What is better

[andy1985]

Hi i was thinking of getting a FX5 But doing reserch sumps soo much cheaper wondering if that is a better option?

 

[sostoudt]

Hi i was thinking of getting a FX5 But doing reserch sumps soo much cheaper wondering if that is a better option?

lol these are two different things. a sump is a small tank under the the main one to hide equipment. and a fx5 is a very large canister filter.


now you can buy sumps that are outfitted to have filtration media in sections. but these can vary alot. what one are you thinking of getting, because right now you may have just asked us, "what better, a 2009 chevy tahoe or a car"

 

[Pharaoh]

I agree. It is all based on opinion. It boils down to whether or not you like canister filters or you like sumps and wet/dry filters.

 

[andy1985]

lol these are two different things. a sump is a small tank under the the main one to hide equipment. and a fx5 is a very large canister filter.


now you can buy sumps that are outfitted to have filtration media in sections. but these can vary alot. what one are you thinking of getting, because right now you may have just asked us, "what better, a 2009 chevy tahoe or a car"

Sorry being soo vage I am going to use it a media, I think of having 4 sections, in no order 1. Bio Balls, Foam pads, Plant section (Moss Balls). Not sure for the other section.

 

[andy1985]

I agree. It is all based on opinion. It boils down to whether or not you like canister filters or you like sumps and wet/dry filters.

I have a canister fliter on the tank at the moment just need to add another type of filter as my fish are growing.

I worked it out that fx5 plus media be around £180 where a 36", 24", 24" with pump and media would be only £140

 

[sostoudt]

Sorry being soo vage I am going to use it a media, I think of having 4 sections, in no order 1. Bio Balls, Foam pads, Plant section (Moss Balls). Not sure for the other section.

personally im of the opinion the canister is better(verse a non wet/dry sump, so just media in it) unless it will be heavily planted(so abig refugium area). but as said in the other thread, marimo balls grow to slow to function as a plant filter. i do like plant filtration as it removes nitrates also.

if you were to go with a wet dry, assuming its the same capacity for biomedia as the fx5, the wet dry would be better for biological filtering. but the sump with a wet dry sump would perform poorly for chemical and mechanical filtration compared to the canister.

the best of both worlds would be a wet dry sump with your old canister for chemical filtration.

 

[siebertn]

i run both on my 150 an Fx5 and a 55gal sump. i prefer the sump because i can put more media in there like bio-balls, ceramic rings, scrubbys, carbon, filter wool and spunge.

 

[andy1985]

i will try to do a wet dry one i have to do some research on how to make a wet dry one, coz i never made a sump before.

Who would i work out the capasity of the sump for bio media?

 

[sostoudt]

i will try to do a wet dry one i have to do some research on how to make a wet dry one, coz i never made a sump before.

Who would i work out the capasity of the sump for bio media?

type liters in a cubic foot at google.com.

i just did let me say i think the fx5 is alot smaller then i imagined it if you go by liters of media it holds.


im assuming theres not some crazy thing where dry liters are different then wet ones

 

[andy1985]

Ah i will have a look is there like a rule of thumb for size of sump vs size of tank? Yea the capacity for media in the FX5 is not very large.