Article of the Month NOVEMBER 2015 : What is your favourite filter and why?

Article of the Month NOVEMBER 2015

I don't have a huge tank, so I have nothing to offer in regards to canisters, so I'm sure people can chime in for those.

For HOB I have used several, notably aquaclears, fluval c series, and aqueons.

I have found that the aquaclears are easiest to modify for greater mechanical or biological filtration. I also find that they are also the mostly likely to not self prime if I have a power blip. My aquaclear has had a jammed impeller more than my fluval. I have always managed to get it going with a toothpick.

My fluval is slightly trickier to get additional media in, but I love the tray they have for biological media. I find that it self primes better than my aquaclears with power blips but if it doesn't, it is more difficult to get going. I have also had one incident where my fluval jammed up a bit because of the extra media, needing a cleaning, slightly unlevel, but also because of design. It kicked a bunch of water out the side one night. Since then I have been careful and it's been good. I also like the additional media above the ceramic tray.

Lastly my aqueon has been in my least favourite. Standard media isn't as nice, and the design allows for less extra media. I'm sure that one could get creative with fitting media in but it's more work. Small aqueons also do not have a designated spot for ceramic media.  

In the end I call it a toss up between my aquaclears and the fluval.

Okay.

I am a proponent of undergravel filter plates because they are the best bioreactive surface to water exchange filter available, if you are a fan of biologic filtration. However in practice, no one can possibly keep the gravel free of sediment enough to outweigh the accumulation of detritus and decomposing organic matter to optimize the theory of biologic filters. I still use the undergravel filters but selectively and where I can see the benefit with root feeding plants.

The next level of filter that I prefer is the HOB type. No brand preference but I do like my experiences with Aquaclears that I have had for over twenty years. Recently I have purchased Aqueon and they work quite nicely. The Marineland Penguins are probably HOB of choice after the Aquaclears. More based upon preference and experience than cost. If you want a dirt cheap HOB there are a few that you can get for as little at $10 but do not expect them to be quiet, reliable or long lived. I have a few of these that I bought from the internet and at least two have burned out; but then again my expectations were not very high.

I prefer to have a backup filtration in all my tanks with air powered sponge filters. You can purchase them online for as little as $4.00 and about $5.00 for a dual sponge. I use these as primary filters in some low flow tanks, and as a backup secondary filter in the rest. I always add a sponge to the intake of the HOBs, so in a way you can say that I have a hybrid preference for sponge and HOB power filtration.

The reasons for my choices lie in the belief that biologic filtration is key alongside weekly water changes. HOB create a higher rate of exchange and thus compensate for lack of filter reactive surface area vs the undergravel filter plate. If one were to use power heads on top of the UG filter then you can have a pretty nice biologic system. Sponge filters are a basic standard that should be in every aquarists filter repertoire. They are cheap, relatively fail safe and rarely break down. All things being equal, a power failure will shut down both air driven and HOB driven filters.

Canister filters are a filter that I rarely use. I had a Diatom canister and I loved it, many years ago and there is no equivalent. Great topic to hear what others have to say !

Hmmm,

Will for my big systems I prefer my DIY filtration systems which consist of large plastic barrels. the system goes in this order

1. Vortex filter for solid waste removal
2. Biofilter filled with plastic pot scrubbers
3. sump where the main pump is located
4. UV sterilizer

These systems work great and require very little maintenance once setup. Not to mention they are cheap when compared to what it would cost to buy something commercial of this size.

For smaller tanks I prefer Aquaclear HOB filters. They work well, are easy to maintain and rarely break down. The only issue I have is that in the event of a power failure sometimes they don't restart.

Steve

Sbenson11 wrote:
For smaller tanks I prefer Aquaclear HOB filters. They work well, are easy to maintain and rarely break down. The only issue I have is that in the event of a power failure sometimes they don't restart.

That is probably the biggest drawback of the HOB design, whichever brand you may have. After a power failure I will notice the slurping sounds of a HOB that has lost the water draw from the tube intake. Less often I will have HOBs with no restart of the motor, probably due to the position of the magnet.

For my large tanks and big cichlids the combo of efficient canister and large hobs gives good bio and mechanical filtration. My canisters are Fluval FX5 and 6's, and API Filstar(formerly Rena). Hobs are Aquaclear 110's, and I have a few 70's as well. The AC110's will refill themselves after a power outage within a couple minutes, the 70's will not

My favourite filter isn't the best - it is an old fashioned plastic corner filter, driven by an air pump. I use a lot of them because I enjoy killiekeeping, which leaves me with smaller tanks and lower flow. They become biological filters, but need water changing to be like clockwork or the tank suffers.
Hang on the back come next, and are in use for all my Cichlids and rainbows. I like Aquaclears for filter media modification possibilities, and their workhorse reliability when there are no power outages.
I use a few cheaper Chinese branded no name HOBs, and they are fine. For the same general size as an AquaClear, they filter less, but they allow modification and have hung in well. Quiet and reliable.
Marinelands are okay, but short lived.
I hate Fluval canisters. I find them fragile, and much too quickly in the recycling bin. I won an Eheim canister in a raffle, and will give it a try later this week. I can't comment yet.
I also make filters, with coarse sponge attached to high volume powerheads. They work surprisngly well, and are great for fish that need current. Why just run a powerhead when you can easily make it work as a biological filter too?

I'm also a fan of three types of filters mentioned.
Small tanks get air driven box filters,
Mid size (10 gal) get 3 or 4inch square sponge filters,
and the odd other tank gets one or two AquaClear filters.
I love consistency and simplicity.