AND.....The WINNER IS!!!
CANINSTER FILTERS OR SUMPS?
Feel free to post why you feel one is better than the other!
CANINSTER FILTERS OR SUMPS?
Feel free to post why you feel one is better than the other!
Cannisters vs Sumps
- Thread starter GVT
- Start date
Can't vote.. its completely dependant on tank size, what your keeping, the setup, etc. etc.
-Richer
-Richer
120-180 gal African tank is what I was thinking about, but I was just curious to hear preferences of others.
I'll repeat my usual crack on sumps - "sumps" are not filters, but may house filters. There is no restriction on what type of filer is used in a sump. It could be W/D (common), could be internal canister(s), external canister(s), HOB(s), veggie/plant (suberse or emerse), or just a refugium for daphnia, etc. (in which case it is a filter) or fry (in which case it is not necessarily a filter. Terms need to be defined for the questions to have meaning.
Good post, Robert!
GVT, if you mean overflows with W/D in a sump, my choice would be the canisters.
Main points are that they are less noisy and there is no need to be afraid of evaporation and running the pump dry (very important when you have long vacation, etc.). Less plumbing, no need to shut the filters while changing water, no drilling, etc. There are some other valid points, but they're not "as major" for me.
Naturally, sumps are more versatile and have many good features. I run this setup in my 125gal Rift Lakes tank, but if I start all over again, I'd choose canisters. And if I drill again, I'd, probabaly, go with back wall inlets/outles instead of overflows. This would allow me to automate my water changes, etc.
But, I guess, you should try sumps to draw your own conclusions, feel it better, think over the alternatives, etc. Just, maybe, it makes sense to try it on a smaller tank to limit your losses.
GVT, if you mean overflows with W/D in a sump, my choice would be the canisters.
Main points are that they are less noisy and there is no need to be afraid of evaporation and running the pump dry (very important when you have long vacation, etc.). Less plumbing, no need to shut the filters while changing water, no drilling, etc. There are some other valid points, but they're not "as major" for me.
Naturally, sumps are more versatile and have many good features. I run this setup in my 125gal Rift Lakes tank, but if I start all over again, I'd choose canisters. And if I drill again, I'd, probabaly, go with back wall inlets/outles instead of overflows. This would allow me to automate my water changes, etc.
But, I guess, you should try sumps to draw your own conclusions, feel it better, think over the alternatives, etc. Just, maybe, it makes sense to try it on a smaller tank to limit your losses.
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MP, I agree that sumps can be a little more noisy than cannisters, but why do you think you have to have your tank drilled instead of overflows to automate your water changes. That's the main reason I prefer a sump for my 125 gal tank. I've automated the water changes and the refill from evaporation, and I'm using an overflow with a Tidepool II sump. It's so much easier for me than carrying 5 gal buckets of water up from the basement for water changes. I also have a cannister in the tank, because an overflow only draws water from the top. I wanted to also filter water from the bottom of the tank.
Bob
Bob
Bobs,
I realize that you can automate any setup. The difference is in what this automation will involve and how reliable it will be.
If you have your wall drilled, let's say, in the middle or below, all you need is to install Ts with valves and you're ready to half-empty the tank in a flash. Refill will be as easy. Also, with drilled wall, your setup becomes less sensitive to minor evaporation without any need to increase sump volume or making sure that both the sump and the tank are closed well. This is not to say that drilled wall is the ideal and problem-free setup, of course.
Especially, if we use a gravity fed sump and have a power loss.
So, creative thinking is still required.
At the same time, you could just install something like a 3-way valve into your canister output and let the canister empty the tank. Refill can be arranges similarly.
But, in any case, I'd be very interested to know how you automated your setup. I'm constantly trying to get new ideas since I'm still in the design process to make my water changes semi-automatic for all of my tanks. Unfortunately, they're not drilled (except the one with the overflows).
I realize that you can automate any setup. The difference is in what this automation will involve and how reliable it will be.
If you have your wall drilled, let's say, in the middle or below, all you need is to install Ts with valves and you're ready to half-empty the tank in a flash. Refill will be as easy. Also, with drilled wall, your setup becomes less sensitive to minor evaporation without any need to increase sump volume or making sure that both the sump and the tank are closed well. This is not to say that drilled wall is the ideal and problem-free setup, of course.
Especially, if we use a gravity fed sump and have a power loss.
So, creative thinking is still required.
At the same time, you could just install something like a 3-way valve into your canister output and let the canister empty the tank. Refill can be arranges similarly.
But, in any case, I'd be very interested to know how you automated your setup. I'm constantly trying to get new ideas since I'm still in the design process to make my water changes semi-automatic for all of my tanks. Unfortunately, they're not drilled (except the one with the overflows).
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MP, here's the setup.
I have a 125 gal tank in the living room, with a Tidepool II sump in the basement. I use the marineland SOS overflow on the tank with a Mag 9.5 pump in the sump. I have extrememly hard water, so I have an RO setup. The RO water goes into a 30 gal garbage can, and I have 2 other cans that I mix my water in. I use 1 part hard water to 2 parts RO water. I have a RIO pump in the RO can, (I used to use that for my pump up to the tank, but it was noisy, so I got the Mag. Much Quieter). I have a Float switch in the sump (I got it from Automated Aquarium Systems for around $40). It works on vacuum so there is no electrical connection in the sump. The RIO pump is plugged into that, and when the level goes down to a certain point, the pump turns on and pumps RO water in the sump to make up for evaporation. That was a big deal since the water evaporated about 3 gals a day, and I was constantly replenishing it.
Now for the water changing part. In the PVC drain pipe coming from the overflow to the sump I have a T fitting and a ball valve. The T fitting has a hose that goes to a drain. I take the pump out of the RO can, and put it in one of the cans of mixed water. I have an airstone and a heater in the can, so the temp is the same as the tank. I then just turn the valve so the water goes down the drain instead of to the sump. As the level in the sump goes down, the float switch turns on the pump and pumps water into the sump. When the can is about empty I turn the valve so the tank water is going back in the sump, and I put the RIO pump back in the RO can. The whole process takes about 5 minutes, and I've changed 30 gals in my 125 gal tank without the fish even noticing that anything was happening. All I had to do was turn a valve. It works great for me, I wish I could set up the same thing for my 55gal upstairs, but the pump won't pump that high (about 20 feet).
If you have any other questions, let me know.
Bob
I have a 125 gal tank in the living room, with a Tidepool II sump in the basement. I use the marineland SOS overflow on the tank with a Mag 9.5 pump in the sump. I have extrememly hard water, so I have an RO setup. The RO water goes into a 30 gal garbage can, and I have 2 other cans that I mix my water in. I use 1 part hard water to 2 parts RO water. I have a RIO pump in the RO can, (I used to use that for my pump up to the tank, but it was noisy, so I got the Mag. Much Quieter). I have a Float switch in the sump (I got it from Automated Aquarium Systems for around $40). It works on vacuum so there is no electrical connection in the sump. The RIO pump is plugged into that, and when the level goes down to a certain point, the pump turns on and pumps RO water in the sump to make up for evaporation. That was a big deal since the water evaporated about 3 gals a day, and I was constantly replenishing it.
Now for the water changing part. In the PVC drain pipe coming from the overflow to the sump I have a T fitting and a ball valve. The T fitting has a hose that goes to a drain. I take the pump out of the RO can, and put it in one of the cans of mixed water. I have an airstone and a heater in the can, so the temp is the same as the tank. I then just turn the valve so the water goes down the drain instead of to the sump. As the level in the sump goes down, the float switch turns on the pump and pumps water into the sump. When the can is about empty I turn the valve so the tank water is going back in the sump, and I put the RIO pump back in the RO can. The whole process takes about 5 minutes, and I've changed 30 gals in my 125 gal tank without the fish even noticing that anything was happening. All I had to do was turn a valve. It works great for me, I wish I could set up the same thing for my 55gal upstairs, but the pump won't pump that high (about 20 feet).
If you have any other questions, let me know.
Bob
They sound like very complicated systems! The more complicated the system, the more things can go wrong like leaking valves, hose and seal. I will go with canister only if I need total silent operation and grow plants so that it won't drive away CO2. I will go with wet-and-dry only if I have huge tank and don't want to service multiple filters or keep tank busters that are out there to destroy heater and intake tube which I can hide in the sump. I will stay with HOBs which are simple in design, with few parts to break, and inherently most energy efficient.