Sump or not to sump

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Hello guys i just recently bought a 40g tall aquarium and I could not decide if i should just buy a canister filter or a sump. Sump is the case most likely I would do because I am thinking that it is better in the long run but very expensive to start with. I am planning to do a reef tank with it and I want some opinions on what choice would be best

 

[T-J]

Sump should be your first choice unless you're doing a FOWLR. The extra room for everything, plus the added water volume will be very helpful.
Good luck!

 

[HD_Reefer]

+100 for sump!

 

[page]

Sump should be your first choice unless you're doing a FOWLR. The extra room for everything, plus the added water volume will be very helpful.
Good luck!

Yes I like the sump as well but do you know what the estimated cost would be if i go sump? I reckon that buying overflow box and a sump + skimmer and return would be very very expensive plus all the bio filtration

 

[AutumnReefs]

Canisters are hard to clean and are terrible compared to a hang on back filter or a sump. There is absolutely no benefit to running a canister over literally any other filter (in saltwater).

 

[fish farmer]

Yes I like the sump as well but do you know what the estimated cost would be if i go sump? I reckon that buying overflow box and a sump + skimmer and return would be very very expensive plus all the bio filtration

What is your price range?

Do you feel that you would need things like skimmers and other equipment that could be housed better in a sump?

I've always had sumps, from my 38 gallon to my current 29 gallon and all the other sizes in between. You can use the sump for a skimmer, macroalgae grow out, extra rock, toss the heaters in there as well.

 

[slojim]

it can be about the journey - you don't have to buy it all at once....

my sump is a rubbermaid container. my skimmer compartment is a 5gal bucket, cut down to ~8". It is not as nice nor as functional as a purpose-built sump, but it works, and I'm in no hurry to replace it. My overflow box and glass drill bit cost more than my sump.

anyway - I don't know your experience level, but if you start out with FOWLR, you can definitely get away with a hang-on power filter or 2 for a while while you prep for a more reef-oriented set-up.

 

[AutumnReefs]

Yes I like the sump as well but do you know what the estimated cost would be if i go sump? I reckon that buying overflow box and a sump + skimmer and return would be very very expensive plus all the bio filtration

ps you don't need a skimmer especially at first. You can just do a refugium at first or just swap the socks out frequently (or get a filter floss roller like the Klir one which would be fantastic combined with a refugium)

 

[AutumnReefs]

check out fijicube diy sump baffle kits.

 

[Devaji]

this is what I would do....my thoughts

not sure of the Dems of the 40 tall.
but for small cheapish tanks I LOVE the size of the 40br I would go with a 40/40 set up 40br DT and 40BR sump you can get them at petco dollar per gallon sale pretty cheap ( not quite a $40 bucka any more but still pretty cheap.

for the sump get some 1/4" plate glass cut and make some baffles and your off to the races.

 

[Devaji]

for filtration you can also do a up flow algae scruber. should be able to make the hole thing around $50 buck sor so depending on what you got laying around.
good luck man

 

[BuddyVanDoodle]

Couldn’t imagine another tank without a sump. Have an AIO and it’s not really my thing

 

[page]

What is your price range?

Do you feel that you would need things like skimmers and other equipment that could be housed better in a sump?

I've always had sumps, from my 38 gallon to my current 29 gallon and all the other sizes in between. You can use the sump for a skimmer, macroalgae grow out, extra rock, toss the heaters in there as well.

My price range is a little over $100 on a overflow box. I already have a skimmer and a little tank that I would probably modify and put baffles to be a sump but I reckon that there is no overflow box less than $150 bucks plus lets say toms aqualifter is another $100 bucks

 

[page]

it can be about the journey - you don't have to buy it all at once....

my sump is a rubbermaid container. my skimmer compartment is a 5gal bucket, cut down to ~8". It is not as nice nor as functional as a purpose-built sump, but it works, and I'm in no hurry to replace it. My overflow box and glass drill bit cost more than my sump.

anyway - I don't know your experience level, but if you start out with FOWLR, you can definitely get away with a hang-on power filter or 2 for a while while you prep for a more reef-oriented set-up.

Ive been in in the hobby for 2 years now and been reefing on and off for about a year but I did a 100g saltwater only fish before and sold it so I am starting everything from scratch right now basically and do not want to spend crazy amounts of money. Yes that is what I was thinking as well as for like a couple months I could survive with hob filter but wont it cost more in the long run tho?

 

[ZoWhat]

so I am starting everything from scratch right now basically and do not want to spend crazy amounts of money.

Then buy everything used off Craigslist

Most sellers think their stuff is worth twice what it actually is. Look for equipment that's been posted for at least 30 days and offer them HALF of what they are asking. 50/50 chance they'll take it.

I got my 6ft 180g tank from a guy who paid $4000 for it, wanted $2000, I offered $500 bc it sat on CL for 45 days. He took it


.

 

[adittam]

I'm pretty new to the reefing hobby, but I'm gonna go against the flow here and say that I love my Fluval 407 canister filter on my 46 gallon tank (click on my build thread badge for details and pics). It's extremely easy to clean, and gives great flow and surface agitation in the tank when you pair it with Fluval's spray bar. It has 4 media baskets that I can customize however I want, and I don't ever have to worry about a skimmer overflowing. People love to talk about how canister filters are nitrate factories, but as long as you clean out the mechanical filtration every couple weeks, that's not the case.

 

[Timfish]

Sump. Don't know why it has to be expensive, a 20 gallon tank would work fine. Sumps don't have to have all the dividers and partitions manufactureres like ot put in them. I just use basic cryptic sumps without skimmers or reactors. Cryptic spumps are prefferable IMO as they provide areas for cryptic spnges that are essential for recycling the hydrophilic and hydrophobic labile DOC and are mush faster at removing it than bacterioplankton. Below are three of my systems with just basic cryptic sumps:

90 Gallon Mixed Reef

Mixed Reef started in 1997, 10-07-19

220 Rimless 450 view

 

[slojim]

Regarding costing more in the long run... you will pay for it in water changes. With the right filtration, you might be doing small water changes infrequently. With a hob, you might be doing 25% every 2 weeks. Figure out your water cost (are you buying or making, what salt are you using) let's call it 75 cents a gallon, 8 gallons every 2 weeks. That's $12 a month. So yeah, it will cost more in the long run, but not so much that it hurts to start out and adapt as time goes on.