Sump or no sump?

[bucsnut79]

So I am planning on the setup of the 110 gallon tank that I just acquired. It is 48" long, 18" wide and 30" tall. I have a Fluval 405, a Magnum 350, and an Emperor 400. Should I use both canisters? I was also debating using a sump......what are the benefits of having a sump? And if I have a sump, do I still use one of the canisters or the HOB? Any advice would be great, as this is the first time setting up a tank of this size.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Freshwater=canister. Especially if you already have the canisters, use them. They will have superior mechanical filtration since they force water through the media and don't rely passively on gravity to do it. On that size tank I personally would use a Fluval FX5, but you already have the others.

 

[HUKIT]

Sump all the way fresh or salt. Benefits are a larger water column, higher surface area to create bacteria, higher tank turnover than cansiters, much easier to maintain (nothing to take apart), tons of media options , show tank water level never drops and a place to hide your stuff. Now don't get me wrong I have canisters on every tank I own including my African mbuna tank with a Fx-5 and a sump but there is no comparison...Get a sump!!

 

[BigJim]

Sumps offer more water volume, huge filtration, and lots of customization. I'd actually contend that a sump could offer better mechanical filtration than a canister because there's no pump to force debris through the filtration media. Canisters can do a great job, but the flexibility of a sump really appeals to me.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Without forcing the water through the media as soon as it becomes clogged at all the water will flow around oor over the media, not through it. Bypassing the media doesn't clean it at all.

 

[BigJim]

Agreed. However, hopefully you're cleaning your filter media before it gets completely clogged. A well-designed sump will force the water to go through the media by giving it no other paths and the lower water pressure will allow the mechanical filtration media to trap more particles. Higher water pressure could theoretically blow small particles right through the media.

On top of that, a well-designed sump keeps the biomedia wet, but not submerged. The high oxygen levels allow concentrated colonies of nitrifying bacteria to grow, increasing the potency of your filter.

 

[mgamer20o0]

if you have the canisters thats how i would go. sumps are very under rated in fw. also its good to hide your equipment along with what jim said. the added water volume and all the room for the media makes it worth it. the only bad thing is they are not plug and play like reg canisters.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Any pics or diagrams of the ideal freshwater sump that has superior mechanical and biological media?

 

[HUKIT]

Sealife Systems - AquaPro 175S Wet/Dry with prefilter (aquariums up to 175 gal..

 

[Fishguy2727]

I do not agree that a sump like that would be better than a Fluval FX5. Bioballs trap debris and create nitrate and phosphate, as soon as there is much of any debris in the pads the water will be flowing around them, not through them.

I am not saying they aren't great, but water changes will compensate for the 30 gallons you would gain with a sump (if that), and I would take a Fluval FX5 over a sump 9 times out of 10 in freshwater.

 

[BigJim]

I'm not going to argue. We'll just have to agree to disagree. There's no such thing as a universal ideal sump. You can tailor them to meet your specific needs and that's the beauty of a sump. There's no reason you're limited to using bioballs. You're really only limited by your imagination.

 

[cogburn]

both are great... and both work better for certain people... i have a 180 that has been running flawlessly for over 20 months with 2 cascade 1500 canister filters... i personally like the ease of canister filters, plug em in, plumb em... and off you go... easy to clean and re assemble... sumps do add alot more customization and options but it seems if you already have the canisters and youre going with fw thats all you need... sump is an unneeded expense if you already have adequate filtration which you do. if you were going sw i would say sump all the way but you are not

 

[Gmiked]

Just stated a 125 show tank,, I going with a sump ... much more media and hide all the stuff.

my thought is to add a 20 long planted with a sand bed to the sump will post scketch soon