There are three commonly used custom aquarium filters to select from when choosing your setup. Hang-on-Back (HOB) filters are the low-end, Canister filters are the mid-range filter and Wet/Dry filters are the high-end filters. Each has pros and cons, however, when used properly, can keep the fish in your aquarium setup happy and healthy for a lifetime.

In this post, we are going to explain Hang-on-Back (HOB) filters.

HOB filters are compact, inexpensive and, yes, you guessed it, hang on the back of your aquarium. These are intended primarily for freshwater use and should only be used in marine applications by the experienced hobbyist. They usually consist of simple, removable cartridges, which should contain three filter elements. Some still use a single all-in-one cartridge you replace each month. The advantage to the hang-on-back filter is ease of use. All you have to do is change one element every month in order to refresh your carbon filter. The downside, is you will be throwing away a large portion of the aquarium’s good bacteria with each cartridge and your aquarium will go through a short unstable period while the bacteria re-grow.

Most HOB manufacturers have thought of this, and now include a second cartridge just for the bacteria to grow on. This cartridge gets left alone or only rinsed every month while the other cartridge still gets replaced. Some have gone one step further and include three separate cartridges for mechanical filtration, chemical filtration and biological filtration. The benefit is the ability to properly maintain a bacteria culture in the filter. The down side is there are now three filter-elements to be maintained. They are still very simple to use as they are intended for beginner aquarists. HOB filters, due to their compact construction, only circulate the small portion of the aquarium water directly in front of the filter. For smaller aquariums this is a negligible problem but for larger, longer aquariums an alternative, or multiple HOBs, should be used.

Got questions? Contact the aquariums experts at Diamond Aquatics and we will be happy to help. Call 973-356-4434 today!

In our last post, we talked about some of the things to consider when choosing a large aquarium. If you are working with limited space and must choose a smaller custom aquarium then you should only purchase fish that will stay small enough to live in the aquarium for their entire life. When purchasing fish, do not assume they will stay the same size as you see them in the store. A majority of what you will find in retail stores are juvenile fish, only a fraction of their adult size.

A great example is a very common freshwater fish called the “Iridescent Shark”. First of all, the Iridescent Shark is not a shark at all. It is a type of catfish! Second, the name does not refer to just one species of fish. It refers to a number of species in the Pangasius genus that look very similar as juveniles. Most of the Iridescent Shark species grow to be over 3 feet long. One even reaches 10 feet in the wild! As you can see, the cute, “3-inch-miniature-shark-looking” fish that you thought would be really cool to have in your 10-gallon aquarium may possibly grow to a “not-so-cute-anymore-what-the-heck-am-I-going-to-do-with-this” fish.

As mentioned always, it is always best to educate yourself BEFORE you purchase equipment and/or animals. Research the animals you like and find out how big they can grow, how much space they require, how aggressive they are and what foods they eat. This will ensure a proper selection of animals for your tank and will help you avoid problems down the line. Call Diamond Aquatics at 973-356-4434 with questions!