[December]

Still very new to planted tanks and still researching ...so..

Ehiem Vs Wet/Dry .. I have 75g and was thinking of going with the DIY Wet/Dry Filter (save on cost and already have a 30 gallon sump, just thinking about getting a piece of acrylic to complete W/D filter build).

A lot of the journal or threads i've read here uses Ehiem filter system, what are some of the main differences/advantage do these system have over Wet/Dry for a planted tank?

 

[Green_Flash]

When I go big it will be a drilled tank with an oveflow and sump.

Benefits:

Larger water volume = more stable
Hide all equipment in sump
Surface skimming!
Water level remains the same in the tank all the time, no more annoying evaporation lines on rimless
ATO in sump pump chamber.
More powerful and better pump choices, I can choose an iwaki, Sicce or eheim pump.

 

[msawdey]

Still very new to planted tanks and still researching ...so..

Ehiem Vs Wet/Dry .. I have 75g and was thinking of going with the DIY Wet/Dry Filter (save on cost and already have a 30 gallon sump, just thinking about getting a piece of acrylic to complete W/D filter build).

A lot of the journal or threads i've read here uses Ehiem filter system, what are some of the main differences/advantage do these system have over Wet/Dry for a planted tank?

if you have it use it.. i love my eheims, but they are expensive.. I do not see an advantage over using the sump

 

[Kathyy]

I love using sumps but canisters are quieter and they are set up and go. There is a lot to learn when using an open system. Since you can save lots of money DIY there is that to study up on and the actual plumbing and running is more complicated.

Sumps are easier to clean if you have set them up so you can get to what you need to get to.

 

[BudHop]

Still very new to planted tanks and still researching ...so..

Ehiem Vs Wet/Dry .. I have 75g and was thinking of going with the DIY Wet/Dry Filter (save on cost and already have a 30 gallon sump, just thinking about getting a piece of acrylic to complete W/D filter build).

A lot of the journal or threads i've read here uses Ehiem filter system, what are some of the main differences/advantage do these system have over Wet/Dry for a planted tank?

I love my sump. Everything that Green Flash says for benefits is true. I have 2 overflows in my 180. What is great is my aquarium is located along the wall that is connected to my garage so I just ran the pipes through the wall and there's my wet/dry in the back of my garage. So easy to clean do water changes & totally silent in the house.

 

[Oxl]

Green_Flash lists the sump pros, I'll list the canister pros:

-Kathyy mentions the primary reason I went with eheim classics - they are absolutely silent and with my tanks in the living room that was very important to me.

-I'd also say the maintenance is easier with a canister, I set up the media so that I only need to open them once a year or longer - they just keep working without a hassle.

-Less chance of leakage as there is no need to drill the tank and it is a sealed unit. Some of the ways people set up their sumps can cause a disaster.

-Canisters use much less space.
-They can be moved to another tank with ease.
-Looks nice, sumps are somewhat unsightly.

 

[Calmia22]

Honestly I think it's just a persons preference. They both do great jobs, and they both without a doubt have pros and cons. My brother has built many sumps, and they are really interesting, esp. when you begin to customize them. Canisters are plainly put: Easy. Setup and go. I have aquatop canisters on my 75. I really love the canisters because they are easy. However I almost did do a sump, but I decided I wanted it to be as easy as I can get, and whats easier then pulling out the debit card? Lol. I do wish my heater was in a sump and that I could have more customization options. Although I can without a doubt say that if I end up with a bigger tank in the future, I will be doing a sump.

 

[December]

Green_Flash lists the sump pros, I'll list the canister pros:

-Kathyy mentions the primary reason I went with eheim classics - they are absolutely silent and with my tanks in the living room that was very important to me.

-I'd also say the maintenance is easier with a canister, I set up the media so that I only need to open them once a year or longer - they just keep working without a hassle.

-Less chance of leakage as there is no need to drill the tank and it is a sealed unit. Some of the ways people set up their sumps can cause a disaster.

-Canisters use much less space.
-They can be moved to another tank with ease.
-Looks nice, sumps are somewhat unsightly.

When I go big it will be a drilled tank with an oveflow and sump.

Benefits:

Larger water volume = more stable
Hide all equipment in sump
Surface skimming!
Water level remains the same in the tank all the time, no more annoying evaporation lines on rimless
ATO in sump pump chamber.
More powerful and better pump choices, I can choose an iwaki, Sicce or eheim pump.

Thanks for sharing ladies/gentlemen. I was a bit concerned with the noise too since the tank will be in the living room. However the cost of the canister will set me back a bit... I am thinking of maybe completing my sump build for now and save $$ for the Ehiem. Eventally i want to try both of them out. Awesome... thanks.

One more question: In terms of electrical bill/cost, which one is more friendly? ( Probably depends on what type of canister verse pump/heater in the sump? )

Thanks again everyone.

 

[Merth]

I think the cost of electricity is pretty negligible between the two. It would depend on size and the can will probably be a bit cheaper in the long run but not enough to notice. I have both and both do a great job so cant really comment on one better than the other. The only real advantage to me is cleaning the sump is so much easier than the can but the sump does take alot more space in stand leaving me not much room for anything else.

 

[HD Blazingwolf]

If u set it up as a wet/dry or as a sump with lots of surface area, then u are increasing oxygenatipn of the water as well and everything benefits from that. And u can have a quiet sump..

Mine has a slight water trickle noise and thats it. Its possible to set it up so there is no noise.

Ive had every type of filtration out there, and wet/dry.. well i'll never have another type of filtration again. The benefits are very quickly noticeable

 

[JoeGREEEN]

And u can have a quiet sump..

Mine has a slight water trickle noise and thats it. Its possible to set it up so there is no noise.

Ive had every type of filtration out there, and wet/dry.. well i'll never have another type of filtration again. The benefits are very quickly noticeable

+1 Agreed!

With a properly set up durso/plumbing a sump can be as quiet as a canister. Also a canister seal can leak (rare) but it has happened.

 

[JoeGREEEN]

I'd rather top-off my sump than my display.

Green_Flash lists the sump pros, I'll list the canister pros:



-I'd also say the maintenance is easier with a canister, I set up the media so that I only need to open them once a year or longer - they just keep working without a hassle.

.
-Looks nice, sumps are somewhat unsightly.

oh I forgot another reason I love my sumps.
Its much easier for me to to water changes with a sump and also do water top off ( on sump since displays is always topped off)

For a WC all I do pour treated water directly into the sump. (some have sumps with an auto top-off system)

 

[wkndracer]

-I'd also say the maintenance is easier with a canister, I set up the media so that I only need to open them once a year or longer - they just keep working without a hassle.

-Less chance of leakage as there is no need to drill the tank and it is a sealed unit. Some of the ways people set up their sumps can cause a disaster.

-Looks nice, sumps are somewhat unsightly.

These three got me enough to comment in reply :icon_redf
Cleaning;
Maintenance is easier??? but you only open the can once a year?
The sumps I run that have floss panels in them I can change the panels out weekly in less than a minute without even shutting off the pump.
Changing / rinsing media = gunk removed not running my water through it, seems like a better idea.
(this is the big one for me)

Leaks;
Motor head o-ring, primer o-rings, inlet/outlet o-rings, 2 line valve disconnect o-rings, inline heaters, CO2 reactors seems like plenty of places to leak. :icon_roll
My sumps have 2 drain lines that are hard clamped, the return line is clamped, reactor, heater yada yada are contained within the sump.
Same chance of my sump leaking as there is my tank seams will fail.

Admiring my tank not the plumbing.
I don't think I have ever considered saying oooohhhh what a pretty canister! Eheim pro II 2028 (x3), Pro3e 2078 & a classic here but all are hidden behind cabinet doors.

--------------------------
Power consumption for the return pumps can be compared with most cans using about 30watts the can is cheaper to run without searching for a balanced answer for the return from a sump. I only have reef keeper turn over (10x) on one system but for the power use to balance with the cost of 2 Eheim 2028's will require running it for about 8 years. :icon_eek:

 

[Bubba Shrimp]

I love my eheim canister it disconnects so fast with little leakage. Floss is cheap and carbon to. I change once a month and get my carbon and floss on ebay precut pc's for cheap. I prefer canister but a sump would act as a slimmer to, so on a larger tank sump would be the way to go.

 

[mach_six]

For my freshwater tanks, I'd stick to canister for ease.

For my saltwater tank, I drilled 2 overflows instead of using those boxes for piece of mind.

 

[NWA-Planted]

Really thats the biggest thing canisters are easier to setup.

Sumps a little more planning and a little bit of a learning curve but your filtration abilities are much greater! Also more flexible.


Ultimately both will work, personal preference is a biggy.

Sent from a dark corner in my happy place