After 60 years of fish keeping I still like to be reminded of the basics every now and again. So I like this new format. Easy to listen to, packed with relevant info. Keep it up.
It was mentioned an expense with sponge filters is the air pump. However, it was never mentioned that the sponge filters also acts as an aerator, which could take the place of a bubbler.
@@scaryterry3513 you miss read the comment. Basically a sponge filter is 2 in 1 or a buy one get one free, filter and aeration at the same time. If I'm setting up a tank I swap a air stone with a sponge filter a few weeks before in one of my established tanks to get a cycled filter
@@nacho7614 I've been watching a ton of his videos lately and they're really interesting!, I'm gonna keep my ears sharp for the word Plunts in the next one XD
On my 180 gallon, I still use 2 HOB filters but I did break down and buy a canister filter mainly for the extra flow. I feel like hang on’s weren’t getting enough water movement on their own but I wanted at least two hang ons for the surface agitation and oxygen exchange
The only thing I don't like about my hang on the backs (seachem and Aqua clear) is that I live in a hard water area and they get crust on them so I have to clean off the scale each water change.
Same! I have rock hard water and aquaclear filter as well. Do you have any idea where that yucky brownish green muck came from? Algae? Diatoms? Or bacteria? They are always stuck in the tube and the output area
@@Xsksnssjccxghb I get that on the airline tubing for my sponge filters, and I have no idea what it is. I have that brownish green stuff, and then there's also some bright pinkish orange slime too.
@@Xsksnssjccxghb The brownish greenish gunk sounds like bacteria, which are good. Leave them in your sponge. Hard water problems show as a whitish to reddish crust that comes off with great difficulty. It is basically calcium with or without rust. Vinegar cuts calcium deposits.
@@kinglyzard Thank you! Although my waters pretty hard, the drift wood scape and the peat moss in my filter seem to soften and lower the acidity level a little since my fish (betta and tetras) prefer these on the lower side. I did a thorough cleaning of my HOB yesterday with tank water because the pipe seemed a bit clogged :) the gunk smells surprisingly organic
I like these newer podcast style videos but I gotta say I do miss the “10 things” videos and “tanks of our lives”..so funny, I hope y’all continue to do both kinds in the podcast and 10 things video..keep up the awesome content
My favourites are a sump because it works well, it's modular and can do many things. DIY Sponge filter with bio media made out of a large Mason jar, I couldn't find one that did what I wanted like carbon, filter floss and different layers of foam so I made one.
Okay 👌🏾 Glad I'm not the only one who doesnt mind aquarium noises. My bedroom aquarium was inaudible initially unless you put your head up to the tank to listen. It used to run only on the sicce silent internal, which I swear is silent as it gets. It wasn't until I had to run a sponge to keep one seeded, that I suddenly had noise. And I honestly, didn't mind actually liked it. I even like the glup glup noise the sponge made until I added an air stone.
Pre filters are a must! They add so much surface area for bacteria! I use a HOB turned on low with a prefilter sponge and a second air powered sponge filter that has a media canister also on low, this is the setup for almost every tank
I use the Fluval 407 with the in line UV sterilizer on my 60 gallon aquarium. Completely clear water. I love it. My 11 gallon Betta aquarium uses the sponge filter. P.S. I'm a woman that loves bigger and more power. Petite is cute, but not my style. I'm such a tom boy, lol.
In all of my tanks that are over 100 gallons, I’m running pond boss filter kits. These are amazing for keeping tanks clean and cost WAY less than canister filters. The beauty is, you only need 1 filter per tank and not a number of canister filters to get the job done. You can hide it behind plants or hard scape if you don’t want to see it. I also want to add the cost of hydro running the filters. You can run a number of sponge filters off one air pump. Having to run a number of canister filters for 1 tank is a guzzler for hydro that many may not be able to afford.
I am a big proponent of using under gravel filters plumbed to HOB filters! I will use a substraight that is beneficial towards the water parameters needed for the occupants & then gravel vacuum with every water change.
Honestly John your the reason I got into this hobby well lifestyle I started a little after COVID because there was nothing to do I never comment and I watched “almost” all kg vids hands down best idea
I'm old school; What happened to under gravel filters? I'd run a 75 gallon tank with two 5 gal. u.g. filters in each corner running with bubbles and a hang on the back filter.
After watching your site I started using sponge filters in all my tanks except 750 gal. Also love and am changing over to tidal hang on even and adding to a couple of tanks with canister filters. I enjoy your tips, keep it up.
Also I find with having a bigger filter.. I'm not having to service it as much. I have a 300Lt with 4 Oscars an I run a sunsun HW 5000 with a intake sponge then inside 1 tray sponges an a polisher the rest 5kg of Matrix an it's really stable. Tbh Ive gone up to 3 months before I take the lid off. I work fulltime... So for me, it gives me more time to sit an relax on my days off rather then chasing maintenance 🙂
After getting a Tidal 35, I’m planning to replace 2 older HOBs with Tidals as well. I have an FX6 on my large tank. (Lisa, us girls can work with canisters too. 😆) I hate cleaning it but at least I don’t have to do it frequently. There’s a use scenario for each kind of filter.
i have 6 aquariums with 3 different filtration systems, i have 3 aquariums with a sump system (and yes lisa im a girl but they aint bigger than 240G tho) 1 of them is hang on the back and the other 2 are Fluval internal filters (U1 and U2).
I own a sponge filter with a small filter media container attached to it, it’s pretty small (5-7cm diameter x 20cm). Super neat design and that tanks water is much clearer than the aqua clear HOB which is 3x more expensive.
As a bloke from the UK, I love sponge filters, even in my larger tanks 75 US Gallon and up! But I had to go out today and get my first Canister Filter for my main display tank, went for the 307 fluval! 😉 And I'm glad I didn't get the 407 as the flow is more than enough from the 307! And it seems the best value for money out of all the fluval 7 series filters 👌 Love these podcast style videos from you both, cracking job! 😁
I love this format the old videos are highly educational and this just feels like "the next step" diving deeper into conversation It would be dope to have other people on to get different perspectives of the hobby
If you put a intake sponge on a canister filter it reduces cleaning it as often, I clean mine every 6-8 weeks with no problems instead of every 2 weeks.
yeah over the years I have never gone from hang on back and sponge filters. If it ain't broke don't fix it. if I can have a hang on back on one side of a 55 and a sponge filter on the other side and get plenty of filtration and water movement with air being added for gas exchange then why overly complicate it. Also with the hang on the back, I don't take the cartages out like the box says. I rinse the cartages in tank water in a bucket while I am cleaning the sponge filter. I want to keep that bacteria in the tank and I don't need to replenish the carbon.
@shane kearsley I use the MarineLand filter for a 55 gallon with the Rite-Size C cartages. In approaching 3 years I have changed the cartridges 3 times because they started falling apart and instead just dunk and swish them in a bucket of tank water I took out to clean them off but keep the bio in there. The filter also has a prefilter I got from Aquarium Co-op. I can't remember if KG sells them too.
I have very little space, so I can only have two small tanks. The 14 gallon Aqueon cube was an impulse buy literally the day before yesterday, and I've ordered a coarse sponge filter and nano air pump from Aquarium Co-op. I also have a 5 gallon Aqueon mini bow, and I just replaced its included filter with a sponge filter before adding a betta because the current was just too strong. The new betta is still adjusting to life outside a cup, but he's having no trouble swimming around. I think the original filter would have been a problem for him.
I'm loving this kind of format. Great idea 👍 the only thing you forgot to mention was the cost of the replacement cartridges for the HOB filters and how to switch out those with reusable sponges and filter media to save money. Those replacement cartridges are the largest cost to the system, and add up quickly plus removing the replacement cartridges and throwing them away and putting in new ones, you're throwing away all that great beneficial bacteria.. Keep up the great videos, love ya guys.
I use pre-filter sponges for canister filters on 10 aquariums, one HOB on the hospital/quarantine and one internal powerhead filter on a nano tank ... all works for me :)
Guys, I don't even have a fish tank but I've been watching an embarrassing amount of your videos since the RU-vid algorithm decided I needed to learn about fish keeping a couple weeks ago. Great job on your channel!
Like the new forum for videos Ty both Love my sponge filters have a few hang on backs mostly hold plants in.I have 3-4 canisters laying around in a box I’ve acquired with tanks & at auction but the seem very complicated & expensive. I use a clear container and tilt filter into it& lift out and clean in same water.Have A Blessed Day ✝️
You can put a powerhead on a sponge filter. We don't have the same type as in the US, but 2x5" block with a pipe. You put a 10 dollar powerhead on a minimum flow and it's ideal quiet solution for a nano. You can buy a larger block for larger than tanks, but you can do different solutions there. One of my tanks has internal sump with cannister Eheim full of ceramics. Other tank has cannister Eheim with sponge filter as a pre-filter (again it's this fine 2x5" block). Cannister filters don't require to be cleaned as often, if you have the pre-filter (which you wash regularly). So it actually requires less maintenance time. Half an hour every 6 months? They also improved greatly in the recent years. For example the filter in the preview: It has valves with taps and a handle like a bucket. No need to pull the hoses, just close the valves, unplug it, wipe the water. IMO it's better than a sponge filter, if you use sponge pre-filter, pick a reliable model and don't care about somewhat higher price. I had mixed experience with hang-on filters. They might resonate on small tanks. OK in an office or a kitchen, bad in student's bedroom. On large tank they are quiet, but not much of internal space.
I'm a sump guy, once I used a sump for the first time I was hooked and never went back. I have been in this hobby for decades and have tried it all at some point, my fish tanks all have sumps. Now with that said I am by no means a canister hater, on the contrary. For my turtle tank I use two FX6"s, I love those filters. As far as I'm concerned the FX6"s are the best canister filter on the market hands down, they are a work horse. Yeah so for me, canisters for the turtles and sumps for the fish. P.S. There is a cavoite though, the FX6's Come with a hefty price tag (you get what you pay for). But then again some of my custom sumps cost a lot more than a FX6. The thing I like the most about sumps is how clean you can make a setup look, nothin hanging in the tank, on the tank or out of the tank. For that reason, I sure loves me a sump lol. The best filter system is going to be the one that works for you. Cheers!
New to your channel, and the hobby (Tank set up August 2022 105ltr). Just a simple Tetra Starter Line with internal filter (Which has done good so far). I've recently bought a Hygger Twin Sponge filter for two reasons really. 1) Only need an air pump to run. 2) Large area for bacteria to flourish. The telescopic spout gives a versatile way to adjust the flow and offers great oxygen transfer. Like the Pod Cast style vids, and your advice is clear and simple for us new to this addictive hobby. Thank you kindly.
Same here. My Top Fins weren't as quiet, but I love AquaClears. I haven't tried Tidals yet, but I plan to get my hands on one to try out at some point. I like the idea of water being pushed into the filter instead of pulled like ACs. Would make restarts quicker and easier.
After staring at sponges the other day trying to figure out how they work (I'm in Japan currently so trying to read anything didn't help haha) now I understand them. My tank came with an internal filter but the output scares my little neons. I plugged it with filter material for a temp fix, but I think I'm gonna stick a sponge filter in there. That way I don't have to make/buy a new lid for a HOB to fit. It has a nice glass lid with small corner cutouts for cords and feeding. This hobby is kinda overwhelming but it's fun.
I'm all about canister filters just added a Fluval 407 to my collection to replace my old JBL 1501e. I've recently become a convert to Fluval after being tempted be more exotic continental brands the past 15 years. The flow rate is really impressive I decided to try them after watching one of your old videos.
I've been running underground filters with powerheads in my tanks for 30 years. So quiet and easy to maintain. Even my turtle tank. In my bedroom. I have a fish tank is in my office and the only noise is from the bubble stone.
I enjoyed the format, speedy but relaxed, twas good. I am a first tank newb 6months into hobby 40gal with 35 young fish and i love my canister filter...bloke from Australia! Oggabooga!
Just got my new 20 gallon. Got my dream center piece fish. Flame Dwarf Gourami. Added some big belly Mollies and long fin Danios. I'm a happy happy fish keeper 😁
Two main reasons for me switching to canister filter on a 5 gal. 1. Noise - I’ll pay for the quiet. 2. And more importantly - increased water volume for the system as a whole. In my mind this aids in helping to control an increased difficulty to maintaining stability in a smaller tank. Increased total water volume is one of the largest advantages of both canisters and sumps. The third reason I switched from HOB to canister was purely appearance. Who doesn’t like sexy glass pipes over big blocks of equipment in an aqua scape? I didn’t have much room in my 45x25x25mm nano tank for anything but aqua scape and inhabitants. Having a heated canister takes all that junk out of the tank and gives the already limited real estate back to the fish while allowing for focus to remain on what we keep fish tanks for in the first place, the fish. My quarantine and hospital tanks all have sponge or HOB or a combination, but my displays get the sexy. I’d argue that most large public facility aquariums that attract visitors practice a similar concept albeit on a massive scale. Oh, saved round- I have found that some mini ball valves & inline QD’s reduce the hassle of canister maintenance. It allows me to move my stuff to the wet room with out all the mess I used to get before.
Good video. I love sponge filters, they are hands down the cheapest way to go and work really well. I am however making my first sump. Probably my second favorite form of filtration.
Sumps were what I started with as a beginner... Want activated carbon? Toss it in. Want calcium, toss it in. Don't want an additive? Take it out. Want all of your water passing your heating element? Keep it in your sump. Want to have a separate refugium? Have one. Want to run it on an opposed light cycle? Go for it. Don't want lines in your aquarium where you're having water loss to evaporation? That all happens in the sump, not the main aquarium. Want to run UVC sterilization? Run it on your return line from the sump. Want to have an automatic water topoff? Run that in your sump's return compartment. Don't want to see your filter in your tank? Yeah the sump is outside the tank and all you really need is a single outlet from the tank. Want to do a controlled water change? Easily set your sump up for it. Sumps do most anything you want them to do, and are super easy to work with, just keep media bags and you can drop things in and pull things out simply.
Just want to say I like this new “radio type” format the best ... camera back and forth ... yadda the dynamic of the two of you I comes out more positive . Just my perception ...
I have been in the hobby for over 20 years (started in 1996) and I have used everything with the exception of a sump. I have never had an aquarium over 100 gallons so I think that is why. Like the common sense approach you guys have in regards to the hobby and advice you share with the community. Respectfully, Carlos A. Gonzalez.
Except for a sump, I use everey kind of filter in our aquariums: sponge filter, internal power filter, hang on back filter, under gravel filter, canister filter and Hamburger mat filter. Basically I like them all and in some cases even combine them. I have a hang on back connected to an under gravel and a sponge filter so I don't have to run an air pump for those. I love canister filter also for small aquariums like a 10 gal. It does not take up space in the already small tank and it looks very clean, especially if the aquarium is free in a room and not backed up against a wall.
Fish are not bothered by noise. They are sensitive to a certain wave length of vibration like a motor boat in the ocean usually scares most aquatic life aware except the largest of which are learning to stear clear & avoid injury & death.
I'm liking the podcast style. I guess I'm weird though cause I'm a gal that loves big tanks and monster fish :) I'm not a fan of Dovii or oscars but their are some amazing barb species like Phoenix barbs that need that monster tank, sump and such.
I like the canister filters. Yes they are harder to maintain in some ways but you don’t have to clean them as often. Especially since I use 2 on each tank. Alternate cleaning the filters so you don’t hurt your biological filter. I also only use sponge, foams, fine filter pad and bio. No chemical. I used carbon for years then Purigan. Waste of money. Carbon is good if you have a cloudy tank or meds you want to remove. It will polish the water. I wouldn’t use long term.
I recently purchased a hygger aquarium double sponge filter for my 29 gallon. It's great since it doesn't take up space on the bottom of the tank and I can add my own filter media into it.
About sponge filter, I added a small tank for shrimp and one Betta in my office. I set it up with a sponge filter. After 2 days I couldn't take it anymore, the noise associated with sponge filter is ridiculous! Between the air pump and the bubbles. I think it's something you missed in your pros and cons about sponge filter, the noise is unbearable if you try to set it somewhere quiet.
I'm a woman and I love my canister filters. I prefer them to HOB filters because I don't like the noise of the HOB filters, I don't like the look of sponge filters, and I don't like how much real estate in-tank filters take up especially in small aquariums. I also don't generally have issues with them not starting up again after a power outage and you don't have to worry about them overflowing like the sumps.
This is valuable . I was into fish keeping ten years ago . I knew nothing and learned by trial and error. Even so I managed to have a lot of fun and a fair amount of success with three small tanks. Now I am considering returning to the hobby . Gaining knowledge like never before and forming my plan with that knowledge to make my vision a reality when I am ready.
I have them all there all good filters and all have the pros and cons. John will love this just built 20 gallon long sump for my 75 gallon MBUNA tank and yes wouldn’t fit in stand I made it fit and up and running. And I agree sponge and HOB are best for beginners
I love all 3! But I’d love to try a Sump once I get into the big big boy tanks. But yeah HOB, sponge filters, Canisters I use all 3 for my MTS problem. Haha. Great video John and Lisa!
Having owned sponge filters, HOBs and canisters for the last 20 years; the canister filters are far easier to clean and far more efficient. A few stones of matrix will house far more aerobic and anaerobic bacteria than any sponge filter. Sponges by definition simply are incapable of housing anaerobic bacteria.
@@adamwaind5057 yep, but plants only consume so many nitrates. If you want lower tank maintenance and the ability to do smaller water changes, canisters are the only option.
@@sargepee1597 I disagree, I find myself doing much more maintenance on the one tank with a canister filter than I do on 10 that only use sponge filters. With sponge filters the plants grow better meaning i do far fewer water changes and when i do my monthly trimmings of the plants that takes about 5 mins per row of tanks( maybe a little longer on the floor tanks) I get so much plant matter removed it goes straight into the compost bin to grow my outdoor plant when summer comes around again. But the canister filter tank my plants do terribly despite having the same light and CO2 and very similar fish stocks but as the plants dont grow as well I see the nitrates raising up very quickly so I spend ages doing water changes on it and it makes me hate that tank.
I have a cannister for a long low pondscape, and an aio nano tank. But both have sponge filters, too. I like the extra aeration and everything stays clean a lot longer
My problem with hob"s is if you have alot of plants and/or decor it's inevitable that you will have dead zones cuz they intake and expel water in the same spot. Hanging on the short side of the tank helps a little but how many do that?
I’m really fond of my HMF with a Czech air lift. It’s so quiet that i can have it in my bedroom. The size is 10 cm thick and then 40 by 40 cm and with the current number of fish it should take at least two years before it should need a cleaning. A way to get a more quiet HOB filter is to glue a piece of plastic on the dropzone that goes to the surface in the aquarium. No spashing after that.
Great content guy's. I have a Aqua clear 70 on a 40g tank because of the extra circulation. I'm handicapped and the loss of prime in my HOB is bothersome. However the chance for a leak with the HOB scares the hell outta me. Serv~Pro would be able to respond faster than I would in the event of an obstruction causing a flood. I love your video on the HOB filters. I'm gonna try switching gradually to sponge filters. I'll leave the HOB running until the sponge filter becomes "Bacteriaized". You guy's help many people enjoy the hobby. I even enjoy watching your vid's.
I love these style of videos i use a HOB for my 60 gallon and let's the plants do their thing. Had a canister on an old 75 gallon and I couldn't stand the maintenence and cost, Hob and plants for life.
Sumps are a great way to give your fish double the water volume without having double the size tank. I envy sump aquarium keepers. I don't have the room for such a setup where I am, so I use a cannister filter. If I have the space one day I would like to have a big aquarium with the sump in the next room (a storage room for aquarium stuff) behind it where the pipes go through little holes in the wall. That way the sump would not be visible but would be easy to access.
I got a turtle for my birthday! That was it. Now I'm scrambling to get him a good home. I have a 40 gallon aquarium that someone gave me. Thank God! I've never had any type of aquarium. My turtle is 5-1/2 inches already. I eventually want a 75 gal. Anyway, since turtles are so messy, what kind of filter should I get? I want a decently priced one. Probably a canister since it's for a turtle. Maybe around $150 or less. Any advice you can give me will be so appreciated. I have seem a lot of your videos trying to figure this out. I've really enjoyed them. Thank you sincerely. Linda Harper
I love my fx4 cannister not because "bigger is better" but for for a natural solution to natural problems. Ph high? Add media. Need that healthy bacteria? Porous clay. Water clarity? Do a fine debris sponge and activated carbon. My water chemistry is perfect, my plants are thriving, my water is so freaking crystal clear every single time I walk by my tank I just get cheesy. Maybe some truth to the "men like big things" statements but I also have a smaller Aquarium with hang on filter as well. It's doing it's job surely and is easier to maintain. My hospital tank has a sponge. Anyway after all this rambling... Great episode and thanks!
I have always used canisters, but now that I have a larger tank, I have to get help to clean them. They are just so heavy! I’m thinking of getting a sump for my next tank. Nothing to lift!
Hey guys! I got a tank and fishes before doing proper research. But after day 1, I came on here and learnt so many things. You helped me reduce my ammonia spike, and guided me through my first cycle. Thank you so much! God speed.
I run a dual sponge filter on one end and an over th tank hang on filter on the other end on my 55gal mbuna tank with a bag of crushed coral inside the hang on filter to maintain the ph. Never an issue, water is crystal clear and I feed my fish 3x a day, one pellet each, each time
I have only used sponge filters a couple of times on 10 gallon tanks. Since all my current aquariums are 35 up to 200 gallons , HOBs and canisters work for me. I find , depending on how heavily stocked my aquarium is, I can go longer between services with my canisters vs HOBs. My preferences; less than 20 gallons sponge filter, less than 100 HOBs, over 100 gallons canister or sumps.
my power went off few hours ago i got the aqaclear 35 and i have the tidal 35 and the 55,power came back on and the aqaclear wont fill back up but the tidal 35 and 55 fillled up fast,so long aqaclear going in the trash this tidal is the best its cost more but its the best all filters should have the pump in the water
I have a 450 litre tank. I bought an Eheim classic 600 external filter and it has a Juwel internal filter which is a big black box in the corner of the tank. I have thought about taking the internal filter out and getting another Eheim classic 600 external filter. Is this ok to do or should I leave it be? I love the new podcast format. Thanks
450 juwel aquarium? are you happy with it? I got the internal filter frome RIO240 and it free d space fore me.... but having a heater and a filter in tank is a good security. P.s. i would leave it in, it skims the surface and hides the heater
@@mariot.5178 yes I really like the 450 Juwel aquarium. I didn't realise it skimmed the surface. I'm relatively new to the hobby so I'm still finding my feet. Thanks for the advice I'll stick with it for now. I was just thinking of making more space