What should i put in my HOB filter

[skybird]

Since i cant upgrade to a sump in the near future, until i get a stand that has cabinets under it that will hold a sump, and ive read that the carbon in the HOB filters dosent do much, am I better off putting some live sand or some live rock rubble in it?Or just stick to the filters?

And, how much flow should i have in a 60 gallon tnak that is 48x13x23ish

 

[weaglereefer]

Just use filters and clean them regularly, if you notice discoloration or something in the water, then some carbon would be okay.

For flow, what kind of corals? Generally 20-50 x tank size is the flow recommended, so you'd want 1200-3000 gph.

 

[skybird]

right now i dont have many corals, just some stuff that was given to me and i was told that it was all hardy and didnt require much flow. All i have right now is a Koralia 1, which is 400gph i think...

 

[dakota9]

Carbon in a HOB Filter should be the ideal media to run. Personally (depending on the size of the filter), I'd run floss, Seachem Matrix (a carbon substitute), and then Seachem Purigen.

Where did you get the info that carbon was not a good media for HOB filters? Just wondering....

 

[skybird]

well its not bad, but what the guy said was primarily all it did was stop the fishy odor, he said it didnt really do much filtering;

 

[dakota9]

Different brands of carbon offer different grades, some more beneficial than others. Do look into Seachem Matrix. Floss will help in keeping the large particulate matter out of the water column

 

[smoothie]

What is the filter rated for? Dual or single and is it a biowheel?
48" tank you could slap another one on the back and really be rockin. Seriously 2x rated for 75-80g ea would give you decent filtration and good flow. The koralia I would call Jenn at Imagine Ocean and upgrade to a #3 or 2x#2's. Use the 1 to mix salt with

 

[skybird]

its rated up to 80 gallons, it is dual. I also just started running a protein skimmer, which i was skeptical of doing, but holy crap, the amount of junk, and the nasty brown water in there after about 24 hours of operation was unreal!

Im skeptical to go double, as i will be going to a sump eventually, once i figure out if its feasable to drill the tank, i dont really want an over flow box on the tank. But i also dont want to take everything out, so im weighing the pros and cons of everything.

 

[trigger-happy]

I don't run a sump or a protein skimmer, but I've got two HOB filters on my 29 gallon tank. Each one is rated for a 30 gallon tank, and each one has a packet of Purigen in it. Purigen is FANTASTIC, especially if your financial or living situation (like mine) doesn't allow you to run a sump or a lot of fancy equipment.

That being said, I WILL be buying a HOB skimmer...after I upgrade my lighting...

 

[ricksconnected]

HOB's can serve their purpose. me, im setting up a 45 this weekend.
switching my 27 into a 45, which will eventually be a fowlr as i get my 120 on line.
HOB's are a salt creep factory. i'll be running a eheim canister filter
in place of the HOB in the 45.
canisters get a bad rap, but dont believe everything you hear on them.
yes they require upkeep like everything else.
cool thing about them is you can run whatever you want in them pretty much. with the canister filter i'll be running a eco sysytems HOB fuge.
HOB's are pretty limited in their usefulness.
the do the job they were designed to do and thats it.

 

[eliphant]

I just want polyester pillow stuffing from walmart in mine when I used one, it gets very dirty fast, especially since i didnt have a skimmer. and also carbon every now and then.

 

[eliphant]

oops, ran*, not want. lol.

 

[dakota9]

ricksconnected;499109 wrote:
canisters get a bad rap, but dont believe everything you hear on them.
yes they require upkeep like everything else.

I've always felt the same way. Canisters can easily be used to power small reef tanks (under 75 gallons), in fact, when I got my first sump installed, I was very disappointed in the passive filtering it provided as I'd used canister filters for many, many years. The only true perks to using sumps are extra oxygenation and added water volume, which are both easily overcome by proper planning.

 

[ricksconnected]

you can do more with a canister filter than with any other filter.
you can use many different kinds of media in them.
or you can fill that puppy up with carbon and let it rip that way too.
so many uses.

 

[dakota9]

I might start a thread on the proper use</em> of a canister filter on a reef tank, as not necessarily caveats apply to their use, as a slightly different approach is needed when using them.

I'd suggest that it's not the sump that's credited with the success of a reef tank, but the overflow inside the tank that helps, which all tanks with sumps have.

If you design your tank with an overflow area, and then power the overflow with a canister, I think you're just as well off.

I'll find my camera and snap some pics of my set up soon....

 

[ricksconnected]

yeah do that.
so many people will tell you horror stories about canister filters.
yeah, but its like EVERYTHING else ya know, there can be
issues if not dont correctly.
the "nitrate factory" is one that come to mind lol.
or how hard they are to get started. (use a maxijet to kick it off)
yet you never hear the good these things can be or the different ways
you can use them.
these filters can be used in many different ways as we stated before.
from day to day use to emergency uses.

have you seen marinelands c360 zero bypass canister filter?
i bought one off here last summer from a lady.
put it on my freshwater tank. man that thing rocks.
you have to put your hand on it to see if its even running.
wish i had one for the 45 reef. this thing is the king of canister filters.
i agree with them, zero bypass.

 

[weaglereefer]

the do the job they were designed to do

Dang, I hate it when stuff works like it's supposed to...means no monkeying around with it...


I ran my 10g reef on a HOB filter for the duration of it's setup (8 months or so?) and it did fine.

 

[ricksconnected]

i agree. they arent had, but there is better. mine has been running with a HOB for two yrs now. when i set up the 45 last night, the HOB was first to go.