tank size and type of filtration?

[its_an_obsession]

so ive been reading some of the threads about different filtration systems to run on different size tanks. lets assume that there is a large bioload on the tanks. it seems to me that HOB filters are best for small tanks, canisters are best for medium tanks, and sumps are best for large tanks.

i know this is a very general statement. just wondering what different kinds of filtration everyone recommends for different size tanks (given large biolaod... this is mfk).

 

[sploke]

I pretty go much go along with what you said...HOBs and canisters are the easiest for smaller tanks, anything 55 and over I'll try to work out a sump for though, I love my central wet/dry.

 

[its_an_obsession]

i guess more of what i would want to ask... is why not run all canisters or HOB on like a 300-400 gallon tank and why not a sump on a small tank like a 30g. my first guesses would be efficiency and cost?

 

[its_an_obsession]

who wants to show off how smart they are? there has to be someone here.

 

[sploke]

You got it...no reason not to run a sump on a 30gal tank, but most sumps have way more capacity than 30gal, even a heavily stocked 30gal, so you can spend a lot less money by buying less filter.

It cost me about 30 bucks to build my wet/dry, plus cost of return pumps, and it filters about 500gal of tanks. To buy canisters to filter that much volume would have cost me 10-20 times that.

 

[jcardona1]

yeah, sumps are best suited for larger tanks as they involve more cost (typically), more work, and more plumbing to get started.

with that said, a lot of people like to run a big canister and a sump on large tanks. i for example, have an FX5 and a big sump on my 210g

 

[hybridtheoryd16]

The only solution to polution is dilution. that is on a sig around here somewhere. And basically why people start to get into sumps is for this reason you can have a 200g tank and have 400gallons worth of bioload in it safely if you add enough places for the bacteria to build up adn you dilute the bioload with more water column or sump space.