AquaClear HOB Filter Owners: Time to Talk "Flow Control"...

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Kaskade10729

Kaskade10729

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Jun 16, 2013
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If you own a Hagen AquaClear HOB filter, please sign in and indicate what model you have and what you keep the "flow control" valve set to atop the filter's cover -- I'm trying to get a handle on what the "best" setting is for my 110 model because the information about these that's out there is confusing at best. Some hobbyists and professionals claim they to HAVE to run these full-steam, wide open, maximum flow ALL the time for turnover rates...while there's just as many that state these should ALWAYS be run at lowest flow/slowest return as that polishes and filters the water better due to increased exposure time to media and bacteria...

I can't figure out where my flow control knob should be set to on my 110; keeping it all the way on max flow seems to create a large current in my tank that my fancy goldfish don't seem to care for when they pass it, yet keeping it on low flow makes the filter much noisier with the bubbles being sucked into it from the bar below the intake (a subject for another time) and then I'm afraid the filter won't be turning over the maximum amount of water per hour for filtration duties. I understand the notion of the water being filtered better by having more contact time with the media on low flow, but does this affect the tank's health at all? I notice that on low flow, the intake moves over the impeller in such a way it reduces the "force" of the intake's sucking motion, letting more debris escape that passes near the intake strainer...this can't be good, can it?

Hagen themselves actually make this whole thing more confusing because THEIR literature on these filters state "more crystal clear and sparkling water" CAN be achieved by leaving the flow REDUCED; I'm not sure where this flow control knob should be set, with all this conflicting information...

What do all you AquaClear owners do...and why? :bowing:
 
excuzzzeme

excuzzzeme

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Mar 29, 2007
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It doesn't matter what other people do, what matters is that you find the place you are happiest with. There are far too many variables, i.e. tank size, water level, number and type of fish ......... you get the idea. I can tell you that at full flow the advertised rate is 500gph, if I remember right. Full restricted is 1/3 of full flow rate. That applies to all AquaClear filters regardless of size. I believe it is stated in the instructions. You will need to find the rate that keeps the tank the cleanest. If the fish don't like it, they will either avoid it or get used to it. My cories don't like the excess flow of a second filter I have on their tank but they got used to it and no longer avoid it.

Hope that helps. Good luck.
 
Kaskade10729

Kaskade10729

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Jun 16, 2013
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This isn't helping...:(

I understand that there are many variables at play here, but there must be some kind of "standard" that most owners follow --or some kind of information that would seem to indicate leaving the flow on one way will definitely harm the system or the other way will trap more particles, etc...:huh:
 
excuzzzeme

excuzzzeme

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Mar 29, 2007
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I have never heard of slower polishing better. I run 2 sponges and some floss is all my filters and my water is clear. I don't use carbon (charcoal).

Average flow is about 6 x an hour and for "dirty" fish you want a greater amount like 8-10 x per hour (or more)
 
Kaskade10729

Kaskade10729

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Jun 16, 2013
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EdaxFlamma

EdaxFlamma

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Jun 1, 2009
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I've got an AC50 on my 10 gallon and I run it wide open (max flow) - big time overkill. One of the big reasons I do this is because I also have a sponge pre-filter on my intake which reduces my flow by quite a bit.

The high power filter (relatively speaking) doesn't negatively impact any of the tank inhabitants (dwarf neon rainbows, red cherry shrimp, assorted snails). The rainbows actually love to swim in the filter outflow.

If I forget to top off, which happens more often than I would like, I get some gravel disturbance but I have positioned a piece of driftwood below the outflow to mitigate the damage. You could also tack on a DIY water bottle flow reducer that others use for their betta tanks if it gets to be too intense.

Everyone's set up is different. Depending on what your tank size is and your planned/current stock, level of planting, your personal preference, etc. (as excuzzzeme already mentioned) will dictate how much flow you decide to lay on.

If you want to post a stock list, planting list, and tank size we might be able to give you a more direct answer. However, as previously stated, regardless of the common trends each fish will have its own preferences.


Edit: Another way to look at it is this, you can either hope that reducing your flow allows for more particles to get trapped (not entirely sure the fluid mechanics back this idea), or you can hope that by increasing flow the same water will get more passes through the entire filter. I would go with the latter assuming your fish are on board with that idea.
 
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excuzzzeme

excuzzzeme

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Mar 29, 2007
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Kaskade10729 said:
So what are you saying about the flow? Basically it ideally should be run as full as possible?
Click to expand...
What I am saying is that for messy or "dirty" fish you need greater turnover than those that do not fall into that category. Any fish that poops a lot like goldfish, Oscars and plecos should have a greater turnover than something like dwarf shrimp or neon tetras... et. al....

Less biologically demanding fish will not need as large a filter and will do well on smaller filters. It also depends on how many fish in a particular sized tank. If you purchase an apporpriate filter for the tank AND inhabitants, there should be no reason than to run it at other than max flow
 
F

fishorama

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Jun 28, 2006
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I have 3 AC70s & an AC50 running ATM on 3 tanks with a canister on 1. All are set to max flow, 2 have sponge prefilters. I read the threads saying "reduced flow maximizes particulate removal", I say it doesn't work that way. When ACs are in reduced flow they don't suck up the same volume, there isn't any "refiltration" in the filter just less turnover. I know you'd like a cut & dried answer but it really does depend on what media you're using, the amount of waste, plant & animal, you're trying to remove & your maintenance, both filter cleaning & water change/vacuuming. Fine media like floss remove more fine particulates but clog faster, slowing flow. Prefilters catch more of the big stuff but not as much fine, quick to clean. I like to have enough filter flow to move water over as much tank area as possible, no or at least few dead spots. That often means 2 filters +/or a powerhead to move the "crap" into the filter so I don't have to vac as much (theoretically anyway, lol). I aim for 10x tank volume/hour as a rough guide for best filtration & oxygenation. Maybe instead of your bubble wands you should add another filter, unless you just like the look of a bubble curtain. My ACs agitate the surface more for better gas exchange.
 
authmal

authmal

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Aug 4, 2011
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Kaskade10729 said:
but there must be some kind of "standard" that most owners follow
Click to expand...
Nope. There are many, *many* facets of this hobby that are based on personal opinion. This is one of the things where there is no "right for everyone" and there is only what you're comfortable with. My AC 70 on my 55 and my AC 20 on my 10 are set to full. The C2 on another 10 is set to min, because I have a betta in there, and he doesn't like it on full. Oh, and my 55 also has an AquaTop CF400UV on it. No one in the tank liked that thing on full blast, so I extended the spray bar, and have it pointing at the side of the tank, so, there's much less flow. It was literally a powerful flow across half the tank when I had the return on one end. All of the fish except my BN huddled as far away from it as they could, and that didn't change over the course of about 30 hours before I rearranged things.
 
D

dudley

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Feb 9, 2005
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I have two AC110 on a 220G tank, one AC50 on a 20L with a pre-filter and one AC30 on a 10G tank with a pre-filter. All the flow controls are set to maximum flow.

I think that the more water that flows through the media, the more particles are eventually trapped by the media, at least up until the media gets clogged and you notice that the water starts to bypass the media. I don't find that the fish or shrimp have any issues with the amount of water flow.

The instructions do state that when you operate the filter at a reduced flow, the water in the filter chamber is processed multiple times and more impurities are filtered out.
 
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