3 Canisters vs Sump

1915 Views 20 Replies 11 Participants Last post by CrypticLifeStyle, Mar 5, 2014

PapHater

Discussion Starter · Feb 27, 2014

I'm in the planning stages of upgrading my 90g to a 150g. I've already got two canisters that I'm using on my 90. I've also got a spare 40g breeder that I'm not using. I'm trying to decide if I should purchase a third canister or buy a lifereef overflow and turn the 40 into a sump/refugium.

The canister would be cheaper but I feel like I'd get better performance out of the sump...and I'd use the refugium to try my hand at shrimp

Is the extra expense of the sump worth it?

1 - 20 of 21 Posts

OVT

· #2 · Feb 27, 2014

For a larger tank, sump all the way.

v3

ua hua

· #3 · Feb 27, 2014

PapHater said:
I'm in the planning stages of upgrading my 90g to a 150g. I've already got two canisters that I'm using on my 90. I've also got a spare 40g breeder that I'm not using. I'm trying to decide if I should purchase a third canister or buy a lifereef overflow and turn the 40 into a sump/refugium.

The canister would be cheaper but I feel like I'd get better performance out of the sump...and I'd use the refugium to try my hand at shrimp

Is the extra expense of the sump worth it?

The simple answer is yes the extra expense is worth it. Maintaining a sump is soooo much easier than cleaning a canister filter. It takes me about 5 min to clean my sump and it took me at least that long to get my canister filter primed after doing maintenance on it. You could always sell your canister filters to help offset the cost of the sump. On top of the ease of maintenance the surface skimming, the added o2 levels and the additional biological media that you can put in a sump are beneficial to your tank.

CrypticLifeStyle

· #4 · Feb 27, 2014

I'd go with sump, but personally i would get a glass holes overflow box kit, then use what you suggested. It's worth looking into as an alternative option.

NYCaqua

· #5 · Feb 27, 2014

The volume a 40 gallon sump would give you of biological media is well worth the added cost. Also +1 on the glass overflow box kit idea.

rdmustang1

· #6 · Feb 27, 2014

CrypticLifeStyle said:
I'd go with sump, but personally i would get a glass holes overflow box kit, then use what you suggested. It's worth looking into as an alternative option.

+1

If you don't have the tank you could even get a reef ready tank. They don't cost much more, work better, are safer, and have a better resale ability (if the need ever arose).

If you're a DIY type person then I think a sump is a requirement. It offers so much flexibility, makes your tank better looking and as previously said is so easy to clean. You basically clean or replace some filter foam and you're done. I loved the sump on my 190 so much I put one on a 12 gallon tank

CraignKathysaquarium

· #7 · Feb 27, 2014

Canister filters can quickly become nitrate factories on a salt tank. Use them with caution. I know people have used them with success, but the maintainence had to be done quite a but more than you do when they filter fw

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Nu2Plants

· #8 · Feb 27, 2014

Get the sump. If you haven't bought anything yet, I agree with the reef ready tank idea. Have it drilled, it'll save you a ton of headaches. Get the sump as big as possible, a 75 gallon if it'll fit under the stand.

Figure out how many gallons are in the top two inches of space in the tank. Thats about the amount that will back syphon into the sump when the power goes off. You need to allow for that, on top of the volume you have in the sump when it's running.

Look into the bean animal idea for the over flow. It's the quietest arrangement, if quiet is important to you. Decide on how many over flows you want. Look into the coast to coast overflow, and see if that's something you'd like. Also decide if you want your pump inside the sump or out before you decide on the arrangement in the stand.

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ForensicFish

· #9 · Feb 27, 2014

sump

Kareen

· #10 · Feb 28, 2014

I would go with the sump and go with a Glass Holes over flow kit it comes with every thing you will need thay have video to show you how to do it. www.glass-holes.com

PapHater

Discussion Starter · #11 · Feb 28, 2014

The sump it is. This tank is essentially coming to me for free...trading my 90 for his 150...so I couldn't justify purchasing a new reef ready tank over this.

That glass holes overflow box is pretty interesting, although a bit intimidating. I had originally decided against drilling it mainly because it would have been too much of a hassle getting the tank to a glass shop but this could change things. Cheaper to.

Anyone have direct experience drilling their own tank? The glass on the tank I'll be getting is 1/2" thick if that makes a difference.

ForensicFish

· #12 · Feb 28, 2014

You don't have to drill it if you don't want to. You can always just set up an overflow box from CPR or one from lifereef.

CrypticLifeStyle

· #13 · Feb 28, 2014

Drilling is easy, the thought of it is intimidating but with the kit, the directions, i think you'll be fine. Just go slow, let the drill bit do it's thing. I have their 700gph kit on my 27g reef tank, and i've been very happy with it.

farmhand

· #14 · Feb 28, 2014

How does the Glass Holes Kit system compare with the Bean system?
I've never had a sump but thinking it would be nice to fill a sump with fast growing floaters with high light hooked to a tank with slow growing nice plants.

Nu2Plants

· #15 · Mar 1, 2014

Drilling the tank is intimidating, but it's not too big a deal. Check out some utube vids to get an idea of what's involved. Having the tank drilled is safer in the long run. Your chances of having problems down the road are much smaller.

Also you don't have to drill it yourself. You can bring it to a glass shop and they'll drill it for you. Or better still, see if the glass shop can come to you, or sometimes your LFS will come out to you as well to drill and even set the tank up for you to.

farmhand

· #16 · Mar 2, 2014

CrypticLifeStyle said:
I'd go with sump, but personally i would get a glass holes overflow box kit, then use what you suggested. It's worth looking into as an alternative option.

NYCaqua said:
The volume a 40 gallon sump would give you of biological media is well worth the added cost. Also +1 on the glass overflow box kit idea.

Kareen said:
I would go with the sump and go with a Glass Holes over flow kit it comes with every thing you will need thay have video to show you how to do it. www.glass-holes.com

If I put a Glass-Holes overflow into a 20 gal using a 10 gal sump, which overflow should I use?
Are teeth good or not?
What pump would you spec?
If this works out I may upgrade to a 30 gal rimless I've got stored.:smile: so the pump should work with that when I do.
Thanks

CrypticLifeStyle

· #17 · Mar 2, 2014

@farmhand

IMO the Super Nano con Dientes Overflow Box Complete Kit, cause it has the teeth cut into the box. I don't think the other nano boxes have the teeth, and still small enough to not be too big for a 20g, and 700gph kit for the 30g.

farmhand

· #18 · Mar 4, 2014

CrypticLifeStyle said:
@farmhand

IMO the Super Nano con Dientes Overflow Box Complete Kit, cause it has the teeth cut into the box. I don't think the other nano boxes have the teeth, and still small enough to not be too big for a 20g, and 700gph kit for the 30g.

Only speaking from what I have read, not experienced, the non-teeth units are better for planted tanks. Why do you say go with teeth? Also I've seen saltwater guys use the smaller box with lots of flow. Just asking as I've not done this.
Thanks

CrypticLifeStyle

· #19 · Mar 4, 2014

I like the teeth cause you can have the box higher up on the tank, and still get the flow through. So if you have fish, or shrimp it'll help keep them from going down the sump drain, opposed to having a box with out teeth further down from the water level line where fish or shrimp can get sucked down. If it's strictly plants then i guess you dont have to worry about it.

farmhand

· #20 · Mar 5, 2014 (Edited)

CrypticLifeStyle said:
I like the teeth cause you can have the box higher up on the tank, and still get the flow through. So if you have fish, or shrimp it'll help keep them from going down the sump drain, opposed to having a box with out teeth further down from the water level line where fish or shrimp can get sucked down. If it's strictly plants then i guess you dont have to worry about it.

I have read the teeth cut the water more thereby opening up the surface allowing more Co2 to excape. Do you run Co2 with this unit? No experence here with overflows. Just sounds like a fun project. :icon_bigg
Also, does the bigger unit make more noise if you don't have enough flow to fill it?

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