# HOB vs Canister Filters



## Gizmo

So I've got an HOB filter for my 30 gallon freshwater planted tank and I'm thinking of buying a canister filter while they're on sale at PetsMart. The HOB filter is an AquaClear 50 and the canister filter I'm looking at is an Eheim rated for up to 35 gallons. What are the advantages/disadvantages of a canister vs. an HOB?


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## WhiteGloveAquatics

id keep the AC50 on there as it has slightly more turnover per hour then the canister has. Ideally you want a minimum of 4x per hour of water turnover.


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## Secondgen

A hang on back filter are basically the same as a canister filter aside from the amount of media it will hold. The aquaclear filters are really good products in my opinion. I would save yourself some money and stick with the hob.


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## majerah1

This i think is one of them matter of preference things.If you dont mind the HOB being visible then keep it.It has more turnover,as mentioned above.But if you would rather have the intake on one side and the outtake on the other,and the filter out of view then a canister is the way to go.But i would look into a bigger canister than that one.I have a magnum 350 on a 30 gallon and am very pleased with it so far.Plus Eheims are supposed to be very nice filters.I have had several aquaclears and ive never had any issues with them,they are well made and will last for a very long time.


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## Chillwill007

hey i asked this question a while ago and think for the price of the sun sun which is a knock off of the marineland canister you cant go wrong. this is the link to my old thread that even has a link to another forum where the guy actual test it out and he states it has better flow then his name brand canisters. 

http://www.aquariumforum.com/f2/marineland-c220-canister-filter-7616.html


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## Chillwill007

o ya and its less then $100 shipped and comes with a set of filter media built in uv stairalizer and all the attachments to use a speay wond or the reguler out flow end. havent bought mine yet but probably gonna go with that one if i dont go straight beaselbob build


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## majerah1

Yes i was reading up on that earlier today.Its got wonderful reviews.May get one myself one day.


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## James0816

Definately a matter of preference if you ask me. I only use two canisters myself, but would eventually like to switch them all to them. 

My biggest CON for the HOB is the outflow. No options for it and on alot of models, you can't adjust for flow. With canisters, you either have a spray bar or a nozzle that can be adjusted. Not to mention the amount of media that can be used without too much restriction.

Wet/dry's are the best option mind you. But those are usually used for the larger or multiple tanks. ;o)


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## beaslbob

I just use the plants and forget any mechanical filters.


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## Gizmo

Thanks for the thoughts everybody! Definitely have some food for thought now. One last question, for those that have used both canister and HOB is this - I keep this tank in my room, less than 5' from my bedside, and on some nights the HOB makes quite a bit of noise. I've heard canisters are quieter - is this true? And if so, don't they get noisier as the parts wear out?


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## James0816

As for mine...yes, they are much quieter. But then again, this also could be attributed to water level in the tank. As long as the water is not splashing (basically right at edge), the HOBs should be relatively quiet. It's usually once the water level drops which makes the most noise.

That's a benefit of using a spray bar. You can lower in the tank or you can simply redirect the flow where it sprays against the glass.


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## Gizmo

James0816 said:


> ...yes, they are much quieter. But then again, this also could be attributed to water level in the tank.


James - I was referring to the mechanical noise. I often have nights where I have to remove the top cover of the AC50 because it "buzzes" against the filter housing. But you're right, if the water level isn't up to the level of the waterfall then trickling noises are a nuisance, but I've gotten around that by hanging a filter bag out of the filter into the water, giving the water something to run down instead of a waterfall.


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## James0816

I got ya.

I would still say the canisters are quieter from that front too. Hopefully others will chime in to confirm. Like you mentioned with the "buzzing" noise. This could also be from the fact that it is actually hanging on the tank too. With the canisters you only have hoses that go into the tank. Just my thought on it.


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## majerah1

The canister is way quieter than a HOB.The only thing i hear in mine is the water going in.Its only heard when the door to the cabinet is open and im right by it.No big deal.I hated the humm of the HOBs.One reason i went with the canisters.


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## jrman83

Canisters are definitely much quieter. I have two Eheims on my 75gal, 2075/2229 and I barely hear them and they are pretty large filters.


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## kellenw

I'm a fan of canister filters for most applications, but I do like HOB's for temporary setups. My preference for canister filters is mainly because I can jam them full of bio media. I usually use pot scrubbies for the bio media. Cheap and works well.

This SunSun can filter looks interesting for the price. Might be a nice little replacement for some of my aging HOB's.


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## jrman83

Also, since canisters usually have spray bars it more equally distributes the water coming back to the tank which is better for plants. I hate how my HOB beats my plants at times.


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## kellenw

Good point Jrman83. I hadn't even thought of that.


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## Gizmo

Alright, I'm gonna take this on a different tangent - filter media for Canisters vs HOB.

On my AC50 I cut my own foam and use reusable media bags for the carbon and bio balls. Can you add the raw carbon and bio balls and foam to the canisters in the same way, or do you have to buy those expensive pre-fab filter inserts?


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## HUMAN1ESS

The canister filters have a lot more options for filter media. I have a fluval 305, and I use the first stage of foam that comes with the canister and just wash it out when I open the filter up once a month, then i get a big bag of filter cotton (same as the pre-cut filter floss, but about 1/8th of the price), and a big amount of pellets at the top. I guess what i am trying to say, is you have a ton of different ways to set up the filter media compared to a HOB (which i also own and run).


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## jrman83

[email protected] said:


> Alright, I'm gonna take this on a different tangent - filter media for Canisters vs HOB.
> 
> On my AC50 I cut my own foam and use reusable media bags for the carbon and bio balls. Can you add the raw carbon and bio balls and foam to the canisters in the same way, or do you have to buy those expensive pre-fab filter inserts?


For the most part you have a lot of freedom with media if the canister has multiple levels of trays or media shelves. How much you can do largely depends on the size of the filter. I have the Eheim 2080 on two of my tanks and the amount of media it holds will amaze you. I also have the 2075 and 2229 and although not as much, they still hold a substantial amount of media. You can customize as much as you want, but for these filters I have always gone with what they make for the filters. The Eheim media is top-notch, as are their filters.


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## majerah1

Yes they have tons of freedom given the size of the canister itself.You can use scrubbies,or even your own cut foam.So they are very customizable.


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## kellenw

majerah1 said:


> Yes they have tons of freedom given the size of the canister itself.You can use scrubbies,or even your own cut foam.So they are very customizable.


Speaking of which, you can get scrubbies for cheap here: Bio Scrubbies : Premium Fish Food Company, Quality Bulk Fish Food

I'm thinking about combining the SunSun filter mentioned earlier and a bunch of scrubbies to add some filtration for one of my South American tanks.


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