Canister Vs. Sump

C

cape

New Member
hi, fairly new to fish keeping. I know water quality is crucial to a nice/healthy fish. So what does everyone use here? Reasons one over the other? I've read that sumps don't clean up debris on the bottom of tank which turns me off from it. Anyway to fix this problem? sorry if this question is very basic. Still trying to learn everything . thanks.
 
depends what your going for i guess, as well as personal preference. I myself prefer canisters because they are not as noisy as sumps but for bulk biological filtration i'd go for a sump. mechanical=sump, chemical=sump

noise and maintenance=canister

at least IMO lol
 
It's true that sumps have a hard time picking up debris from the bottom but if you have powerheads positioned to stir it up, it will eventually find it's way to the sump. Another way would be a closed loop with outputs on the bottom of your tank that will contantly kick up the debris.

Canisters are great too if you don't mind an intake tube/strainer in your tank. Just be sure to have the appropriate size canister(s) to match your tank. Always over filter, never underfilter. That's when you run into problems.

It's all personal preference.
 
A canister doesn't clean debris off the bottom unless you have it hooked up to a UGF or hang the tube really low.

I put some direct some powerheads to blow the bottom of the tank in stagnant areas. This keeps detritus suspended and will eventually go into the overflow. Going bare bottom or tile bottom makes it easier.

Benefits of having a sump far outweigh the noise factor, but it can be designed to be near quiet. All depends on how you plumb the system and baffle design. It increases water capacity, increases air exchange, removes surface scum if you have an overflow, more room for filter media, and gives you a place to store equipment like heaters and such. Cleans up the display tremendously.
 
there are ways to make your sump more quiet, durso, flex pipe etc... but 1 problem i have with the sump is there is some kind of mosquitoes living and breeding in my sump. although it doesnt bite, its pretty nasty. i never had this problem with a sealed canister filter.
i guess i need a better lid. any suggestions on killing these bugs?
 
Mar, you probably have some stagnant or standing water. Mosquitoes generally don't breed in running water.
For a quick fix, try putting an airstone in the sump to create some more surface agitation.
 
i already have bubbles in 2 sections of it. and there are ripples in the water all over. but i'll can add a few more and see what happens.
is it possiable that i introduce these bugs from feeding mysis shrimp or bloodworms? these bugs started apperaing in the middle of winter.
 
If the mysis and bw are the frozen variety, I highly doubt it.

High humidity attracts these bugs too.
 
I have a sump and never seen Mosquitoes? you must have no water movement? Clean is much easier than canister.
 
A couple of air stones will get rid of your mosquitoes marowana... do you have a lid on the sump??

Back on topic...

I enjoy both methods of filtration...

A sump/trickle filter = superior Bio filtration.... A wet/dry, can hold far more media than any canister... which alows for a larger colony of bacteria. They also add more O2 to the tank thank any canister could... far easier to maintain... you can customize a sump to your tanks needs... all equipment is concelled in the sump.... very easy to clean...
Any negatives about the sump, like noise, poor mechanical filtration, heat loss, and humidity can be countered.... I dont have any of those issues with mine...

A canister = Great mechanical filtration...
They have a very limited amount of media capasity and all equipment is in the main tank... I like canisters for smaller tanks though... 90gals or less generally.. but i employ them on larger tanks as well, just for their mechanical cleaning abilitys...but they are troublesome to clean compared to a sump...
 
My wet/dry cost less than a new FX5 minus the media... It is a 50gal sump, with a 20gal wet/dry tower... all acrylic...including the pump.. it is also brand new, but i built it myself....
 
Marowana420 said:
there are ways to make your sump more quiet, durso, flex pipe etc... but 1 problem i have with the sump is there is some kind of mosquitoes living and breeding in my sump. although it doesnt bite, its pretty nasty. i never had this problem with a sealed canister filter.
i guess i need a better lid. any suggestions on killing these bugs?
Click to expand...

lol... i guess you could keep some guppies in there :D
 
brand new fx5 will cost you around 250.
for a sump, a good pump and the tank alone will probably cost you around there. then you add in the essentials and extras and it'll cost more than a cannister filter
 
i prefer sump. a lot easier to clean. however, i still use a fx5 on my tank. just for cleaning the finer debris in the water.
 
Like m_class2g, using both doesn't hurt.

FX5 offers great mechanical filtration and flow. Combine that with the bio capabilities of a wet/dry and I'd say your tank will be in good shape.
 
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