Nicholas234
New Member
Im new to saltwater and wanted to know the difference between a filter and a sump and also, are sumps needed?
Do I need a sumo
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Solo McReefer
Valuable Member
Yes
VintageReefer
10K Club member
A filter is a unit that hangs on the tank, or is an external canister. Both have small compartments to hold filtration media. You can be successful with filters
A sump is typically a rectangular glass or acrylic box, almost like another tank, below the aquarium. It is much larger and has several advantages.
-The sump holds a lot of water, increasing the total number of gallons of the system. The more water in the system, the more stable it is. Fish poop has more water to dilute it making the impact on parameters smaller. Waste is diluted more. Elements deplete slower also and in general there are less “swings” in parameters
- the sump has space to house equipment such as heaters, skimmers, reactors, etc which gets them out of the display, or off the display frame, which makes for a more visually enjoyable tank
- sumps can house refugiums which help nutrient control, and give space for pods to live and multiply safely
- sumps can house filter rollers, media bags, algae scrubbers, dosing lines, and all sorts of stuff
- since sumps are larger than filters, they can hold a lot more filtration media
GARRIGA
2500 Club Member
Sumps aren't needed although they make maintenance easier and hide equipment. Personally I prefer All In One with their sumps at tank level.
Oldest tank here runs on an undergravel filter. How I ran my first SW tank in the 80s. Canisters and HOB work. My 90s tank ran on a canister. Both just fish because I couldn't afford the lights or time but first did have a monster anemone that somehow survived many months.
Really depends what one intends to do. Equipment junky? Get a sump. Keep it simple like myself. AIO closed loop system. No one way reefing. End of day pH control for me will determine what corals I keep and not what filtration runs it.
Oldest tank here runs on an undergravel filter. How I ran my first SW tank in the 80s. Canisters and HOB work. My 90s tank ran on a canister. Both just fish because I couldn't afford the lights or time but first did have a monster anemone that somehow survived many months.
Really depends what one intends to do. Equipment junky? Get a sump. Keep it simple like myself. AIO closed loop system. No one way reefing. End of day pH control for me will determine what corals I keep and not what filtration runs it.
Naekuh
Valuable Member
DOSKOI!
Sumo's are definitely needed so you can save water and increase water level line.
as for sump... if you have room and your system is sump ready, sumps are pretty game changing.
They make things a lot easier, and cleaner...
But if your asking do you absolutely need them... no...
Sumo's are definitely needed so you can save water and increase water level line.
as for sump... if you have room and your system is sump ready, sumps are pretty game changing.
They make things a lot easier, and cleaner...
But if your asking do you absolutely need them... no...
Mr. Mojo Rising
7500 Club Member
A filter is a filter which is self explantory, a filter cleans.
A sump is a secondary tank under the main tank (usually hidden inside the cabinet) that holds the filtration equipment. It is not a filter itself, meaning, a sump does not clean water. This hides all the equipment in the sump under the cabinet so no one see's it.
If you have no sump, then you will use hang-on filters, which are visible, and can become unattractive if too much equipment is hanging off the main tank.
But it all works, it all achieves the same goal. I run tanks with sumps and without sumps.
A sump is a secondary tank under the main tank (usually hidden inside the cabinet) that holds the filtration equipment. It is not a filter itself, meaning, a sump does not clean water. This hides all the equipment in the sump under the cabinet so no one see's it.
If you have no sump, then you will use hang-on filters, which are visible, and can become unattractive if too much equipment is hanging off the main tank.
But it all works, it all achieves the same goal. I run tanks with sumps and without sumps.
Nicholas234
New Member
So do you recommend me having both or just a sump?
VintageReefer
10K Club member
Just a sump if you have the option
andy28115
Community Member
Sumps are nice, if you are purchasing new they will add to the cost of the tank. It will also make the tank more desirable to sell down the road if you upgrade or get out of the hobby. All in ones are more geared toward beginners IMO but many people run tanks both large and small with them. Hang on the back filters run externally of the tank. This would probably be the cheapest option but will require you to keep all equipment in the tank or hanging outside the tank. A lot of this will have to with what your plans are? IE do you want fish only, do you want some corals, do you want nothing but sps? Your best option is to decide what kind of corals (if any) you want to keep, which fish you want to keep, and then buy the tank that is best suited for the job. As far as tank size goes you will hear mixed opinions. Smaller is cheaper but when things go wrong they go wrong fast! Larger tanks give you more buffer but add to expense both maintenance and initial purchase.
drolmaeye
Active Member
Keep in mind that f you do not have a sump, there are still multiple styles of filtration for you to choose. If you are able to do so, I would recommend checking out "BRS 5-minute Guide -- How to set up a saltwater aquarium" on YouTube where you can see two different styles (hang-on-back and All-in-one) that do not use a sump.
From personal experience, when I got back into the hobby about two years ago, I went with an All-In-One (AIO) system as it seemed simpler, with fewer decisions to make. Overall I have been very happy with it, but my 2nd (and surely my last) tank has a sump, and I don't think I would ever run a full-size tank again without a sump.
From personal experience, when I got back into the hobby about two years ago, I went with an All-In-One (AIO) system as it seemed simpler, with fewer decisions to make. Overall I have been very happy with it, but my 2nd (and surely my last) tank has a sump, and I don't think I would ever run a full-size tank again without a sump.
GARRIGA
2500 Club Member
The cons about sumps.
Can be noisy
Potential flooding
Cost and complexity of plumbing if one wants it hard plumbed vs flexible hoses
Best weight all the pros and cons and then decide and biggest realization being more you spend doesn't equal success regardless that kept.
I'm a keep it simple kind of guy
Can be noisy
Potential flooding
Cost and complexity of plumbing if one wants it hard plumbed vs flexible hoses
Best weight all the pros and cons and then decide and biggest realization being more you spend doesn't equal success regardless that kept.
I'm a keep it simple kind of guy
andy28115
Community Member
I should add that after 20 plus years in the hobby I am running an aio tank, I have run several tanks with sumps but I wanted the simplicity of an aio and aesthetically not crazy about a traditional tank with a hob. Attached are pictures of my current set up, it has an auto top off, reef diaper socks and a tunze doc skimmer. I built the rock work to cover the skimmer.
