Specifics of using a sump and a canister together

[breakspirit]

Hi guys, I'll be getting a 150 gallon tank tomorrow and have been pondering my filtration options. The tank is predrilled for a sump, so that's an obvious thing to do.

However, I've seen a lot of people use both a sump AND a canister filter and I'm wondering exactly how that works? Do you no longer need a return water pump because the canister then pumps back up to the main tank?

So, here's how I imagine it works. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I've never owned a tank larger than 29 gallons, so I have zero experience with sumps, canisters, or pumps. So, please steer me in the right direction. Thanks =)

 

[smpage]

That would be incorrect as the canister is gravity fed. You'd run a return from the sump to the tank and the canister would have it's own intake and return in the tank itself.

 

[breakspirit]

So I'm stuck using a water pump. Can you suggest one that will fit the bill and is really quiet? My aquarium is right next to where I spend most of my time and so quietness is very important. Also, is there really any benefit to doing sump+canister as opposed to just a really big sump/w/d configuration?

 

[Toby_H]

That would be incorrect as the canister is gravity fed. You'd run a return from the sump to the tank and the canister would have it's own intake and return in the tank itself.

Most submersible pumps are nearly, if not, silent... The overflow drains are the part that are the trickiest to keep quiet...

 

[Venom SS]

Ive heard that Reeflo pumps are one of the quietest running pumps out there. I use Gen-X pumps and at times wish I had quieter ones.

 

[breakspirit]

Drsfosterandsmith doesnt appear to sell reeflow pumps, but amazon does and the ones they sell are like 400-600 dollars. I imagine that's way more than I would need to spend?

 

[Venom SS]

For functionality you can def. get cheaper pumps. But the cheaper they are the more quiet you will sacrifice. The tank that I run the Gen-x pumps on is 350g, and uses two 1120gph pumps for the return. Before I put the silencers in the overflow, it sounded like a full size hot tub running full bore in my living room. Now it sounds like a full size hot tub running half speed lol. Get alot of reverb from those 2 big pumps down there buzzing along. If I had 1200 to spend on pumps, ide be giving the Reeflos a go. Heard alot of good things about them. Also when choosing a pump, you have to make sure the return rate isnt higher than your overflows drain rate, and vice verse. You gotta find a pump with the proper rate to match your drain rate.

 

[pacu mom]

ReeFlo pumps are not submersible pumps. I would suggest a submersible pump that you place in the sump to return the water to your main tank. I also agree that the uptake and returns for the canister filter be plumbed directly into the main tank.

While you can build a mechanical component to your wet/dry filtration in the sump, a canister filter will give you added redundant filtration.

BTW, I really like ReeFlo pumps, but wouldn't consider using them to return the water from a small wet/dry filter. In our big upgrade, (planning stages now) we'll be using four ReeFlo pumps. We might incorporate the little submersible pump (in our current wet/dry filter for a 300 gallon tank) to pump water out of the sump down a drain, if/when we add a 24/7 continuous water change feature to the new set up. It's a CA-6000 pump 1560 gph. It was recommended for our 400 gallon capacity ProClear wet/dry filter. It has performed flawlessly for the last 3 1/2 + years.

 

[breakspirit]

I think what I'll do is set up the sump to the best of my abilities and if it ends up not working well enough, I'll splurge for a decent canister down the road.
Regarding submersible pumps, how much would you say I should spend? Like I said, the tank will be 150 gallons. Drsfosterandsmith has some seriously cheap ones and then some seriously expensive ones, so I don't really know what to get.

 

[pacu mom]

You could call any vendor and ask. I looked up Global Pets (where I purchased my wet/dry filter four years ago) For a Pro Clear 200 used for 200 gallons or 900 gph, they recommend either a CA5000 1215 gph $51.80 or a CA2200 850 gph $31.89. This wet/dry filter sump is about 19 gallons. I would think one of these would work for you.

We were newbies when we set up our 300 gallon tank and hadn't discovered MFK. I was really disappointed to see how little I got for my $$ with the purchase of the ProClear. Now that I know how simple wet/dry filters really are, I will never purchase another one.

When you have your sump size, find a wet/dry filter of similar size and ask the sales person about an appropriate pump. I'm just guesstimating that your sump won't be any larger than a Pro Clear 200. They'll tell you the recommended flow rate. From there, you can pick a pump with the same flow rate.

http://www.globalpets.com/proclear-aquatics_pro-200-series-wet-dry-filter-with_prefilter.html