5 TIPS For Hang On back Filters!

[@johnjwedrall4290]

I found your channel today and subscribed to it today. So far your videos are very informative 👌 thanks.😊

[@BryanLa]

@@johnjwedrall4290 thanks!! Appreciate the support 🙏

[@nickcavanaugh9586]

all i use in my hob filters are lava rock for grilling food it works amazing and the filters i use are cheap walmart hob filters been doing this forever i figured this out when i purchased a used aquarium that had the hob filter with it but it no longer had the cartriges i took pantyhose and filled it with rock and stuffed the media in my filter

[@andrewhambrick6429]

Thank you all the info! You're a lifesaver. Came home today to a dark fish tank and realized that the power strip below the thank was wet. Pulled everything out and dried it out but couldn't figure out why the filter was leaking. Took it apart and cleaned it out but was still on edge about it leaking again tonight. But after your video I realized that it was more than likely because it was not leveled and probably overflowing on the back side. Lights and filter are up and running again so a huge thanks to you and your video! You really saved the day!

[@BryanLa]

Good stuff! Glad you were able to level out your filter!

[@mickmacpattywack]

The actual best video I've seen to explain this. New to the aquatic world and was terribly confused before I found this video.

[@BryanLa]

Glad you found it helpful! Feel free to reach out if you have questions

[@freedo333]

Great video & badass keyboard!

[@BryanLa]

Thanks!!

[@DeeDee-zs3co]

The sump with all the K1 is really satisfying! Low key wanna make one with orbies

[@BryanLa]

Haha orbies, that would be very interesting!

[@dimitrijekrstic7567]

Too bad they'd suck "balls" at filtration

[@Saxonwomen]

Thank you for the brilliant tips 😊I’m now a subscriber

[@jasonball5994]

Thanks Bryan, very informative. Helped me to do some upgrades to my filter

[@BryanLa]

No problem!

[@JJJOOSSHHH]

Man, I’m new to the aquatic world. Your video is the best I’ve seen yet. You definitely shoulda got more likes.

[@BryanLa]

I appreciate the kind words, and im glad you found the video helpful!

[@Alpha-ro8sc]

Nice quality video dude! Thank you.

[@BryanLa]

Thanks! I appreciate it

[@johnjwedrall4290]

Very helpful, informative video. thanks 👍 i found your channel today and subscribed today 😀

[@BryanLa]

thanks!! I appreciate the support!

[@juli8vdberg562]

I have added filter material plus Ada clear super to them inside the compartment of the filter as well...

[@BryanLa]

nice!

[@juli8vdberg562]

@@BryanLa ada clear super powder was a bad idea

[@BryanLa]

@@juli8vdberg562 what happened when you added that in?

[@juli8vdberg562]

@@BryanLa it has these tiny pieces of carbon that float around nonetheless getting into the tank and given I had designed it with ada plata white sand, all sat on plants and sand and rocks in tiny pieces and simply ruined my work, water was clear though

[@BryanLa]

@@juli8vdberg562 ahh thats rough..

[@AlexK-ew1mo]

Did you ever do more on the planted filter? First time I'm ever seeing that. Good info. Thanks.

[@BryanLa]

Yup, the 20 gallon sump is now a 40 gallon with way more k1, and instead of pothos now I have a bunch of moss, hornwort, and anacharis. The pothos ended up growing too crazy and it was a prime location for spiders 😅. Pothos in filters is pretty common, it sometimes works too well.

[@danielpreilly77]

solid tips brah

[@BryanLa]

Thanks!

[@hahapink]

So you have another fish tank that is full with bio filter... what a legend

[@BryanLa]

Lol yup! Small fish tank to filter my bigger fish tank 😂

[@KapilSawakare]

Very good information. Thank you.

[@BryanLa]

Thanks for watching!

[@lpspinners8736]

Very good video! Thanks for posting!

[@BryanLa]

Thanks! I appreciate it

[@iSdot722]

Great video, when is it a good time to take out the filter media that came with my filter and upgrade to sponge? My tank and filters are both established but I want to try the sponge method with my HOB. I just did a scheduled water change today

[@BryanLa]

Mmm thats a tricky question. If you replace all of your media for a sponge you'll lose your beneficial bacteria and may cause a mini cycle. I'd slowly change out the material. And if you can't, maybe you can add the sponge to the intake of the HOB for now until it builds enough beneficial bacteria to swap.

[@iSdot722]

@@BryanLa thanks , I will slowly switch out

[@maynaing2886]

Such helpful tips. Thank you 🙏🏼

[@BryanLa]

Thanks!

[@mrfish.-]

Hey dude! I was setting up my aquarium (20 gallon high) and I want to know where should I place my HOB filter. I looked on many forums saying it should be on the corner, others say it should be in the middle. Anyways i thanks 😊

[@BryanLa]

Yoo! I think its up to preference. But I would personally put it on the side so the output of the filter will create a 'circle' flow, if you know what i mean. Its like. The filter pushes down on one side and forces the flow to go around the tank and come back. Plus it will give your fish choices when it comes to flow. If they want to hang out in the current or not

[@mrfish.-]

@@BryanLa that’s actually a really good idea, especially because I want to have no dead zones in my aquarium but that is a really cool idea! Thanks dude!

[@BryanLa]

@@mrfish.- no problem! Hope it worked out for you

[@WolfTrout]

You were to the point, with great audio. That's hard to come by, thank you

[@BryanLa]

Thanks for watching! I appreciate it

[@jerrybadalamento5500]

I use on my hob a course sponge a fine sponge pinkee and bio rings

[@BryanLa]

nice!

[@kat0778]

You’re a legend. Thank you

[@BryanLa]

😁😁 thanks for watching!

[@whateverwhenever_9987]

Awesome informative video!

[@BryanLa]

thanks!

[@lilywondertwin]

Nice video great tips thank you !

[@BryanLa]

Thanks for watching! I appreciate it

[@huiyingtanyayap]

very informatic!! thanks!

[@BryanLa]

No problem. Thanks for watching, I appreciate it!

[@Dad1987_]

Great video!! Do you know if the lip of the hang on filter (where the water goes back into the tank) needs to be lower than the tank’s water level? For example, when the water is the same level it is much quieter because you can’t hear the water entering the tank, but I don’t know if that affects the oxygen or anything in the water?

[@BryanLa]

In some of my tanks the lip you’re talking about touches the surface to reduce noise. The flow of the hang on back would be enough for oxygenation whether the lip is above or at the water surface, should be the same amount of oxygen.

[@Dad1987_]

@@BryanLa thank you so much!

[@BryanLa]

No problem!

[@pietrogavino8225]

Will it lessen workload if you put sponge in the tube part?

[@BryanLa]

I think it would when it comes to cleaning your HOB, but you’ll need to clean the sponge every once in a while

[@soup4500]

Very informative, thanks.

[@BryanLa]

Thanks for watching!

[@hollipatterson4892]

what kind of sponge do I get for the filter tube? Mine doesn't go all the way to the bottom but I have rocks in my aquarium not sand.

[@BryanLa]

the type of sponge will depend on what kind of hang on back you have, HOB intake diameters vary. You'll need to choose between a coarse and fine sponge. I personally choose coarse sponges so I do not need to clean them as often. Remember, Fine sponges will clog extremely fast, and if you do not clean this as often it will clog and block off flow to your filter. HOB intakes doesnt need to touch the bottom of the tank, in most cases they can be adjusted.

[@bigboy-no2zo]

I put a few cotton balls in before my main filter so no small strands of cotton gets in my tank it works as a great bacterial medium.

[@BryanLa]

Nice!

[@Katisit0]

Electricity goes out quite often where I live. It doesn't come back for like an hour or so. When that happens, the water from the filter overflows to the tank, leaving my media dry. I can dump them in the tank when that happens but I'm not always around to do that. Any idea how to fix this?

[@BryanLa]

So I've been thinking about this comment for the past day to try and find a resolution for you. You can make a small air lift tube (like the ones in breeder boxes) and lead that to the motor. This way when the power cuts off the air lift tube will replenish the hang on back with water when the power turns back on. Air lift tubes are pretty much long and skinny tubes you run air through, the air bubbles go up and pushes water up at the same time. I was going to suggest drilling a small pin hole in your HOB intake but im not sure if that would cause vaccume leak issues.

[@dadbod1971]

Is it just a regular sponge filter you put on the intake? Also will that cause your filter motor to work too hard?

[@BryanLa]

I would use a less fine sponge. Porous sponges require less maintenance and won’t clog your filter

[@dadbod1971]

@@BryanLa Where can I find this? Do you have link? 😁

[@BryanLa]

I found it on Amazon, look up something like prefilter sponge or make your own. I used to cut my own sponges and just stick it on the intake

[@timtambishop]

Love this Vid, V helpful, straight up facts from you. Defs a lot of experienced behind your perspective. Big respect :):)

[@BryanLa]

Thanks for watching!

[@davidbanner5096]

Is there a way to use hob filter in low water tank I have a Alligator snapper and need a good filter but the shallow water is a problem I think?

[@BryanLa]

For my turtle tank, I use an internal filter and place it in the corner. If you could find one that's specifically made for turtle tanks they come with suction cups and a wider base so your turtle can't knock it over. You won't be able to use a HOB because the filter would be mounted too high and even if it worked you would probably hate the noise. If you really wanted to use a HOB for a shallow water tank, you could probably find a water pump, attach a hose to the inlet if your hob and run it like that.

[@brycecarpen1224]

Good ass vid. Found Chill fish keeper channel!

[@BryanLa]

thanks for the support!!

[@Lonefuzzy]

Great vid, this is the first I've seen of trying to grow plants in the actual HOB filter, neat idea! I'm thinking of growing some pothos too did you have to do any mods to isolate the main chamber with the intake fan to stop roots from getting in? Or is that not an issue? (context I'm using an aqua clear 20)

[@BryanLa]

Hi! I didnt use any mods to keep the roots from the HOB propeller. All of the Aquaclears i've used had a cage-like thing to keep the bio media separate from the 'propeller' area. The cage was thin enough to keep the roots out of the way. Also, the bio media will keep the roots in place so you should be fine.

[@fsu7482]

This sump system looks so cool

[@hkkustoms98387]

Very informative video.. Thank you for taking the time to explain, and show how you do it.. I'll definitely be doing some mods, that's for sure.. Lol.. 😊😉👍

[@BryanLa]

No problem, Thanks for watching! I appreciate it

[@jerrybadalamento5500]

I have plants in all my tanks . Inuse marineland hob filter they have covers so I can't put plants . But I keep plants in the top of filters

[@BryanLa]

can the covers be removed? I would just remove the cover and put the plants in the HOB

[@isaac-jx3ls]

Will neon tetras get sucked into a hang on back filter??

[@BryanLa]

the holes in a hang on back intake are usually bigger than average size neons. If you believe the fish will get stuck, add a sponge to the pipe and it will be safer.

[@zacharymayne9343]

You had a cascade 1000 in a five gallon bucket is that how you got around the top and canister seal leaking? I am currently trying to figure out how to use mine or get it to stop leaking

[@BryanLa]

Yup I never figured out how to stop it from leaking (maybe better O rings) but that’s how I ran that filter until I retired it. I usually run smaller canisters in a 5 gallon bucket

[@zacharymayne9343]

@@BryanLa awesome thank you for the reply im about to set mine up finally

[@jmoon4686]

Thank you!

[@roxg8702]

This was helpful.

[@KapilSawakare]

Hello, I have a 15 gallon planted tank and have a hang on back filter so would like to know, whats should be the minimum gap to the water surface of the tank to that of filter outlet. Please advise.

[@BryanLa]

That depends on your tolerance with the splashing sound. There really isn’t a minimum gap requirement but I would usually have the filter outlet barely touch the water surface so there’s less noise

[@juanitopelaez7630]

Good job gracias por la info

[@BryanLa]

Thanks!

[@sunaywanmali6268]

Won't adding a sponge on the water suction tube of hang on filter lowers or damages filter's performance?

[@BryanLa]

The sponge needs to be super dirty or not porous at all for it to damage your filter. And regarding the filters performance it should technically perform better; more filtration and beneficial bacteria

[@jerrybadalamento5500]

I dont either they block the flow

[@BryanLa]

It would need to be a pretty fine sponge to block the flow, I wouldn’t use a sponge as fine as something like filter floss, but maybe coarse sponges?

[@faedoyle4147]

Thank you!!!

[@BryanLa]

No problem! Thanks for watching

[@thehydratedhero2650]

Found you today bro. We are newbies at my apartment. My lady and I have 3 little tanks going. One for quarantine. It’s been fun! Love the info. Any suggestions on water flow? I just want to make sure there aren’t and stagnant areas where algae/bacteria can grow.

[@BryanLa]

hi! water flow is important but just make sure the fish aren't struggling against the current. if you have alot of decorations in your tanks there may be dead spots where detritus and nasties can collect, but that would just need a little bit of clean up during maintenance. I would base the water flow on the type of fish you keep.

[@maximus0147]

Hey lad, a question when the powers out the filter drops out all the water back into the tank so when the power comes up back again the motor is not able to pull water in and the motor runs dry, so what do I do?

[@BryanLa]

That's a problem I'm trying to find a solution for. When I figure something out I'll make a video on it!

[@maximus0147]

@@BryanLa thanks lad didn't expect a reply that fast

[@BryanLa]

No problem! I tend to respond faster on the weekends 😅

[@stateniland]

in my Aquaclear 110 for my 75g I would like to know if a bag of Bio Balls is better than a bag of Charcoal..? I have sponges and a ChemiPure bag in the filter also so room for just Charcoal or Bio Balls.. Thanks Joe

[@BryanLa]

Theyre both used for different things. charcoal/carbon is chemical filtration and bio balls / bio media is used for biological filtration. Beneficial bacteria will live on your sponge and bio media, and usually not live on your carbon as you're supposed to change carbon out frequently. To answer your question, I'd rather fill the filter up with a sponge and bio media. I only use carbon to remove impurities or medicine out of my water. Nothing wrong with using carbon though, just remember to change it out when time comes, as it can only absorb so much before releasing all the toxins back in the water.

[@stateniland]

@@BryanLa OK TY!

[@BryanLa]

No problemo!

[@justinmcconnell399]

should have more views. good video worth the 10 mins

[@BryanLa]

Haha I'm just glad people are watching my videos, no matter how many views it gets. Thanks for the kind words! I appreciate it

[@MrTechBossawesome]

Where do I buy poly fill from 😅 no walmart here :(

[@BryanLa]

Ahh. Not too sure actually, maybe a hobby store? Just need to make sure the polyfill you get doesn't have any additives in it as additives may be harmful to fish. I would check with your local hobbyist forum and see if they have a source.

[@MrTechBossawesome]

@@BryanLa alrighty, thanks mate

[@BryanLa]

No problem, hope you find some

[@stevenjclarksr233]

Very well done

[@BryanLa]

Thank you! I appreciate it

[@TankTendo]

How do I get the water to go in the thingy majig

[@BryanLa]

Grab a cup, scoop up some tank water,, and pour it in the filter. Hang on backs sometimes have enough power to self prime, but in most cases you need to prime it yourself.

[@TankTendo]

Dude it totally worked! Thank so much

[@BryanLa]

@@TankTendo no problem at all!

[@saibalgupta11]

Wow!!! I had tetras dying and I did not why?? I noticed them dying and getting stuck at my hang on filter nozzle. Stuck a new kitchen sponge with some rubber bands till I get a proper sponge. Let's see hopefully my fish would now stop dying.

[@BryanLa]

Thats odd, were the tetras sick? They should have enough strength to swim off filter intakes. Unless you have a super strong Hang on back 😅

[@saibalgupta11]

@@BryanLa new to this hobby so I dont know if they were sick as they were eating, I noticed they were stuck to the nozzle when they died. Had to change the set up of the aquarium giving them more space.Seems to have worked. Did not have any deaths fingers crossed.

[@abdulgany4614]

If we use hob filter..thats mean we cannot put aquarium cover right..or can we modified it?..

[@BryanLa]

it would depend on your tank? Most lids come with slots for hang on back filters, even glass lids should have plastic inserts for filtration equipment. If the lid you have does not accommodate for filtration, you may need to make a DIY one.

[@abdulgany4614]

@@BryanLa orait..i get it..tq for ur answer..peace..✌️

[@BryanLa]

No problem! ✌

[@rosesvyn3235]

What do u think would work best for a forza filter hang on??:)

[@BryanLa]

Hi! I haven't personally owned a Forza aquatop filter, but based on the pictures online the only thing I would change is that back chamber. I would fill it up with ceramic bio media. Another thing I would add is a sponge pre-filter for the intake. Everything else looks okay to me!

[@rosesvyn3235]

@@BryanLa thankyou😁

[@BryanLa]

No problem!

[@daisyn7742]

Hi Im very new for the fish tank/Aquarium world and just start my very 1st tank in 20 gallons and I have topfin power filter as it came with the starter kit but I would like to try using the ceramic ring in my tank so how can I use ceramic ring or bio ceramic ring with my filter? And these ceramic ring would help with ammonia level in my tank? Thank you

[@BryanLa]

Hey Daisy, for the power filter, its supposed to use cartridges, In this case its usually just Filter Floss and Carbon. these cartridge-dependent filters aren't too easy to mess around with due to the lack of space inside the filter compartment. if I were you and I was not able to upgrade, id take that cartridge out and try to fill it up with some type of small bio media. Then, slip a sponge on the intake for mechanical filtration. try to not stuff the filter with too much media because you dont want it to flood out lol... The ceramic rings wont reduce Ammonia levels, but the ceramic rings is supposed to provide beneficial bacteria a place to grow. Look into "cycling fish tanks" and the Nitrogen Cycle; it will teach you all about filtration, ammonia toxins, ceramic rings, beneficial bacteria, etc. and my apologies! i just saw your comment, I thought i replied a while ago but I guess it never sent hah... I hope your new setup is doing well!

[@salippydippy]

I bought a HOB filter today and when I finish setting it up, it got hot. Is it normal for it to get hot?

[@BryanLa]

It shouldn't get hot. Maybe a little warm on the motor from just regular use, but it should definitely not be hot. Return it and try another brand

[@katrielbarlis3291]

What is the proper placement of hob filter in aquarium? Because i have a strong hob filter and sponge filter but still there is a dead area that the poops collect there

[@BryanLa]

That depends on your tank. Move the filter around until you see the pile of poop start moving. If you have decorations in the tank, it can get in the way of the water flow. Honestly if the poop all collects in one spot it makes it alot easier to get in there with a net and collect it manually. But if your HOB can't correct the dead spot you may want to look into a powerhead.

[@thuggaslimenjojo548]

Can i use this for a baby red ear slider??

[@BryanLa]

A hang on back filter? Yea you can, theres tanks that are made specifically for turtles and HOB filters with the side cut out. Just make sure your turtle isn't big enough to climb over and out. I used to use a HOB for my red ear slider and it worked great. I'd be careful about putting sponges on the intake tho, my turtle tried to eat intake sponges.

[@justinmcconnell399]

Not sure how to Private message someone so hopefully you can get back to me here. I have 3 tanks but 2 canisters and 1 over the back. So for the over the back can I do the following. One in front of the other from back to front, carbon pad then blue and white combo pad then a polishing pad ( the floss u talked about). Underneath those I put MECH in a nylon stocking and above I put the ceramic bio media in a nylon stocking and they are on top of it all, it is like 50-75% in the water and the rest sticks out. What do you think?

[@BryanLa]

Whats up Justin. For your hang on back, I would try to find out where the flow is coming from (usually from bottom up for aquaclear) and build from there. It sounds like your HOB is going from back to front. I would arrange the mechanical filtration portion of your HOB from coarse to fine. So the order you described sounds good to me. If there is any way you can get your ceramic media to stay submerged 100% that would be even better. Maybe thin down the sponges so all of your ceramic media can stay below water? That would be good. Your setup sounds good to me though!

[@kilianweber8368]

What about sand for tertra filter not working well makes noises

[@BryanLa]

Sand for the bio media? I wouldn't, the propeller is in there lol. Use lavarock for an alternative to mainstream biomedia

[@kilianweber8368]

@@BryanLa hey gonna put mesh on the filter intake gonna glue it today

[@BryanLa]

Would it be possible to slip a sponge over it? Might be easier for maintenance compared to the glue and mesh

[@kilianweber8368]

@@BryanLa well all ready did it and sponge ? We’ll see still noisy

[@kilianweber8368]

I jammed sponge in the intake tube the flow is kinda slow though quitting down that bad slow current

[@Marcos28nk]

I put the filter flossing in 3 media bags, so I had no problems with lose floss 😅

[@lukedanielbarlis5988]

What are your thoughts about resun hf 2003 hob filter

[@BryanLa]

I haven't personally used a Resun HOB filter, but after looking into some videos on it, its very comparable to the black HOB filter I have for sample in this video. I would choose against it due to the "Cartridge" design these filters have, and go for something like an Aquaclear. in my honest opinion, Aquaclears are the best HOB's out there.

[@lukedanielbarlis5988]

@@BryanLa in your case....how long does a hob filter lasts

[@BryanLa]

they could last for a very long time. ive never had one break on me since it just sits on the back of the aquarium. in my experience, i would upgrade way before a HOB would break on me. you should be good

[@lukedanielbarlis5988]

@@BryanLa may i ask...if hob filter can suck up all poops and wastes or just near the intake tube

[@BryanLa]

Depends on your water circulation or setup in your aquarium. Sometimes detritus will collect in dead spots in your aquarium and wont collect in your filter. Also if you have alot of decorations, detritus and fish waste can collect behind them as well. For me, my aquarium has dead spots, but my Bichirs stir up my substrate from swimming around and everything gets kicked up in my filter.

[@marloncatudio7280]

awesome

[@BryanLa]

Thanks!

[@mnfautoworx134]

Great!

[@BryanLa]

Thanks!

[@jerrybadalamento5500]

I like pinky instead pink and white

[@BryanLa]

nice!

[@pawpotsRS]

nice tip bro but that humming sound in the background was kind of high in volume. maybe lower it down a bit as I wanted to hear your voice more than that sound.

[@BryanLa]

Ah thanks! I’ll need to fix that one day, my fish area is a bit loud

[@jerrybadalamento5500]

I dont like intake sponges on my hob . They clog up and stop the flow

[@BryanLa]

for my sponges, they would clog by the time I do my second water change (2 weeks). usually I would perform weekly sponge cleaning by just taking off the intake sponge and squeezing them clean. i would rather have my prefilter get dirty compared to all of my media in my hang on back; seems easier to just pull off the sponge and clean it once a week compared to taking apart the HOB

[@raidernation9790]

Finding nemo explained

[@BryanLa]

😂

[@meganheeler681]

The music is distracting

[@isaac-jx3ls]

Am I supposed to unplug my filter every time I clean the tank or do I leave it plugged in??

[@BryanLa]

Depends how much water you're changing. If you're changing alot I would unplug it so it doesn't run dry.

[@jerrybadalamento5500]

Your last filter global had room on the top why dont you use bio rings in a bag on top

[@BryanLa]

The hang on back in my video was only being used for mechanical filtration. it was attached to my sump filled with K1 kaldnes

[@BryanLa]

I had enough K1 to handle double the amount of bio-load of my fish during that time, and extra bio media would have been a waste of space.

[@shahusardar2762]

can my blog and ur channel collborate?

[@Canadianalladventures]

I have cascade 300 hang on back I'm not interested in purchasing there overpriced replacement cartridge throw away I took floss and carbon out kept plastic media basket I'm going buy of Amazon Canada name is Filter pad media roll 18.99 big roll like sponge picture of virus and clean water 💦 I used my matrex from seachum and ehiem small ball I put at back I hope it doesn't over flow ? so anoyying these companies good video

[@BryanLa]

Right on! Just be careful not to overfill the hob and you should be fine. Most hang on back filters have a built in canal for overflow so hopefully that will save you if it ever decides to overflow.

[@jhonalfred8529]

Thanks for the tips ..i will apply this

[@BryanLa]

No problem, Hope the tips help!

[@TheSaint7770]

Very helpful, thanks!!

[@BryanLa]

Thanks!!