Sump or canister?

[Jpb1216]

Which is better sump or canister? And don't say sump do to customization.

 

[mohican]

In my opinion, sump for sure increased water volume. Having said that, they also have there own concerns as properly matching input and output flow to prevent flooding. Power failure is another concern. I'm satisfied with canisters due to the fact that they too can be customized and no guess work involved. This is a really broad question and answers will vary from experiences.

 

[Jpb1216]

That's exactly I what I wanted. I wanted a variety of answers so I can cover every area of the topic assuming I get a lot of replies. And I'm sure regulating the flows shouldn't be that difficult just a pain

 

[Bdonaldson]

I was interested in the same topic so i did a search on the topic here on the forum and found your question. I will follow along to see all the responses. Thanks for posting it.

 

[Andy71uk]

Hi . i too am restoring a 72" tank ( i ave pics on here ) and was pondering the same thing ......ihave decided on a Fluvel FX5 filter which all reports are good ................. i will set up with this with a view to maybe later on switching to a sump . only benificial thing i see with a sump is the hiding of all pipes , heater , skimmer etc etc ( i maybe wrong ) but this what i,m gunna go with ........

 

[blert]

Sumps:
Can be messy and difficult to maintain if not designed correctly.
The overflow and pipes can be loud if not designed correctly.
Possibility of emptying the tank or sump onto your floor if safeguards are not in place.
Increased water volume.
Can place equipment in sump instead of display.
Not recommended with CO2 injection as there is too much gas off.
Maintains constant water level in display as all evaporation will make itself known in the return section of the sump.
Can be DIY'd on the cheap.

Cans:
Easy maintenance.
Very slim chance of emptying the tank on the floor unless you blow a seal or assemble it incorrectly.
Usually mouse fart quiet.
Perfect for CO2 injection.
Can be stupid expensive (shop around).

 

[Flaxon-Waxon]

The pros of sumps to cans far outway the cons. The stated issues such as flooding (which can very easily be prevented with proper set up- as long as its a drilled tank) and being messy (which isnt really true because you have easier access the everything in it), in conjunction with the fact that you have more water volume (which will directly mean better water stability and less of a chance of drastic swings), all together put a sump well ahead of a can any day. There is, however, a space factor. But other than that with proper research, a sump will be far more advantageous. Heaters, top offs, skimmers, probes... All of these are stored in a sump and will increase appearance of your DT. Ever change media in a can neatly? I haven't lol.

 

[Jpb1216]

Lol I have an in line heater so it doesn't matter and I have a 60" long tank that is on a DIY stand 4 feet tall I don't think hiding a sump will be a problem. I already bought a canister like a month ago but I might add a sump in later and keep them both. Planning on adding some bioload to the tank.

 

[Andy71uk]

thats generally what i thought lol

 

[Bdonaldson]

Sumps:
Can be messy and difficult to maintain if not designed correctly.
The overflow and pipes can be loud if not designed correctly.
Possibility of emptying the tank or sump onto your floor if safeguards are not in place.
Increased water volume.
Can place equipment in sump instead of display.
Not recommended with CO2 injection as there is too much gas off.
Maintains constant water level in display as all evaporation will make itself known in the return section of the sump.
Can be DIY'd on the cheap.

Cans:
Easy maintenance.
Very slim chance of emptying the tank on the floor unless you blow a seal or assemble it incorrectly.
Usually mouse fart quiet.
Perfect for CO2 injection.
Can be stupid expensive (shop around).

So you are saying that you can't do co2 injection on a tank that has a sump? Did I understand that correctly? I have a 125 gal. With a sump that I am starting as a planted display. That's why I am asking.

 

[Iodizedfate]

I run a canister on mine but would like to eventually go with a sump. I want the extra water for my bioload and I like to tinker with things. I figure the sump would keep me busy.

I do like my canister though. Super easy to maintain and no worries about it leaking all over everywhere.

 

[bigbanker]

So you are saying that you can't do co2 injection on a tank that has a sump? Did I understand that correctly? I have a 125 gal. With a sump that I am starting as a planted display. That's why I am asking.

Well you can..... but it would be a waste. The way the water moves would cause the co2 to gas off.


I currently run a sump on my 110 planted. All in all I prefer my canisters. This sump was a prefab and I'm just generally annoyed by it.... real reasons aside from noise, which I have brought down a good bit, I like my canister.

 

[Bdonaldson]

Well you can..... but it would be a waste. The way the water moves would cause the co2 to gas off.

I currently run a sump on my 110 planted. All in all I prefer my canisters. This sump was a prefab and I'm just generally annoyed by it.... real reasons aside from noise, which I have brought down a good bit, I like my canister.

My sump is also a prefab and noisy. I could never get my water clear. My husband always thinks there is a water leak somewhere. You can hear it all over the house. How did you cut down on the noise? I bought a fluval fx5 but haven't set it up yet. Could I do a inline diffuser with the canister and be ok. Would I have to take the sump out?

 

[bigbanker]

If you do an inline remove the sump. My return pump sets on a mouse pad, added poly fil to the intake section and played with the levelling on the overflow. All in all a pain in the bum.

Edit: I would really suggest the fx5

 

[blert]

Because fresh water is so much less dense than salt water any given sump will be noisier with fresh water. With proper design and a bit of tweaking you can quiet it down. If you use a Herbie or BeAnAnimal overflow then the pipes can be nearly silent. But, noise is a relative thing... One man's annoyance is another man's peaceful trickling stream.

 

[Bdonaldson]

Because fresh water is so much less dense than salt water any given sump will be noisier with fresh water. With proper design and a bit of tweaking you can quiet it down. If you use a Herbie or BeAnAnimal overflow then the pipes can be nearly silent. But, noise is a relative thing... One man's annoyance is another man's peaceful trickling stream.

You have a good point. Though I have built in overflow boxes. The noise comes from the water entering into the sump because of poor design. I hate to take it out because I like the fact that I can house my heater in the sump and the evaporation occurs in the sump as well.

 

[bigbanker]

How is it entering the sump? Can you muffle it more?

 

[aqua_chem]

You can do CO2 with a sump. You just need to take special precautions with your setup that most people don't do. The typical sump setup that people have is inadequate for CO2.

I think personally the biggest advantage to canisters is that they are plug-and-play. No drilling, tinkering, planning, etc, just fill it up, plug it in, and forget about it until you need to clean it.

 

[Bdonaldson]

How is it entering the sump? Can you muffle it more?

The plumbing is coming into the side of the sump and connects to two long pieces where the water comes out into the sump. Here is a picture.

 

[Bdonaldson]

You can do CO2 with a sump. You just need to take special precautions with your setup that most people don't do. The typical sump setup that people have is inadequate for CO2.

I think personally the biggest advantage to canisters is that they are plug-and-play. No drilling, tinkering, planning, etc, just fill it up, plug it in, and forget about it until you need to clean it.

I would like to run the sump and the canister. What would I have to do for sump to work with co2 injection?