Sump or Canister Filter?

[emboli]

Hello guys

Thinking of getting a freshwater tank

It contains approx 90 gallons (dimensions are 100cm x 55cm x 60cm)

Can you guys help me out and list all the advantages and disadvantages of a canister vs sump?
I am deciding between a 2000L sump and a canister for a freshwater aquarium

[smaug]

I have never used a sump,but just from casual observation Ive noticed that sump systems are noisy,a god canister is almost totally silent.That and the space considerations having to have that extra tank of water close by.

[Ocellatus]

I think a well made sump can do the job better than or at least same as the canisters.
advantages are adding some volume to your total water volume, lots of space for media, good situation for aerobic bacteria to work more efficiently, easier to clean the media because they are more reachable than a closed canister. disadvantages: more complicated than a ready canister, more space occupying.

to compare sump with canister you should consider some factors like media volume, pump flowrate, price, etc.

I made a 14L sump (7L media volume) for one of my 120L freshwater tanks some weeks ago. it works fine. no noise smaug, its not even inside the stand! its outside and open to air but no smell and no noise.
performance of the sump and being noisy or other considerations depend on the type of the sump.

[sailor]

You really can't beat a well made well thought out sump. Besides the reasons in the previous post, they are a great way to unclutter your tank. You can place your heaters or a uv sterilizer in them to clean up the look of your tank. They are just as versitile or more than a cannister filter when it comes to media selection and placement. I know my next big tank for my frontosa is going to have a sump/trickle filter.

[emboli]

wow that was the exact kinda replies i was looking for.

Ill do a lot more research on sumps thanks guy

[sailor]

Here is an example of a well made sump.

http://www.cyphos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17146&page=1

In this thread he also give a parts list of what is required to make this.
I have bookmarked this as this is the sump I am going to build.

[cocoa_pleco]

canisters are better, sumps are only needed on 300g+ tanks

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

I have to say, a sump is a great great way to filter a tank. It is the most versatile way to filter any tank. Sumps can be made for anything from 5gal all the way to the largest of tanks. The ease of cleaning is unparalleled. The ease of adding and removing chemical and biological media is also unmatched. If the tank will be planted then even better, since ferts and CO2 can be easily injected. Sumps also allow for the hiding of most equipment. In a sump system, the most equipment you usually see is the return nozzles from the return pump.

[Rue]

I'd be very tempted to try a sump - so many advantages...but as Cocoa said, I don't know if you want to go to all the extra work it takes to set it up for a 90g.

[Incredulous_Ed]

I say cannister.

[Fishguy2727]

I would use a canister, specifically the Fluval FX5. Definitely look into the FX5 before you make your decision.

One problem with sumps is that the water is not under pressure, so you can't get as good of mechanical filtration. In a canister the water is forced through the mechanical media. In a sump it is only driven by gravity.

Another consideration is that although bioballs and other wet/dry or trickle biological medias expose the nitrifying bacteria to the air, which is a really good thing, they still need to be periodically cleaned to remove debris that can cause nitrate spikes and block off nitrifying bacteria.

[cocoa_pleco]

ditto with the FX5, i have one on my 90g and the waters crystal clear

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

I think in order to be fair to any kind of filtration you have to consider the application for which it is being employed. For a marine tank I would not use anything but a sump. To do the argument justice you can't make a blanket statement that one form of filtration is better than another, there are applications for all of them. For planted tanks a sump or a canister will work equally as well, for a marine environment a sump is the "hands down" choice. For smaller tanks that have a higher bioload, a HOB Wet/Dry filter is likely the way to go, and with a very small tank like a Betta tank, a low flow HOB trickle filter is likely the best. So to say that one is better than the other is really quite relative.
My personal choice for application of a sump would be a marine tank or a heavily planted tank. For a canister, just about anything else.

[emboli]

hmm a lot of opinions but thanks for the replies.
I havent yet decided yet what i am going to get but the main reason for
having interest in the sump is that i am getting it for free if i buy this aquarium.
(didnt want to announce it as it would skew opinions towards the sump)

ill add a few more details:
1 - I will be planting a lot of plants eventually as i love the look of plants
but if not a sump i might end up with a fx5 since it seems of good quality.
2 - I love crystal clear water!
3 - I dont mind a little water flow through the tank but i like to keep things quiet as possible
4 - Its for a unit
5 - Definately not going marine

again thanks for all your replies i will definately keep you all updated