media in one filter verses media in two filters.

[conig]

I have a large sump on my 120g predator tank. it uses a 991gph at 0 head quiet one pump and its plumbed externally to the sump. I have dual 1.25 overflows to keep up and not run the sump dry.

In the sump I have scrubbies, bioballs, and 4 foam blocks from 4 aquaclear 110's. This is my only filtration outside of water movement.

Would there be any advantage to hooking one of the Aquaclear 110's on the back of the tank besides a pump failure? If the same media is being pushed threw water by the pump isn't it the same thing from a mechanical and biological prospective?

 

[Heretik]

ac110's are great for mechanical filtration so adding one would just help keep the water clearer. Since you have a sump just put 2 of the sponges in the back.

 

[Inglorious]

Agreed, you could set it up to help with water polishing but you will only have enough BB to handle the current bioload no matter how much media you have. That being said, it's never a bad idea to have redundancy in case of a failure or if you need to take some media out to seed another tank.

 

[duanes]

Agree with the above, the population of bb is relative to the ammonia produced by the fish population.
And I agree about the redundancy, and the polishing.
If you add polishing filters, and clean them regularly, by removing detritus from the tank, you are getting rid of nitrate precursors, and getting rid of stuff that can cover and choke out bb biofilm.
And in case the pump in the sump dies, or stops for some reason, the other filters can take up the slack until it is fixed or replaced.