Best Media for HOB filters?

[DiscusPamela]

Since the charcoal cartridges aren't good for the discus, what is the best media to use for a HOB filter system?

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Best media is Bio-Max or ceramic rings, a sponge and thats all I use. I do have a pre-filter sponge on the intake to help prolong the in box media.

You can buy media on many websites like Amazon, Kens Fish and others.

[DiscusPamela]

Best media is Bio-Max or ceramic rings, a sponge and thats all I use. I do have a pre-filter sponge on the intake to help prolong the in box media.

You can buy media on many websites like Amazon, Kens Fish and others.

Thanks for the reply Jeff. How deep do you fill it with the ceramic rings?

[JERRYKEVIN]

Sponge filter, Purigen, Ceramic noodles. Make sure to put a pre filter on intake tube

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Thanks for the reply Jeff. How deep do you fill it with the ceramic rings?

What HOB filter is it Pamela?

[DiscusPamela]

What HOB filter is it Pamela?

I have 3 around here. One has the bio wheels and the other two are just the two sided HOB filters. I bought them all second hand so I don't have packaging and info on what types they are.

[DiscusLoverJeff]

The bio-wheel sounds like it might be Marineland brand. If so just fill the inside about 1/2 way with the bio-max and the other half with sponges. If you look on the bottom of that filter on the motor itself it should tell you what size it is. Then you can google media for it or check amazon.com.

The others I am not sure of. Can you take a pictures?

[DiscusPamela]

The bio-wheel sounds like it might be Marineland brand. If so just fill the inside about 1/2 way with the bio-max and the other half with sponges. If you look on the bottom of that filter on the motor itself it should tell you what size it is. Then you can google media for it or check amazon.com.

The others I am not sure of. Can you take a pictures?

The other HOBs are the same shape/depth as the marineland one and takes the same size cartridges so half biomax/half sponge should work for those as well. Thanks for the help. :)

[dash]

Seachem matrix

[8ftbed]

If you're going to go with the K1 bottles, then you can just put sponges in the hob for mechanical filtration. The bottles will take care of the biological and washing out or replacing the sponges won't be a problem.

The 'pre-filter' sponge on the intake of a hob still causes me to scratch my head. A hob's primary purpose is mechanical filtration. Why not let it do its job? The only logical reason I see is if you've got fry that could be sucked up. IMHO

Blaine

[zimmjeff]

Some one has said this before so my apologies for stealing. The water will be clear with floating waste taken out of the water but all the water will be going through the waste over and over so other than clear water it is not removing nitrites nitrates or reducing ammonia. It is better to do water changes and have good biological filtration. Jeff

[lipadj46]

A hob's primary purpose is mechanical filtration. Blaine

Says you, most HOB filters do bio filter just fine with only the cartridges. Some do a great job like aquaclears or emperor bio wheels. Mechanical filtration is overrated IMO so I usually just pack my HOB filters with seachem matrix or purigen and have a sponge prefilter to keep the bio media clean.

[8ftbed]

Didn't say they didn't. :) I've ran HOBs almost exclusively, forever. Even the wheel versions.
Do you rinse the cartridges multiple times or replace per the manufacturers recommendation and spend that money?
Replacing them regularly leaves you with nitrifying bacteria on the walls, cartridge frames and inside of tubes. Not much compared to what's colonized on the tank walls, substrate/decorations if used. Hence my opine that a HOB is primarily mechanical. Put a sponge over the intake and fill the box with balls, rings, sponges or whatever and you're just using it for a biological filter.

[lipadj46]

I don't know of anyone who actually replaces the cartridges in HOBs until they fall apart.