How well do HOB Filters work on Large Tanks ???

[saltyfilmfolks]

. HOB also will result in more salt creep over the top of the tank. It will get messy and harder to maintain.

never had that happen.

 

[canister guy]

Nobody is using HOB Filters on large tanks ?

Just not for salt. On a fresh tank. Would be no prob

 

[tgp4274]

if your have rock in your tank and some type of skimmer on you tank I think you should be ok....
skimmer takes out protiens and adds O2 to tank
if your using the HOB filters I really don't see too many problems.....
carbon and a filter sock.... as long as you keep them changed out....
my buddy just set his 120gal up with a HOB skimmer and two 75 HOB filters and all looks good
but he does also have 1oolbs of live rock too and a 2in sand bed

like I said.... to me a HOB filter is just carbon and a filter sock built in one
just HAVE to keep up with them

best of luck to you

 

[J-West]

Thanks everyone for your advice, and for sharing for your experiences. That's really all I was after - finding out whether or not two AquaClear 110s and a Protein Skimmer could handle the bio-load of a 90 gallon mixed reef tank "sufficiently". From what you've all said - the answer is "NO" so...
I have decided to have the tank drilled, and install a Synergy Shadow Box overflow, which I will use with a sump.
Now... I will start researching sumps.

 

[Dlionsfan09]

I currently have a 40G breeder tank, I am running a aquaclear 110 and a HOB protein skimmer.

I am already bought al of the equipment for my new system.....there is no way in hell I would recommend HOB to any one. A paint in the butt for upkeep. The media is ridiculously expensive every month.

Do yourself a favor, go with a sump and make it hassle free. Not to mention your tank will look much better with no clunky crap hanging on the back of it.

 

[Sabellafella]

I'm thinking of putting two AquaClear 110s on an undrilled 90 gallon, along with a Reef Octopus HOB-90 Protein Skimmer.
Is there any reason this set-up would not work ? If you are using HOB Filters on a salt-water tank larger than 75 gallons, please post pictures of your set-up, along with your experience - good or bad - doing it this way.
I know that most people will tell me to drill it and get a sump, but I don't want to use a sump if I don't have to.

No issues, if its what you wanna do go ahead. Ill continue to say this to anyone, with proper practice and husbandry you can achieve what you want. Pros, can airate the water, some carbon, some mesh bags. Cons, replacing pumps and cleanings witch should be done regardless of the equipment you run.

 

[recess62]

Thanks everyone for your advice, and for sharing for your experiences. That's really all I was after - finding out whether or not two AquaClear 110s and a Protein Skimmer could handle the bio-load of a 90 gallon mixed reef tank "sufficiently". From what you've all said - the answer is "NO" so...
I have decided to have the tank drilled, and install a Synergy Shadow Box overflow, which I will use with a sump.
Now... I will start researching sumps.

Now you need to adjust your $ budget

 

[tgp4274]

with proper practice and husbandry you can achieve what you want. Pros, can airate the water, some carbon, some mesh bags. Cons, replacing pumps and cleanings witch should be done regardless of the equipment you run.

here here!!!!!!!!
abasoluty agree

 

[Paul B]

So if you had to set up a new, undrilled 90 gallon tank today, how would you set it up ?
I don't want to use a Sump, but I feel that I need some type of filtration method. I am also thinking of doing a HOB Refugium (like an AquaFuge2) to grow and maintain Copepods to feed my tank inhabitants. Thanks for your help @Paul B !

If I set up a tank today I would do it exactly the way mine is set up now. No sump and I would run a reverse undergravel filter just like I have been running it for 45 years. No leaks, very little maintenance, no problems and it is the longest running system there is. It is also true that sumps were not in use when I set up my tank

 

[jaws789832]

But PaulB didn't your basement just flood because of your skimmer? heheheheh My skimmer could never flood because its in my sump LOL

 

[40B Knasty]

Oi.. He got sucked in. Okay.. I literally can clean my collection cup passing by in 2m and have it back on. My sponge in the filter lets me know when it is gunked up to rinse in tank water. Put it back in. I spend $40 on purigin A year. That's it. Listen man. this is very easy to understand. Ammonia 0 Nitrates as close to 0 as you can be always. A skimmer is micro bubbles in a chambrer no matter where you put it. Sump, HOB, a piece of PVC piping with a wooden air stone at the bottom pushing air up into a cut in half coke bottle serving as a collection cup. Bottom line, it all works. If you want a HOB then get one. The only headaches in this hoby are 1)lazy people who don't change their water. 2)loading up a tank with to much bioload. Carbon doesn't last more than a week. Not much lasts longer than a month. Purigin last 6 months. If want to spend a ton of money to have crystal clear water and no algae. Get the check book out and understand you now have 2 tanks to clean now. I use a magnet cleaner, rinse a sponge, rinse a cup, make, and change water. Nothing else. Ammonia 0 nitrates 0 nitrites 0. pH8, salinity 1.024, TDS .000 and I don't even use a RO/DI system or buy water!

 

[Paul B]

But PaulB didn't your basement just flood because of your skimmer? heheheheh My skimmer could never flood because its in my sump LOL

That is true. But I bet if you keep your sump running for 45 years, it too will flood at least once.

 

[Shawn Cybulski]

I have two hob for tanks sitting in storage. Only way to go is a sump with y values etc. plumb it right and you limit risk

 

[Diesel]

I'm glad we going some where here.
But on the other hand maybe I was a little direct and stiff in my recommendations but I did it pure out of my own opinions and the years I'm running around in this hobby and see that a best way is to run a reef.
Yes you can even run a 300 gallon on just one HOB and maybe no skimmer.
It all depends what you put in the tank and how good you cycled it and maintain, where there is a will there's a way.
I'm the same, if some tells me there is only one way to do things, it always lights a fire under my butt, my instant reaction is I'm going to prove you are wrong.

I should more put myself in the shoes of the OP and not just advice them what is the best.
If ppl wanna go their route great and I support it, why dip your corals and quarantine them we didn't do that 30 years ago either, same with fish just drop the in the tank after you float them for a few minutes, it was fine 10 years ago.
There ppl that questioning the quarantine process and at the end they don't have a buget in there cause they went with the WIFI/bluetooth feature on their Chinese LED light cause it works great on their $800 smart phone.
Some ppl spend 10K or more on their setup and don't even have corals or fish in there, others just want a yellow tang in a glass box.
All that said there isn't a law into how YOU wanna do this hobby, you'll find out and learn while you go even guys like me.

 

[jaws789832]

heheheh yeah that's for sure. I bet it don't take near that long. Heck I can't seem to do a water change without creating some sort of mini flood. Either a hose pops out of the drainage bucket or I spill something...... Whenever I do a water change my wife puts on her wet suit and prepares for the worst. I was just letting the OP know that no matter what you do stuff happens. Pumps clog, skimmers overflow, seals and washers degrade, things fail..... just some of the pitfalls to keeping a large quantity of water in a glass box for a long period of time. All you can do is keep up on maintenance, have multiple fail safes in place, and be prepared. Have lots of towels handy, a good shopvac, extra pumps, washers ect. Mine is a 120 gallon tank with a 38 gallon sump and a 10 gallon ATO reservoir. Other than a complete tank failure (which there isn't much you can do about) my worse case scenario would be about 20 gallons on the floor from a broken or cracked plumbing pipe (which I cant think of a way to failsafe that). 10 gallons from the water that should be going to the sump and 10 more from the ATO trying to fill it back up. After that my pumps would kick off (via floatswitches) and the tank would drain down to the overflow plumbing line. I have actually had more leaks out of my QT tanks and frag tanks that use simple HOB equipment. Usually from failed washers causing a drip that I didn't catch but I walk in and the floor is wet from a slow drip out of a HOB filter or a canister filter, or the HOB skimmer is overflowing. I guess all I am saying is set the tank up based on what you plan to keep in it, Your budget, and by your schedule and husbandry practices. You can make a tank as simple or as complicated as you want, but just have an understanding of what the pitfalls are and of what could be required for the system and most importantly be prepared for the worst and hope for the best.

 

[40B Knasty]

I'm glad we going some where here.
But on the other hand maybe I was a little direct and stiff in my recommendations but I did it pure out of my own opinions and the years I'm running around in this hobby and see that a best way is to run a reef.
Yes you can even run a 300 gallon on just one HOB and maybe no skimmer.
It all depends what you put in the tank and how good you cycled it and maintain, where there is a will there's a way.
I'm the same, if some tells me there is only one way to do things, it always lights a fire under my butt, my instant reaction is I'm going to prove you are wrong.

I should more put myself in the shoes of the OP and not just advice them what is the best.
If ppl wanna go their route great and I support it, why dip your corals and quarantine them we didn't do that 30 years ago either, same with fish just drop the in the tank after you float them for a few minutes, it was fine 10 years ago.
There ppl that questioning the quarantine process and at the end they don't have a buget in there cause they went with the WIFI/bluetooth feature on their Chinese LED light cause it works great on their $800 smart phone.
Some ppl spend 10K or more on their setup and don't even have corals or fish in there, others just want a yellow tang in a glass box.
All that said there isn't a law into how YOU wanna do this hobby, you'll find out and learn while you go even guys like me.

Yeah man you were exactly what you said. Some people don't have the money or just don't want to put another piece of equipment in the closet or be that 1% to have a problem. People think HOB is an eyesore. In my opinion pipes/plumbing is an eyesore. More water is always better for less risk of fluctuations happening as bad or at all. Personally I think just sticking to the question at hand is best. What one thinks is great. Someone has spent way more money than you and would try to push their way, but you can't afford it or have the room for it. So that leaves the question not answered.

 

[rayn]

The question is answered. Heck before it's even asked most times.

DO WHAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH!

Per most long time reefers, drilling is the way to go with a sump. Isn't the only way? No. Will a hob anything work? Yes, but it may not be as effective or look as "clean" as a drilled tank. Doesn't mean it's wrong.
If you want a tank with 10 different hob items attached to it, go forth and conquer! Who am I to judge? I just think a sump is better.

But still do what you are comfortable with always.

 

[Diesel]

At the end this is a hobby and it doesn't have to be done perfect.
Heck I never ask for anything I just read and do and while doing it you learn the best, you can read only so much before you can't see the forest due to the trees in front of it.
And if one tree falls and no one is there do you hear it?
I think you made a wise decision on going for your 90 with a sump though but would love to see you start up a 10 gallon tank with a HOB to have that experience as well, even though it's just for a QT.

 

[40B Knasty]

Yup a first tank of a 30g or less is always good to start with. You can get experience with it and then turn it into a sump or QT. I can't personally. Let's all just hug it out haha

 

[J-West]

At the end this is a hobby and it doesn't have to be done perfect.
Heck I never ask for anything I just read and do and while doing it you learn the best, you can read only so much before you can't see the forest due to the trees in front of it.
And if one tree falls and no one is there do you hear it?
I think you made a wise decision on going for your 90 with a sump though but would love to see you start up a 10 gallon tank with a HOB to have that experience as well, even though it's just for a QT.

Just so you know... I have a 75 gallon fresh water tank that I've had up and running for 3 years, AND I have a Fluval Evo 13.5 Nano salt-water tank that has been up and running for nearly a year with a pair of Picasso Clowns, an anemone, and a few corals. So I'm not completely new to the hobby. I'm just upgrading to a bigger tank so my questions were regarding equipment for a larger tank. I figured that if two AquaClear 110s were working for my 75 fresh, perhaps they might also work for a 90 salt. But now I know that they won't; so on to shopping for a Sump.
The 13.5 Nano will become my QT tank after I get the 90 up and running.