Sump vs Canisters, really?

[Chance93]

I hope I am posting this in the right place.

So, I'm a noob to saltwater aquariums and I'm trying to figure out the mass amount of hatred towards canister filters, and the complete difference that they hold.
For what I understand, sumps give you a bit more water volume, place to hide unsightly equipment, and (if you choose) a place to put a fuge.
I get that those three pluses are pretty big. However, if someone were to routinely clean/maintain a canister filter (which shouldn't be a problem considering it takes 30 minutes max) wouldn't the sump and canister give the same results so to speak?

Heres my dilemma, I'm in the early stages of planning out my 125gal. My stand has zero room for a sump, my partner likes the stand because it has "shelves" which allows for the aquarium to feel like another piece of furniture in the living room. So if I were to have a reef octopus 2000 HOB skimmer, Fx6 canister filter (maybe fill 2 chambers full of live rock ruble and the third packed full of filter floss) would this be sufficient?

 

[Chance93]

Or maybe someone has some ideas on a route I can go?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

If you have a hob skimmer. You don't need a canister.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I'd look into a hob fuge.

 

[aquaman30k]

From my experience I try to limit the necessary maintenance so that I can spend more time enjoying the tank and not slaving over it. When I used canister filters years back they were nothing but nitrate and phosphate factories. Not a good thing to have when you're trying to keep corals.

If the canister filter is your only option I might suggest Marine Pure cubes or spheres instead of live rock.

 

[Chance93]

Thanks for the tips. I actually might go ahead and try the CPR HOB aquafuge and just scratch the canister all together. I have several aquaclear 110 laying around that I could always use if I ever needed to run carbon or something.
You both have been a great help!!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

You bet.
You can run carbon in the fuge btw.

 

[bif24701]

I hope I am posting this in the right place.

So, I'm a noob to saltwater aquariums and I'm trying to figure out the mass amount of hatred towards canister filters, and the complete difference that they hold.
For what I understand, sumps give you a bit more water volume, place to hide unsightly equipment, and (if you choose) a place to put a fuge.
I get that those three pluses are pretty big. However, if someone were to routinely clean/maintain a canister filter (which shouldn't be a problem considering it takes 30 minutes max) wouldn't the sump and canister give the same results so to speak?

Heres my dilemma, I'm in the early stages of planning out my 125gal. My stand has zero room for a sump, my partner likes the stand because it has "shelves" which allows for the aquarium to feel like another piece of furniture in the living room. So if I were to have a reef octopus 2000 HOB skimmer, Fx6 canister filter (maybe fill 2 chambers full of live rock ruble and the third packed full of filter floss) would this be sufficient?

With all that HOB stuff it's not going to look like just another piece of furniture. HOB stuff is ugly, hard to reach and clean, and sticks out like a sore thumb. If you have room for an FX6 you don't have room for a sump? Have you had an FX6? They are huge and you will need a good sized area to reach it to remove or take it apart.

BRS just added some unique sumps that are ment for small tanks but might be a good fit for you, don't know.

I would look at trying to get a small sump somewhere. It will look much better, be more effective, and get a simple skimmer.

Canister, HOB fuge, HOB skimmer....... you will see when you get the stuff and have it running. I would skip the canister all together. Don't need it at all and to run carbon you can use a reactor or put it somewhere in the HOB stuff. I have owned a lot of canisters, none of them are easy or fun to clean. They always spill some water some how and your will need to take is all apart every week because stuff grows everywhere on every surface in Reef tanks so stuff will clog easy and all the plumbing for them is more complicated so there are more points for failure and leaking. The sponges are almost impossible to get 100% clean. Putting only quality bio Media like Seachem Matrix or Siporax is better than any sponges. No SPONGES!!! lol.

Save your sole, get a sump! Trust me, your wife will no more like all that HOB stuff than a simple sump. Don't need a refugium, they really aren't effective unless you have a good sized one, instead you can just put bio media in the return or skimmer section. Also there is going to be other stuff you want to add heaters, dosers, media/rubble filter socks (much better that sponges), thermometers, probes, Kalk dropper, ATO, controller, reactors. And more.

no sump= a bunch of clutter in and around your beautiful display that always looks dirty because that's what they do. If you neglect any of it or get busy for a week or more (we all do and will) it just gets worse so you start to feel depressed about it and neglect it more or give up.


Sump= all the ugly clutter is hidden away and you only see glass/water/fish/coral maybe a powerhead or two. Easier to clean and don't need to take it all apart every week just to function. Just empty the skimmer cup and add top off water. Your wife will be happier too because it's less noisy, all the pumps are hidden behind doors, and looks less cluttered.


Get a sump if at all possible.

 

[Zoaeasy]

CAD lights makes a 100 g All in one tank. The sump is essentially in the back.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

With all that HOB stuff it's not going to look like just another piece of furnitur

Mine does

 

[DracoKat]

I am not sure how your house is laid out, but any way you can drill into a wall to put a sump in a closet or in the floor into the basement?

 

[bif24701]

Mine does

Do you have a canopy or something? I sincerely would love to see a picture and I'm sure the OP would too.

 

[jsker]

I located my sump remotely as @DracoKat suggested. I started with a HOB and also did not want to gut my stand/credenza to install a sump. I really like how the remote sump turned out in my closet/fish anex . I would also must cram another frag tank in the closet also, but that will be tank #2

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Do you have a canopy or something? I sincerely would love to see a picture and I'm sure the OP would too.

yea leemie find it.
Keep in mind I don't like louis 14th, I prefer the aesthetic movement and the art nouveau that was inspired by the opening of trade with japan in the 1800's. i recommend not having strangers pick your couch or coral.

 

[Pugfishluv3]

I use a canister filter always have, keep it clean and it will be fine. I can't wrap my mind around sumps I just can't.

 

[Nano101]

I agree sump is always best BUT you can make HOB stuff work. I made a cabinet with fans to cover my HOB equipment in my 75g back in the day. I was too much of a n00b to drill a tank. Would do it now in a heartbeat

 

[Chance93]

I have had an fx6 and am currently running one on my freshwater aquarium, so I agree that they are a pain to remove. I would love to have a basement or closet that housed all this, but the entryway is to the left, dinning room to the right, and my house is on a slab without a basement lol.

 

[Sabellafella]

I hope I am posting this in the right place.

So, I'm a noob to saltwater aquariums and I'm trying to figure out the mass amount of hatred towards canister filters, and the complete difference that they hold.
For what I understand, sumps give you a bit more water volume, place to hide unsightly equipment, and (if you choose) a place to put a fuge.
I get that those three pluses are pretty big. However, if someone were to routinely clean/maintain a canister filter (which shouldn't be a problem considering it takes 30 minutes max) wouldn't the sump and canister give the same results so to speak?

Heres my dilemma, I'm in the early stages of planning out my 125gal. My stand has zero room for a sump, my partner likes the stand because it has "shelves" which allows for the aquarium to feel like another piece of furniture in the living room. So if I were to have a reef octopus 2000 HOB skimmer, Fx6 canister filter (maybe fill 2 chambers full of live rock ruble and the third packed full of filter floss) would this be sufficient?

Technically, if you do your research, you can get away with none of that =) but imo yea it deffinitly would be sufficient. Just have to clean both of them out frequently

 

[Chance93]

the main reason, that I've heard from multiple different people, is the biggest plus that a sump provides is more water volume and space to add a place for beneficial bacteria to grow ( I know there's a more scientific way to say that ). So in my mind, I figured that using the Fx6 would do just that. I'd take out the sponges, and use the three compartments as places to put quality bio media or live rock ruble. Essentially doing exactly what a small sump would do (unless I'm not fully understanding what a sump does). Am I making sense? lol

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

the main reason, that I've heard from multiple different people, is the biggest plus that a sump provides is more water volume and space to add a place for beneficial bacteria to grow ( I know there's a more scientific way to say that ). So in my mind, I figured that using the Fx6 would do just that. I'd take out the sponges, and use the three compartments as places to put quality bio media or live rock ruble. Essentially doing exactly what a small sump would do (unless I'm not fully understanding what a sump does). Am I making sense? lol

you are correct. But its not IMO not a necessity. Another large benefit of a sump that many overlook is it works as a gravity filter. Ie particles settle one they fall and do not return to the top tank. this a mechanical filter.

But I think most importantly, To balance a non sumped tank is a little less about hardware imo its livestock and feeding and the expectations for livestock you have. A large number of large animals will require more foods and we need to consider more efficient or higher volume nutrient export methods. These can be mechanical chemical or biological. and each of those can still be overwhelmed if livestock and feeding choices are poor.

@DeniseAndy and some others that have chimed in have great canister filter methods, but I really dont like having mine on the floor so Ive opted for the minor aesthetic drawback of an intank tunze skimmer. You may evan as another option want to look at the tunze comline system if nothing else to get some ideas in your design. the comline sys in brief is a mechanical filtered and a compact skimmer. I belive the mech filter component has a place to put your heater and dosing tubes as well to keep a cleaner appearance
.
(a quick thing on skimmers, you put food in it rots the bacteria dies it gets skimmed, if the skimmer is really strong it also traps particles large and small ie mechanical filter, in an aqua clear or canister tank the goal imo is to reduce particles rotting before they need to be skimmed as dead bacteria. many don't like tunze comline skimmers as they are not efficient mechanical filters but use flash skimming designed towards the bacterial element only)

personally I only run floss and sponges for mechanical in my canister when i use it and then a fuge for export. there are fyi hob fuge skimmer combos.