Hob skimmer, vs canister, vs both etc..

[AdamW0611]

I'm sure I'll get differing opinions here, but im setting up a 75 gallon fowlr tank, my first in 20 years. I bought a fluval fx6 in a rush cause I saw it for 125$ off, and now I'm second guessing myself. The tank isn't drilled and I'd rather use hob stuff while starting the hobby. The fluval can still be returned so I'm curious what route I should go. The skimmers I'm looking at are:

Reef octopus BH 2000, reef octopus clsc 100 hob, or the aquamaxx hob 1.5.

Thanks

 

[Mjrenz]

Welcome to the forum! I've run hob filters, canister filters, and sumps. I liked the canister filters but found that I neglected them a lot just because they were a pain to clean. A sump is definitely my first choice but I would personally prefer a good hob vs a canister. The aqua clear filters allow you quite a bit of customization

 

[AdamW0611]

Wha

Welcome to the forum! I've run hob filters, canister filters, and sumps. I liked the canister filters but found that I neglected them a lot just because they were a pain to clean. A sump is definitely my first choice but I would personally prefer a good hob vs a canister. The aqua clear filters allow you quite a bit of customization

What is a realistic time period for neglecting a canister .. I don't mind cleaning it say every 2 weeks, but the gloom and doom of the internet says 2 times a week.. that seems a bit too much for me to want to deal with. Also would you recommend if I take back the fx6, getting one of those skimmers or just a hob filter or 2?

 

[Mjrenz]

What is a realistic time period for neglecting a canister .. I don't mind cleaning it say every 2 weeks, but the gloom and doom of the internet says 2 times a week.. that seems a bit too much for me to want to deal with. Also would you recommend if I take back the fx6, getting one of those skimmers or just a hob filter or 2?

You should really clean it at least once a week, they can become a nitrate factory otherwise and feed algae. I haven't used a hob skimmer before so I can't really recommend which one is better but I can say that I'll never have another tank without a skimmer, it makes keeping the water clean a whole lot easier

 

[AdamW0611]

Think I'm gonna take the fx6 back tomorrow, and get the aqua clear 110, and try the hob skimmer. Would 1 of the filters be enough? I keep seeing at least double the rated filtration at 80 dollars each I don't mind buying 2 if need be

 

[Mjrenz]

Think I'm gonna take the fx6 back tomorrow, and get the aqua clear 110, and try the hob skimmer. Would 1 of the filters be enough? I keep seeing at least double the rated filtration at 80 dollars each I don't mind buying 2 if need be

One would probably be enough but a second one wouldn't hurt at all. If it comes down to a choice between a second filter or a skimmer I'd definitely go with the skimmer though

 

[Peace River]

If you have the self discipline to usually clean your canister filter every week and not let it go more than two weeks then I would recommend that you keep the Fluval as your primary mechanical filter and then possibly add the HOB skimmer for supplemental filtration. The live rock in your tank will provide the biological filtration so the media that you put in the canister should be focused on mechanical (and possibly chemical filtration like activated carbon, chemipure, etc.) filtration. You can rinse the media in RODI water every week and then change out as necessary.

The Aqua Clear is an acceptable option and less expensive, but without the financial consideration I would stick with the Fluval. To be clear, IME, I don't believe that either a canister or HOB is preferable to the filtration options that can be housed in a sump. Best of luck with whatever you choose!

 

[Homebrewer]

Been keeping reefs for over 13 years, all on canister filters. I’ve never had a sump but if I were starting over, I’d probably go that route. There are just too many advantages that a sump has over a canister... but again, I’ve only ever had canisters so if you’re interested in my method, keep reading.

Regarding maintenance schedule, I’ve been through it all. I’ve tried different schedules, different combos of filter media, and this is where I’ve found the most success. I have a bottom-up filter and I put the media in this order: mechanical-biological-chemical. I change the polishing pad once a month, no sooner, and I use Seachem Matrix and Chemipure Blue for the latter-two categories. I have the Reef Octopus HOB (2000 I think) skimmer. Used nothing but that skimmer for over 10 years. The key for me keeping nitrates and phosphates low are 10 gallon water changes (65 gal tank) every 2-3 weeks, and every-other-time when doing so, “clean” the sand with the siphon hose so the detritus doesn’t build up.

Might sound like a lot but it really amounts to an hour of work once a month. Parameters stay pretty stable (with two-part dosing) and nitrates are at a steady 1ppm.

Of course, every system is different and what works for me may not work for you or others. I’m just sharing my experience. Best of luck to you!

 

[AdamW0611]

Been keeping reefs for over 13 years, all on canister filters. I’ve never had a sump but if I were starting over, I’d probably go that route. There are just too many advantages that a sump has over a canister... but again, I’ve only ever had canisters so if you’re interested in my method, keep reading.

Regarding maintenance schedule, I’ve been through it all. I’ve tried different schedules, different combos of filter media, and this is where I’ve found the most success. I have a bottom-up filter and I put the media in this order: mechanical-biological-chemical. I change the polishing pad once a month, no sooner, and I use Seachem Matrix and Chemipure Blue for the latter-two categories. I have the Reef Octopus HOB (2000 I think) skimmer. Used nothing but that skimmer for over 10 years. The key for me keeping nitrates and phosphates low are 10 gallon water changes (65 gal tank) every 2-3 weeks, and every-other-time when doing so, “clean” the sand with the siphon hose so the detritus doesn’t build up.

Might sound like a lot but it really amounts to an hour of work once a month. Parameters stay pretty stable (with two-part dosing) and nitrates are at a steady 1ppm.

Of course, every system is different and what works for me may not work for you or others. I’m just sharing my experience. Best of luck to you!

Thanks for the input. Just to understand, you say you used nothing but the skimmer for over 10 years, does that mean you don't use the canister anymore, and just the skimmer, or the canister in conjunction with the skimmer, I just ordered that skimmer since it had good reviews and rated for bigger tanks.

 

[Homebrewer]

Sorry for not being clear. What I meant by that is that I’ve used nothing but that brand of skimmer... it’s super-reliable. I had my first one for 9 years and replaced it with a new model about a year ago. I never broke it down and cleaned it and if I had, it would probably have lasted longer. That octopus skimmer is almost bulletproof.

I do use both a skimmer and canister. However, I’ve abandoned using expensive canisters and I went the cheap route a few years ago and I’ll never go back. I went through two Fluval 405’s and honestly, I think they have design flaws. When something breaks, it’s relatively expensive to fix. I also had an Eheim a while back, and though I don’t recall it breaking, I wasn’t a fan of the model I bought.

I now run a Pen-Plax Cascade 1000. It has three chambers which is enough for what I want to run and the only product-specific media I buy is the polishing pads, which are cheap and available at my LFS. However the best thing about that canister is that the motor housing is completely sealed, it has a easy to use priming pump (push by hand), and the tubing and valves that come with it are top quality. It cost half as much as some of the more popular brands but IMO, the expensive brands are not worth it.

 

[AdamW0611]

Sorry for not being clear. What I meant by that is that I’ve used nothing but that brand of skimmer... it’s super-reliable. I had my first one for 9 years and replaced it with a new model about a year ago. I never broke it down and cleaned it and if I had, it would probably have lasted longer. That octopus skimmer is almost bulletproof.

I do use both a skimmer and canister. However, I’ve abandoned using expensive canisters and I went the cheap route a few years ago and I’ll never go back. I went through two Fluval 405’s and honestly, I think they have design flaws. When something breaks, it’s relatively expensive to fix. I also had an Eheim a while back, and though I don’t recall it breaking, I wasn’t a fan of the model I bought.

I now run a Pen-Plax Cascade 1000. It has three chambers which is enough for what I want to run and the only product-specific media I buy is the polishing pads, which are cheap and available at my LFS. However the best thing about that canister is that the motor housing is completely sealed, it has a easy to use priming pump (push by hand), and the tubing and valves that come with it are top quality. It cost half as much as some of the more popular brands but IMO, the expensive brands are not worth it.

Thanks again, sounds like I'll have a similar setup. I won't buy another expensive vmcanister down the road either, bit figure since I have it I'll use it till it dies.