Sump vs Canister Filter?

I was looking for supplies to make my sump with when I spotted a canister filter. I thought to myself it looks very similar to a sump, just in canister form.
Would any of these be
A)Worse than
B) Equal to or
C)Better Than
A regular sump. Does any one have any experience with these filters and how did it work out? Do you know of a better Filter or have a better Idea?
Please give me all the info you can,
Thanks

Eheim Ecco
Aquarium Water Quality & Filtration: Eheim ECCO Canister Filters

Fluval 305
Fluval 305

Rena Filstar xP2
Rena Filstar Canister Filter at PETCO

 

The biggest problem with canister filters is the filter media can become a build up of waste and cause nitrates. A sump also increases water volume more and provides a place for an in tank skimmer. Have you considered a refugium?

 

What is the difference between a sump and a refugium?

 

Im using a rena xp2.. for about 6 months now on my saltwater tank... fish been doing great, got some star polyps growing.

the rena xp2 - adds about 2-3 gallons more volume of water. seems to really pull alot of crap out of my tank, i probally need to clean it more often. ( more than once every 3 weeks)

 

Basically a sump is an empty tank that houses your skimmer and adds volume to your system. A refugium is a tank built to house things that are either ugly or will get eaten in the main tank but are very benifitial to your tank, and they can usually house your skimmer too.

It wouldnt cost you much more to build a refugium but the long term gain will be huge. The only additional things you will really need are; a really basic light and a little more sand.

 

semantics.

a sump is another tank/waterstoragedevice that you run your equipment in (skimmer, heaters, whatever). a refugium is where you plant macro algaes that will soak up nutrients, nitrates specifically. its a refuge, so there woould be no other livestock basically.


a filter , canister or otherwise, is something you have to mess with consistently, forever. a sump is fairly hassle free once set up... plus the super benefit of somewhere out of view to run equipment , test water, and increase overall water volume.

if you have the options, a sump and/or refuge are far better than acanister filter.


having said all that..... i run none of those things.

 

I honestly thought that a sump was a refugium *Oopsie*.
I have seem so many sumps with algae and damsels or other small fish in one of the compartments, so I just assumed it was the same thing.
Thank you. My boyfriend was nagging me to get a canister filter, but I really have my heart set on making my own sump/refugium because its gonna be really time consuming and it will have to be precise and I like to work on things like that.

 

If you want to build one you should definately go that route. You wont regret it. I dont even do water changes anymore to which I give my fuge full credit.

 

Cool!
Thank you all so much. Now I wont waste my time or money on a canister filter.
The people at the LFS were saying it would be one of the best decisions I could make.

 

A lot of people incorporate a refugium in a section of the sump so that's probably what you're used to seeing. A canister filter is generally just mechanical filtration or running carbon or something like that, not really the same function as a sump although a sump can do those things. It just can do a lot more and is far better at them, and a much better use of time/money IMO than a canister filter.