing away with my hang on filter and picking up a sunsun 302. I was wondering what the pros and con of the external filters were I've never had any experience with these, I would be running it in a 55gal tank.

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Well canisters offer a much better bio filtration capability but fall short for mechanical filtration compared to most hangon filters. But canisters are almost always quieter.

The biggest downfall is maintenance. Cleaning canisters isn't always fun

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Why not keep the h.o.b. going as well for the reasons stated above? I run two canisters so I can alternate maintenance but My h.o.b. seems to be where the higher percentage of mechanical is goin on.....those pads get filthy real fast ,way more so than the pads in My cans + lots of surface agitation and You can stuff purigen, matrix or whatever and pothos in the h.o.b.

Pros: Lots of output flow options (spraybars, adjustable angle nozzles), generally allows for more thorough filtration, imo. (more water-to-media contact/less bypass, it seems, though I could be wrong), potentially quieter, generally fewer technical issues from my experience (my HOB impellers get stuck from time to time, for no apparent reason, especially when starting them up after a water change). Depending on how you set it up, you can potentially do waterchanges using only the intake/output valve(s) rather than getting out a siphon (you just have to have both the intake and output set so that they're below the desired water level during a water change).

Cons: Maintenance generally requires numerous steps (shut off intake/output valves, drain canister, remove lid, rinse media, refill canister, reassemble, reopen valves, then, for non-self-priming models, you have to prime the filter (typically either by pouring water directly into the intake tube, or by pressing a button several times before plugging the filter back in). Granted, you get used to the process after a while and it's not a big deal, but it still takes longer than cleaning an HOB no matter how you do it.

Hob's aren't very expensive. I run a pair of whisper 60's with a fluval 406 canister. I paid maybe $60 or $70 for the pair.

It really helps cut down on the waste and helps extend time between cleaning the canister.

Cleaning the HOBs is fast. And inexpensive, whisper carteidges are cheap and can be sprayed out a few times with a hose before they fall apart or get matted up.

I recommend a HOB powerfilter in conjuction with a canister. Its the best of both worlds.

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Canisters can be a cinch to clean: fill a Sterillite tote with tank water and dump contents in. A little swizzlin' in a colander and yer done. It takes maybe 10 minutes to do this with my Rena/API Filstars. I use a *ton* of Eheim mech in them, which keeps the foam from getting clogged, and they require maintenance like one every three months.... and this is with a mess of pleco's, including an 18" sailfin. I use sand in all of my tanks, so all of the waste winds up in the filters. Eheim mech is not a consumable, and I get a year or two out of the filter pads. That's pretty cheap. These days, I'm surprised at how little gack I find in them. Almost as if once you get it "right" waste breaks down before the filter can clog and become the proverbial "nitrate factory". My water is crystal clear (I do use UV on the 125's) with just the 20ppi and 30ppi pads. I don't mess with polishing filters, which is probably why I can have pretty lax maintenance.

My XP's are plumbed into the biowheel setups leftover from a pair of Magnum 350's, so I'm able to keep pretty good aeration.

IMHO, HOB's are dreadful devices and are limited in circulation since the intake and output have to be vertically oriented.

-Ryan

maintenance. that's the difference. Canisters, in my opinion are a real pain to clean - and the problem is, if you leave them too long, they produce nitrate. And watch out for those gaskets! Leaky Leaky!

I think the best filter is a constant drip + a sump, external or internal, followed by HOBs.

Whatever allows for the most filter media and you will clean more often is best.

On a deep tanks HOBs are king for circulation if you have a long enough Intake tube. I mainly use my HOB filters for that reason. High flow, good circulation, good oxygenation, and good mechanical filtration. Most units are relatively quiet and so good on electricity, that its hard to justify not using them, unless you have a sump

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HOB filters are junk for the most part unless your tank is less than 50 gals then they are adequate? Very noisy, poorly made!

They are designed to sell filter cartridges just like inkjet printers are designed sell ink . If you have small tanks and small fish its an option . Large fish , large tanks its like trying to plug a dam with your fingers? IMO


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