# overhead filter basics



## Nina_b (Jan 3, 2011)

Hello forum,

I am getting a new 72'' aquarium (happy day!). It comes with an overhead filter, and a pump (not sure if it's submersible or not). I've read a bit (what I could find using google - so not much).

I know how they work, water pumped up, flows through a series of chambers (left to right?) where lots of benificial bacteria lives (in pot scrubbers - he he he).

I also know they're good for aeration, and easy to clean.

The filter is built into the hood. Anyone have any experiences with these? Anything to look out for?

I plan to keep mbuna in there, so there will also be at least one extra cannister in the tank, and probably a power filter (they are messy )

Thanks!


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## Bevo5 (Mar 19, 2004)

Eh...they're just like any other filter for the most part. You really have to just make sure you have enough filtration overall for whatever bioload you're going to have. For basics on how filters actually work you should read the articles in the library on this site about tank chemistry and the nitrogen cycle.


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## moto_master (Jun 23, 2006)

Never seen one in person, but they look like just a wet dry trickle filter, just like in a sump except it's above the tank, not below it.


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## Nina_b (Jan 3, 2011)

thanks Bevo. Unfortunately, there are no articles here about an overhead specifically (veto, none that I could find using the library). I am luckily well versed in aquarium chemistry 

Moto_Master: yes. That's exactly my throughts, and my experience. Never seen one (except the one in soon-to-be-mine), in theory I understand, but...

I've read on the 'nets that they have set houses on fire.

So if there is someone with experience with one of these on here, just a quick note on general experience would be most kind.


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## johnchor (Apr 2, 2011)

hello folks

these OHF are excellent in asia.
they are also very cheap compared to canister, sumps or even HOB!

some have stackable trays u can stack as high as u like, only limited by weight.
they can have a lot of medias... much more than a canister and HOB.

bad thing is very fast water evaporation and could be noisy due to water tickling down to the tank.

i am currently using a 4FT OHF from Dolphin brand it comes with a pump at 1650L/hr at only $50! :thumb:

regarding catching fires! yes, this is true in OLD design OHF like 10 years back, where the pump is not a submersible type. now with new Desgin OHF, almost all pumps are submersible in water. :thumb:



Nina_b said:


> thanks Bevo. Unfortunately, there are no articles here about an overhead specifically (veto, none that I could find using the library). I am luckily well versed in aquarium chemistry
> 
> Moto_Master: yes. That's exactly my throughts, and my experience. Never seen one (except the one in soon-to-be-mine), in theory I understand, but...
> 
> ...


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## Nina_b (Jan 3, 2011)

I've been using it for close to six months now, and so far, really no complaints


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## quentin8 (Sep 30, 2011)

could we see some pics? im interested in the workings of it, it sounds interesting. opcorn:


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## Narwhal72 (Sep 26, 2006)

These filters never caught on in the U.S. which is a shame. They work really well in many situations and are pretty popular in Asia.

Marineland's Eclipse systems would be the closest thing available in the U.S.

Andy


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## 748johnd (Jun 30, 2007)

I had one when we lived in Japan and I really liked it. It wasn't noisy either. I had never seen them before and was kind of apprehensive until I started using it.


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## Nina_b (Jan 3, 2011)

Alright, pictures:

Front view:









Top view:









Basically, water is pushed into the filter using a pump, then spread across several chambers using a spray bar. Most of my chambers are full of biomedia. The first chamber has sponge, for some (minor) mechanical filtration - not this type of filter's strong suit, in my experience so far. The second chamber has filter floss that would have been gone ages ago, except that it will now be used as a seed for a new filter on a new aquarium. In effect, mine is a 40 liter trickle filter.

Water goes back into the aquarium through a hole on the left side (left when facing the tank). It makes some bubbles, which I rather like.

Excuse the exposed black plastic pot... Some of my rocks are doing duty in the hospital tank.


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## quentin8 (Sep 30, 2011)

It looks very close to the Marineland Eclipse, I like the filter, lights, and canopy all in one. Eclipse only goes up to a 20 L or 29 if I recall correctly, to bad they dont make them for bigger tanks.


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## Narwhal72 (Sep 26, 2006)

That's a Resun tank. They are one of the largest Chinese brands and are an OEM for a lot of products sold in the U.S. Unfortunately shipping large tanks with filtration like that to the U.S. is not practical logistically which is why they never caught on. But it looks nice.

I really like the way they do the rounded corners on the Chinese tanks. So much cleaner than the squared off corners we have in the U.S.

Andy


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## johnchor (Apr 2, 2011)

hi folks

i do have, currently using a larger version of this filter

this is a 4 footer single stacked filter.

the bad thing is that the filter pump is only 1650L/hr , too weak for my liking.

but the good thing about these OHF is that we can easily upgrade the pumps to a more power 1, like a 3200L/hr :thumb:

and washing and changing media is as easy as a HOB. :thumb:

i love them. 



quentin8 said:


> It looks very close to the Marineland Eclipse, I like the filter, lights, and canopy all in one. Eclipse only goes up to a 20 L or 29 if I recall correctly, to bad they dont make them for bigger tanks.


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## Nina_b (Jan 3, 2011)

Yep, mine is a resun, and it's a 2 meter long 500 liter tank.

I also really, really like the rounded corners.


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## johnchor (Apr 2, 2011)

wow 2m is really long 

thats a monster OHF :thumb:



Nina_b said:


> Yep, mine is a resun, and it's a 2 meter long 500 liter tank.
> 
> I also really, really like the rounded corners.


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## Nina_b (Jan 3, 2011)

johnchor said:


> wow 2m is really long
> 
> thats a monster OHF :thumb:


It sure is 

It really is great for biomedia. I still would never use it as the only filter. Easy to clean is also realtive... it's high, long, and not so easy to get under the spraybar unless you take everything apart... which also means putting everything together again. Getting the inlet pipe to exactly the right height so it closes flush can be a bit of a struggle too. Still, I'm happy as a clam with the thing - no filter is perfect.


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## johnchor (Apr 2, 2011)

hello Nina

how powerful is your OHF pump?

mine is rated only 1650L/hr seems too weak for a 67gallons with 22 africans. 



Nina_b said:


> johnchor said:
> 
> 
> > wow 2m is really long
> ...


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## Nina_b (Jan 3, 2011)

Heh, no kidding! I used the supplied pump - but I also run a large cannister filter and a couple of internal powerheads. I did try a beefed up pump (for about 8 times an hour tunrover), but it makes the baffles inside the filter overrun, and basically stops the filter from working correctly. Hence my insistence that this is not for mechanical filtration.

That said, I have a flow rate of 300 gallons per hour on the supplied pump - that's a shade less than three times an hour turnover.

The cannister gives me about eight times an hour turnover (1000 ghp), and my internals give me about half that (500 gph), each. The two internal ones really help with water movement, and catch almost all of the larger particles of goup... but then I have to clean them weekly to keep things running smoothly.

Like I've said, no filter setup is perfect. This works for me, and keeps my water perfect, and perfectly clear


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