Hang on Back (HOB) Aquarium Filter Setup:
A hang on back filter attaches
itself to the wall of the aquarium & only the intake tube of the filter is
inside the fish tank & the rest of the filter is located at the rear of the aquarium.
Hang on Back is a very
transparent, well-designed & attractive filter. It can clean water &
needs lower maintenance as compared to other filters because components of this
filter are setup above water level & there is no need to put your arm
inside water & take out components for cleaning / maintenance. Gently wash
the mechanical media when it gets dirty. The Hang on Back filter has 6
compartments for storing media. The size of each chamber is small & this
filter comes with its own media. The first chamber is for holding mechanical
filter media while the other 5 chambers are used for storing bio media. For
this filter, I am using an Aqua Pro AP 550 pump which seems powerful for this
filter. I think it is better to use a 200 L/H flow rate water pump for this
filter or water will overflow through the filter & it won’t be helpful.
Unboxing & installing Hang on Back filter:
A Hang on Back does not need
hoses for drawing water from the fish tank. It needs to be hanged at the back of
the aquarium, & it will extract water using a tube & a pump.
HOB has multiple compartments for
cleaning water efficiently. It can store mechanical, chemical & biological
filter media.
Hang on Back filter specifications:
- Get a look at specs. & features of HOB filter:
- Material: Acrylic
- Model: 6 Grids
- Filter Dimensions: 17.71 x 2.75 x 3.14 inch
Features:
- High quality acrylic
- Extremely transparent, stylish & lovely
- External filter box is included in this package for aquarium
- Multi-functional fish tank accessory pump for filtration of water & aeration
6 Grids Aquarium Filter:
Hang on Back External filter is
made of Acrylic. When you unbox HOB filter, you will find the following items:
- Hang on Back filter box
- Water hose
- Mechanical filtration media
- Bio media
Dimensions of HOB Filter:
- Length: 45 CM
- Width: 7 CM
- Height: 8 CM
Setup Filter Box & Rinse the Media:
Remove the stickers from both the filter box & its dividers. Rinse HOB filter box & media before using it for fish tanks.
Ceramic Rings:
Ceramic rings are the best home
for good bacteria. The surface area of ceramic rings is enhanced using tiny
pores. The outer region of this ring has little pores, & a large central
hole allows water to flow through it. Water passes through the outer &
inner part of the ring.
If the surface area of bio media
is large then it will house more good bacteria.
Crushed Corals:
Crushed corals are used for
increasing water PH. If you are keeping fish that prefer low to neutral PH then
crushed corals should not be used. If your tap water has very low PH then you
can use crushed corals to increase it. Also, if you are keeping fish that needs
high PH like African Cichlids, then crushed corals are very important. Crushed
corals offer a salt water feel to a freshwater tank.
Filter Gravel:
Filter gravels can hold back
precipitates comprising pollutants. They are very effective in cleaning water.
Lava Rock:
It is a very porous & great
filter media. It can provide an anaerobic environment inside lava rock, for
converting nitrates into oxygen & nitrogen. Nitrates are dangerous for fish
so lava rocks can help in wiping out nitrates in a natural & perfect way.
Why is rinsing media required before using it?
Rinsing media can wash the dirt on the filter media. Soak bio media in dechlorinated water before using it for aquarium purposes.
How to Setup HOB filter:
Attach brackets for HOB filter. Connect the hanging clip. Slide down the dividers to convert the large filter box into 6 small compartments that are used for storing mechanical & biological filtration media. The first compartment is used for storing foams that can trap physical waste particles. The rest of the compartments can store bio media.
Setup mechanical & biological filter media:
Now it is time to add mechanical &
biological filtration media to the filter compartments.
Mechanical Filter Media:
Mechanical filtration media traps
the solid waste particles in aquarium water. Water free of fish waste, debris,
dirt, & other solid particles, flow through the biological filtration
media. Mechanical filtration media consists of foams for removing waste. Usually
foams are graded as coarse, medium & fine. Coarse foam traps all big
particles. Small particles flow through the coarse foam & are trapped by
medium foam. And tiny particles may even pass through the medium foam but fine
foam stops them. Hence for effective water filtration, it is recommended to use
all three types of foams in the following order: coarse, medium &
fine.
Read: DIY Aquarium SUMP with Aquaponics Filter
Biological Filter Media:
Bio media breaks toxic ammonia into nitrites, & nitrites into nitrates. Ammonia is less toxic than nitrite, & nitrite is less toxic than nitrate. Ammonia & nitrites are highly toxic to aquarium fish. This is the reason why bio media is a very important part of every filter. Nitrates in mass amounts is very dangerous for aquarium inhabitants too. Bio media can convert nitrates into oxygen & nitrogen.
First compartment contains foams
for mechanical filtration media. I have added filter gravel in the second
compartment. Crushed corals go into the third compartment. Live rocks are added
to the fourth. Fifth & sixth compartments are filled with ceramic rings.
Water Pump:
The water pump that I have used
for HOB filter has the following specifications:
AquaPro AP550 Water Pump:
Water Flow: 550 L/H, Power: 7W,
Voltage: 240 V
12 MM Inlet / Outlet Size
Connect HOB to the Pump:
Connect the Hang on Back filter to the water pump using a hose. Run the pump & it will soon draw water from aquarium to the filter. 550 L / H is an extremely high flow for this filter. Consider using a pump that only offers 200 L / H of water flow.
Pros & Cons of Hang on Back Filters vs Canister filter:
- After filtration of aquarium water, HOB filter sends water back to the aquarium through a spill-way. It is easier to install a HOB filter than a canister filter.
- It is easy to clean water & this filter needs maintenance after every 2 weeks. It will clean water efficiently after regular maintenance.
- Similar to a canister filter, HOB is a highly customizable filter. Fill this filter with your own filter media if you want like a canister filter.
- A Hang on Back filter is a lower-price filter than a canister filter because the HOB filter is not very efficient in cleaning as compared to a canister filter. It is suggested to use HOB filters for small to medium aquariums instead of buying a canister filter which is a little too much for a small setup because such tanks do not need an extremely efficient filter. For large aquariums, Canister filter is a better choice than an HOB filter.
- Also, both filters have different designs. You can simply setup a hang on back filter, just by clipping it to the rear of the fish tank. It does not need high space, but ensure that you have some space at the rear of the aquarium.
- A canister filter is usually located outside the aquarium. It has 2 hoses for drawing water from the aquarium & sending water back to the aquarium. It is a bit hard to install a canister filter as compared to its competitor.
- HOB filters need low maintenance, & they are cheap & simple to setup. They are highly reliable & work fine, & both experts & new aquarists prefer them.
- Hang on Back filters can oxygenate water. Anything that breaks the surface of water will add oxygen & circulate the water.
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