Ditch the HOB filters?

[EDJFA]

My system has been up and running for about a year and a half now and I've generally not had any problems.

I don't have a sump or a skimmer because the stand I have doesn't have the room for it. When discussing it with the guys at the LFS they suggested that I run a HOB filter. So, I do. I had a couple from my previous freshwater tanks that I use. I run them with the cheap little blue floss/GAC pads you can buy at any pet store. They do what they're supposed to do. They catch a lot of crap that's in the water. But when I pull the pad to clean it or replace it, there's always a bunch of stuff on the bottom that makes its way back into my tank. Seems like I might be better off without them.

Am I doing any real good with them? Wouldn't it be better to just invest a little money in a bigger CUC? Or should I keep them there, but put something in there besides carbon?

[Jonviviano]

Your HOB filter is doing exactly whats it supposed to do. Removing particulate in the water column. I would not remove it IMO. Removing as much suspended detritus from your tank all in all leads to a more healthy tank. Even though there is some remaining crap at the bottom of your filter ask yourself how much stuff would settle at the bottom of your tank if it was removed. Adding more CUC wont solve the problem because whatever they devour in your tank will ultimately be added back to your tank as there waste.

[etepperman]

I ran HOB filters for 7 years and had a great tank going. It was only when I got a new tank that I drilled and got a sump.

There is nothing wrong with HOB. My only suggestion would be to find a bulk supply of pads, as those can get pricy. Some of the filers are more flexible than others, at one point I found one I could just put filter floss into and it worked well and save me a bunch. If interested I can find out which brand it was.

-E

[etepperman]

I ran HOB filters for 7 years and had a great tank going. It was only when I got a new tank that I drilled and got a sump.

There is nothing wrong with HOB. My only suggestion would be to find a bulk supply of pads, as those can get pricy. Some of the filers are more flexible than others, at one point I found one I could just put filter floss into and it worked well and save me a bunch. If interested I can find out which brand it was.

-E

[Sugar Magnolia]

I've been using HOB filters for about 10 years now. They are perfectly fine to use but do need routine maintenence. I remove mine from the back of the tank monthly and clean it out in some hot water. Pull out the impeller and clean inside the impeller housing, clean out the intake tube, rinse thoroughly and you're back in business.

[Reeferz412]

As an HOB Filter user, some advice is to not use rubble rock in your filter. As Sugar said, routine maintenance is required because your filter is a hub for detritus and removing the rock and cleaning is a pain. I had an AC110 (I dropped it,but i am going to repair it) that had chaeto, chemipure, and my heater. It worked great.