40 gallon Sump vs. (4) Emperor 400's

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daveydoodle

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 4, 2009
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Dumb question now that I've already built the sump and dealt with the issues and headaches of the plumbing but is a 40 gallon sump (filter sock/filter floss/bioballs/sponge) better than (4) Emperor 400 filters?

If you look at just turnover rate, Emperor 400's are supposed to filter 400 gph so X 4 of them should be 1600 gph (minus the manufacturer's embelishment = let's say 1200 gph).

The sump has (2) 600 gph overflows with a 1800 gph return (1200 @ 4' head height) pump.

I imagine the turnover rate is going to be similiar. So is the amount of BB the ony issue? With the HOB's I wouldn't have to worry about any power outages, overflows, etc. I also could place 2 intake tubes high and 2 low, whereas with the sump I currently have only overflow boxes (skimming from the top). With the HOB's I'd have to replace the filters more often and at a greater expsense.

I'm just wondering pro's versus con's. I have (4) extra Emperor 400's in use now, but not actually being needed, and they'll just end up on a 55 gallon grow out tank anyway. I was going to use them to jump start teh new 150. FYI, the inhabitants will be Silver Aro, Clown knife, Motoro ray.
 
If possible try and avoid relying on a one filtration unit to do the whole tank. I would use the Sump and 2 Emperor 400's. That way if one fails, the other systems will keep going with minimal disturbance to your ecosystem.
 
I think if you have either system already then just use that. They both should filter the tank fine. And I know everyone thinks you have to replace emperor cartridges, but I have like 10 HOBs that take cartridges between my emperors and my whispers, and I have not replaced a cartridge in 2 years. I had well water at home, so I rinsed them with a high pressure hose, and now I have chlorine in the water, so I just shake and squeeze them really hard in a 5 gal bucket of old tank water and they are clean.
 
It would take a pretty darn long tank to allow 4 Emp 400s to fit side by side by side by side on the back wall... And having filters having off the front of the tank would be darn ugly...
 
Actually on a 6 foot tank there's exactly enough room to put each filter in a section of the tank frame on the back so it fits 4 just perfect. Aside from that, how about filtration?
 
With the sump you will have more water volume, so slightly lower nitrate levels.
 
is a 40 gallon sump (filter sock/filter floss/bioballs/sponge) better than (4) Emperor 400 filters?

Yes, and no.
It will all boil down to flow.
Not so much the intake side, but the return side of the system.
Hard to beat the aeration benefits those bio wheels would give.
But with some tuning you can get close to the same benefit with spray bars and jets.
Along with aeration, the way HOB move water in a tank needs to be looked at as well. Having that flow of water “roll” , back to front through the tank, churning debris in a constant circle, is another benefit.
If it were me, I would run the sump, leaving myself some wiggle room on the returns and see how it goes.
I would probably keep one of the Emps handy for any problems that might pop up.
Good luck with your system.
 
That is just what I'm doing now. I have doubled up Emperor 400's on almost every other tank that isn't using a canister. Doesn't hurt to use them.
 
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