Cartridge style HOBs have smaller media volumn than AC style, but flow through area is about the same or larger. Media volume is important for biological filtration. Flow through area is important for mechanical, because once the first inch area is clogged, water begins to bypass and need to be replaced. If your tank has substrate, ornaments and good circulation, you have plenty of in tank bio filtration, and you have no need for bio from your filter.
a filter that keeps everyone happy
- Thread starter GBaker1130
- Start date
I just cant buy into that. The cross section of the cartridge is much smaller. Therefore there is less filtering material there to catch particles.
Let’s compare a Penguin 350 versus AC110. A 350 cartridge measured 4” x6” each and 4”x 12” = 48 total for both. The horizontal cross section of a AC110 foam is 3.5”x 9.75” = 34. 125 so the flow through area is smaller. AC has greater flow through volume though due to greater depth.
The way I see it, a filter is sufficient if it keeps ammonia and nitrate at zero for a given bio load. Other than that, it's down to personal preference, things like aesthetics, noise and whatever else you're trying to get out of the filter, such as polishing or nirate removal.
Youre measuring the horizontal face there. In a ac it has to pass through the entire 3.5" of foam whereas a cartridge may be 1-1.5" deep.
True. In fact, you don’t even need a filter. You can operate an air stone or just a powerhead circulation pump to maintain biological filtration in the substrate to keep fish healthy. I have done that many times in my fry tanks with regular water change as the ultimate filtration Mechanical filtration is needed for human to enjoy viewing the fish. Water in natural habitats is rarely as clean as in home aquarium. Many aquarium fish came from tannin water or silty water with low visibility. Even in clear water, when the bottom is disturbed, a dust cloud will often rise up
The depth gives you the volume. But if the surficial layer of the filter pad is clogged, water won’t pass through the remaining thickness and is forced to bypass. This is why I choose the thinnest, 1/2 inch pad for my cartridge and change it often. AC has coarse foam and slow to get clogged, but that means fines are allowed to pass through. When I used AC, I wrapped a filter pad around it to improve the mechanical efficiency.
There is a simple way to prevent flooding from a canister filter.
Just put it in an open box, as big as possible (or calculated as big as necessary) inside your stand.
Drill a hole of about 0.2 inches diameter in the intake pipe of the filter, just under the water surface level.
If your filter ever starts leaking, water flows in the box, not on your, living room floor.
When water level is at the drilled hole, no more water will be pumped, just air sucked in.
It may damage the filter, but your feet stay dry.
Just put it in an open box, as big as possible (or calculated as big as necessary) inside your stand.
Drill a hole of about 0.2 inches diameter in the intake pipe of the filter, just under the water surface level.
If your filter ever starts leaking, water flows in the box, not on your, living room floor.
When water level is at the drilled hole, no more water will be pumped, just air sucked in.
It may damage the filter, but your feet stay dry.
The hole is an anti siphon vent. The location should be a couple inches below high water level to account for evaporation loss during vacation. The container ought to be large enough to hold the volume of water above the vent. In other words, you are setting up the canister as if it were a sump system. The idea is not new, adopted by some alert aquarists, and ought to be standard operation protocol for canister users. It’s much safer operation, but not full proof because the hose can still come off by accident or knocked off cat, dog or kids.
