# HOB and canister...



## toshanda (Aug 13, 2009)

Is there a benefit of running a HOB and a canister filters together besides providing a boost to filtering? I see alot of people using two but when I ask them about it they just say "it is better to overfilter". So could we just overfilter with bigger canister???


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## newbiechick (Apr 2, 2009)

Most people don't use spray bars with their canisters, so the HOB provides the surface agitation for oxygenation...


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

toshanda said:


> Is there a benefit of running a HOB and a canister filters together besides providing a boost to filtering? I see alot of people using two but when I ask them about it they just say "it is better to overfilter". So could we just overfilter with bigger canister???


Welcome to CF, 
The main reason for this combination is the benefits each style of filter brings to your aquarium. 
The HOB, usually gives a lot of flow per dollar spent and the ease of filter cleaning/replacement, with the amount of available bio media being it`s shortcoming. 
The canister costs more per gph, does an adequate job of debris removal, but holds allot of bio media.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

I am not in any way going to suggest an HOB & Canister together is a â€œbad ideaâ€


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## RyanR (Apr 29, 2008)

Well said, Toby. :thumb:

We have a variety of filters on all of our tanks.

Hit me just last night, that when you clean a canister, you're getting sall of the crud out of it. With an HOB with it's vertical filter inserts, is actually kinda hard to get all of the bigger junk out of it, since the larger stuff just falls off the filter media upon removal.

Anyhoo. I do like the quiet of canisters.

-Ryan


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

> Is there a benefit of running a HOB and a canister filters together


Key word, is benefit. 
The ease of filter service is the HOB benefit. 
The media capacity is the canisters benefit. 
Put the two, together, and each supports the other, your tank gets the benefit. 
Can a HOB run silently, yes it can(no pun intended). 
Can you buy a 350gph canister for the same price of the same rate HOB? 
The HOB price/performance is a benefit. 
The canister`s silent operation is a benefit. 
It is not all about the flow. 350gph of polluted water is still polluted. 
To avoid the circulation of pollutants, regular filter service, again the HOB`s ease of service benefit. 
I have pulled allot of HOB off of tanks and have never found the bottoms of the filter chambers full of crud, but I did change/clean the filter media often. 
Helpful Hint: When pulling the filter out of your HOB, hold a wide mouth net in front of the spillway, to catch the stray gunk that comes off when you remove the filter media.


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## Morcs (Jun 1, 2009)

I only plan on opening my canister every 2-3 months.
Though If needbe ill clean out my HOB weekly - *** got it setup so a lot of the debris should be picked up by the HOB.


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

Morcs said:


> I only plan on opening my canister every 2-3 months.
> Though If needbe ill clean out my HOB weekly - I've got it setup so a lot of the debris should be picked up by the HOB.


The only other thing I would suggest, pay attention to the amount of debris in your can at cleaning..if there is a whole lot, you might consider cleaning more often.
BTW: I have never forgot the ANZAC forces that were beside me in the RVN, Thank You.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

why spend the money on a canister filter if you aren't using it as your main form of filtration, furthermore, why have a filter that you don't maintain enough to be functional, the carbon will be useless after going over a month and the output will also decrease the longer you leave the canister unmaintained. it's not hard to clean and change the filter media and if you bought one that is hard you bought the wrong filter


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## Morcs (Jun 1, 2009)

cjacob316 said:


> why spend the money on a canister filter if you aren't using it as your main form of filtration, furthermore, why have a filter that you don't maintain enough to be functional, the carbon will be useless after going over a month and the output will also decrease the longer you leave the canister unmaintained. it's not hard to clean and change the filter media and if you bought one that is hard you bought the wrong filter


Carbon is useless fullstop.
Canisters move a lot o water, and hold a **** of a lot of media. The biological filtration is vastly superior to HOB imho


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i see no harm in using carbon, it only helps keep water clean, i bought my canister to get rid of the falling water noise from the hob and to save space behind my tank, I have only had my canister for a week but i decided to clean it out this morning just for the heck of it to see how long it would take, took no time at all. and to my supprise the mechanical media was actually full of crud, i never had that much junk on the fine filter pad of my hob, so in my opinion my canister does a much better job of pulling stuff out of the water than my hob ever did, carbon will only cost me about 8 bucks every two months so i won't ever stop using it, also in my canister i have ceramic rings combined with a course sponge along with the filter media baskets that just grab all sorts of yummy goodness as apposed to a bio wheel for biological, there are advantages to both, but the only reason i would use both on the same tank is for surface agitation but you don't need both, buy a much less expensive powerhead alongside your canister if your goal is to move water


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## Cento (Mar 30, 2005)

I'll agree with most here.. I think it boils down to user preference... When you get try to compare the two types of filtration and the benefits to your fish and bacteria, you're splitting hairs. But when you compare practical differences for the aquarist, you see major differences.

Someone mentioned 2 big reasons why i recently switched to canisters after 14 years of using HOBs. 1) Space behind the aquarium and aesthetics, 2) Water noise and evaporation. But, conversely, someone who's used canisters for decades may get sick and tired of: siphon/vacuum issues, occasional minor leaks and potential major ones, effort involved in cleaning compared to HOB, etc.

So, if you want 2 filters for whatever reason, I would think it would make sense to "pick a side" and go with that type of filtration instead of doing both forms. You may get "pro's" of both types, but you also get the "con's" of both. Ancient Chinese Proverb: "He who sits on fence, gets shot from both sides" :lol:


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

see i was nervous about restarting my filter as well, the first time i used it i had to keep hitting the prime button to get it to fill up and it does take a little while before all the air is out of it and it runs smoothly without blowing a few bubbles, but then when i disconnected like the instructions said, it was so simple to restart because as soon as i opened up the intake tube is started syphoning in, the impeller is actually a lot easier to remove and clean in my canister than my hob was and the canister is so big and open i can fit my hand inside along with a sponge to scrub if need be. but one of the biggest advantage is since there is no air and less evap on my actual filter, no ugly white calcium build ups to try to have to scrub off, the only thing i am nervouse about is having to clean the actual hoses, I hope they make long enough brushes


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