1 Large HOB vs 2 Smaller HOBS

[Coolysd]

I currently have an Aqueon Quietflow HOB for my 75gal tank and it doesn't have a flow control knob and I feel like I need one that does.

Would it be better to have 2 smaller HOBS rather than 1 larger one?
All recommendations would be much appreciated! Thank you

 

[connorlindeman]

I currently have an Aqueon Quietflow HOB for my 75gal tank and it doesn't have a flow control knob and I feel like I need one that does.

Would it be better to have 2 smaller HOBS rather than 1 larger one?
All recommendations would be much appreciated! Thank you

I suppose it could be beneficial if you want increased water flow. As to bio bacterial
population, it should be just about the same. What size quietflow do you have? I recommend aquaclears for hob filters. They are awesome.

 

[Coolysd]

I have the one in the pic and the flow seems super strong. It seems like my Neon Tetras try to fight the current and it pushes my Dojos down to the bottom. Although I think they do it out of fun lol.
I have been looking at the Aqua Clears and they seem to be super cool. I thought that I had read somewhere about having 2 smaller ones put on each end of the tank was better than 1 large one. I think I read something like that about heaters too.

 

[Slaphppy7]

+1 to the AquaClears, I'm currently running 5 of them

There are advantages to having 2 filters, especially on a tank that size...you can alternate the cleaning schedules on them, so that at least one filter is running all of the time...and if one breaks down, you still have *some* filtration going

TBH, I'd look at getting a canister filter for a 75G tank, and maybe running an HOB along with it

 

[GaryE]

To me, a 40 gallon plus tank with one filter is only half equipped. A difference in my approach though is I use 2 large filters. So if I have a filter rated for 50 gallons and a 50 gallon tank, I get a second filter the same size. I try to double the unrealistic ratings on the devices.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

For a 75g, I'd do two smaller ones. When I had a 55g with a Penguin on it, one side was churned while the other side was a dead zone. I ended up getting a canister that moved water slowly through the whole tank. But for HOBs, I think two is the way to go.

 

[lnsaneM]

More is always better, and for your case 2 isn't that much for a 75 gallon tank, it's just right

 

[Fishmanic]

I run a marineland 200 filter in my 29 gallon tank and also run a large air pump operated sponge filter in the tank on the opposite end.

 

[Rocky998]

I've been contemplating whether to use two or not when I upgrade to a 40g... Maybe combine an aquaclear 50 with my aquaclear 30 on it...

 

[jaylach]

To be honest I'm so old school that I don't even know what a HOB filter is; I should look it up sometime.

Still, as to filtration, I would go with multiple smaller units rather than 1 larger. Even with my under gravel filtration I use two filter plates with each powered with its own air pump rather than one larger filter plate. I just think multiples give more even distribution of water and more efficient overall filtration.

 

[Rocky998]

To be honest I'm so old school that I don't even know what a HOB filter is; I should look it up sometime.

Still, as to filtration, I would go with multiple smaller units rather than 1 larger. Even with my under gravel filtration I use two filter plates with each powered with its own air pump rather than one larger filter plate. I just think multiples give more even distribution of water and more efficient overall filtration.

H.O.B
Hang On Back

 

[jaylach]

H.O.B
Hang On Back

Oh, OK. That makes sense. Probably not the same as being discussed but I have had back mounted pumps. On a 75 gallon I had dual under gravel plates with each having two air risers. On each plate I ran one riser driven my air and the other by a unit that I mounted on the other riser. The pump hung on the back of the tank and used an impeller to pump water which went into a small chamber and spilled back over and back into the tank. The chamber also held filter media. Is that anything like what is being discussed leaving out the under gravel aspect?

 

[Rocky998]

Oh, OK. That makes sense. Probably not the same as being discussed but I have had back mounted pumps. On a 75 gallon I had dual under gravel plates with each having two air risers. On each plate I ran one riser driven my air and the other by a unit that I mounted on the other riser. The pump hung on the back of the tank and used an impeller to pump water which went into a small chamber and spilled back over and back into the tank. The chamber also held filter media. Is that anything like what is being discussed leaving out the under gravel aspect?

The hang on back ones are like what an aquaclear filter looks like if you just look at that. Or a seachem tidal.
But yes that almost sounds like what a HOB filter is, minus the under gravel part

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I concur with using AquaClears. At my peak I had almost 60 running and I had all the sizes they offer. I also use multiple filters on tanks over 10 gal. and multiple heaters on tanks longer than 30 inches. But I have several other things I do with ACs:

- I get 2 smaller filters with a combined output greater than a single bigger one. This usually means more media can be used.
- The only AC media I ever use are the sponges and many of them have been replaced with Poret foam.
- I always place the intakes at different levels.
_ I always add a pre-filter to the intakes.
- Many of the replacement parts are the same for several models so I can easily keep a lot of parts on the shelf JIK.

The AC come in these gphs: 100, 150, 200, 300 and 500. So instead of a 200 gph, I would use a 100 and a 150 or a pair of 150s. For ex.= I have a 15 gal, tank with two 100 gph ACs. On a 29 gal I have a 200 and a 150 etc.

The ACs have a flow control feature. This gives one the option to gain a lot of room for media by using a filter twice as large as needed and then turning the flow rate down.

The point is that the AC filters are extremely versatile in how one can use them. Variable size, variable flow, variable intake depth, ability to use any media you want that can fit.

Over the years I have tried other power filters. My first tank had an Emperor 400. When it died the design had been changed and i sent back the new one about 10 minutes after I put it on the tank. I like the Liberty filters by Eheim, but they are limited to smaller sizes ,aybe a max. of 200ghp. I ran two Tetra old style Whisper Minis I got dirt cheap on a 2.5 and a 5.5 gal tank I still have one going. I tried a newly designed Tetra filter a long time ago that was noisey and was sent back.

I still have some of the ACs I got 20+ years ago. My first 100 gph cost me $9.99 NIB. I think the 200 gph was about $23. I have an AC 150 I bought used in 2002 that is still going strong. 1/2 the media that was in it I still have in it (an AC sponge that was cit in half horizontally for some reason. That media is on it's last legs.

I can say that the quality of the ACs has declined some. The plastic is thinner than it was 22 years ago. But they still run well.

 

[jaylach]

The hang on back ones are like what an aquaclear filter looks like if you just look at that. Or a seachem tidal.
But yes that almost sounds like what a HOB filter is, minus the under gravel part

Probably what I had was an earlier version of what is being discussed. What I had was not designed to mount on an air riser. I modified it to fit the filter/pump inlet to fit the riser.