Use my retired Ehiem canister as a sump pump?

[jpbellis]

I have a perfect running Ehiem Professional 4+ canister filter but I'm upgrading to a 30 gallon long sump. SO ...

1. Instead of buying a pump what would be a downfall to using my now defunct canister as a sump pump?
2. What \would YOU fill it with if anything? I was thinking activated carbon for a nice polishing effect maybe some purigen.
3 Other thoughts?

JB

 

[dougall]

Assuming your plan is for the intake of the filter to go into the sump, and then return to the display tank, will you have the height needed to siphon the water from the so to the canister? And if the sump becomes dry, you will have to re-prime the canister also.

Personally I would go with a DC pump as the return, and put the media into the sump. There's no point in over complicating the setup.

 

[jpbellis]

will you have the height needed to siphon the water from the so to the canister?

I didn't consider the height of the filter relative to the sump, it will have to source it's water from a point lower than the pump if it's sitting next to the sump; I'll have to experiment with that.

I'd like to control my costs and don't want to file away an expensive canister for an expensive dc pump if I have a device that can continue to provide a service. What would cause the sump to run dry other than extraordinary neglect, I don't see that possibility ever.

 

[dougall]

depending how you have the sump organized, something simply blockign the flow... we have had am overflow blocked bu a snail, for example.

Just trying to remove a point of failure. perhaps I should have said the filter runs dry, I was tired, remember you need to keep water in the sump to completely cover the filter intake, irrespective of whether or not it is able to siphon water from the sump.