Sump vs Canister Filter?

I would cross them off your list of trusted sources of info then to be honest. ;D

 

Lol, no kidding! Thank you.

 

I prefer a sump setup for many reasons: better aeration, a place to hide my skimmer and heaters, a place for my fuge to flow into...

the downsides are higher evaporation rate, the need for an overflow and return pump, and that's all that I can think of..

I have used both (a cannister and a sump) and I prefer the sump any day. Cannisters are "supposed" to be cleaned weekly to prevent them from becoming nitrate factories, and it can be a time consuming process.

 

Awesome. Thank you so much you guys.
If there are any more comments, Id love to hear them.
Does any one have any horror stories about sump mishaps so I can know what to avoid?

 

HAHAHAHAHAH!!! OF COURSE!!!... My first attempt at a sump caused it to overflow several gallons of water all over my floor when I shut off the return pump... I learned how to set the water level correctly and never had another issue.

 

What do u guys think about having both? a canister and sump? unnecessary? When u upgrade from canister to sump do u keep your canister running?

 

How in the world did you do that?!
How do you know when its at the right level?

 

If you abondon the cannister too quickly then you risk interrputing your biological filtration. Other than that, the cannister can be used for added circulation, but you will still run into the nitrate issue.

 

I filled my 20 gallon sump close to the top, and then i started the return pump and the over flow. When I shut off the return pump, the overflow kept going until the DT water level dropped to the overflow height... Well, this extra water then ended up all over my floor.. Actually, it take a little tinkering to get it right because it is dependant on the size of your DT and your sump. I simply use half of the sump max volume, and it seems to work well for me.

 

The standard way to test your sump setup is to shut off all pumps and let the overflow finish draining into your sump, and if it doesn't overflow then it is correctly adjusted. If it gets too close to the top, then shut off the overflow, and kick the return pump back on to prevent an overflow of the sump. then remove some water and try again. After you figure out the correct level, you can mark where the water level needs to be on the sump itsself. this also makes top-offs easier because you can just dump in your topoff water (into the sump) until the water level is back where it started. Does any of this make sense?