sump vs canister filter

[Guest hound66]

I've had a 29g for a little over a year with a fluval canister and a CPR refugium. Everything seems to be doing ok, but we're thinking about growing to either a 55 or 65 gallon. What are the benefits, drawbacks of both sumps and canister filters? Should I keep the fluval in addition to starting a sump?

 

Thanks

[gastone]

You could gut the cannister filter and use it to run carbon, GFO, polyfilter, etc.

 

Or take it offline and toss all of that stuff into your sump or separate reactors. Just your personal preference.

[jamal]

i would say use the canister filter for a filter application that requires active filtration. carbon would be my recommendation. run the sump seperately

[quazi]

If you are thinking about keeping corals, fo God sake do not get a 55 gallon tank. Get a 75 or 90. The width makes all the difference.

 

As for a canister filter, just go with a sump. If you are going to do the hobby, do it right. You will have less problems in the long run. There is no benefit to a canister if you are going to setup a reef tank.

 

For a 75, just set up a 20 long under the tank. It works very well.

Edited January 21, 2008 by quazi

[trble81]

If you go the sump route, keep the canister filter around. You never know when you'll need something to get silt out of the water if you do some work in you sand bed or something (or if you set up a new tank). Nothing like having a bale of filter-floss and a working canister filter in a pinch.

 

 

--Mike

[jnguyen4007]

Even an HOB filter is good to keep around to keep the tank's polish now and then.

[quazi]

I agree. Hang on to your canister just in case. It never hurts to be prepared.

[treesprite]

I agree on th HOBs... very handy for stuff in the water column.

 

I'm using a fluval canister at work that just has liverock rubble in it, basically just to move water. When I still had it at home, I was putting charcoal and phosphate remover in it. Either way, I think using a sump is better as it adds to your water volumn and keeps the equipment out of the tank (skimmer, heater, etc).

[Guest hound66]

Ok, I think I'll go ahead and try to add a sump into the mix. Other than it looks better and adds water volume, what are the actual advantages of having a sump over a filter? If I use a sump, should I keep the refugium hooked up too, or just move all of the cheato and stuff into the sump?

[trble81]

You can keep the fuge unless you make/get a sump with enough room for a fuge...

[martin]

I use both a sump and refugium with macro algea in both. I use the HOB to feed the fish copeopods that aren't ground up by the return pump and as back up circulation if the main pump and powerheads shut off. They are on different breakers. A canister filter is sealed and can't be added to, a sump is a handy place to put all sorts of equipment-heaters, skimmers, kalk reactors, extra liverock/sand.....

[quazi]

Incidently, a canister filter is a type of refugium. When I had mine going, it was full of pods, shimps, worms, and other critters. Mine was a fluval, too.

Edited January 22, 2008 by quazi

[Guest hound66]

I just cleaned out the fluval today, rinsed out the sponges that were totally clogged and changed about a 1/4 of the filter media, but didn't rinse any of the old stuff so I could keep the bacteria and stuff. There were quite a few pods and surprising to me, a couple bristle worms.

So, what if I use the fluval as stage one from the tank, with the outflow going into the sump, then find a return back to the tank? Also keeping the fuge, possibly either on the sump.

[treesprite]

The problem there is that you would have to get your return pump and filter going at the same rate, and if say thereturn pump stopped working you would have most of your tank water on teh floor.

Edited January 22, 2008 by treesprite

[Guest hound66]

Whats the easiest way to keep your sump from overflowing if the pump goes out, or power outage, etc..?

Also, what are some decent, not too expensive return pumps?

[quazi]

Hound,

 

I tried using my fluval for the same purpose, and burnt it out. It is not made to work as a general purpose pump.

 

Get a Mag 7 or so and do it right.

 

To prevent back flow, drill a hole into the outlet. This will prevent the outlet from back siphoning.

 

You will need an overflow box for flow to the sump.

 

see: http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=18857

 

good luck.

Edited January 22, 2008 by quazi

[treesprite]

Hound,

 

I tried using my fluval for the same purpose, and burnt it out. It is not made to work as a general purpose pump.

 

Get a Mag 7 or so and do it right.

 

To prevent back flow, drill a hole into the outlet. This will prevent the outlet from back siphoning.

 

You will need an overflow box for flow to the sump.

 

see: http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=18857

 

good luck.

 

thought someone already bought that. There you go, that will work well for you at a good price.