Planning Upgrades - HOB Filter vs. Skimmer

[AquaticYeti]

I’ve had my 75g reef tank for just over a year. I love it. Even better, my wife has grown to appreciate it and asks if I’m upgrading. I don’t want to spend a chunk of money at this time so I’m holding out on an upgrade for at least a year. Once I do it will be a 125-150g DT with sump setup.

With that being said, I’d like to plan some upgrades for the 75g. My next purchase was going to be a Tidal 110 HOB Filter. After some thought, I felt that a skimmer may be a better option if I had to get one or the other.


Any recommendations on HOB filter VS. skimmer for my setup?


PH: 7.8
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrites: 0ppm
Nitrates: 30ppm (typically hovers around 20-40ppm)
Temp: 78*
Salinity: 1.025

*figures are from API tests. I have not checked any other parameters to date.

Filtration: Marineland internal canister filter w/Seachem matrix media, 100lbs. of live rock. 20% water changes biweekly. Contemplating moving to weekly due to aforementioned nitrate creep between each water change.

Marine life: 20 corals (various softies and LPS), 9 fish (2 Mocha clowns, 1 Gold nugget maroon clown, 1 melanurus wrasse, 1 blue flasher wrasse (it’s red), 1 watchman goby, 1 scopas tang, 1 Fiji blue devil damsel, 1 strawberry basslet), long tip anemone, 2 blood red shrimp, 1 emerald crab, 15-20 hermit crab/snail blend (thinking to increase). Once I figure out the nitrates I would like to add two more fish, tamini tang and madarin goby, but feel I may be pushing nitrates even further up between water changes.

Feeding: Seachem flake (2-3x per day) and 2x per week target feed Reef Roids

 

[Jason_MrFrags]

with LPS and soft I wouldn't worry too much about being in that range for Nitrates. But if your trying to bring them down to add more fish. How often are you cleaning your filter? They tend to be a source of extra nitrates as they trap detritus. I would save for the upgrade and consider getting a skimmer next time around.

 

[MarineandReef Jaron]

I would generally say I would take a skimmer over a hang-on filter. However, a good skimmer costs considerably more than the hang-on filter so the question may be how much you have budgeted.

 

[GARRIGA]

Carbon dosing solves nitrates without the complexity of adding a skimmer. Will lower phosphates as well to some extent. If you have enough biological media then that should decompose the detritus and ammonia created by fish. Keep it simple. My approach. WC can be focused on maintaining minor and trace.

I’d go bigger canister like an FX6 vs adding a HOB although the HOB makes maintenance of floss and carbon easier and I’d relegate it to just that. Keep the canister only running matrix. No sponges. This way it doesn’t need to be opened for maintenance. Although doing that isn’t that big of an issue either but the HOB much more efficient if weekly access needed since floss clogs quickly and carbon last just so long. Those two I only use to clarify the water.

 

[Pntbll687]

I'd actually go with the Tidal at this point. You're already planning an upgrade in the future, so the hang on skimmer is going to be useless once that happens, and in my opinion hang on skimmers are always ugly.

The tidal will give you more room for biomedia if needed. Pond Guru has a really good video on maximizing the filter for better performance. Check out the video below. The way he sets it up requires a little more work to maintain, but only because the filter will be efficient at catching as much detritus as possible.

 

[bushdoc]

It seem that in your situation skimmer is preferable.Not quite agree with a reefer claiming that carbon dosing would lower the nitrates, you need skimmer to remove multiplying bacteria or tons of corals consuming it.
Skimmer also aerates water and balances pH. Unfortunately there are no good options for sumpless ref. Aquamaxx is probably your best shot.
Perhaps, even better option is to upgrade to larger tank with a sump, earlier.

 

[Dom]

It has been my experience that very little from an existing tank can be used on an upgrade.

I wouldn't buy anything if you are planning an upgrade in a year, particularly if your tank is doing well!

 

[GARRIGA]

It seem that in your situation skimmer is preferable.Not quite agree with a reefer claiming that carbon dosing would lower the nitrates, you need skimmer to remove multiplying bacteria or tons of corals consuming it.
Skimmer also aerates water and balances pH. Unfortunately there are no good options for sumpless ref. Aquamaxx is probably your best shot.
Perhaps, even better option is to upgrade to larger tank with a sump, earlier.

Been carbon dosing without sump or skimmer or WCs since September 2021. Don’t need a skimmer to remove the bacteria. That was debunked long ago and my own experience supports it.

 

[AquaticYeti]

I would generally say I would take a skimmer over a hang-on filter. However, a good skimmer costs considerably more than the hang-on filter so the question may be how much you have budgeted.

Thanks for your response!

Preferably under $150 for a skimmer (I know this limits my options). The Seachem Tidal 110 is on sale right now for $70, which is the best price I've seen for it in some time.

On a side note, my tank is in our dining room/kitchen area, so I am concerned with water noise from a HOB filter or motor for the skimmer. If the skimmer were to be significantly louder than a HOB filter, it would play into my decision.

 

[AquaticYeti]

with LPS and soft I wouldn't worry too much about being in that range for Nitrates. But if your trying to bring them down to add more fish. How often are you cleaning your filter? They tend to be a source of extra nitrates as they trap detritus. I would save for the upgrade and consider getting a skimmer next time around.

The Mandarin is an unlikely addition at this time, but it is the one fish that I immediately fell in love with when I started to plan to migrate from freshwater tanks to salt. From what I'm reading, you can't establish a sustainable pod population without continuous dosing, and nor can you create a setting that is beneficial for a Mandarin's diet without dosing pods; outside of a refugium which would be another upgrade that I would not prioritize at this time.

The Tamini Tang will most likely be the next fish once I figure out how to reduce nitrate creep consistently.

 

[GARRIGA]

On a side note, my tank is in our dining room/kitchen area, so I am concerned with water noise from a HOB filter or motor for the skimmer. If the skimmer were to be significantly louder than a HOB filter, it would play into my decision.

Canister considerably quieter than a HOB unless it never clogs and waterline just perfect. My Tidal is sensitive to changes when it comes to noise.

 

[Spare time]

I'd go with a HOB. Carbon + a pinch of gfo (if you have phosphate issues) + a mechanical filter / filter pad is a nice combo.

 

[AquaticYeti]

I’ve purchased carbon and will add it to the in tank Marineland canister, replacing the matrix media. I’m also increasing frequency of water changes to weekly and will test over the next month.

if carbon rotation and increase water changes doesn’t address the nitrate creep, I’ll most likely get a HOB skimmer thanks to the feedback in this thread.

Any recommendations on how to maintenance surface water gunk without a skimmer?

 

[srobertb]

I glanced thru. Why are you upgrading? You have a pretty little tank that I imagine is easy enough to take care of. I see no issues.

HOB skimmer, in my lengthy experience with them, don’t work that well, create a liability as water is circulating out of the tank, and add maintenance.

If I had to add a skimmer, and based on your numbers and post you do not, I would add a Tunze black box skimmer to a corner of the tank. Would look no different than an overflow.

If I had to add anything, I’d add a HOB refugium with no skimmer. The light could move to your new tank with sump.

The hardest lesson to learn, and the one that brings the most success, is learning when NOT to add anything. Don’t push your bioload, don’t add anything, just let the tank exist and mature and grow (and save money to upgrade).

 

[AquaticYeti]

I glanced thru. Why are you upgrading? You have a pretty little tank that I imagine is easy enough to take care of. I see no issues.

HOB skimmer, in my lengthy experience with them, don’t work that well, create a liability as water is circulating out of the tank, and add maintenance.

If I had to add a skimmer, and based on your numbers and post you do not, I would add a Tunze black box skimmer to a corner of the tank. Would look no different than an overflow.

If I had to add anything, I’d add a HOB refugium with no skimmer. The light could move to your new tank with sump.

The hardest lesson to learn, and the one that brings the most success, is learning when NOT to add anything. Don’t push your bioload, don’t add anything, just let the tank exist and mature and grow (and save money to upgrade).

I appreciate your feedback, I read more into a refugium. Do you feel adding a tomini will push me over the edge with bioload?

 

[srobertb]

I appreciate your feedback, I read more into a refugium. Do you feel adding a tomini will push me over the edge with bioload?

I would not personally but I’m a habitual under-stocker. I have a grand total of 3 fish in my 125g and when my 210g gets here the stocking list is all the way up to a whopping 10!

That is a good tang for newer reefers, smaller tanks (60g+) and newer tanks. The kole tang is another good option (easy and will eat algae on rocks).

Refugiums are very easy as the algae will grow/not grow as needed vs something like carbon dosing that will need adjustments and can possibly strip water completely. I have used the fiji brand of hang-on refugiums and I was happy with it. Just make sure you have good lighting. 2x tunze echo chic refugium lights are a great clean looking option.

 

[NASAGeek]

Hob fuge will go a long way on a sumpless setup. Bullet skimmer. Hob fuge and a small Tidal for polishing the water and to occasionally toss in your chemipure. Overkill? Maybe. But I overstock like crazy (11 fish in a 40B) and this keeps my nitrates and phosphates in check so I only have to water change 5 gallons every week or two. Good luck!