HOB vs Canister for 36 Gallon Bow Front Reef Tank

[kyjive85]

I currently have a 36 gallon bow front being used as a reef tank. It has lots of live rock and coral. Im currently using a seachem 75 HOB filter. Was wondering if this will suffice long term or do I need to convert over to a canister filter.

 

[LiveFreeAndReef]

HOB will be fine, canisters are much too easy to forget about. I know because I run a canister filter on my 29g lol
Your live rock does most of the biological filtration, your filter is really just there to pick up particulates and is a good place for chemical filtration.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

agree with above, no HOB or canister is really needed, although they do provide many benefits. The benefits are equal, but HOB is cheaper and easier to clean so it wins out in my book. Canister is good if you already have it and dont need to buy it.

 

[Spare time]

HOB. Canisters are a pain to clean and promote bad care taking. You should clean your mechanical filter at least once a week (rinsing the filter pad in a HOB every other day can significantly make the tank cleaner by preventing the accumulation of rotting crud in the filter). Cleaning a canister weekly is a hassle. Canisters are like a recirculating garbage bin.