sump?

[Jc1119]

what are the benefits from using a sump instead of a bunch of canister pumps?

Lots actually. You can move more water through more media in a sump. It gives you a place to put heaters and other things you don't want to be seen. Your tank level stays the same as evaporated water only changes your sump level. Lots of folks use their sumps to isolate fish that need a break from other tankmates and don't have a dedicated hospital/qt tank. Filter socks are cheap and easy to switch out as opposed to shutting down, removing and cleaning out a canister. Takes just a few minutes to change them. It adds volume to your system which usually means cleaner water for longer.

Using multiple canisters will work fine, but you'll see all the plumbing and maintenance is alot more difficult in the long run. Sumps are more work to set up but require less and easier maintenance. Canisters are easier to setup but harder to clean over the long haul.

 

[Gizmo7415]

so for a 200 or 210 gallon, would i need a sump and a canister or just a sump? and what size sump?

 

[Jc1119]

so for a 200 or 210 gallon, would i need a sump and a canister or just a sump? and what size sump?

You'd be fine with just a sump. Some people like the redundancy of having multiple filters just in case, so you could definately run both. Ive chosen not to on my 300 simply because i dont want to see any plumbing in the display at all. Instead of running one pump, ill run two smaller (submersible)pumps to have a bit of a safety net. i travel alot so having the added pom is key for my situation. if one pump were to fail, the tank would still function.

Youd be fine with a 50/55 gallon tank/sump. And if you chose to go submersible with your pumps, you wouldnt need to drill the sump at all. Socks on one side for the drains, media in the middle and pumps on the other side for your returns. Some folks build seperate sections into their sumps, and although it's fine to do so, its really not neccessary as long as your water runs through your media. You can make them as simple or as complex as you chose.....

 

[Gizmo7415]

i think i might run a sump and a fx5. sump consume a lot of electricity?

 

[Jc1119]

i think i might run a sump and a fx5. sump consume a lot of electricity?

Well... Yes and no depending on how you look at it. An fx5 uses about 45 watts and moves 600 gph. A reeflo snapper uses about 100 watts to move about 1800 gph @ 6' head, so it moves 3x the water at a little over 2x the power. It'll cost more to run one snapper, but it'll move as much water as 3 fx5's, so it's more efficient.