A Question On Filters...

[lordtrini]

I just got another deal on craigslist.

i got a 29 gallon tank, with a metal stand and hood

but the kicker is... i got a fluval 104 (25 gallons) and a eheim 2213 (55 gallons) with it...

the question i have is this...

Why arent hang on the back filters like the Whisper EX series obsolete...
i have 2 Whispers EX 45's on my 55 gallon and when i look at the volume of filter media that fluval 104 has i am amazed and i will never recommend a HOB filter again....

the other question is this...
How can the fluval 104 be rated for 25 gallons when the filter volume is far greater than that of the Whisper EX 45.
Yes the flow rate is slower. But that is not a bad thing. The longer the water is in contact with the media the better... right.


Is this just marketing... Cause i am seriously thinking that the 104 can school even the EX75 in efficacy any time...

Please weigh in...

 

[OldMan47]

There are many differing answers to your questions Trini. First is that many people equate filter flow with filter capability. They will cite the number of tank multiples that their favorite filter provides as if it made a difference. They will tell you that you need 5x or even 10x turnover rates. The real answer is that the biological filter does need lots of contact time so slower flow across the media is better for that. The mechanical filtration is quite different. For mechanical filtration, higher flow equals better filtering. If you never want a scrap of fish waste to settle onto the substrate, a very high flow rate is needed. I had a newly set up tank with sand dunes forming in it when I had a high flowing power head on the new tank to run the sponge filter. When I switched to a lower flow, I was able to remove the dunes with a rake and the sponge continued to provide plenty of biological filtration. Plant people use a filter for yet another purpose. They want the plants to all see exactly the same water conditions so they want very high flow rates to prevent little eddies in the water that allow the plants to see slightly different water conditions. Your analysis of biological filtration is entirely correct as far as it goes, I tend to always prefer somewhat lower flows than many people believe is needed. It does not and will not influence people who want their filter to do more than deal with ammonia.

 

[waterdrop]

My first few months on these forums I spent some time in the hardware section learning all sorts of things about filters. I was amazed. There were many more dimensions to these things than I had ever considered before. oldman47 has summarized some of the most important of these. Your experience seems to have opened your eyes to some of this complexity and I'd keep learning, its quite interesting!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[bitteraspects]

Whisper HOB filters are very low quality. The problem isn't HOB filters in general, just the ones you have.
AquaClear HOB are by far some of the best filters on the market. The AquaClear110 will hold at least as much media as your canisters, if not more. Not to mention it has a much higher flow rate for better mechanical filtration.
Before you write off HOB filters all together, you should actually try a good one. Might be the best move you make.

 

[lordtrini]

Whisper HOB filters are very low quality. The problem isn't HOB filters in general, just the ones you have.
AquaClear HOB are by far some of the best filters on the market. The AquaClear110 will hold at least as much media as your canisters, if not more. Not to mention it has a much higher flow rate for better mechanical filtration.
Before you write off HOB filters all together, you should actually try a good one. Might be the best move you make.

Well i am looking at the specs of the AquaClear110 and although i cant find the media capacity and it seems to be a good piece of kit... for its dimensions it holds a lot less than the typical canister filter. I am in the process of setting up mine right now and i am going try it with a sponge cover of the intake which i can clean at will... THis should significantly reduce the probability of clogging and let the filter concentrate on biological and mechanical filtration (water polishing)

The AquaClear110 is rated for a 110 gallon tank. but yet it has "apparently" less media capacity than a Fluval 105 which has a capacity for a 25 gallon tank...

I am thinking that a small power head for agitation and a Fluvial 105 can easily out filter a the AquaClear110...

At this point i am advising anyone with anything over a 20 gallon tank to skip the silliness of a HOB filter and go to a canister...

So the question is... who wants to buy 2 slightly used Whisper EX 45's

 

[bitteraspects]

Whisper HOB filters are very low quality. The problem isn't HOB filters in general, just the ones you have.
AquaClear HOB are by far some of the best filters on the market. The AquaClear110 will hold at least as much media as your canisters, if not more. Not to mention it has a much higher flow rate for better mechanical filtration.
Before you write off HOB filters all together, you should actually try a good one. Might be the best move you make.

Well i am looking at the specs of the AquaClear110 and although i cant find the media capacity and it seems to be a good piece of kit... for its dimensions it holds a lot less than the typical canister filter. I am in the process of setting up mine right now and i am going try it with a sponge cover of the intake which i can clean at will... THis should significantly reduce the probability of clogging and let the filter concentrate on biological and mechanical filtration (water polishing)

The AquaClear110 is rated for a 110 gallon tank. but yet it has "apparently" less media capacity than a Fluval 105 which has a capacity for a 25 gallon tank...

I am thinking that a small power head for agitation and a Fluvial 105 can easily out filter a the AquaClear110...

At this point i am advising anyone with anything over a 20 gallon tank to skip the silliness of a HOB filter and go to a canister...

So the question is... who wants to buy 2 slightly used Whisper EX 45's

I took all the media from an eheim 2227 and put it in an AC110. Also, I have used only HOB filters on some of my 6' tanks, and they work perfect.
Not to mention the AquaClear110 will easily outlive a lot of canisters. I know someone running the same one for 20 years, and numerous more running some @ 15 years now. My oldest one personally is 8 years old.
I'd definitely look into the system before bashing it. I recommend it over a lot of other filters, some canisters included.

 

[drobbyb]

Don't underestimate Aquaclear. I have been running them for years with zero problems. They are the best hob filters I have ever owned. The media capacity is pretty large and especially large for a hob.

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, I've run different ACs for years too with good service, they are good filters and can have pretty large capacity. Some of the longer threads of filter discussion I've studied here on TFF have seemed to come to some consensus that its a pretty close call between ACs and external cannisters. In the hands of an experienced hobbyist, either type can be made to work well.

It could be that there's a bit of a price advantage that keeps HOBs playing a significant role. Then too, there's an argument to be made that they can be even easier than a cannister to unplug, lift off intake tube and just carry away for cleaning, easier than undoing the hoses on a cannister box. On the other hand, a subtle edge the cannisters sometimes have is potential silent operation as the HOBs often have a bit of waterfall splash even at their best, but perhaps that could be argued too.

~~waterdrop~~