Filter for a 75g?

[Katherine]

I'm planning to get a 75g tank sometime in the next few months and doing some thinking and planning ahead of time.

I know I don't want to mess with a canister filter. What would be the pros and cons of a couple of sponge filters vs a hang on back?

I've never had anything larger than a 10 gallon before and never used a HOB style filter. The 10g was given to me with an in tank cartridge filter that I switched for a sponge filter fairly quickly.

[jwcarlson]

What are you planning on keeping in the tank?  I think that makes a huge difference.

 

Air driven sponge filters (in my opinion) are more or less useless for mechanical filtration.  The caveat is that I am relatively new to sponges.  Perhaps a power head driven one would create enough "suction" to slurp up material.  This is actually good for some applications, but not necessarily great for others.  

Otherwise, I've always enjoyed HOBs and I think they're a good option.  But I don't think I've ever had a tank without at least two filters.  Like a HOB and a sponge filter working together.  

 

In my 37 gallon community I have a couple of HOBs and a smaller Co-Op sponge filter.  On my 75 discus tank I've got (as of the shipment arriving last night) three double stacked large Co-Op sponges.  Hospital tank has a smaller finer sponge that I had laying around.  In the discus tank, I am the mechanical filtration with water changes every night.  If you're going to put 40 male African cichlids in your 75, you should probably do something different than what I'm doing. 🙂 

Edited March 17, 2022 by jwcarlson

[Katherine]

I'm planning on keeping a few varieties of tetras, so far I've only for sure decided on black phantom tetras, but I'd like to keep the others close to the same size and peaceful. Possibly some shrimp later on, but that's not been 100% decided and would be at least a year down the line if it does happen. It'll probably be just the BPTs for several months. ETA: I'm not really sure how many tetras in the end. I still need to figure out how many is feasible, but probably a moderately heavy stocking eventually.

I also want to have it fairly heavily planted at some point, but will probably have to start with a very light plant load and wait for them to grow in.

Edited March 17, 2022 by Katherine

[Widgets]

I totally agree with multiple filters and mixing filter types. And having extra sponge filters is nice to have when you need to setup a new or QT tank.

Here is an article on the pros and cons of the various filter types:

https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/fish-tank-filters-which-one-should-you-get?_pos=23&_sid=8f75b649d&_ss=r

[jwcarlson]

I don't think you can go wrong with a HOB and a sponge filter or two for what you're describing.  The HOB will help keep the water more clear (in my experience) by giving you some decent mechanical filtration and if you ever have an extended power outage or something like that, you'll still have sponges that you can power with a battery air pump.  Plus why not have some sort of air stone... and if you're going to have an air stone, why not put a sponge filter on the end of it?

You don't necessarily have to have a massive HOB aiming for multiple hourly turnovers for that part of it either.  On my old oscar tanks I tried to aim for something close to 10x hourly turnover (two Penguin 350s on a 75, for instance).  That was a long time ago and I don't think that kind of flow is necessary in most cases.    

[yassy]

I have 75 gallon tank. I have Aqua clear 110 on right hand side running minus carbon bag, and on my left side, I am running Hydro pro sponge filter. I have guppy, otto, handful shrimp, snail so far. I had cory but lost them all after power outage in Jan for 4 days long....

[Brandon p]

Just me I would personally go with an under gravel filter but there is a a lot of hate for them because they are old school. I have different filters in different tank for different reasons. I run . 
A.

1. UGF +’s: 1. No Moving Parts, Simple To Install & Operate: 

2. UGFs are Invisible

3. UGFs are Effective       

4. UGFs are Inexpensive to Acquire & Operate:  Craigslist, Facebook 

5. UGFs Are Versatile---Use With Powerheads, et. I like a simple air stone. 

Downsides: I disagree with some of these

1.UGFs are Hard to Maintain, Especially Long-Term. I had one run for 10years, Buford I moved. It was in great shape and working well still.

2. UGFs Can't Be Used With Diggers: three are some fish that I would not use them with, but my African cichlids have one and occasionally the filter is exposed. The hole the fish would have to make in a 55gal or larger would have to be 3-6 inches big to change the way the filter works. 
3. Plant can’t be in with a UGF. I think this is false. I have plants in tanks with UGF

this a 20 gal with UGF in top pic you can see a powerhead on the uplift tube. You also see and old broken HOB, the pothos grows from there. You can see some of the roots in 1st pic and that’s what the second post is supposed to show, but it keeps turning some pics on the side . 
 

HOB: easy to use, use to clean , great for beginners.you don’t have to look at sponges in your tank. In some tank or just by preference the sponges can be an eyesore.  If you go this route watch Cory YouTube on how to make your HOB work at is best, this will really help turn your HOB into a bacteria machine(which is good) Downsides: my have to clean often, use a sponge to cover the intake , help prevent lose of small fish or snails from getting in the impeller and jamming it.

Sponge Filter: +’s: easy to use. There are lots of modifications you can make. Make a good amount of bacteria. -‘s: mainly they’re ugly to look at. They can be messy to clean. And new ones don’t really do much it takes a while the build the bacteria up.

canisters:+’s might be the most aesthetically clean look.  -‘s can be difficult to clean, Sam can be very complicated , cost probably the most expensive,Harder to modify.

I know you said no on it all ready but I included it and I have one more

Sump: #’s  Great four bigger tanks. Almost in infinite number of ways to set up. Both work extremely well. You can have like things like fry or plants growing in them.

-‘s: some can be costly depending on how you set it up. Most of the time the tank needs to be drilled all those are some new ideas to not Drill it( I have not seen one in think is better than drilling). 
if your tank is drilled I would use a sump

 

 

Edited March 17, 2022 by Brandon p
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[Patrick_G]

I like the hang on back on my 75. It sucks up detritus and adds some flow but it limits what plants I can use because the flow pushes them over and tangles them up. If you haven't tried one it's worth a go. Be sure to check out Cory’s video on hot rodding filters so you have it running optimally. 

[HenryC]

I got a 75g tank with a grown oscar, a midas cichlid, 3 blood parrots, a jack dempsey, a featherfin catfish,a female vieja zonatus and a T-bar cichlid... granted, most of these are medium-sized juveniles, but still it's a crowded tank (in the process of getting a 350g for all of these fellas).

I use only 2 20 gal sponge filters powered by a tetra whisper 100g pump, and been doing so for months. 0 problems, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, clear water. So if your bioload (and this is a HUGE bioload for the tank, I feed heavily) is gonna be lower than this, I'm sure you'll fine with sponge filters.

The only bad thing I would say about sponge filters is that they're tricky to get out of the tank to clean without releasing a cloud of mulm. But it's not that bad once you know how to do it.
 

 

Edited March 17, 2022 by HenryC

[TonyRs5]

I had HOB on my 55 and like it alot and went to canister on 125, cansiter is a pain to take care of so between the two I like HOB, stuck for now with canister as it is new. Hope that helps a bit.

[Brandon p]

On 3/17/2022 at 11:49 AM, Patrick_G said:

I like the hang on back on my 75. It sucks up detritus and adds some flow but it limits what plants I can use because the flow pushes them over and tangles them up. If you haven't tried one it's worth a go. Be sure to check out Cory’s video on hot rodding filters so you have it running optimally. 

Some brands a lot you can slow. If you don’t have a sponge on the intake a fine sponge will slow it a little. A blouse the sponge is another place to grow that good bacteria 

Edited March 17, 2022 by Brandon p

[Brandon p]

On 3/17/2022 at 12:03 PM, HenryC said:

I got a 75g tank with a grown oscar, a midas cichlid, 3 blood parrots, a jack dempsey, a featherfin catfish,a female vieja zonatus and a T-bar cichlid... granted, most of these are medium-sized juveniles, but still it's a crowded tank (in the process of getting a 350g for all of these fellas).

I use only 2 20 gal sponge filters powered by a tetra whisper 100g pump, and been doing so for months. 0 problems, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, clear water. So if your bioload (and this is a HUGE bioload for the tank, I feed heavily) is gonna be lower than this, I'm sure you'll fine with sponge filters.

The only bad thing I would say about sponge filters is that they're tricky to get out of the tank to clean without releasing a cloud of mulm. But it's not that bad once you know how to do it.
 

 

There is a trick to it. Cory show how on youtube. First disconnect the air line, then You basically take a large zip-lock bag and slip it over the sponge and quickly turn the bag and zip the bag closed. With practice you can zip the bag closed most of the way befor moving it. I use a large Tupperware. I lift the soomge up by the air line and slide the top under the sponge. Then undo air line. Next I put the top(normally the bottom) and I snap the top on. It’s the Tupperware that has the latchesto clip it closed. You have to let the water in the Tupperwarein order to get it ove the sponge 

[BeeD]

I've really only used hob and sponge filters. I lean toward sponges lately, even though I find them more annoying to maintain even with Corey's bag trick. Still, it's over in a few minutes.

I love HOB filters, but imo they just aren't good for sand tanks or lower water levels. I had too many filters die from rogue sand grains in the impeller, and the trickle is just too loud when the water isn't level with the outlet. I also kind of prefer a nice lazy current in my planted tanks.

 

[Brandon p]

On 3/17/2022 at 1:25 PM, BrettD said:

I've really only used hob and sponge filters. I lean toward sponges lately, even though I find them more annoying to maintain even with Corey's bag trick. Still, it's over in a few minutes.

I love HOB filters, but imo they just aren't good for sand tanks or lower water levels. I had too many filters die from rogue sand grains in the impeller, and the trickle is just too loud when the water isn't level with the outlet. I also kind of prefer a nice lazy current in my planted tanks.

 

I would go UGF,but I can’t disagree with your point. Sponges can be a pain but it only last a little bit. I do have a couple of sand tanks with sand and don’t have a problem but they are way under sized I run 2 but ima 3 rd would be ok. The intakes are very hi in the tank. So sand is not. Problem. Keeping the water level high enough is a Daliy or bi- Daliy chore. 

Edited March 17, 2022 by Brandon p

[BeeD]

On 3/17/2022 at 12:46 PM, Brandon p said:

I would go UGF,but I can’t disagree with your point. Sponges can be a pain but it only last a little bit. I do have a couple of sand tanks with sand and don’t have a problem but they are way under sized I run 2 but ima 3 rd would be ok. The intakes are very hi in the tank. So sand is not. Problem. Keeping the water level high enough is a Daliy or bi- Daliy chore. 

I actually do have one slow moving plenum tank, Novak style, or at least that is what I was attempting. Still have one sponge filter in there because I don't trust myself at all, lol.

I think what I ran into with sand tanks is that I was just to rambunctious when doing cleanings or moving things around. Also probably depends on the sand. The black sand tanks must have had grains just small enough to drift up into the filter. Again, could be that I wasn't gentle enough.

[Kathy F]

I do two tidal 110s and a Hydrosponge V filter on my very heavily stocked 75-gallon goldfish tank.   I love how deep the Tidal is because I can squeeze 5 layers of filter material in each HOB and they are easy to service.   I'm not a fan of skimmer so much so that if I had a do over I would do Aquaclear 110s instead but I do love the self prime features and how quiet two large filters run.   

Now HOB are the exact opposite of low profile and for a 4 foot tank you really need one on each side so if you want low visibility I would do a canister and put the intake on one side and the outflow on the other and that will provide enough circulation without doing two filters.   You can also do just sponge filters.   

My UGF tank runs well also and while I have no issue with the filter I despise the gravel you have to use with an UGF.  I dread gravel vacuuming that tank.  The grossest crude comes out of that gravel like nothing I have ever seen and I run multiple tank.  *blech*   I either want tanks with Ecocomplete, Caribsea sand or black diamond medium weight sand on bottom of the tank.    

Edited March 17, 2022 by Kathy F

[Brandon p]

On 3/17/2022 at 2:31 PM, BrettD said:

I actually do have one slow moving plenum tank, Novak style, or at least that is what I was attempting. Still have one sponge filter in there because I don't trust myself at all, lol.

I think what I ran into with sand tanks is that I was just to rambunctious when doing cleanings or moving things around. Also probably depends on the sand. The black sand tanks must have had grains just small enough to drift up into the filter. Again, could be that I wasn't gentle enough.

I think with sand tanks it’s harder. What some people are doing is using to filters just above the UGF. A course maybe a 20 ppi then a second maybe a 35/40 ppi. With sand. The sponge is almost unseen it’s a problem with white.  They aren’t for every one but some people don’t see anything happening and get worried. I have a very small power head on mine so no bubbles. The is no harm in the sponge filter being in there. It’s not hurting anything it may or may not be helping but who care. I think people worry to much what other people think. I want my tanks to look good but the pics of this tank are never going to look good due to the tank having stains I got it for almost nothing and I was going to breed in it anyway. Then I have tanks that are perfect and I have a squeegee and wipe it down at least once a day.
 

so I’m trying a moss substrate. I have a UGF then this 1 inch think 15 ppi sponge over the whole tank is was 1ft to long but fit perfect front to back. The moss is over sponge.this sponge would be to thin and to many pores. I have this process documented in a Journal . 

[BeeD]

On 3/17/2022 at 8:50 AM, Katherine said:

I'm planning to get a 75g tank sometime in the next few months and doing some thinking and planning ahead of time.

I know I don't want to mess with a canister filter. What would be the pros and cons of a couple of sponge filters vs a hang on back?

I've never had anything larger than a 10 gallon before and never used a HOB style filter. The 10g was given to me with an in tank cartridge filter that I switched for a sponge filter fairly quickly.

Compiling some points for you OP.

HOB pros: Easy to reach/maintain, can use variety of media and mix them, easily modified, more gallons per hour than sponge filter and picks up detritus floating in water, tons of mechanical and bio filtration overall, good surface agitation (oxygenation), good current for stream loving fish but usually not too strong.

HOB cons: No bio filtration during power outage (unless modified with intake sponge), really need to modify the intake to avoid killing snails or weakened fish, loud trickle when water isn't level with the outflow, might want to put a custom baffle on the outflow to slow current or keep floating plants settled (can find stuff on Etsy, lots diy projects on youtube), can be really loud when starting up after power outage.

Sponge pros: Plenty of bio-filtration, bio filter active during power outage, nice lazy current for lazy fish and floating plants, good oxygenation, easily modified, can be supercharged, fish/shrimp/snails can all be seen picking at microbes, most air pumps these days are pretty quiet.

Sponge cons: Doesn't collect detritus as well, more annoying to maintain, sound from bubbles can be annoying to some people and modifying with an air stone will add to maintenance, I love/use sponge filters but airlines everywhere.  

Edit: Forgot something. I think they're kind of even on salt/mineral creep on the glass, but it's a little harder to completely cover a tank with hob; have to really think through your mod in that case, because you can accidentally wick water on top of your lid.

Edit 2: Corey's videos...

 

I'm starting to think the answer to the question in that last video might be 'yes', and I have one on order because, well, why not?

Edited March 17, 2022 by BrettD

[Brandon p]

On 3/17/2022 at 3:54 PM, BrettD said:

Compiling some points for you OP.

HOB pros: Easy to reach/maintain, can use variety of media and mix them, easily modified, more gallons per hour than sponge filter and picks up detritus floating in water, tons of mechanical and bio filtration overall, good surface agitation (oxygenation), good current for stream loving fish but usually not too strong.

HOB cons: No bio filtration during power outage (unless modified with intake sponge), really need to modify the intake to avoid killing snails or weakened fish, loud trickle when water isn't level with the outflow, might want to put a custom baffle on the outflow to slow current or keep floating plants settled (can find stuff on Etsy, lots diy projects on youtube), can be really loud when starting up after power outage.

Sponge pros: Plenty of bio-filtration, bio filter active during power outage, nice lazy current for lazy fish and floating plants, good oxygenation, easily modified, can be supercharged, fish/shrimp/snails can all be seen picking at microbes, most air pumps these days are pretty quiet.

Sponge cons: Doesn't collect detritus as well, more annoying to maintain, sound from bubbles can be annoying to some people and modifying with an air stone will add to maintenance, I love/use sponge filters but airlines everywhere.  

Edit: Forgot something. I think they're kind of even on salt/mineral creep on the glass, but it's a little harder to completely cover a tank with hob; have to really think through your mod in that case, because you can accidentally wick water on top of your lid.

Edit 2: Corey's videos...

 

I'm starting to think the answer to the question in that last video might be 'yes', and I have one on order because, well, why not?

I didn’t like the last one. I used for six months and the sponges at least on the one I have were pain I felt like I could clean them every other day and had to do it every 4 days or you would the water was visibly cloudy. If I only had one tank or 2 tanks going I would not worry. I have over 20.  I think all the filter work, however I don’t think they work/meet needs of the people that run the tanks. If I was asked about which filter a new fishkeeper should get if they are young( I got my first tank I 7 and it was 55 gal it was a hand me down from a family friend) under 13 I would say spong all day. Over 13 HOB  but that’s just me. I’m sure if we could poll the forum we would get all different answers.  Thank you for posting the videos that takes time.