What is the best "HOB" Hang on Back Filter ???

[Bedfordshire]

I'm looking for help choosing a Hang on Back filter for my 9 breeding tanks. Each tank is 60L & I'll have a 120L Sponge filter in each, but I want to add an inexpensive external filter too. The reason I want to choose a HOB Filter is the expense. If I had limitless funds I would go for an external canister.

It has to be available in the UK.

The ones I've looked at are the:
Eheim Liberty 2042 ???L/H £26
Azoo Mignon 360L/H £10
Azoo Mignon 1000L/H £13
All Pond Solutions 600L/H £14
Aqua Clear (but can't seem to find the for sale, discontinued?)
Unbranded ones on EBay???


Just very confused

Many thanks for everyone's help as usual

[blacksheep998]

I use aquaclear filters in all my tanks. I got most of them on ebay, but amazon carries them too. As does one small fish store near me, but none of the big box stores have them. Just remember to put some kind of sponge prefilter over the intake.

[Bedfordshire]

Hi, um I'm in the UK, no Aquaclears here I looked

[blacksheep998]

Hm, I've checked amazon.uk and other european sites and and it seems that you're right. I have no idea why they aren't available over there, sorry... :[

[Fento]

Eheim liberty runs fine (low consume, adjustable flow, nice volume, not expensive), but IMO, despite it's cartridge system is very easy to clean, it's filter charges aren't enough, I've put a haggen sponge at the water intake, and inside I've replaced the cartridges for ceramical rings.

[Bedfordshire]

No worries blacksheep, the Fluval
hang on filters are not available either C2, C3, C4 etc...

The eheim liberty looks ok, but as soon as you start looking at £30 with shipping, maybe I should hive up the idea of the HOB and just go for a SunSun 1000L/H external canister filter from All Pond Solutions, they are £39 and seem like they have good reviews.

There are also the really cheap Mignons & generic HOB at £10, might have a test and bin it if doesn't work

[lingistis]

I also use the Eheim liberty... you just need a sponge at the water intake to protect the small srimp... but I always find same small ones in the filter whenever I clean it. I find that the HOB helps with summer high temperature problems and provides "air" to the tank.

[Kevyn]

I am currently using dolphin Filter H-80 in all my tanks, I think its available on petmart? adjustable flow, low power consumption..and best of all, NO NOISE!

[Bedfordshire]

Does the liberty use any media I choose or does it use pre made ones?

[Fento]

Liberty has a cartridge system. Filter media are basically cartidges containing a sponge.

The filter has:
One "mechanical" cartridge ( two if it's 2042/ blue sponge middle size pores)
One "biological" (green sponge, small pores)
One chemical one (black, it's a black "carbon" sheet).

Blue sponge is "replaceable" (no need to buy the full blue cartridge), it's usually sold at some aquarium shops (you got to know te measures and the shop manager cuts what you want). For carbon and gren sponge you got to buy the full replacement.

Cartridges fit into determinated places at the filter (look at the pictures the triangular sides inside) and they fit just one way, I mean, you can't turn them even at the same place (side right goes right, side left, left; I don't know if you understand what I try to say ). About those triangular sides I mentioned, Blue cartidge takes 2 "triangles" (spaces), while gren and black one space each (so you can change one blue for two greens, one green... and vice versa)

I just took cartridges out and replace tem with ceramical rings. Sometimes, not often, they do a kind of noise (barely noticeable), and at cleaning time I have to empty the filter ("traditional way", disconect and turn the filter to take out the rings; I could have used a bag-like meshto contain the rings, it'll do cleaning easier). Cartridge system is very easy to handle and clean, but these filtercharges didn't seem enough for me, so I changed them.

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