Filtration for my 300 gallon tank, sump or canisters?

2 FX5/6's or Sump for my 300 gallon tank

  • 2 - FX5/6's

    Votes: 6 35.3%
  • Custom sump

    Votes: 11 64.7%

  • Total voters
    17

Nyczbubba

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Oct 15, 2015
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Long Island, NY
So now that I am leaning towards a sump, would 50 gallons be enough to run my 300 gallon tank? Also what overflow box do you recommend?
 

millerkid519

Aimara
MFK Member
Feb 16, 2015
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stratford ontario canada
Yes a 50 gallon will be fine for a sump as long as you build it properly for an outage situation.
I use an eshopps overflow box and really like it.
Now just a question why would you not drill the tank rather then use an overflow box

To figure out how much you need to a count for in a power outage situation is 300 ÷ hight of your tank.
so I'm guessing You have to account for about 15 gallons
 

Nyczbubba

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Oct 15, 2015
37
65
36
41
Long Island, NY
Yes a 50 gallon will be fine for a sump as long as you build it properly for an outage situation.
I use an eshopps overflow box and really like it.
Now just a question why would you not drill the tank rather then use an overflow box

To figure out how much you need to a count for in a power outage situation is 300 ÷ hight of your tank.
so I'm guessing You have to account for about 15 gallons
I prefer to run internal overflow and drill. I'd be afraid of using the hang on in the event of a power outage. I would need recommendations forban internal box
 

millerkid519

Aimara
MFK Member
Feb 16, 2015
2,251
931
135
stratford ontario canada
Oh I get what you are looking for now I was thinking a hob overflow box. I don't know why I had that in my head.
I made my own overflow box I just yet to get it on my tank with extra 3/8 glass I had laying around. Coast to coast makes a good overflow if you don't want to build your own
 
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duanes

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I am a bit biased, I believe canisters are totally over rated, and are not user friendly to clean, so they are not. And there is nothing about being a pressurized can that makes it less necessary to clean.
I also believe sumps are simply better as far as flow, ability and ease of cleaning, and modi-fiablilty.
And as far as cost, mine never cost more than $100 (except the pump)
I run some external overflows into DIY bio-columns if space is tight, or if I don't want the sump directly below the tank. I put a sponge on a column of lava rock, with a filter sock below the outflow to the sump. The sump is then simply any size tank that holds heaters, and the pump, and anything else. Could be extra bags of biomedia, could be a planted area, whatever. Here are some photo examples.
The bio tower, this one is 4ft tall x 8" in diameter (and also fractionates) filled with lava rock as biomedia, $5, PVC to build < $20


its outfall into a filter sock (<$5)

The sump is an old scratched up tank, I got for $3, it also has some biowheels floating around, and bags of media that can be moved to start up tanks, so no cycling is ever needed.

other sumps are planted and basically the same principal

y pumps are usually Laguna's that pump 2000+ gph, and I usually run 3 tanks per sump.
 
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arowanaman85

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Feb 8, 2016
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you can run a canister on a sump, can't say you can run a sump off a canister, so drill the tank, put in the sump, and run the canister till you have the sump setup the way you like. I am contemplating using my old canisters as a carbon contact tank for my tanks influent water. But had used my old canisters to instantly cycle my sump.

Idk i enjoy working on my sump more then looking at my fish...i think i have 10x more money in my sump then on my fish....but I also designed my stand so i would have the maximum amount of room in the area for the sump, the open area under my tank is around 6'x3', for the sump and other equipment, used 2x12s for the stand so I could get away with out having center bracing.

It does make viewing the fish a little odd because the stand is so high, but makes working on the sump more enjoyable.

If the idea of working on a sump doesn't appeal to you and you just want plug and play filtration then canister is probably way to go. I don't like doing water changes, its boring and stresses out my fish. I did one back in November and my giant upside down catfish still hasn't recovered, it'll be a few months before he starts coming out during the day again. Idk water changes cause my fish that are not so out going to hide more. So I very very rarely ever go into the display tank with anything other then food. Even then I have a very small section that I drop in and I only drop in that one piece. Allows all the fish to feel secure that I am not a threat.

When I get a new fish coming out of quarantine that is just a little too small to introduce to the display I'll grow them out in my sump. Works well, saves time. If i have a fish that becomes too aggressive, I can throw them in the sump till I decide whether to keep them or rehome or attempt reintroducing.

On my next tank I plan on building a room to the side of the tank to hold the sump. Even with all the space I have in my current stand I always feel like I am cramped for space. but idk i spent more on my main tank setup then I spent on my car :/ just don't tell my wife.....
 
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r45t4m4n

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 18, 2016
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Have you thought about double 40 breeder sumps and connect them with 2 inch bulkheads. Or you could drill both sumps and use an external dc pump like a deepwater pump
This is what I am doing for my 300 gallon. Two 40B connected by a 2" pipe (via bulkheads). 30 minutes of work to drill the holes and install the plumbing. Not much work at all.

Going to use poret foam to create compartments for bio/refugium, etc.
 
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