# 1 HOB & Powerhead or 2 HOB



## esquia (Oct 23, 2012)

I have a 75 gallon tank, and an awful lot of HOBs will not fit over the big rim/lip of it. I'm looking at my limited options of using:

2 Fluval C4 HOBs (520 GPH)

1 AquaClear 110 & 1 AquaClear 50 Powerhead with occasional Quick Filter Attachment (770 GPH)

Both of these options come out to be about $100, which is what I want to spend. Unfortunately, no canister will get me into that ballpark. So which would be better?

A side note is that even the C4s don't fit over the rim, but if I get the water level high enough it's quiet enough though not as dead silent as my C3 on smaller tanks. Sigh, I wish that there were a more perfect solution to this..


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## du3ce (Sep 11, 2012)

sunsun and odyssea makes canisters thats below $100. I own a odyssea canister myself havent had any complains yet.


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Have a look at the Aquatop/sunsun CF500, made by sunsun, 525gph can be bought for $99 including media and free shipping, pm me if you want the link to it


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## esquia (Oct 23, 2012)

Well I think that I would rather have the best HOB filter than the worse canister filter - ya know? So back to my HOB scenarios, any suggestions?


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

esquia said:


> Well I think that I would rather have the best HOB filter than the worse canister filter - ya know? So back to my HOB scenarios, any suggestions?


 Worst canister filter?, have you had a bad experience with them?


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## esquia (Oct 23, 2012)

Let me put it this way, budget canister filter vs. top of the line HOB filter..


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## Meisterkiyoh (Oct 12, 2012)

I currently run a Fluval 304, a Penguin 350 and an Aqua Tech 30-60 on my 55. I prefer my Fluval 304 over both my HOB filters. It keeps my water crystal clear and has a great output. I just need to get a strainer for my input on it. My Spotted Puffer recently had a... Mishap... with the intake. Hes fine now though. Just doesnt go near the intake anymore. But back to the topic, even mid range canisters work great. It all depends on what you need. HOB filters provide great Mechanical filtration. Where compared to a canister, they fail terribly at chemical or biological due to the large amount of space inside the canister for the bacteria to grow. I typically run a canister and a HOB filter on anytank over 30. It's really all up to a personal preference what you want to use in your tank to make you comfortable. Dunno if that helps or not, Just thought I'd put my input into this.


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## JoeE (Jun 11, 2012)

You can fit a surprising amount of media in an Aquaclear 110, actually, as long as you don't use bags or get the bags designed specifically for the AC110. Not as good as a canister obviously, but I was still surprised at how much I could squeeze in there. You can apparently also modify an AC110 to incorporate a biowheel with some spare parts, but I haven't figured out how to do that yet.

But still, even the best HOB isn't going to provide the biological filtration that you'll get from an Aquatop, or any good canister. And Aquatop is far from the worst canister - not as good as Eheim or Fluval, but if you're on a budget you certainly can do significantly worse.

If the C4s don't fit on your tank, do yourself a favor and don't waste your time. I personally would get the Aquatop recommended by fusion - $99 plus media sounds like a pretty good deal to me - and plan on eventually adding an AC110 to provide more mechanical filtration and serve as a back-up filter.


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## smitty814 (Sep 27, 2012)

I don't think you'll be happy with either of your scenarios. Best to save some money and get 2 AC's of take the above advice and buy an Aquatop CF series canister. Just because they are cheap doesn't mean they aren't good. Check out some reviews on the Aquatops and you may be surprised. By the way even though they look alikd SunSun is a different company and many of their canisters are even cheaper than Aquatop.


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

esquia said:


> Let me put it this way, budget canister filter vs. top of the line HOB filter..


I wouldnt be so quick to put down a "budget" canister when it will out preform the "top of the line" HOB for biological filtration and quietness.
Look in the reviews section at the Sunsun 304, Aquatop CF500 and the Marineland C-530(there is also the Gretch and the Perfect) they are all the same filter made by Sunsun with a few cosmetic differences.
I would love a Mercedes but have to settle for a Toyota


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## JoeE (Jun 11, 2012)

fusion, can you PM me that link for the Aquatop as well?


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## mrbeadheadful (Oct 24, 2012)

I have had 
Rena Xp3
Fluval 204 and 404
magnum 350
Aquaclear 110 and 70
penguin 125 and 150B
aquatec 30

Hated the fluval design, and the magnum was impractical. The Rena was nice, but a PITA compared to the HOB filters. Making sure seals were correct, dealing with difficult cleanups etc. I would recommend sticking to HOB filters for anything under 100g just for simplicity's sake.


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## sandandrocks (Apr 3, 2012)

If i had to choose 1 of your scenarios, i'd go with 2 HOB for more filtration.

However, as the others have mentioned i would prefer a budget (not necessarily cheap) canister. I own a sunsun canister and i would not run it by itself in my 75 gallon. Meaning you would still want another filter with it.


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## esquia (Oct 23, 2012)

Good to hear from at least 1 HOB fan  Simplicity is indeed what I'm going for - this is a very mild 1 tank hobby for me. I don't even want to begin to get to know canister filters. I have a magnum 350 pro that came with the tank, but it was such a pain to set-up that I said forget it and sold it. I read the reviews, too much about broken plastic handles, arriving used and/or wet, etc. It just sounds cheap compared to an AC 110 that EVERYBODY loves without question.

In any case, I got a 110 and powerhead today so I'll see how I like it. I already love having the versatility of a powerhead with aereation and attachable water polishers - it just really stirs things up in a good way. Didn't have time to set the 110 up on my lunch hour so I will tonight. If it's quiet and does a good job then I'll stick with it. If it's as loud as my 2 C4s sitting an inch or two above the water line then I may go back to them because they really are modern, quality filters with a true wet/dry trickle chamber.

I know biological filtration is important, but it's not as if my fish are dying on me by using HOBs - so why spend $100 more of human money that I need to feed my family. They're fish, I think an HOB will do. Thanks for the input though, but again, it's a mild hobby that I try to do in moderation. A canister really is out of the question for my level interest, I'm happiest just popping in a pre-made cartridge every month.


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## esquia (Oct 23, 2012)

I don't hear hardly anything about powerheads - do people not use them much? It's been cool so far like I said, but it is getting pricey at $40, plus $10 each for the water polisher pieces, of which 2 can be combined.

http://www.amazon.com/AquaClear-Powerhe ... Descending
http://www.amazon.com/AquaClear-Filter- ... ewpoints=1

At that rate, it's getting to be a bit more than a C4, which would have truer chemical and biological filtration - not just mechanical water polishing. Anyways, if I do go this route, will I see a big difference between 270 and 400 GPH? The price difference is $28 vs $42. Again, trying to stay under $100 with an AC110 that cost me $70.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

There is a place that had the AC110's for $50 including freight. There is another user here who has the link but I can't for the life of me remember who it was and the website. I would go with two AC110's for sure if you want HOB filters.

I do have two of the aquatop CF500uv's and really like them. I also have the AC110's as well as other HOB filters. The AC's are by far better. I also have a fluval fx5 on a 75g and it is the perfect filter for that size tank. Water movement and filtration is perfect.

HTH


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## Mike_G (Nov 8, 2011)

I would start out with an AC110 and an AC50 powerhead running an ATI sponge filter instead of the quick filter. The powerhead will provide a nice current that you can aim to direct detritus towards the HOB's intake. Then when you have a little more dough you can add a second HOB if you like. I'm currently running an AC110 and AC70 with an AC50 powerhead running an ATI sponge filter on my 55 gallon and man does it work great. My substrate stays really clean, and my fish enjoy "surfing" the current from the powerhead.


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## esquia (Oct 23, 2012)

Good idea. So how many inches above the substrate is your power head? I really like the idea of it sweeping the poop, but not the sand, towards the AC 110 intake towards the other end of the tank. I may try the sponge idea for long-term use, but I like the quick filter's polishing capabilities.

I found one more filter I might try - the Rena Smartfilter, 2 of them. Anybody try those? Seems like a very different design that I'm willing to try.

Another thought I've had though is that my water level has just naturally evaporated to the point where my AC 110 and Aqueon 55/75 sound the same as my Fluval C4 hitting the water. I'm going to put all 3 back on the tank and do some "sound tests" - if the waterfall sound is the only downside to the C4 sitting high on the rim then I might just stick with them because let's face it, my tank's water level isn't always going to be super-duper high and so any filter will eventually make the cascading noise. I love those C4s - 5 stage filtration with true wet/dry, more bypass protection than the AC 110.. I'm absolutely fearful of water damage living on the 3rd floor of a rented condo. That's why the Aqueon is absolutely out because it leaked from a seam - won't risk that for one second. I've read a few, not many, but a few negative reviews about the Rena SmartFilter and the AC series backing up onto people's floors (thinking about being gone for 2 weeks during Christmas...) so that's another reason that I feel very safe with the Fluval C4. Wish they made a C5, but 2 C4s along with the AC powerhead that I'll keep should do a good job.

Flow rate would be similar - 2 Fluval C4s or 1 AquaClear 110?


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## Mike_G (Nov 8, 2011)

esquia said:


> Good idea. So how many inches above the substrate is your power head? I really like the idea of it sweeping the poop, but not the sand, towards the AC 110 intake towards the other end of the tank. I may try the sponge idea for long-term use, but I like the quick filter's polishing capabilities.


My powerhead is mounted up at the top of the tank just under the surface and the flow is directed downward and towards the front and side (I made a little flow director out of vinyl tubing because the AC50 powerhead doesn't come with one like the smaller powerheads)

If you want water polishing I'd suggest adding a layer of bonded poly pad in your HOB- I have one in my AC110 and it works great


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