Hang on back filter vs skimmer?

[gobylove]

Hi, I'm relatively new to the hobby and looking to improve my filtration. I have a 47 gallon bowfront without plumbing. I have lots of live rock, deep sand bed (for goby), two power heads and a hang on back filter. I have a nice group of smaller fish that are happy and a decent amount of ricordea/Yuma that are doing just fine.

I do feel like the filtration could be improved.

Do any of you use just a protein skimmer instead of hob filter? If so, which would you recommend? I need a small profile given space constraints. thanks

 

[DracoKat]

How about HOB Skimmer? Aquamaxx makes good ones, and I prefer it to a regular filter

 

[cloak]

+1 AquaMaxx Skimmers

http://www.marinedepot.com/AquaMaxx...s_Nano_Skimmer-AquaMaxx-UJ1151-FIPSNS-vi.html

 

[AdamNC]

I use both. A hob skimmer to do just that, skim. And a hob filter to catch larger floating particles and to hold any media i.e.: floss, Chemipure, de*nitrate, etc.

 

[ahiggins]

I use HOB skimmer with a filter sock on the return to mimick a mechanical filter but its not for "display" purposes LOL you could totally do both

 

[Michael Llabona]

Do both. Plenty of HOB skimmers out there

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

same as this in your other thread
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/advice-for-filtration-in-20-gallon-long.291599/#post-3549995
with a true DSB in a larger water vol a hob skimmer is a good Idea to avoid it becoming a nitrate factory. Or larger refugium to take up nitrates.
Therse some cool refugium/skimmer combos too.

 

[USMC4Life]

same as this in your other thread
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/advice-for-filtration-in-20-gallon-long.291599/#post-3549995
with a true DSB in a larger water vol a hob skimmer is a good Idea to avoid it becoming a nitrate factory. Or larger refugium to take up nitrates.
Therse some cool refugium/skimmer combos too.

Do you have any links to them ? I have never seen one.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Do you have any links to them ? I have never seen one.

The non large non skimmer versions are also large enough to fit a small skimmer, like the Tunze comline.
http://www.marineandreef.com/CPR_Aq...K-YyMBRZ1vxKwPGskRg5INgiE8NlMQ3NqahoCruHw_wcB
https://www.google.com/search?q=CPR..._6bSAhVOxCYKHdr-A6IQ_AUICSgC&biw=1920&bih=950

 

[reefs+waves]

I would just have lots of flow and a hob skimmer and just remove the hob filter because you need to clean it a lot to keep it from causing nutrient problems.

 

[USMC4Life]

The non large non skimmer versions are also large enough to fit a small skimmer, like the Tunze comline.
http://www.marineandreef.com/CPR_Aq...K-YyMBRZ1vxKwPGskRg5INgiE8NlMQ3NqahoCruHw_wcB
https://www.google.com/search?q=CPR..._6bSAhVOxCYKHdr-A6IQ_AUICSgC&biw=1920&bih=950

Holly cow it's expensive. lol

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Holly cow it's expensive. lol

lol yea. Its for a reef tank... round here they go for under $100 used. seen em on ebay as well.

 

[Florida Sunshine]

I used an AquaC Remora HOB skimmer on my 30g tank for years and it worked great.
I did also run a HOB filter on that tank as well but it was a pain to keep that from becoming a nitrate factory.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I used an AquaC Remora HOB skimmer on my 30g tank for years and it worked great.
I did also run a HOB filter on that tank as well but it was a pain to keep that from becoming a nitrate factory.

Yea, a mechanical filter takes out a lot more particulates than a skimmer, So I had to rinse the sponge every month or at each water change.

 

[J-West]

I use both. A hob skimmer to do just that, skim. And a hob filter to catch larger floating particles and to hold any media i.e.: floss, Chemipure, de*nitrate, etc.

What size tank do you have ?

 

[schooncw]

The aquamaxx HOB is the best I have ever seen and personally used. I used to be in the industry and have sold and seen just about everything. I would absolutely run another filter, for both flow and chemical filtration.

 

[FishLover01]

I use both. A hob skimmer to do just that, skim. And a hob filter to catch larger floating particles and to hold any media i.e.: floss, Chemipure, de*nitrate, etc.

Glad to know that. I also use a HOB skimmer and a HOB filter. Do you run carbon in your filter?

 

[Hyde2406]

I did hob for years since I downgraded from 100+gallons down to 20. I've reformulated my plan a few times, I keep it fairly cheep and spend on coral and fish etc. I switched to a 40 gallon over a 20 long sump/refugium. I'm very very happy with a nice reef octopus skimmer, way oversized, an up flow scrubber from Santa Monica, and a pretty refugium. My parameters wouldn't stay low enough to keep me happy and I was running hob with chemi pure elite and purgin changed every 2/3 weeks but I had rocks that were 8/9 years old from my start tank that were given to me so who knows how old they really are .....since I've added the scrubber and skimmer in the sump parameters are awesome I can feed all I want and not worry about anything getting out of control. You can run it either way but I spend less time cleaning and paying for new chemicals. And my coral have gone crazy worth the changes I made. Good luck either way and enjoy the tank

 

[Hyde2406]

I didn't like any of the hob skimmers I've tried but I had a cyclone 9 years ago and a hob red and black one coralife I think both crap, I would plumb your tank never look back

 

[Maacc]

I can recommend the deltec hob or aquamaxx hob.