*Which 2 things would you like me to compare next in my "Which is Better" series?* Also, you can see my other filter tutorials (like how to install sponge filters or decrease filter flow) in this playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLlBBJ7xBuquZ1aEwW5BysBrwntcrHokfe.html
This lady is AWESOME! She answers all of my questions before I can ask them - and her presentation style is excellent! As a newbie still putting together a riparium, she’s the best teacher of this subject on UA-cam 😇
One of the problems i have with hob filters is constant algae growth in the intake tube and on the impeller. It reduces the flow by a lot and i have to consistently clean it with a chopstick. With sponge filters, even if they get somewhat clogged, the air from the pump still gives a pretty consistent flow and agitation in the tank.
Try a foam pre filter. Not one of those stainless mesh wire slip-ons, rather a foam piece that is cut from your foam filter. I think you can buy them in packages of two or more pieces.
I switched to the sponge a year ago and will never go back, I also have a mini intank surface skimmer that I run 3 hours a day on timer to polish the water.
Ooo, that's a good idea! I need a surface skimmer in one of my tanks because the plants are blocking flow in some areas. Guess it would be just easier to prune them. :P
@@gracibaci u betcha... amzn.to/3o3UYTN I purchased two others one slightly smaller and one larger. the "smaller" one had the same pump and was not efficient at all. the larger one, just way too big for my 30 gallon tank. Hope u find something that works for you :-)
I can't believe you do not work for Coop anymore! Cory almost never makes an error . You are still one of my favorites out there. I hope 2025 is an amazing year
You are my absolute favorite person when it comes to learning all about aquarium care. I especially appreciate you sharing information that nobody told you about!
Good points, Irene! I continue to use both. The perfect filter depends on the application. I have had Aquaclears not turn back on, as in, it seems like it's dead. Motor won't even run. A quick jiggle or cleaning of the impeller solves that issue. The only thing I don't like about sponge filters, is that my local water is incredibly hard. Therefore, bubbling creates a lot of hard water deposits everywhere, almost like dealing with saltwater. My Aquaclears are very quiet.
I just wanted to drop a quick note to thank you for how direct and informative your videos are. I am.on this long-term trajectory for getting started. I'm just taking information in to prepare for a slow start with a 10g or so. Thank you, again, for your time and encouragement.
I use double sponge filters for my 10 & 20 gallon bare breeding/rearing tanks. Aquaclear HOB for anything larger than 20 gallons especially my display tanks. My HOB is quiet as I keep my water level up behind the trim. Plus it self starts after a power outage with the water that high.
Just set up my first sponge filter in one of my tanks. Got the Aquarium Co-Op filter and I'm really liking it! All my other tanks use HOB's so I wanted to try something different.
I’ve been into tropical fish since the 70s. All of the areas that you mentioned I’m 100% familiar with BUT it’s still great hearing and watching your comparisons, how-to’s and so forth. Great job in explaining for new and experienced hobbyists.
I don't know if its recommended or even beneficial for the tanks, but I always use both in my tanks. Like you I mostly run small tanks. I have (3) 20 gallon tanks and (1) 50 gallon tank. In all of the 20 gallon tanks I use both an HOB and a sponge filter. I use the HOB for piece of mind, because it filters out smaller particles and just filters a bit better in general. The HOB is always customizable in a way to where you can use certain types of media to suit the water conditions in the tank you are trying to achieve. I use the Sponge filter along with the HOB for a few reasons. One of the biggest reason is power outage. If the power goes out the sponge filter will start running as normal when the power comes back on, while many HOB have to be primed. Though I do have my air pumps hooked up to a small APC backup battery that uses a 9ah battery. It will keep all three of my 3 watt air pumps running in the event of power outage for like 12 hours. Last but certainly not least is that sponge filters are good house a lot of beneficial bacteria. When I start a new tank I can just take the sponge out of an established tank and move it to the new tank to get the bacteria started. You can do this with HOB as well, its just easier to do it with the sponge filter rather than changing the media in your HOB.
I had an Marinland Emporer 400 years ago on a 55 and it was awesome. Always restarted on its own and overflow from filters plugging (due to laziness) always ran back in the tank. Is a great design. The bio wheels lasted until I sold it second hand! Many years old
purchased a Marineland 375 pro over 2 yrs ago , best filter I have ever had. Upgraded design with the motor in the tank so restarts are never an issue, I also have a 125pro on a 20 gal tank. I've had numerous Aquaclear filter through the years, other than the noise and restart issues great filters.
In my first couple of tanks I never had any issues with my HOB filters. However, my current tank has a sand substrate and even with a pre-filter sponge on the intake, and keeping the intake ~10" above the substrate, enough sand would get in that I'd have to take apart the filter and clean the impeller every 2-3 days, and repeat until the motor quit. Just switched to a sponge filter yesterday, so hopefully have better luck with it!
I had the aquaclear for my first 10 gallon. We can have loss of power frequently and I was home for all the times so no motor damage. I decided to go with aquarium coop nano sponges and never looked back. I found them easier to clean and using the stone love the bubbles. So now my other 2 nano tanks have sponges. I use the usb nano air pumps from aquarium coop and also on-line. The only problem is they don't last long. Cory has replaced a few of them which I certainly appreciated. But I had problems with the ones I got online. They all are made in China. I think we need to start making them in America. Don't even get 2 years out of them. Going to set up a small fish room in the new house I just bought and may go with a different air pump. Is there one brand you like more than others. Thank you for all your videos. You explain things so well for us to understand.
I got my air pump from petsmart and it was the cheap top fin one, but it is SO nice and quiet!! The rubber feet it sits on are air filled so it absorbs any vibrations. I have it on my kitchen counter and i hear nothing at all when it's on. definitely recommend it if you're looking for a cheap but quiet air pump
Definitely have been liking sponge filters more the longer I’ve been keeping aquariums. I have found a little hack to get more flow out of them though if you put a little elbow on the end of it you can direct the flow a-bit more so it’s a little more efficient if you are keeping it in the corner or back of the tank
I have only had HOB filters before and a few things I think would have been helpful to mention on the Aquaclear maintenance is that eventually the box itself and the impeller needs to be cleaned which makes it much more complicated. I also had issues with the basket rising and leaking everywhere. I am setting up a new tank and will be using a sponge filter from Aquarium Co-Op after watching one of Cory’s videos. Thanks for your videos! I am really enjoying them.
Ha. The same thing happened to my power filter. Carpet was very wet under my tank and I'm glad I caught it when I did because it's on the 2nd floor of the house. Great video. Nice editing.
I burned up three AquaClears in the span of a year -- because i live in California and the electricity is randomly shut off during hot weather which caused the motors to burn up. So i feel you!. I found SeaChem Tidal hang on backs are self-priming and a life saver! They have just about as much room for filter media as the AquaClear. (Tidal comes with one sponge and some biological media). I cut an extra sponge to fit. In my view they are much more reliable than AquaClear. And the plastic on the Tidal isn't brittle. Just my two cents. My second tank has an Aquarium Co Op sponge filter - it does a great job in a 14 gallon. Pretty cool! Thank you for your helpful videos!
I have been using the same Aqua Clear 50 for about 25 years on one of my aquariums with no problems. When I first got it, I had a problem a few times of it overflowing after the sponge would get all gunked up. I use 2 sponges and a fine filter media at the top. I just give them a quick squeeze or 2 every time I clean the aquarium. I will periodically replace one sponge at a time. 25 years later it is going strong. I have used carbon in it a few times after doing water treatments for fish infections.
I feel like internal filters are totally underrated tbh. I got one for my tank expecting to use it for a quarantine setup later because I've heard bad things but I was pleasantly surprised! It blends in completely with my black background, it's cheap, I don't have to worry about power outages and it's super easy to set up. Only problem is it's not super customisable and can't get those fine particles out.
Hey Irene, great video! I have a hang on back filter and i love the noise hehe, but i also love the tank water to be at the top…and what happens is, the hob filters outlet kind of mixes with the tank water which makes like near 0 surface agitation 😅. This might be a bit confusing but because the waterfall is connected straight to the water, it doesnt drop, so theres no movement/ waves.
I've always used HOB filters and over the past year I've learned to throw away the cartridges and use something like lava rock or matrix with some floss!! I got me two sponge filters from Aquarium Co-op. I also have the aqua top air pump and no clog AirStone. I'm really enjoying them as well!! I set my daughter up a 29 gallon tank with a large Sponge filter and I agree with the points you made. They seem to be doing a wonderful job!!! I wanted something simple and easy for my daughter that she wouldn't have to put a lot of money or time into because this is her first Aquarium and she has four children 🙏 Great video Irene!!! As always, thank you for sharing!!🙏💚🌿🐟🌿👍
the Aquaclears HOBs are so good, highly customisable and easy to maintain. Been using them for years! I use course sponge at the bottom, followed but finer sponge and then bio rings. Clean them every couple weeks during water changes and it'll last years
I love the aqua clear and my sponge filters. Aquaclear will probably always be my favorite hang on back but unfortunately my frogbit doesn't love it as much. Which is why I only have sponge filters at the moment. I have heard the statement several times, on several channels, that they do not restart after a power outage. We receive many shorter outages (2hrs or less) and flashes through the year and unless my water is low the aquaclear always restarts on its own. If I keep water up(not necessarily to the top)where I can't see the waterline, it's always fine. If it won't restart, try raising your water line. Thank you for all your hard work and research! My BBA is under control because of you.
I use a kind of hybrid filter, i use a HOB filter with filter media and filter mesh with a pre-filter sponge out of an old sponge filter for both the mechanical filtration and the biological filtration.
A cool tip I saw to quiet down sponge filters, a friend of mine put the airline through the straw hole in a McDonald’s cup lid, it would quiet down the gurgling sound decently well. You can “tune” it just above the waterline to get more surface movement and gas exchange, also reduce the build up above the where the bubbles pop. I’d probably use something other than a disposable cup lid, like a plexiglass disk, so I didn’t have literal garbage in the tank.
One trick I found for the noise of the air pump is to put blu tack on the bottom of it or on its legs and stick it to the surface/table, it will reduce a lot of vibration so less noise coming out of it.
I have had Aquaclear filters for years. I never had a problem with them restarting after a power outage. If you have your tank filled with water, nothing will go wrong.
Great comparison! I’ll take a canister filter over both of these type filters. Aqua clear are great filters but the issues you mentioned are a deal breaker for me. I still have the larger model 110. I keep as a back for my larger tanks. as you mentioned it couldn’t be any easier to set up in an emergency. I recently bought a Seachem tidal 35 for my 20 gallon. I love this filter! So silent. Pump is in the water so all you do is plug it in and it runs. Less chance for leaks. It Would not be good if you want to raise fry since it has a skimmer. Maybe zip tie a piece of foam over it? They should design a way to shut it off. Works great for my quarantine tank. Sponge filters are ok for small tanks.
As far as filters I got rid of all HOB filters. Matt, sponge, and canister for me. I would like to see slow growing plants vs fast growing plants. 😉 9 planted tanks here.
Thank you so much for clearly explaining this in a really easy to understand way. I have a couple of tanks at the moment about the same size as yours and am planning on creating some more and updating the ones I have so this advice is really helpful.
I have a Dennerle Scaper's Flow, which is basically a canister filter disguised as a HOB. Love it, easy to clean without the hassle of tubes like regular canister filters, and I can add my own filter media the way I like it!
I have used all types of filters and I even made my own DIY filter. For me each of them have their own advantages. I like the spongefilter because it really makes your water clear but takes time and also is home for beneficial bacteria. You can modify your sponge filter to make it more efficient and you can watch some videos on UA-cam about that. Very easy to modify and little to no cost at all. I love sponge filters but I prefer the HOB more. Sponge filters are ran by air pump and air pumps are very noisy. Especially when your aquarium is in your own bedroon. HOB is neat looking because you don't need to put the filter inside the tank. I find the tube aesthetic and if it's in a planted tank, it would look professional. The downside with HOB is it's too small to filter your tank. It is just best with aquascapes and little fish load. If you have a monster fish tank, I recommend a sump filter, overhead, cannister big filters because the protein they eat makes the water very dirty fast.
Some things people don't realize about Aquaclear filters. The impeller shafts are consumables. You can buy new shafts. Pull the old one out and push a new one in. I replace mine about once a year. But that may be overkill. Once every other year may be enought. Lubricating the shaft with silicone also helps with longevity. If you're worried about the Aquaclear flooding, use it as polishing filter. Pack it full of polyfill and put it on a timer. Run it for an hour and let the timer shut it off. Disconnect and put away at your convenience later that day. Use it once a week when you know you'll be home , so you can keep an eye on it. It would be cool if someone made a spong filter where only the sides were open and it had three different sponges, one outside of the other. The outer sponge was 10 ppi, the middle sponge was 20 ppi, and the inner sponge was 30 ppi. That would polish the water AND keep it from clogging so quickly.
I used Corners box filters because they are like a sponge filter but have the polishing effect of a hang on back filter. bought mine on Amazon for about $8, and they are easy to clean.
Great helpful vid for beginners especially. For those beginners, you don't want to "clean" the filter media and all the parts., Just give the sponges a squeeze and light rinse and only use tank water to rinse out everything. Don't use tap water or any cleaning agents as they will kill all your beneficial bacteria!! Every surface on the inside of your tank contains beneficial bacteria which is keeping your tank in balance. You don't want to "clean" all that bacteria off, especially all at once. Learned this the hard way on my first tank. It may seem obvious but for a beginner, it wasn't obvious to me as I thought cleaner was better.
I use a s15 marina slim. Compact and quiet. I don't use the cartridges of course. I use a pothos clipping inside it along with ceramic, coarse sponge and floss. Cost me about 30 altogether.
Been using the marina slim filters. Pump is in the water so low noise and will restart without priming and plenty of space for custom media tho I believe 20gal tanks is the max for those. I hang floss on the hob's waterfall so it polishes the water and baffles flow/noise also✌️
Marineland are the best hob filters imo cause they have a overflow so when the water is not moving it shoots back into the tank plus the water is crystal clear.
I have four smaller tanks and one big tank all of them but the largest has a DIY sponge filter and they only cost me less than $10 to make. Most expensive parts would be the pebbles and filter media. Along with polyfill and sponge. I have two hospital tanks three and a half gallon, one 5 gallon, 10 gallon, the 20 gallon needs two filters on each side, but it's a divided betta tank. And if you go to the dollar store and the candle section they usually have a whole bunch of really cute candle holders they are usually the perfect size for the aquariums. And lately we've been getting a food meal plan that has the perfect type of plastic filter mesh so I've been reusing that for the filtering part. The I would say the hardest part to find is the tubing which the air stone and hose go down into to make it work. There are videos on it on UA-cam I just found an easier and cheaper way to do it
I love my Box sponge filter, which is a Sponge filter with compartments to add Media. I added seachem Matrix to mine and it cleared up my tank and brought down my nitrites and nitrates really low on my small 6 gallon Goldfish tank.
My favorite filters are the aqua clear , aquarium co op sponge penn plax bubbler air filter. I honestly wouldn’t use any other Even if given to me for free.
Love watching your feed I watched most your videos for a week strait befor setting my tank up today I'm confident that my tank will thrive with all your great tips.
I've had a problem with each of them. With the sponge filter, the problem was when I was travelling, and the air pump died. The hang-on filter gave me problems whenever we had a power outage and, one time, even leaked (like you said) on my table. I almost tore up the aquarium thinking it was the aquarium that was leaking, but in the end I found the culprit. I only use sponge filters now!
I'm a both kind of guy, but if I had to choose then I would go HOB with custom media/sponge combo's simply because I like to see my fish, for example -> if i dump a ton of murky stuff idk new aquasoil, a sponge filter may take a few days to clear whereas a traditional filter will be done in a few hours. Sponge filters are always in my tanks though as an air source because I do have glass lids + they're hooked up to a battery bank via usb pumps and act as my backup filtration/keep fish alive system during blackouts. Those little silent pumps on a 10000mah will go for days and days.
I have three tanks: my main tank, shrimp tank, and snail tank. All of these have spongefilter in them. I applied your piece of advice to place an air stone inside and I love the small bubbles coming out of the filters. I somehow miss the customizable feature of the hang-on filter, thus I tried it with the spongefilter. I added some ceramic rings in the cannisters inside the spongefilter. On one filter, I customized a small bag of activcated carbon and placed it inside the cannister. The cleaning and maintenance of the spongefilter was challenging. But adding some additional bio and chemical filter, I guess, helped cleaning the tank.
With the HOB filter, if you don't want it to splash or have that trickling noise, you can get a soft mesh and drape it from the inside of the sponge compartment to the level of the surface of the water. This reduces the sound but it does reduce the surface agitation.
I know smaller Aquaclears don’t really have a adjusting knob so you can tilt the filter forward. But I’ve just used a paper towel and put it between the glass and the filter box and as long as it’s tilted towards the inside of the tank it will never over flow. And you can replace the paper towel when you do your regular maintenance, but I used one for over a year so, it lasts a long time.i have 2 55 gallon tanks and have both hang on the back and a sponges filter. If you can use both on a tank, I it would be most optimal.i know flow can be an issue though with some tank setups.
I prefer hang on back filters. All the customisation and the sound of a waterfall gets my vote. I've a 50 gal where I use two HOBs and the water is always crystal clear also a lot of the poop and gunk gets removed as well
I agree I had an aqua clear 110 drip on our brand new hard wood floors. Still haven't told my husband. My large goldfish can't only use sponge filters so I made my own top of tank filters. They have been great for a few years now. No worries about dripping on the floor any more.Commercial filters are not exactly what I needed.
Great video! I also think A.C. has a pretty great sponge filter (medium size and large due to the never-clog airstone too!) I just wanted to mention that you can use a piece of plastic (cut from vacuum sealed packaging or blister pack, clamshell packaging ...the annoying kind that you need scissors to open. So you cut a tab and hotglue it to the outflow channel of the HOB, so the water runs over it and into the water like a slide...no splashing noise, but also less surface agitation/ gas exchange). Also I find the tetra whisper lite 120-150 to be very very quite also.
I use a HOB filter on my 55gal, I enjoy its effectiveness 100% but I have an aquarium co-op sponge filter as a back up in case my impeller or motor ever went out. 😄
I have sponge filters in all of my tanks, but I cheat a bit with a hang on back. Once a month or so, I’ll turn it into a “hang on front” filter to clear up particles the sponges don’t get. I let it run during the day like on a Saturday, then tear it down and clean it thoroughly. I stuff it full of filter floss and a add polishing pad on top, seems to work really well. I think one could do the water bottle + powerhead setup as well for this.
Get a Seachem Tidal HOB, they auto pump water once the power comes on so you dont gotta worry about burning your motor and theres a little peg that pops up on the HOB when you need to clean/ replace your sponges
Fantastic video and spot-on comparison. I too, like both types, but especially a HOB so I can run chemical filtration to super polish my water so it's Gin clear. As for the power-outage and motor burnout problem, I'd highly recommend a Seachem Tidal HOB filter. Unlike Seachem's terribly designed, non-standardized dosing schemes of the Flourish line of Ferts, Seachem's Tidal HOB filters are actually SUPERBLY designed (by none other than Sicce, (grin)), with the motor in the the tank, so they start pumping water/filtering after a power failure and simply can't run dry unless the tank water is WAY low. They feature a water flow redirect and pop-up indicator when they are dirty and need cleaning, so overflowing on the floor should not be a concern unless they're absolutely neglected for a long time. They have adjustable flow control and a large, removable media basket you can fill with anything you'd like. They also feature a built-in a surface skimmer and are DEAD silent! The outflow also pushes ACROSS the tank, not down, so you get excellent tank circulation - important for CO2 injected tanks. They're a bit more expensive but are simply great filters - worth every penny extra IMHO. Keep up the great videos, I enjoy them very much and learn a lot from you!
Great comparison, Irene! (With full disclaimer that I haven’t tried sponge filters yet)… There are some comparison aspects that are specific to this particular AquaClear HOB. I would always choose a hang on back, for instance, that has an internal/in water motor so that it always auto starts after being turned off (I love my Seachem Tidals and Aqueon QuietFlows). My Tidal’s bright blue pop up button also glares at me each time I walk by to let me know it’s time to clean so I don’t worry about overflow. I do have an Aq Coop air stone on the opposite side of my 100g, so maybe someday I’ll try an extra sponge filter on that tank. You are SO informative and pleasant to watch, as always!
I used the same fluval HOB from 2009 to 2019, no problems. It was still going strong, only that my last fish died and I took a break from fishkeeping. Really liked my eheim canister too.
Personally, I've had over the back filters for years. Replaced 3 times in 15 years in 29 gallon tank. Switched to double column sponge filter about 4 months ago, and I LOVE it! My water is crystal clear. Compared to my new (2 months old) 10 gallon aquarium that has over the back filter and cloudy water.
I do like both types of filters. I have not experienced the motor running dry after a power outage that you mentioned for the aquaclear. I turn my aquaclear filter off with every water change. The filter does not drain water out except when the tank water gets quite low during the water change. If I turn the motor off during tank maintenance, but don't do a water change, it stays full and starts right back up when it has power again. I do keep my water levels up near to the rim, so perhaps that is the cause for our different experiences :)
I have always used a HOB. I currently have an aquaclear 200 (it is old). I am hoping to upgrade to a tidal 55 this year because of the power failure issue. I also put a disposable blue Incontinence bed protector behind the tank stand to guard against drips and protect my hard wood floor.
Depends on the purpose. I keep sponges in all tanks because its always good to have extra bio and I have literally never had to clean a sponge filter. I usually run canisters or sumps not HOBs. I think HOBs break too easy and they make a lot of extra noise. Sponges are best for Quarantine tanks and bare tanks hands down. Change your air stones and hoses yearly in my experience. The stones tend to wear down with usage causing the filter to work less effectively. You have an already set to go filter for your hospital tank if you keep a spare in your larger tank. If the power goes out you can mix up a few household items to gas your tank with oxygen also. Same concept as the DIY systems for plants. No power needed. Just chemical reactions. Could save your stock in a pinch.
I have a HOB breeder box from Marina(I think) that uses an air pump in the uplift tube to bring tank water into the box. At the end of the uplift tube I attached a cut up pantyhose stuffed with fine floss to the end and it helps to polish the water going into the breeder box that then flows back into the tank. The breeder has helped so much, raise fry and polish my water. 2 for 1.
You can get a flood alarm for pretty cheap at the hardware store for hot water heaters and stuff. Just a little sensor wire that will set off a audible alarm if it gets wet you could position it at the top of your hang on back and never worry about an overflow
I really want to use a sponge filter, but my HOB does such a great job. I cut the sponge that it comes with in half, then add fliter floss, then purigen, and an extra bag of media that leaves my water crystal clear. I also use a pre-filter sponge that keeps gunk out of my filter. It keeps everything inside the filter cleaner, meaning I have to do way less maintenance. I just wring out the pre filter sponge when it gets a little clogged, and with every water change
The 5 hour power outage I just experienced yesterday further made me feel better about getting that wall charger black you suggested for the pump. I haven’t even started my tank, but I feel such relief knowing it’ll be in good shape should that happen in the future.
I have a couple of aio nano tanks, 5g and 10g, and the built in filter with submersible pump is super quiet, but even with modified filtration, it wasn't keeping things clear, so both tanks have small sponge filters, too. Can't see them, agitation is better without a strong current that bettas don't like. I'm just starting a new 12g long rimless pond scape and have chosen a cannister filter. Hope it's as efficient as using two filters.
I'm actually running both on my 10 gallon tank. I use the same sponge and usb pump that you showed, and I have a small marineland with a prefilter sponge. Like them both.
I use Aquarium Co-Op’s nano sponge filter and the Dennerle Internal Corner Filter that came with my tank. I like the internal filter cause it has a small coarse sponge on the bottom and a larger finer filter floss on top, and you can customize the direction of the “exhaust” (idk how to call it but the water that exits the filter). Before I had the sponge filter, I had the spray bar above the water so that it would create surface agitation (and sounded pretty, like a mini water fall!) Now that I have the sponge filter, I’ve raised my water line and the spray bar is submerged, directing water flow across the tank, to the sponge. I like the sponge filter cause like you said, it provides lots of biofilm for my baby shrimp (and the random scuds lol) and is easy to clean when needed. Both are quiet and have a gentle flow (I have a 10 gallon and fish that need gentle flow). I made a relatively large airline tubing ring that allows bubbles to gather and pop without disturbing my floating plants (and the shrimp that like to graze on their roots). Like you said, I find it’s really easy to hide the Aquarium Co-op sponge filter. Even as my plants are growing in or even if the plant doesn’t cover every inch of the filter, it doesn’t look bad with my black background, dark substrate, and green plants. The corner filter is easy to hide too (it’s in the back corner with the spray bar pointed to the sponge filter across the tank). My water has been super clear and of course, I think having a heavily planted, “balanced” tank helps a lot.
Oh and both are great because they work with the glass lid that came with my tank! There’s just enough room to allow for wires and tubing (and the base of my Chihiros C2 light) but other than that, I’d either need to not use my lid (I have fish with labyrinth organs that are more prone to accidentally jumping out) or have a glass shop customize/cut my lid to allow space for a HOB. The shelf I have my tank on fits my tank perfectly too. The shelf and tank are around two inches from my wall. If I had a HOB, I’d probably want to make more space so that the HOB has room/isnt right up against the wall. But my tank is right next to my bed (I have a side view when I’m lying down) so I think having a larger gap between the tank and the wall might feel awkward? Idk Plus I have carpet and am renting and would be totally screwed if water overflowed. But yeah, just other things that influenced my choices for filtration!
Oh yeah, I totally forgot to mention about how holes in the lid are necessary for HOB filters and that can be potential areas for animals to escape! Thanks for all the extra details. :)
I like clear water so I have to stick with the hang on the back. You can get them that do not to be primed and so a power outage is taken out of the equation. As for the sponge, you must include the price of an air pump when figuring out the total cost and longevity.
I have to say, my aquatop air pump is the noisiest pump I have. I like the jws and the tetra whispers much better. Great idea about the filter floss in the top of the aqua clear! I really like the aqua clear hobs, have most of them plugged into an uninterruptable power supply to prevent issues with power outages.
Watching Cory's videos a few years ago convinced me to use a sponge filter when I started my first tank up in decades with RCS. I had been given a 10gal tank, heaters and a hang on back that needed a few parts but with only shrimp and snails in a planted tank all I really needed was one sponge filter (and I added a separate airstone at the other end later to get rid of Cyano). Irene's experience with 3 motors and overflow damage from the hang on back is a scary reminder that HOBs are actually a complex thing compared to sponge filters.
I prefer HOBs because of the amount of filtration they have and my tank is 55 gallons. It's in the living room so I like to keep it as quiet as possible for when the family is watching TV. I did experience flooding one time with an AquaClear. I had it pushed up against the wall and the basket always slightly floated and lifted the lid. It was so slight that I didn't notice it at the time. We had made a tiny nik in the paint by pushing the filter against the wall and the sheetrock started wicking water from the filter. I probably didn't notice for a month when I went to do my filter maintenance. I pulled the tank from the wall a bit to get to the impeller easier and I saw a huge section of the wall paint bubbled up. Ever since we've been very careful to leave at least a half inch between the wall and the filter and haven't had an issue since. I have yet to replace a filter motor but the longest I've had a single HOB was four years.
Great video, irene. I have both but i do prefer hob filter bcoz the quality of the water is better i feel. But after listening to your experience, i will be cautious and make sure i clean gunk out more often
I just love your videos. I'm getting back into the hobby, I'm planning to raise some goldfish, but also to begin aquascaping and keeping smaller fish in my 20gal long when my corn snake outgrows it. I've decided to go for a sponge filter because I live in an apartment, and if there were to be any issues with flooding, I can't imagine the issues I'd have.
I wanted something quiet for our bedroom, the Aqueon 75's pump is in the tank and starts up like a charm if flip the power strip on or off. I also have a sponge on the intake, I am hoping I can get some Christmas Moss to grow on / around it.
Sponge filter Every tank has one. We are prone to black outs in this area and the sponge filter is a great simple low power back up or primary. Marriage the sponge filter with a backup power supply or air pump with backup power (i.e. Cobalt) are one is set. Thanks for another great video, Jim
I love my Seachem Tidal 55 for my 29g community aquarium and have a sponge filter in my wife's 10gal. They're both great! I tripled up on the sponges in the HOB and it's been keeping the water nice and clear. The sponge filter is great for the 10gal ADF tank because they don't do the best with current.
I tend to run two filters in each tank, unless we are talking the larger 100+ gallon tanks. I run a large foam filter and an HOB in each tank, sometimes more but that is my standard filter setup. I also use a large Pawfly air pump. The only way I know my Pawflies are running is because there are bubbles in the tanks. My HOB's all restart, but I test them when I buy them. I use aquaclears. You are right, that little impeller is half the cost of the filter, so obviously we are paying for convenience. I don't know why nobody has started making the little four bladed props for them, they pop on and off the shaft, so again filter companies do not practice thrift when it comes to throwing things out. Strictly a money issue. Should be more respectful of customers. This is a good video. I think going in to customizing the filtration in an HOB might have been good as well. Thank you Irene!
I have both running in two separate tanks. The sponge filter in my quarantine/hospital/grow out tank, serves it's purpose. But if you don't like the build of mulm and fish/snail poop, you have to give it to the hang on back. It's easier to get good "flow" with small hang on back than it is with a sponge filter of the same size. Doesn't bother me tho I've just accepted that the sponge filter visibly leaves more behind. the fish don't mind at all, fry get to pick at it for food.
My daughter gave me a Beta and that's what started me into the hobby. Or BACK into it. I use the regular HOB filters but I really want to try the sponge filters and the Nano thing.
Love my sponge and Ziss ,I do have an Aqua Clear on my Super Red Bristle Nose tank stuffed full of floss and a sponge filter. Follow Cories advice every tank needs an air stone and I’m cheap if I am pumping air into a tank I want all the benefit I can get. Oxygen and filtration!
*Which 2 things would you like me to compare next in my "Which is Better" series?* Also, you can see my other filter tutorials (like how to install sponge filters or decrease filter flow) in this playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLlBBJ7xBuquZ1aEwW5BysBrwntcrHokfe.html
Gravel vs Sand!
Stem plants vs rooted plants
Maybe platy vs molly?
Loved the video!
internal filter vs external filter
Wonder shells vs. crushed coral
Or crushed coral vs. a GH/KH additive like Salty Shrimp GH/KH+ or NilogG ReGen/NilocG ReKHarb
Sponge filter would have destroyed the main plot in Finding Nemo.
😂👏🔥
I have a better one. Male clown fish actually eat unfertilised or damaged eggs. So Nemo shouldn't have even existed at all!
@@WhoTheHellIsHarvy and Nemo would’ve changed sex and mated with dad.
@@WhoTheHellIsHarvy Also Nemos Dad would have changed to his Mum/Mom and so it goes on
@Killi Aqua Because I've had so much grief in past for using 'wrong' one, I thought this would keep everyone happy. But apparently not 🙄
Best moment of the video: around 9:50 when she turned on the sponge filter and the shrimp went for a ride!😂😂
It was like shrimp volcano!
SHRIMP-SHOWER!! 🦐🦐
This lady is AWESOME! She answers all of my questions before I can ask them - and her presentation style is excellent! As a newbie still putting together a riparium, she’s the best teacher of this subject on UA-cam 😇
Yes, she's really great!
I don't know if you have stayed with Aquariums, wondering if you are still in?
......Kerry Pitt
HOB filters are neet because you can root plant clippings in them, so they get my vote.
I've rooted plant clippings in a sponge filter and it worked
How did i not think of this before i always thought the filter is very unsightly so planting some clipping in it would be awesome
I accidentally rooted cloves of garlic in a lost ziploc bag in my closet xD
Hi. I’m still new to the hobby. Plant clippings, what are these?
@@aychirouchiwa8791 when you trim/clip certain plants the part that was cut off can grow into it's own plant
I enjoyed that shrimp volcano when you plugged the sponge filter back in. LOL
One of the problems i have with hob filters is constant algae growth in the intake tube and on the impeller. It reduces the flow by a lot and i have to consistently clean it with a chopstick. With sponge filters, even if they get somewhat clogged, the air from the pump still gives a pretty consistent flow and agitation in the tank.
Pipe cleaners work well too
Have the same issue!
I have had to clean my impellers as well,but it was never something that I had to do more than once every couple of months.
Chopstick. What a great idea for cleaning!!
Try a foam pre filter. Not one of those stainless mesh wire slip-ons, rather a foam piece that is cut from your foam filter.
I think you can buy them in packages of two or more pieces.
I can’t stress enough how much I love this channel
I switched to the sponge a year ago and will never go back, I also have a mini intank surface skimmer that I run 3 hours a day on timer to polish the water.
Ooo, that's a good idea! I need a surface skimmer in one of my tanks because the plants are blocking flow in some areas. Guess it would be just easier to prune them. :P
Any chance you could share a link to the skimmer? I’ve been looking for a gentle one to put in my 10 gal betta tank.
@@gracibaci u betcha...
amzn.to/3o3UYTN
I purchased two others one slightly smaller and one larger. the "smaller" one had the same pump and was not efficient at all. the larger one, just way too big for my 30 gallon tank. Hope u find something that works for you :-)
@@gracibaci I do run this in a 10 gallon as well, you can adjust the flow but not the actual motor.
You are one of the most pleasant and easy to listen to UA-camrs ever … thanks for all of your hard work
I can't believe you do not work for Coop anymore! Cory almost never makes an error . You are still one of my favorites out there. I hope 2025 is an amazing year
You are my absolute favorite person when it comes to learning all about aquarium care. I especially appreciate you sharing information that nobody told you about!
Good points, Irene! I continue to use both. The perfect filter depends on the application.
I have had Aquaclears not turn back on, as in, it seems like it's dead. Motor won't even run. A quick jiggle or cleaning of the impeller solves that issue. The only thing I don't like about sponge filters, is that my local water is incredibly hard. Therefore, bubbling creates a lot of hard water deposits everywhere, almost like dealing with saltwater. My Aquaclears are very quiet.
I just wanted to drop a quick note to thank you for how direct and informative your videos are. I am.on this long-term trajectory for getting started. I'm just taking information in to prepare for a slow start with a 10g or so.
Thank you, again, for your time and encouragement.
lol at 09:52 the shrimp being pushed out of the sponge filter when it's cut on
Skrimp clown car
Shrimp volcano!
Haha, I'm glad someone noticed! I thought that was hilarious when it happened. 🦐🦐🦐🌋
I use double sponge filters for my 10 & 20 gallon bare breeding/rearing tanks. Aquaclear HOB for anything larger than 20 gallons especially my display tanks. My HOB is quiet as I keep my water level up behind the trim. Plus it self starts after a power outage with the water that high.
Just set up my first sponge filter in one of my tanks. Got the Aquarium Co-Op filter and I'm really liking it! All my other tanks use HOB's so I wanted to try something different.
Yes, I love trying new methods and equipment! Glad you're liking the Aquarium Co-Op sponge filter. 💚🖤
I’ve been into tropical fish since the 70s. All of the areas that you mentioned I’m 100% familiar with BUT it’s still great hearing and watching your comparisons, how-to’s and so forth. Great job in explaining for new and experienced hobbyists.
I don't know if its recommended or even beneficial for the tanks, but I always use both in my tanks. Like you I mostly run small tanks. I have (3) 20 gallon tanks and (1) 50 gallon tank. In all of the 20 gallon tanks I use both an HOB and a sponge filter. I use the HOB for piece of mind, because it filters out smaller particles and just filters a bit better in general. The HOB is always customizable in a way to where you can use certain types of media to suit the water conditions in the tank you are trying to achieve. I use the Sponge filter along with the HOB for a few reasons. One of the biggest reason is power outage. If the power goes out the sponge filter will start running as normal when the power comes back on, while many HOB have to be primed. Though I do have my air pumps hooked up to a small APC backup battery that uses a 9ah battery. It will keep all three of my 3 watt air pumps running in the event of power outage for like 12 hours. Last but certainly not least is that sponge filters are good house a lot of beneficial bacteria. When I start a new tank I can just take the sponge out of an established tank and move it to the new tank to get the bacteria started. You can do this with HOB as well, its just easier to do it with the sponge filter rather than changing the media in your HOB.
I had an Marinland Emporer 400 years ago on a 55 and it was awesome. Always restarted on its own and overflow from filters plugging (due to laziness) always ran back in the tank. Is a great design. The bio wheels lasted until I sold it second hand! Many years old
purchased a Marineland 375 pro over 2 yrs ago , best filter I have ever had. Upgraded design with the motor in the tank so restarts are never an issue, I also have a 125pro on a 20 gal tank. I've had numerous Aquaclear filter through the years, other than the noise and restart issues great filters.
In my first couple of tanks I never had any issues with my HOB filters. However, my current tank has a sand substrate and even with a pre-filter sponge on the intake, and keeping the intake ~10" above the substrate, enough sand would get in that I'd have to take apart the filter and clean the impeller every 2-3 days, and repeat until the motor quit. Just switched to a sponge filter yesterday, so hopefully have better luck with it!
I love to have both in my tank! The sponge for more biological and the HOB for crystal clear water 🤗🤗
Same here. Have both in my nano tanks. 👍👍
Me too! I also like the sponge with a nano pump in case of power outages.
Ditto! I have a 55 gal long tank with an HOB on 1 end and a sponge on the other. I love how well they work together!
I also use both in my tanks
Hahahh same here I have both in my 20 gallon
I had the aquaclear for my first 10 gallon. We can have loss of power frequently and I was home for all the times so no motor damage. I decided to go with aquarium coop nano sponges and never looked back. I found them easier to clean and using the stone love the bubbles. So now my other 2 nano tanks have sponges. I use the usb nano air pumps from aquarium coop and also on-line. The only problem is they don't last long. Cory has replaced a few of them which I certainly appreciated. But I had problems with the ones I got online. They all are made in China. I think we need to start making them in America. Don't even get 2 years out of them. Going to set up a small fish room in the new house I just bought and may go with a different air pump. Is there one brand you like more than others. Thank you for all your videos. You explain things so well for us to understand.
Watching this start to finish despite using a canister filter in combination with an under gravel filter. Always love your videos.
I got my air pump from petsmart and it was the cheap top fin one, but it is SO nice and quiet!! The rubber feet it sits on are air filled so it absorbs any vibrations. I have it on my kitchen counter and i hear nothing at all when it's on. definitely recommend it if you're looking for a cheap but quiet air pump
I personally use sponge filter, but if you use HOB with motor inside the aquarium it will restart on it's own after power failure.
Yeah I like the marina slim it’s like 14 bucks and super customizable with internal pump
Definitely have been liking sponge filters more the longer I’ve been keeping aquariums. I have found a little hack to get more flow out of them though if you put a little elbow on the end of it you can direct the flow a-bit more so it’s a little more efficient if you are keeping it in the corner or back of the tank
I have only had HOB filters before and a few things I think would have been helpful to mention on the Aquaclear maintenance is that eventually the box itself and the impeller needs to be cleaned which makes it much more complicated. I also had issues with the basket rising and leaking everywhere. I am setting up a new tank and will be using a sponge filter from Aquarium Co-Op after watching one of Cory’s videos. Thanks for your videos! I am really enjoying them.
Ha. The same thing happened to my power filter. Carpet was very wet under my tank and I'm glad I caught it when I did because it's on the 2nd floor of the house. Great video. Nice editing.
I burned up three AquaClears in the span of a year -- because i live in California and the electricity is randomly shut off during hot weather which caused the motors to burn up. So i feel you!. I found SeaChem Tidal hang on backs are self-priming and a life saver! They have just about as much room for filter media as the AquaClear. (Tidal comes with one sponge and some biological media). I cut an extra sponge to fit. In my view they are much more reliable than AquaClear. And the plastic on the Tidal isn't brittle. Just my two cents.
My second tank has an Aquarium Co Op sponge filter - it does a great job in a 14 gallon. Pretty cool! Thank you for your helpful videos!
I have been using the same Aqua Clear 50 for about 25 years on one of my aquariums with no problems. When I first got it, I had a problem a few times of it overflowing after the sponge would get all gunked up. I use 2 sponges and a fine filter media at the top. I just give them a quick squeeze or 2 every time I clean the aquarium. I will periodically replace one sponge at a time. 25 years later it is going strong. I have used carbon in it a few times after doing water treatments for fish infections.
I feel like internal filters are totally underrated tbh. I got one for my tank expecting to use it for a quarantine setup later because I've heard bad things but I was pleasantly surprised! It blends in completely with my black background, it's cheap, I don't have to worry about power outages and it's super easy to set up. Only problem is it's not super customisable and can't get those fine particles out.
Hey Irene, great video! I have a hang on back filter and i love the noise hehe, but i also love the tank water to be at the top…and what happens is, the hob filters outlet kind of mixes with the tank water which makes like near 0 surface agitation 😅. This might be a bit confusing but because the waterfall is connected straight to the water, it doesnt drop, so theres no movement/ waves.
I've always used HOB filters and over the past year I've learned to throw away the cartridges and use something like lava rock or matrix with some floss!!
I got me two sponge filters from Aquarium Co-op. I also have the aqua top air pump and no clog AirStone. I'm really enjoying them as well!! I set my daughter up a 29 gallon tank with a large Sponge filter and I agree with the points you made.
They seem to be doing a wonderful job!!! I wanted something simple and easy for my daughter that she wouldn't have to put a lot of money or time into because this is her first Aquarium and she has four children 🙏
Great video Irene!!! As always, thank you for sharing!!🙏💚🌿🐟🌿👍
Lydia the artwork's Beautiful 😍♥️🙏
the Aquaclears HOBs are so good, highly customisable and easy to maintain. Been using them for years!
I use course sponge at the bottom, followed but finer sponge and then bio rings. Clean them every couple weeks during water changes and it'll last years
I love the aqua clear and my sponge filters. Aquaclear will probably always be my favorite hang on back but unfortunately my frogbit doesn't love it as much. Which is why I only have sponge filters at the moment. I have heard the statement several times, on several channels, that they do not restart after a power outage. We receive many shorter outages (2hrs or less) and flashes through the year and unless my water is low the aquaclear always restarts on its own. If I keep water up(not necessarily to the top)where I can't see the waterline, it's always fine. If it won't restart, try raising your water line. Thank you for all your hard work and research! My BBA is under control because of you.
I use a kind of hybrid filter, i use a HOB filter with filter media and filter mesh with a pre-filter sponge out of an old sponge filter for both the mechanical filtration and the biological filtration.
A cool tip I saw to quiet down sponge filters, a friend of mine put the airline through the straw hole in a McDonald’s cup lid, it would quiet down the gurgling sound decently well. You can “tune” it just above the waterline to get more surface movement and gas exchange, also reduce the build up above the where the bubbles pop.
I’d probably use something other than a disposable cup lid, like a plexiglass disk, so I didn’t have literal garbage in the tank.
One trick I found for the noise of the air pump is to put blu tack on the bottom of it or on its legs and stick it to the surface/table, it will reduce a lot of vibration so less noise coming out of it.
I have had Aquaclear filters for years. I never had a problem with them restarting after a power outage. If you have your tank filled with water, nothing will go wrong.
Great comparison! I’ll take a canister filter over both of these type filters. Aqua clear are great filters but the issues you mentioned are a deal breaker for me. I still have the larger model 110. I keep as a back for my larger tanks. as you mentioned it couldn’t be any easier to set up in an emergency. I recently bought a Seachem tidal 35 for my 20 gallon. I love this filter! So silent. Pump is in the water so all you do is plug it in and it runs. Less chance for leaks. It Would not be good if you want to raise fry since it has a skimmer. Maybe zip tie a piece of foam over it? They should design a way to shut it off. Works great for my quarantine tank. Sponge filters are ok for small tanks.
As far as filters I got rid of all HOB filters. Matt, sponge, and canister for me. I would like to see slow growing plants vs fast growing plants. 😉 9 planted tanks here.
Thank you so much for clearly explaining this in a really easy to understand way. I have a couple of tanks at the moment about the same size as yours and am planning on creating some more and updating the ones I have so this advice is really helpful.
I have a Dennerle Scaper's Flow, which is basically a canister filter disguised as a HOB. Love it, easy to clean without the hassle of tubes like regular canister filters, and I can add my own filter media the way I like it!
I have used all types of filters and I even made my own DIY filter. For me each of them have their own advantages. I like the spongefilter because it really makes your water clear but takes time and also is home for beneficial bacteria. You can modify your sponge filter to make it more efficient and you can watch some videos on UA-cam about that. Very easy to modify and little to no cost at all. I love sponge filters but I prefer the HOB more. Sponge filters are ran by air pump and air pumps are very noisy. Especially when your aquarium is in your own bedroon. HOB is neat looking because you don't need to put the filter inside the tank. I find the tube aesthetic and if it's in a planted tank, it would look professional. The downside with HOB is it's too small to filter your tank. It is just best with aquascapes and little fish load. If you have a monster fish tank, I recommend a sump filter, overhead, cannister big filters because the protein they eat makes the water very dirty fast.
Some things people don't realize about Aquaclear filters. The impeller shafts are consumables. You can buy new shafts. Pull the old one out and push a new one in. I replace mine about once a year. But that may be overkill. Once every other year may be enought. Lubricating the shaft with silicone also helps with longevity.
If you're worried about the Aquaclear flooding, use it as polishing filter. Pack it full of polyfill and put it on a timer. Run it for an hour and let the timer shut it off. Disconnect and put away at your convenience later that day. Use it once a week when you know you'll be home , so you can keep an eye on it.
It would be cool if someone made a spong filter where only the sides were open and it had three different sponges, one outside of the other. The outer sponge was 10 ppi, the middle sponge was 20 ppi, and the inner sponge was 30 ppi. That would polish the water AND keep it from clogging so quickly.
"Spong filter"
I used Corners box filters because they are like a sponge filter but have the polishing effect of a hang on back filter. bought mine on Amazon for about $8, and they are easy to clean.
Great helpful vid for beginners especially. For those beginners, you don't want to "clean" the filter media and all the parts., Just give the sponges a squeeze and light rinse and only use tank water to rinse out everything. Don't use tap water or any cleaning agents as they will kill all your beneficial bacteria!! Every surface on the inside of your tank contains beneficial bacteria which is keeping your tank in balance. You don't want to "clean" all that bacteria off, especially all at once. Learned this the hard way on my first tank. It may seem obvious but for a beginner, it wasn't obvious to me as I thought cleaner was better.
I just have a topfin hob and it doesn't drain unless the water level in the tank goes down so it will restart after powerouts.
I use a s15 marina slim. Compact and quiet. I don't use the cartridges of course. I use a pothos clipping inside it along with ceramic, coarse sponge and floss. Cost me about 30 altogether.
Been using the marina slim filters. Pump is in the water so low noise and will restart without priming and plenty of space for custom media tho I believe 20gal tanks is the max for those. I hang floss on the hob's waterfall so it polishes the water and baffles flow/noise also✌️
Great info today! I kept clicking on more of your videos to learn all I could about filters! Thanks!
Marineland are the best hob filters imo cause they have a overflow so when the water is not moving it shoots back into the tank plus the water is crystal clear.
I have four smaller tanks and one big tank all of them but the largest has a DIY sponge filter and they only cost me less than $10 to make. Most expensive parts would be the pebbles and filter media. Along with polyfill and sponge. I have two hospital tanks three and a half gallon, one 5 gallon, 10 gallon, the 20 gallon needs two filters on each side, but it's a divided betta tank. And if you go to the dollar store and the candle section they usually have a whole bunch of really cute candle holders they are usually the perfect size for the aquariums. And lately we've been getting a food meal plan that has the perfect type of plastic filter mesh so I've been reusing that for the filtering part. The I would say the hardest part to find is the tubing which the air stone and hose go down into to make it work. There are videos on it on UA-cam I just found an easier and cheaper way to do it
I love my Box sponge filter, which is a Sponge filter with compartments to add Media. I added seachem Matrix to mine and it cleared up my tank and brought down my nitrites and nitrates really low on my small 6 gallon Goldfish tank.
My favorite filters are the aqua clear , aquarium co op sponge penn plax bubbler air filter. I honestly wouldn’t use any other Even if given to me for free.
Love watching your feed I watched most your videos for a week strait befor setting my tank up today I'm confident that my tank will thrive with all your great tips.
I've had a problem with each of them. With the sponge filter, the problem was when I was travelling, and the air pump died. The hang-on filter gave me problems whenever we had a power outage and, one time, even leaked (like you said) on my table. I almost tore up the aquarium thinking it was the aquarium that was leaking, but in the end I found the culprit.
I only use sponge filters now!
I'm a both kind of guy, but if I had to choose then I would go HOB with custom media/sponge combo's simply because I like to see my fish, for example -> if i dump a ton of murky stuff idk new aquasoil, a sponge filter may take a few days to clear whereas a traditional filter will be done in a few hours.
Sponge filters are always in my tanks though as an air source because I do have glass lids + they're hooked up to a battery bank via usb pumps and act as my backup filtration/keep fish alive system during blackouts. Those little silent pumps on a 10000mah will go for days and days.
I have three tanks: my main tank, shrimp tank, and snail tank. All of these have spongefilter in them. I applied your piece of advice to place an air stone inside and I love the small bubbles coming out of the filters.
I somehow miss the customizable feature of the hang-on filter, thus I tried it with the spongefilter. I added some ceramic rings in the cannisters inside the spongefilter. On one filter, I customized a small bag of activcated carbon and placed it inside the cannister. The cleaning and maintenance of the spongefilter was challenging. But adding some additional bio and chemical filter, I guess, helped cleaning the tank.
With the HOB filter, if you don't want it to splash or have that trickling noise, you can get a soft mesh and drape it from the inside of the sponge compartment to the level of the surface of the water. This reduces the sound but it does reduce the surface agitation.
I know smaller Aquaclears don’t really have a adjusting knob so you can tilt the filter forward. But I’ve just used a paper towel and put it between the glass and the filter box and as long as it’s tilted towards the inside of the tank it will never over flow. And you can replace the paper towel when you do your regular maintenance, but I used one for over a year so, it lasts a long time.i have 2 55 gallon tanks and have both hang on the back and a sponges filter. If you can use both on a tank, I it would be most optimal.i know flow can be an issue though with some tank setups.
I prefer hang on back filters. All the customisation and the sound of a waterfall gets my vote. I've a 50 gal where I use two HOBs and the water is always crystal clear also a lot of the poop and gunk gets removed as well
I agree I had an aqua clear 110 drip on our brand new hard wood floors. Still haven't told my husband. My large goldfish can't only use sponge filters so I made my own top of tank filters. They have been great for a few years now. No worries about dripping on the floor any more.Commercial filters are not exactly what I needed.
Great video! I also think A.C. has a pretty great sponge filter (medium size and large due to the never-clog airstone too!)
I just wanted to mention that you can use a piece of plastic (cut from vacuum sealed packaging or blister pack, clamshell packaging ...the annoying kind that you need scissors to open. So you cut a tab and hotglue it to the outflow channel of the HOB, so the water runs over it and into the water like a slide...no splashing noise, but also less surface agitation/ gas exchange).
Also I find the tetra whisper lite 120-150 to be very very quite also.
I use a HOB filter on my 55gal, I enjoy its effectiveness 100% but I have an aquarium co-op sponge filter as a back up in case my impeller or motor ever went out. 😄
I have sponge filters in all of my tanks, but I cheat a bit with a hang on back. Once a month or so, I’ll turn it into a “hang on front” filter to clear up particles the sponges don’t get. I let it run during the day like on a Saturday, then tear it down and clean it thoroughly. I stuff it full of filter floss and a add polishing pad on top, seems to work really well. I think one could do the water bottle + powerhead setup as well for this.
Get a Seachem Tidal HOB, they auto pump water once the power comes on so you dont gotta worry about burning your motor and theres a little peg that pops up on the HOB when you need to clean/ replace your sponges
Fantastic video and spot-on comparison. I too, like both types, but especially a HOB so I can run chemical filtration to super polish my water so it's Gin clear. As for the power-outage and motor burnout problem, I'd highly recommend a Seachem Tidal HOB filter. Unlike Seachem's terribly designed, non-standardized dosing schemes of the Flourish line of Ferts, Seachem's Tidal HOB filters are actually SUPERBLY designed (by none other than Sicce, (grin)), with the motor in the the tank, so they start pumping water/filtering after a power failure and simply can't run dry unless the tank water is WAY low. They feature a water flow redirect and pop-up indicator when they are dirty and need cleaning, so overflowing on the floor should not be a concern unless they're absolutely neglected for a long time. They have adjustable flow control and a large, removable media basket you can fill with anything you'd like. They also feature a built-in a surface skimmer and are DEAD silent! The outflow also pushes ACROSS the tank, not down, so you get excellent tank circulation - important for CO2 injected tanks. They're a bit more expensive but are simply great filters - worth every penny extra IMHO. Keep up the great videos, I enjoy them very much and learn a lot from you!
I love my Pisces HOB filter which automatically starts after a power outage - and made in Australia!
Great comparison, Irene! (With full disclaimer that I haven’t tried sponge filters yet)… There are some comparison aspects that are specific to this particular AquaClear HOB. I would always choose a hang on back, for instance, that has an internal/in water motor so that it always auto starts after being turned off (I love my Seachem Tidals and Aqueon QuietFlows). My Tidal’s bright blue pop up button also glares at me each time I walk by to let me know it’s time to clean so I don’t worry about overflow. I do have an Aq Coop air stone on the opposite side of my 100g, so maybe someday I’ll try an extra sponge filter on that tank. You are SO informative and pleasant to watch, as always!
I used the same fluval HOB from 2009 to 2019, no problems. It was still going strong, only that my last fish died and I took a break from fishkeeping. Really liked my eheim canister too.
Personally, I've had over the back filters for years. Replaced 3 times in 15 years in 29 gallon tank. Switched to double column sponge filter about 4 months ago, and I LOVE it! My water is crystal clear. Compared to my new (2 months old) 10 gallon aquarium that has over the back filter and cloudy water.
I do like both types of filters. I have not experienced the motor running dry after a power outage that you mentioned for the aquaclear. I turn my aquaclear filter off with every water change. The filter does not drain water out except when the tank water gets quite low during the water change. If I turn the motor off during tank maintenance, but don't do a water change, it stays full and starts right back up when it has power again. I do keep my water levels up near to the rim, so perhaps that is the cause for our different experiences :)
I have always used a HOB. I currently have an aquaclear 200 (it is old). I am hoping to upgrade to a tidal 55 this year because of the power failure issue. I also put a disposable blue Incontinence bed protector behind the tank stand to guard against drips and protect my hard wood floor.
Depends on the purpose. I keep sponges in all tanks because its always good to have extra bio and I have literally never had to clean a sponge filter. I usually run canisters or sumps not HOBs. I think HOBs break too easy and they make a lot of extra noise. Sponges are best for Quarantine tanks and bare tanks hands down. Change your air stones and hoses yearly in my experience. The stones tend to wear down with usage causing the filter to work less effectively. You have an already set to go filter for your hospital tank if you keep a spare in your larger tank. If the power goes out you can mix up a few household items to gas your tank with oxygen also. Same concept as the DIY systems for plants. No power needed. Just chemical reactions. Could save your stock in a pinch.
I have a HOB breeder box from Marina(I think) that uses an air pump in the uplift tube to bring tank water into the box. At the end of the uplift tube I attached a cut up pantyhose stuffed with fine floss to the end and it helps to polish the water going into the breeder box that then flows back into the tank. The breeder has helped so much, raise fry and polish my water. 2 for 1.
I love the tidal hobs for the reason of power outages their pumps are in the water so they do not run dry
Yeap!
You can get a flood alarm for pretty cheap at the hardware store for hot water heaters and stuff. Just a little sensor wire that will set off a audible alarm if it gets wet you could position it at the top of your hang on back and never worry about an overflow
I really want to use a sponge filter, but my HOB does such a great job. I cut the sponge that it comes with in half, then add fliter floss, then purigen, and an extra bag of media that leaves my water crystal clear. I also use a pre-filter sponge that keeps gunk out of my filter. It keeps everything inside the filter cleaner, meaning I have to do way less maintenance. I just wring out the pre filter sponge when it gets a little clogged, and with every water change
The 5 hour power outage I just experienced yesterday further made me feel better about getting that wall charger black you suggested for the pump. I haven’t even started my tank, but I feel such relief knowing it’ll be in good shape should that happen in the future.
I have a couple of aio nano tanks, 5g and 10g, and the built in filter with submersible pump is super quiet, but even with modified filtration, it wasn't keeping things clear, so both tanks have small sponge filters, too. Can't see them, agitation is better without a strong current that bettas don't like.
I'm just starting a new 12g long rimless pond scape and have chosen a cannister filter. Hope it's as efficient as using two filters.
I'm actually running both on my 10 gallon tank. I use the same sponge and usb pump that you showed, and I have a small marineland with a prefilter sponge. Like them both.
I use Aquarium Co-Op’s nano sponge filter and the Dennerle Internal Corner Filter that came with my tank.
I like the internal filter cause it has a small coarse sponge on the bottom and a larger finer filter floss on top, and you can customize the direction of the “exhaust” (idk how to call it but the water that exits the filter). Before I had the sponge filter, I had the spray bar above the water so that it would create surface agitation (and sounded pretty, like a mini water fall!) Now that I have the sponge filter, I’ve raised my water line and the spray bar is submerged, directing water flow across the tank, to the sponge.
I like the sponge filter cause like you said, it provides lots of biofilm for my baby shrimp (and the random scuds lol) and is easy to clean when needed. Both are quiet and have a gentle flow (I have a 10 gallon and fish that need gentle flow). I made a relatively large airline tubing ring that allows bubbles to gather and pop without disturbing my floating plants (and the shrimp that like to graze on their roots).
Like you said, I find it’s really easy to hide the Aquarium Co-op sponge filter. Even as my plants are growing in or even if the plant doesn’t cover every inch of the filter, it doesn’t look bad with my black background, dark substrate, and green plants. The corner filter is easy to hide too (it’s in the back corner with the spray bar pointed to the sponge filter across the tank).
My water has been super clear and of course, I think having a heavily planted, “balanced” tank helps a lot.
Oh and both are great because they work with the glass lid that came with my tank! There’s just enough room to allow for wires and tubing (and the base of my Chihiros C2 light) but other than that, I’d either need to not use my lid (I have fish with labyrinth organs that are more prone to accidentally jumping out) or have a glass shop customize/cut my lid to allow space for a HOB.
The shelf I have my tank on fits my tank perfectly too. The shelf and tank are around two inches from my wall. If I had a HOB, I’d probably want to make more space so that the HOB has room/isnt right up against the wall.
But my tank is right next to my bed (I have a side view when I’m lying down) so I think having a larger gap between the tank and the wall might feel awkward? Idk
Plus I have carpet and am renting and would be totally screwed if water overflowed.
But yeah, just other things that influenced my choices for filtration!
Oh yeah, I totally forgot to mention about how holes in the lid are necessary for HOB filters and that can be potential areas for animals to escape! Thanks for all the extra details. :)
I like clear water so I have to stick with the hang on the back. You can get them that do not to be primed and so a power outage is taken out of the equation. As for the sponge, you must include the price of an air pump when figuring out the total cost and longevity.
I have to say, my aquatop air pump is the noisiest pump I have. I like the jws and the tetra whispers much better. Great idea about the filter floss in the top of the aqua clear! I really like the aqua clear hobs, have most of them plugged into an uninterruptable power supply to prevent issues with power outages.
I have had a HOB aqua clear 50 for forever. I took out the sponge and carbon and run it with four bags of bio media and a sponge over the intake.
Watching Cory's videos a few years ago convinced me to use a sponge filter when I started my first tank up in decades with RCS. I had been given a 10gal tank, heaters and a hang on back that needed a few parts but with only shrimp and snails in a planted tank all I really needed was one sponge filter (and I added a separate airstone at the other end later to get rid of Cyano). Irene's experience with 3 motors and overflow damage from the hang on back is a scary reminder that HOBs are actually a complex thing compared to sponge filters.
I prefer HOBs because of the amount of filtration they have and my tank is 55 gallons. It's in the living room so I like to keep it as quiet as possible for when the family is watching TV. I did experience flooding one time with an AquaClear. I had it pushed up against the wall and the basket always slightly floated and lifted the lid. It was so slight that I didn't notice it at the time. We had made a tiny nik in the paint by pushing the filter against the wall and the sheetrock started wicking water from the filter. I probably didn't notice for a month when I went to do my filter maintenance. I pulled the tank from the wall a bit to get to the impeller easier and I saw a huge section of the wall paint bubbled up. Ever since we've been very careful to leave at least a half inch between the wall and the filter and haven't had an issue since. I have yet to replace a filter motor but the longest I've had a single HOB was four years.
Great video, irene. I have both but i do prefer hob filter bcoz the quality of the water is better i feel. But after listening to your experience, i will be cautious and make sure i clean gunk out more often
I just love your videos. I'm getting back into the hobby, I'm planning to raise some goldfish, but also to begin aquascaping and keeping smaller fish in my 20gal long when my corn snake outgrows it. I've decided to go for a sponge filter because I live in an apartment, and if there were to be any issues with flooding, I can't imagine the issues I'd have.
I wanted something quiet for our bedroom, the Aqueon 75's pump is in the tank and starts up like a charm if flip the power strip on or off. I also have a sponge on the intake, I am hoping I can get some Christmas Moss to grow on / around it.
Have you looked at the Seachem Tidal HOB? The motor is in the tank, so it is self priming. No more accidents!
Sponge filter
Every tank has one. We are prone to black outs in this area and the sponge filter is a great simple low power back up or primary. Marriage the sponge filter with a backup power supply or air pump with backup power (i.e. Cobalt) are one is set.
Thanks for another great video,
Jim
I love my Seachem Tidal 55 for my 29g community aquarium and have a sponge filter in my wife's 10gal. They're both great! I tripled up on the sponges in the HOB and it's been keeping the water nice and clear. The sponge filter is great for the 10gal ADF tank because they don't do the best with current.
I tend to run two filters in each tank, unless we are talking the larger 100+ gallon tanks.
I run a large foam filter and an HOB in each tank, sometimes more but that is my standard filter setup.
I also use a large Pawfly air pump. The only way I know my Pawflies are running is because there are bubbles in the tanks.
My HOB's all restart, but I test them when I buy them. I use aquaclears. You are right, that little impeller is half the cost of the filter, so obviously we are paying for convenience. I don't know why nobody has started making the little four bladed props for them, they pop on and off the shaft, so again filter companies do not practice thrift when it comes to throwing things out. Strictly a money issue. Should be more respectful of customers.
This is a good video. I think going in to customizing the filtration in an HOB might have been good as well.
Thank you Irene!
I have both running in two separate tanks. The sponge filter in my quarantine/hospital/grow out tank, serves it's purpose. But if you don't like the build of mulm and fish/snail poop, you have to give it to the hang on back. It's easier to get good "flow" with small hang on back than it is with a sponge filter of the same size. Doesn't bother me tho I've just accepted that the sponge filter visibly leaves more behind. the fish don't mind at all, fry get to pick at it for food.
My daughter gave me a Beta and that's what started me into the hobby. Or BACK into it. I use the regular HOB filters but I really want to try the sponge filters and the Nano thing.
Made a power sponge filter from an old aquaclear 30 and a sm glucerna bottle. Easy to clean and does the job.
Love my sponge and Ziss ,I do have an Aqua Clear on my Super Red Bristle Nose tank stuffed full of floss and a sponge filter. Follow Cories advice every tank needs an air stone and I’m cheap if I am pumping air into a tank I want all the benefit I can get. Oxygen and filtration!