main difference between HOB and cannister filter?

avionics, read all the posts please before offering an expert opinion on my stocking. I'm overstocked with 0.0 ammonia, 0.0 nitrite, and 0.5 nitrate... and no aggression, with aggressive species.

you might want to read the whole thread before educating the ignorants like me. Of course, the canister fail I experienced was my fault... I clearly can't read directions, and if its never happened to you it must be impossible.

haha - kind of post I was referring to at 1:57
 
We all have opinions, and yes, some shout their opinions louder than others.
I love my marineland filters and I use them on my 55, 72 and 75G tanks. I also have two AC 110's which come in second to the marineland. I would challenge many to get more worthwhile media in the AC than I get in my marineland. I cannot see where a canister would be any better on any of my tanks than what I'm doing now. And some people here recommend a canister filter along with an HOB. So what's wrong with two HOB's? I'm overstocked as well. I've never seen how a cannister works. I know it would have to just about gravel vac and feed my fish for me before I'd shell out a couple of hundred dollars for what I can accomplish for under $100. And I'm mechanically challenged, I don't have a lot of patience with machines and no one to ask to help. So all these factors go into the equipment purchasing decision for each person....or should. But until someone can tell me exactly how my tank would be better/cleaner when my water is already crystal clear and within normal range, or my fish healthier when they are never sick (knock wood).....I'm sticking with what I think are terrific filters for me....HOB. Now I might have to rethink this if I get a much larger tank, and take an evening class in parts and tubes and fittings and priming.....:grinyes:
 
Jalo Reefa' said:
avionics, read all the posts please before offering an expert opinion on my stocking. I'm overstocked with 0.0 ammonia, 0.0 nitrite, and 0.5 nitrate... and no aggression, with aggressive species.

you might want to read the whole thread before educating the ignorants like me. Of course, the canister fail I experienced was my fault... I clearly can't read directions, and if its never happened to you it must be impossible.

haha - kind of post I was referring to at 1:57
Click to expand...

First off, I am not providing an EXPERT opinion. I'm not a marine biologist. I'm an electrical engineer.

All I said was that YOU said that you were overstocked. Naturally any stocking that exceeds the "standard limits" for filtration will tax the filter and probably cause you more maintenance. That is a given. I use both HOB and canister. I have to clean my HOB way more than the canister. As soon as the HOB gets a bit congested, it starts bypassing. That is highly inefficient.

It's not very nice to call anyone, including yourself, ignoratnt. The word ignorant seems very demeaning. Everyone on this site is here to learn, including myself. I learn something new every day. I would hope that everyone that uses this site learns something! If you come here thinking you know everything, then this site is going to bore you out of your skull! You already know everything!! LOL!

As for your canister filter leak, I stated that you have to pay attention to when assembling the filter. You stated yourself that you failed to read the instructions. The instructions are part of paying attention. If properly assembled, you will not encounter a leak so massive that it would ruin your floors. Had you stated that you followed the instructions flawlessly and the canister developed a crack, then that would be a manufacturing defect that you had no control over. That would be nice information to share with those of us that have not encountered this defect and should be aware of. See the difference?

Bottom line, everyone experiences something different. If you take what you read on these threads as gospel, then you are setting yourself up for failure. Forums are places to share experiences and naturally some of those experiences are fact based. It's like reading Wikipedia. Do you believe everything that you read there? If so, you may want to reconsider. Wikipedia is a forum of sorts that allows people to apply input to the definitions found within. It's nearly a tabloid! LOL!

Sometime we all have to agree to disagree on some things and many of those instance occur in fish keeping. Yes, there are things that, in a perfect world, we should ALL do while maintaining aquaria, but do we do them? Probably not to the "T". You overstock. Well, that is against one of the cardinal rules of fish keeping!! DO NOT OVERSTOCK! Do I do it, only when I have to. Do I like it, no. Do I increase my maintenance practices when I am overstocked? Yes. It's that simple.

In closing, I don't think that any of my responses were out of line or false. If you do, I apologize and am willing to retract anything that I may have said that offended you or anyone else in this forum. Have a great weekend!

Best wishes
 
pinkertd said:
We all have opinions, and yes, some shout their opinions louder than others.
I love my marineland filters and I use them on my 55, 72 and 75G tanks. I also have two AC 110's which come in second to the marineland. I would challenge many to get more worthwhile media in the AC than I get in my marineland. I cannot see where a canister would be any better on any of my tanks than what I'm doing now. And some people here recommend a canister filter along with an HOB. So what's wrong with two HOB's? I'm overstocked as well. I've never seen how a cannister works. I know it would have to just about gravel vac and feed my fish for me before I'd shell out a couple of hundred dollars for what I can accomplish for under $100. And I'm mechanically challenged, I don't have a lot of patience with machines and no one to ask to help. So all these factors go into the equipment purchasing decision for each person....or should. But until someone can tell me exactly how my tank would be better/cleaner when my water is already crystal clear and within normal range, or my fish healthier when they are never sick (knock wood).....I'm sticking with what I think are terrific filters for me....HOB. Now I might have to rethink this if I get a much larger tank, and take an evening class in parts and tubes and fittings and priming.....:grinyes:
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Great points Debbi! Thank you!
 
One other thing I consider is the cost of mantinece.Canisters for the most part alow you to reuse most media where most hobs have cartiges that need to be replaced. Thus canisters have high inital cost and low maintnece cost hobs are the opisite. I use both I love diferent aspects of both! I also love sponge filters because of cost reasons, ease of use and high bio filtration qualities. Theres my two cents!
 
I totally agree with everyone here that it's up to the individual use on what is better.
For me it's canisters 100% I inject co2 and don't want to waste any of it with the waterfall a HOB will cause. Another big time benefit is I only clean my canisters once every six months so my maintenance is mostly left to trimming and water changes. Canisters do need to have the o-rings lubed once and a while to avoid leaking 75 gallons on your hard wood floor.
 
Nutt said:
One other thing I consider is the cost of mantinece.Canisters for the most part alow you to reuse most media where most hobs have cartiges that need to be replaced. Thus canisters have high inital cost and low maintnece cost hobs are the opisite. I use both I love diferent aspects of both! I also love sponge filters because of cost reasons, ease of use and high bio filtration qualities. Theres my two cents!
Click to expand...

I stack foam blocks and use micron pad (all rinseable and reuseable indefinitely) prior to my cartridges so once the carbon no longer is active in the cartridge, my cartridges are additional mechanical/biological media and are rinsed and left in the filter. I use them for months and months, they don't get clogged because the coarse foam blocks catch the larger particles, so very, very little cost to me on media.
 
weird, went back through my posts, never saw were I said I didn't read the instructions - I sarcastically remarked that AFTER you recommended I read the instructions. For that I apologize, sarcasm doesn't translate well on forums.

Sorry, I get frustrated when people don't read whole threads and comment on things that have been addressed in previous posts. I really don't think you would have commented on me being overstocked if you'd read my 157 post
 
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