ok so i have a 35g hex tank and ive been looking @ which filter to use my queston is beside price what are the difference in the two and any suggestion on what to get.I plan on using play sand & some low light plants.thanks in advance with all help.

I personally like a canister filter best.It sits underneath out of the way,where the tank can be closer to the wall.The filter itself holds a ton of media and I have the intake on one side and the outflow on the other side of the tank,getting better flow.

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http://bountifulbettas.blogspot.com/

"Come to the dark side....we have cookies...and filters/heaters/and water changes!"

go with a canister filter, you thank your self later, you can hold alot more media, you will have more room around your tank, and alot cleaner look for your tank, like Bev said, intake tube and outlet tube thats all you see, plys you can get better circulation for your tank

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What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?

HoB are adequate filters, but if you have the money canister is definitely the way to go from what I've read.

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30G planted aquarium with Aquaclear 50 and two Aquaclear 20s. 7 Cherry Barbs, 12 Cardinal Tetras, 1 Albino Bristlenose Pleco, 1 Golden Honey Gourami, and a handful of Ghost Shrimp.

canister filter is definetly the better way to go if you have the money, they can be pretty expensive

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10g- 2 hi-fin fm platys, 3 koi & red wag sword fry
40g Breeder- 6 danios, 4 female swords, 1 male swords
"I was born with nothin and I still got most of it left."- Seasick Steve

No argument about the canister over the hob... but.. DO NOT use playground sand... Go to your pool supply store. For 5 bucks, for that tank, you can pick up Pool Filter Sand. 10 bucks for 50 lbs... you need 20 or 25 lbs MAYBE... play sand is not graded to a consistent size and will compact due to the irregularities in grain size... PFS is graded to be between .45 - .55 mm.. Allowing the flow of water between the grains... Your plants will root out extensively with this media... Bill in Va.

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12 Tanks, 900 gallons. Discus/Angels/Malawi/Lake Victorias. Just added a 135 & 2 - 29's..

I've heard Canisters are better.

I have a 36g bow and I have 2 Hob's on my tank and I have crystal clear water. I have an AquaClear 70 and an Aqueon 30 - I believe in extra filtration, lol.

It's up to you really.

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20g Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981
36g Bow Front Heavily Planted http://www.aquariumforum.com/gallery...00&ppuser=8981

Canister is probably best

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Chris
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I have a HOB Marineland Penguin 200 & the bio wheel is a real pain. It works for about the first 2 hours after I clean the filter inside & out. The double filters clean the water well & keep it clean but the filters themselves get really dirty quickly & my water pressure slows to a crawl. I just ordered a Fluval Canister 306 for my 40g Breeder tank. I've heard nothing but good things about canisters & decided to take the plunge & buy one. Good luck which ever way you go.

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Brian

I went with my friend to buy a canister for his tank, we purchased a Fluval 205 and I set it up for him. It looked like an extremely solid filter and you can get them on Amazon for under $100. It was easy to set up, was quiet, and had a ton of space for media.

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30G planted aquarium with Aquaclear 50 and two Aquaclear 20s. 7 Cherry Barbs, 12 Cardinal Tetras, 1 Albino Bristlenose Pleco, 1 Golden Honey Gourami, and a handful of Ghost Shrimp.

I believe the same, you should go for canister filter, I still have HOB filter, its good, but the problem is, it need lots of attention, cleaning, maintenance, etc... I'm going for Eheim 2215 will get it today. I once had a bad experience with canister it was Chinese, with bad flow, bad filtration, almost bad in everything... if you want a good canister go for eheim, or fluval, the reviews for both are the best.

Hello j****...

I like HOBs. They're relatively inexpensive and I think very efficient. If you're willing to follow a strict water change schedule, like replacing a minimum of half the tank water weekly, then I don't think high end filtration is needed. A good HOB like AquaClear will definitely do the job.

As for size of filter, if you do the above water change routine, then one with a gph (gallons per hour) roughly 6 times the volume of your tank will be sufficient. Please note, this works for my large, planted tanks. You may need to approach your smaller tank differently.

B

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Low Tech Water Building Keeper

Honestly, I would not do a WC bigger than about 30% weekly. I am really bad about doing water changes, but 50% weekly is a bit excessive IMO.

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75 Gallon Planted

Hello Type...

You may be able to get by with such a small WC if you have a large tank and just a few fish. This may seem strange, but I view my tanks as unflushed toilets. Really, that's what you have in your livingroom. If I was living in it like my fish are, then I'd prefer regular flushing.

Anyway, the WC is far and away the most important thing you as the "waterkeeper" can do to ensure the health of your fish and plants too.

I have minimal tank filtration because I change a minimum of half the tank water every week. My tanks don't require it, because the filters only filter water that's already very clean. I also never have to use expensive test kits, because I know the water conditions are always safe for the fish.

Sorry for the "Soapbox" thing, I'm a WC fanatic. I learned a long time ago, that when it comes to water changes, "The More and More Often, The Better"!

Thanks for your comment!

B

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Low Tech Water Building Keeper

50% changes is good especially if you are fully stocked(not overstocked,theres no excuse for that)or if you have a high tek planted tank and EI dose ferts.The minimum I would so on any tank is 30%,but i dont see any need to go over 50%,unless you have a fry tank or are uncycled.

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http://bountifulbettas.blogspot.com/

"Come to the dark side....we have cookies...and filters/heaters/and water changes!"

i love my Fluval 405 after my emperor 400.

I have a Eheim pro filter and fully stocked heavily planted tank, I do 30% WC weekly and my chemistry is excellent

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Chris
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Hello Chris...

A 30 percent water change is pretty good. But, do you want to just be a "pretty good" tank keeper? I'm sure you have the water change routine down to a very smooth process by now.

Maybe you'll agree with me that most of the work of the water change is getting out the syphon and buckets and then putting them back, right? So, how much longer could it take to remove another few gallons of water?

If you do the math, you'll be giving your fish 20 percent more clean water if you do a 50 percent water change. If you have a 55 gallon tank that's 11 gallons a week and 44 gallons per month of extra clean water for your fish and plants. That's giving them 20 percent more replacement minerals and trace elements they need for good health.

All you have to do is keep the syphon in the tank a few minutes longer.

A lot of return for a little more effort.

Just a thought from an old school "water keeper".

B

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Low Tech Water Building Keeper

Im a huge fan of HOB style filters with bio-wheels. great manual and bio filtration. my .02

Thanks Bbadbury, but I will stick with the 30% at the moment, it works for me

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Chris
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