[dfarland]

I'm getting a hand-me-down 40g from my wife's uncle in a couple of weeks and I am starting to put together a shopping list for the new tank. I've been reading a good deal of information here about the type of filter to go with and I'm leaning towards a canister. I'm partial to Fluval filters and specifically considering the 206 or 306. Here are my thoughts/questions in no particular order.

• I prefer a canister to an HOB for its low profile and quiet operation.
• I like the simplicity of an HOB and its price.
• My preference is to setup a heated, tropical community tank.
• My wife would prefer a cold water goldfish tank.
• Are canisters as cumbersome to maintain as some people make them out to be?
• Is a 306 overkill for a 40g tank? I want to make sure I can handle whichever bioload we decide on, but don't want to create a salmon run either.

While I want to get the best I can afford, I still have a lot of things i have to purchase. A decent stand, hood, lighting and ... oh yeah ... fish!

 

[Flint]

8-10x your tank volume an hour is recommended for goldfish. I like to run all my tanks at as close to 10x as possible but it's preference. I wouldn't go less than 5-6x for a community IMHO. Just some food for thought, I can't speak for that canister, I don't buy name brand canisters.
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[m919]

I run two filters on my 60 gal. One is a Fluval 110 HOB and the other is the Fluval 306. Canister. The canister filter holds a lot more water and media which allows more water to be filtered before entering the tank. Having two is also nice because you can clean/maintain one every other month and always have the bacteria on hand with the other filter. Just remember not to clean all filter inserts at the same time. As far as the canister being cumbersome, nope! Easy set up and just follow the instructions and you will be very happy. "Flint" is correct, you should be running 10x and with only running the 306 you will only be at 7.5x you tank volume an hour. Look at the "GPH" and do the math. Running multiple filters is the best way to go for water quality and it will keep you fish happy and healthier in the long run.

 

[sandybottom]

i have a 45 gallon oranda tank. i run a fluval 306 as a mechanical filter and a sunsun hw-303b as a biological filter with a sponge prefilter.. i have a couple of fluvals and sunsuns. in my opinion the sunsuns are just as good as the fluvals.they are a fraction of the price.

 

[dfarland]

Thanks for the tip. I like the prices on the Sunsun 403B much better. At 370GPH it would get me closer to 9.25x with a single filter. I may end up with an HOB before long, but that should make for a good start. At half the price of the Fluval 406, it should appease the budget committee.

 

[sandybottom]

i have the b series too. keep in mind that the uv light on them is weak at only 9 watts. this is only strong enough to kill green water or suspended algae spores.if you desire a stronger uv,you can save a little more money on the filter by getting the regular 403..then get an inline uv that is up to snuff. i think i have used my sunsuns uv twice.

 

[jaysee]

I don't use mine either. Waste of money unless you battle green water. The flow rate of 370 GPH doesn't provide enough contact time to kill anything complex.

If you want a good UV I highly recommend the green killing machine. The low flow rate of the factory matched powerhead provides for much longer exposure time.

I run the killing machines on my big tanks. I chose not to go with inlines because of the flow rates over the bulb, though it sure would be convenient to splice it in. On the other hand, they are higher quality - better be at their price point - many made with corkscrewed bulbs to increase exposure time so that probably overcomes the flow rate concern.

 

[avraptorhal]

I'm getting a hand-me-down 40g from my wife's uncle in a couple of weeks and I am starting to put together a shopping list for the new tank. I've been reading a good deal of information here about the type of filter to go with and I'm leaning towards a canister. I'm partial to Fluval filters and specifically considering the 206 or 306. Here are my thoughts/questions in no particular order.

• I prefer a canister to an HOB for its low profile and quiet operation.
• I like the simplicity of an HOB and its price.
• My preference is to setup a heated, tropical community tank.
• My wife would prefer a cold water goldfish tank.
• Are canisters as cumbersome to maintain as some people make them out to be?
• Is a 306 overkill for a 40g tank? I want to make sure I can handle whichever bioload we decide on, but don't want to create a salmon run either.

While I want to get the best I can afford, I still have a lot of things i have to purchase. A decent stand, hood, lighting and ... oh yeah ... fish!

I absolutely will not get another HOB unless it is a life or death proposition. I don't care whose life or death. In fact I have a Penguin 200 sitting in a closet available for sale trade or donation except for shipping costs. Why? Let me tell you the ways.

HOB are more noisy, mostly. Impeller and Water falling in to tank.
Pushes surface feeding food toward the bottom.
Water every place if the filter needs to be primed after cleaning. Try accurately pouring water into a small hole at shoulder height with your arm extended about half way. Water weighs about 8# per gallon. A filed gallon jug makes a useful dumbbell for weight training.
More frequent cleaning.
Cleaning a canister is no more cumbersome than a HOB. I feel that the canister is easier for me. In a HOB the water is free to go where it wants to because of the waterfall. The canister works just like a bucket. The HOB must be designed for the waterfall effect.
Except for the Aqua Clear HOB line a canister is much more versatile in terms of media choice. The Aqua Clear line also allows for some adjustment of the flow.
I don't know other brands, but the Fluval 06 line allows the flow to be adjusted as low as 50% of the max without hurting the filter. I probably have missed some other points but these are enough to start with.

More problematic is the difference in cost of the media over time. You can mitigate the cost of the filter cartridges by modifying the cartridges so that they last longer. I have had my 206 for close to eight months and I've never replaced anything but the extremely fine felt pads I added because I want to micro clean the water, my crazy need! It doesn't really affect the water quality in terms of removing the toxic stuff in the water.

I've shot my mouth off enough, time to quit.

 

[RSVBiffer]

HOB are more noisy, mostly. Impeller and Water falling in to tank.

It's quite odd really, whilst HOBs seem quite popular in the US yet they have never really caught on in the UK. My abiding memory of my father's back in the early eighties was that it was extremely noisy. It didn't last long because of that.

 

[jaysee]

I always kept my water levels high with HOBs to minimize the water noise, and I believe that it helps the filter stay quiet because it doesnt have to work as hard to move the water. That being said, even the quietest HOB is noisy compared to a canister.