wet/dry set up is costly!

[dax29]

I've been checking out some of the online aquarium supply vendors and wet/dry filters cost about $320-400 before I buy a pump that costs $75 and up. That is after I've had the holes drilled in the aquarium.

I can get 2 canisters for under $300 and add my Penquin BioWheel 350 and I'd be in business.

What do y'all think? I don't see many folks using wet/dry filters on this website, nor have I seen any product reviews.

 

[dax29]

Oh yeah, the canisters I'd add would be 250 gph and up. The tank I'd be filtering would be a 150 gallon Malawi cichlid community that would be slightly overstocked.

 

[Toirtis]

You can build a wet/dry quite cheaply, and bio-balls are cheap in quantity....your only serious cost will be your pump, and even still, you should be able to come out at under $250.

 

[koffee]

Wet/Dry sumps are easier to DIY. Of course, easy is all relative. I haven't priced the commerical setups. IMHO, you get some advantages over canister filters but there are some drawbacks too.

Canisters are great. Some of them can be a hassle, messy, noisy, etc. Do the research and find out what you think is best. You could easily get high-end canisters for more $ than you are talking about.

One reason I would go sump is to get some stuff (heaters, etc) out of the tank, but there are many options to do that with canisters too.

 

[TomK2]

DIY sumps / wet-dry are cost effective. But you need to have seen a few to get an idea what you are capable of building yourself, and take the aspects of the ones you like and incorporate them into yours. Check out the DIY forum for wet/dry sump ideas.

I agree, the commercial ones are SO expensive. I wouldn't buy one, I would DIY. But when the time came for me to do it, I got lazy and went with canisters.

 

[greenmaji]

you dont have to drill the tank by the way.. syphon overflows would be cheaper..

 

[dax29]

I've got a 29 gallon tank I will have to break down and replace with the bigger tank I'm hoping to get (150 gallon 48X24X30). I could use the 29 gallon as the main tank for the wet/dry I think. I see people using acrylic a lot. Is plexiglass okay to use? I have some 1/4 and 1/2" pieces of plexiglass from some other projects. I must confess I'm not much of a DIYer, and I tend to buy things before trying to build them, however I think the wet/dry is such a good filtration method that I hate not trying to use it on this bigger tank that I'm planning on. I've got an AC 200 and Penguin BioWheel 350 I could use on the big tank too. However, I'm getting the sense that a well built, efficient wet/dry is enough and lacks the unsightliness of hoses and such. I think a wet/dry has the potential of being very quiet. I have much to learn about the wet/dry. Are there some good DIY instructional diagrams you know of on the internet or elsewhere?

 

[dax29]

Okay. My bad. After doing some research I now know that acrylic and plexiglass are one in the same.

 

[greenmaji]

there is not good way to bond acrylic to glass.. you would be better off with glass and silicone.. (you wont need a bubble trap your not running a skimmer in the sump)

 

[aqh88]

Some sources say acrylic and plexiglass are not the same and some say they are and every source seems reliable so who knows. While researching setting up a sump for my planned saltwater tank most of the time the posts and instructions I read said to just use a good coating of silicone all around the glass-acrylic connection and let it dry for 48hrs. It seems to have worked for plenty of people but I'd test it first just in case. Otherwise either get an acrylic tank or custom cut glass pieces. I can't find reference to any glues still being made which would bind acrylic to glass and be aquarium safe.

 

[greenmaji]

cutting glass really isnt that hard.. the little scoring tool is cheap as well..

 

[Zezmo]

I think the confusion is because Plexiglas is a brand name, and Acrylic is a specific material type. Think of Tylenol (Plexiglas) and Acetaminophen (Acrylic), it's the same thing, just one is a brand name the other the "chemical" name.

You sometimes see Polycarbonate (Lexan) also called "Plexiglas" because it is another clear strong plastic.

 

[netwireless]

I replaced my wet/dry with two canisters about a couple of years ago, an Eheim pro (smaller one) and a Fluval 304 for a 55 gal. I am not sure why I kept the wet dry for so long (3 years). The canisters are much quieter than the wet/dry and much easier to maintain and clean. And the tank has done much better overall. I think wet/dry would be better for a salt water, but probably not as much needed for a fresh water.

BTW, I did not drill any holes for the wet/dry. Just like the canisters, I run the plastic pipes from top to the tank. Worked just fine.

 

[dax29]

Thanks net. You are the first I've heard that likes the canisters better. I keep reading that nitrates build up more in wet/dry filtered tanks.