Sump or Cannister

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Fighter Fish

Fighter Fish

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Feb 25, 2013
203
2
33
Fergus, Ontario
I am getting a 220-260 gallon tank and I can't decide whether to go with a sump filter tank or a Cannister filter like the fluval fx5. Can I get some input on others experiences with this to help me make a decision?


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I really like my FX5's (I have 4 up and running right now), but after I set up my first wet-dry filter I was in love: easy to clean the mechanical pads; a place to put the heaters; and I got to choose the strength of my pump.

The only intimidating part is the initial set-up of the hosing. I would vote for a big wet-dry filter if you can manage it. Depending on the stock, one FX5 might not be enough anyway.
 
Hi.


I am looking forward to setting a 190 gal tank and to be honest I find the sumps complicated and messy.

I did a serch and found out that an Eheim Pro3 2080 is probably the best option of them all.

Take a look.

http://www.discusforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7080

NOISE
Both filters are quiet by modern standards but the Fluval is a lot noiser then the Eheim measuring out at 43db @ 1 meter vs the Eheims 19db !
The Fluval is quiet but the Eheim is so quiet you have to check it see if its working !

POWER CONSUMPTION
Filters are used 24/7 365 days of the year so power is important. The Eheim is the clear winner here averaging 27w against the Fluvals 51w so the fluval would cost nearly twice as much a year to run as the Eheim.

FLOW RATE
Manufactuers rate their filters by the maximum produced by the pump under ideal conditions without media and things like hoses which isn'tvery helpful in the real world. Most cannisters seem to get less then 50% of their rated flow capacity when used in the real world but both these filters did better then that.
The Fluval showed a flowrate of 1991 litres per hour when full of media and connected which is about 57% of its rated pump capacity of 3500 l/ph but the Eheim did even better giving 1207 litres per hour out of its possible 1700 l/ph for a amazing 71% !
This still gives the Fluval a nearly 800 litres per hour flowrate advantage when used in real life situations but filtration is more then flow alone its also about capacity.

MEDIA CAPACITY
Both filters are huge and hold a lot of media however the Fluval contains 25 litres of foam media around the sides of the baskets and only will hold about 6 litres of bio and mech media in its baskets while the Eheim holds a full 12 litres of bio and mech media and only has about 2 litres of foam.
Click to expand...


And even better, eheim is available an Amazon at a very fair price.

http://www.amazon.com/Eheim-AEH2080...d=1369183661&sr=8-1&keywords=eheim+pro+3+2080


I do not work for Eheim im only presenting you what it came out of my investigation. I'd go for Eheim pro 3 2080 with my eyes closed.

Cheers.
 
Armand said:
Hi.


I am looking forward to setting a 190 gal tank and to be honest I find the sumps complicated and messy.

I did a serch and found out that an Eheim Pro3 2080 is probably the best option of them all.
Click to expand...

You are on the right track with Eheim, but do yourself a favor, and get a 2262 instead. Just a better filter. The Pro series is over rated and not nearly as good of a filter as a Classic. The Classics have no baskets, so no by-pass. They hold more media, and move more water. I have both the Pro 2080, and the 2262 Classic. I would never spend money on a Pro Series again. Get a Classic, or get a sump.http://www.kensfish.com/aquarium-supplies/aquarium-filters/eheim-2262-canister-filter.html

DEFINITELY worth the extra $40 for one.
 
I'd make a 40-100g sump for it (biggest size you can find cheaply) for a number of reasons:
1) heater placement
2) water volume
3) growout tank
4) ease of maintenance
5) gas exchange
6) potential for refugium, FBF, algae removal system, drip system, etc

Sumps are not much louder than canisters and cannot be heard through the doors of most tanks.
I would not recommend the DIY overflows. They work but I was never happy when I had them. Overflow boxes are OK, but can clog and can be a bit noisy. To do it right, buy a drilled tank.

I'd only recommend canisters if you have a divided stand where you cannot fit a large sump or if you wanted to heavily plant your tank.
fx5 and most any large eheim are good choices. 2262 is my favorite.
 
fishbum said:
You are on the right track with Eheim, but do yourself a favor, and get a 2262 instead. Just a better filter. The Pro series is over rated and not nearly as good of a filter as a Classic. The Classics have no baskets, so no by-pass. They hold more media, and move more water. I have both the Pro 2080, and the 2262 Classic. I would never spend money on a Pro Series again. Get a Classic, or get a sump.http://www.kensfish.com/aquarium-supplies/aquarium-filters/eheim-2262-canister-filter.html

DEFINITELY worth the extra $40 for one.
Click to expand...

Nice input I will take your advice into account.

Thanks.
 
Thanks for the input so far. I am still stuck on which way to go. By the sounds of it the eheim is the better cannister to go with. I would likely need to put 2 filters on either way because I have a bit of stock.
I have not bought the tank yet though so I can have it drilled as well. I do have access to a 75-100 gallon sump but wasn't sure if I should use it. I have had canisters in the past but that was on smaller tanks and they were smaller fluvals.
I get the feeling it is pretty much a matter of preference. Do you drill your tank and setup a sump system of do you just get canisters? Canisters take more time to clean but not sure if I want to drill my tank. Definitely not doing overflow boxes.
Lots to consider. If anyone else has input please share. Once I have my decision and tank setup I will send pics


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FishOnCampus said:
I'd only recommend canisters if you have a divided stand where you cannot fit a large sump or if you wanted to heavily plant your tank.
fx5 and most any large eheim are good choices. 2262 is my favorite.
Click to expand...
I'm having this same exact dilemma right now for my undrilled 240. I really want to go with a sump but my stand is divided with four 23x23 cabinets, meaning I would have to use multiple smaller sumps or put it on the side of the stand (which would look pretty dumb in my dining room). And I dont really want to go with a HoB overflow or drill my tank either since its pretty old. So I've also settled on running 2 canisters and narrowed my selection down to the same 3 models already mentioned (2080, 2262, fx5, and possibly fx6 since it includes media and is supposed to use 10% less power with 10% more output). The 2262 is my favorite but costs almost twice as much as the fx5 at $399 vs $265 on Amazon, while the fx6 is $340 including media. 4 gallons of media each won't be cheap so I'm guessing two 2262's will wind up costing $900+ vs $680 total for two fx6's - which is a pretty significant difference in price. Not enough to sacrifice quality, especially considering the eheim will cost half as much to run, but I actually kinda like the idea of higher turnover rate and more mech filtration while saving a few hundred bucks since the tank has a lot of surface area for bb. At the moment I'm personally leaning towards an fx6 and 2262 to get the best of both, but it would be nice sharing sponges and polishing pads (although i prefer to make my own so eheim might be more flexible in that regard as well). I'll be very interested in seeing what the op decides or what others suggest. Has anyone here tried an ultima II 1000? I heard they're great for bio and have a ton of flow for only $450 on amazon but I'm not sure how loud they are
 
Im going through the same thing. I'm going with a 120 gal and debating on sump or canister. Im putting my tank in a room dividing wall, but want to be able to see straight through the aquarium from either room. Almost leaning on the canister however I like the idea of the heater being in the sump and i hear less water changes are made.
 
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