Canister vs sump for large cichlid tank

I have a 265 gallon African cichlid tank. I am using 2 2262 canisters and I am extremely happy with their performance. The extremely quiet and do an outstanding job of cleaning the water. A good friend of mine as a 225 African cichlid tank with an Aqueon Model 4 sump. His tank is crystal clear however the noise from the sump is considerably louder than the 2 2262's. Cleaning wise, he has to switch out the filter socks every 4 or 5 days. He is always keeping a close eye on the sump watching the water level and looking for any potential leaks. I believe the initial setup of the sump does take longer to properly plan out and is more expensive. Whereas the canister filters require less setup and planning and cost. The sump does give you a lot more flexibility in terms filter media options, however the 2262 is also very flexible with media. I am very happy with the Eheims.

Other considerations, will your customer be traveling a lot. I can go away for 2 weeks and just have to setup feeders. When my friend goes a way for a few days I swing by to change out the filter socks and keep an eye on the sump.

Hope this helps...

For a customer that doesn't want to much themselves, I think canister filters is the way to go. I personally like sumps better, but it could take a little while to get them running quiet. If quiet is a big deal, and the customer won't like having to tune herbies, canister is the ticket.

I've had both setups and the canister is far easier especially if you travel a bit. The sump requires constant watch for the water level and checking the filters as well. In my case I figured out every few days requires filling so I know when to look. On longer vacations it can be a hassle though if nobody can fill it for you. The pump I have is pretty quiet, I'm using the Fluval sp4 sump pump and really like it. I still think canisters are quieter though. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Confusedxx said:

Why does a sump require additional maintenance and water fills? I thought it adds to water volume and ensures tank vol stays constant. Seems like I need to consider two canister filters as I do like travel and low maintenance

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Any evaporation occurs in the sump due to the display maintaining a constant water level.

I don't know why people make it out to be a huge deal. Don't run tiny sumps with baffles. Problem solved.

I have a 90g with a 40b sump and no baffles, I have such a gigantic margin for error its ridiculous. If I had a 20 long underneath it or something small I could see it requiring more attention to detail.

If your on vacation or a business trip long enough for a sump that's roughly 50% of your system capacity to evaporate to the point of malfunction.... you need to come home already, or get a person to look after your fish.

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The big canister filters are great. But if a sump is an option and is built well with fail-safes I say sump.

When talking canisters v sumps don't forget the time investment aspect. With a canister you do a little bit of research on which is best or best for your needs, you buy it and you put it together. With a sump you need to learn to make a complex canister filter basically in addition to all of those steps. There's a lot more time invested to do a proper sump from R&D to implementation to maintaining. To some this is the enjoyable part of the hobby while others may see it as a tremendous drain on their personal time. Something else to take into consideration when weighing the two.