The Puffer Forum

Do you prefer sumps or canister filters on your puffer tanks?.
I've always used canister filters but now going to run a 400 us gallon tank so leaning towards a sump.
Any ideas or input would be more than welcome, maybe sump set ups or personal experiences in these set ups.
I will still Hoover out the bulk of the waste but hoping this will be better in the long run, ie running cost, money outlay and bio mass of a sump.
Cheers

I have always had canisters for freshwater puffers, they give great flexibility. However I often thought about sumps, the thought of putting tons of fast growing plants in there as a veggie filter was appealing. The added water volume is a plus too

A while ago I sold my fx5 and installed a 100l sump thinking it would be great. First problem I had was flow through my mechanical filtration, a filter sock. Then I discovered what an ordeal it was to change carbon. And the water level always dropped due to evaporation meaning I had to top it up twice a week to avoid sucking air. I must of changed things around over a dozen times trying to make all the mech bio and chem filtration work without being a major to clean any of the medias. About 18 months later the fx6 came onto the market. Spent the money, through the sump out the window, The pump now puts rain water into my tank, and never looked back. Only thing ive changed is installed a seperate filter for carbon only. The fx6 I clean every three months. Love it. But thats just my experience.

Well all I can comment on is canisters. My recommendation is go big and don't look back. Don't think I'd ever but a sump on fresh. Just about to switch to a sump on my marine puff tank.

I've done both and would go sump over canister every time. 75g runs on a sump filled with spathophylum and also contains the heater and a u.v. sterilizer. 26g runs on an old cpr back pack. Also holds the heater and some arrowhead plants. They keep my tanks clean and clutter free and I don't have to shut them down for maintenance.

Sounds good

dmill82 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 28, 2016 7:05 pm Do you prefer sumps or canister filters on your puffer tanks?.

If you run out the rear wall or Peninsula, look into a Bean Animal style overflow.
If you have a predrilled bottom, pass over the Durso old method and step up to using both holes (Herbie drain method) as a drain and use the return line like a garden hose over the glass.
The one main hole is a full drain like a bathroom sink and the second hole has a pipe that rides all the way up to the waterline to take the water in an emergency, but that never happen with aquariums right!?

Both Herbie and Bean Animal style drain methods are completely silent.
They get adjusted like a carburetor or gaeden hose spigot on a home with a screw-in threaded device that slowly adjusts the drain speed.
This drain speed will match the return pump.
This also keeps the water in the cornerflow or overflow box silent.

Go sump on a big tank in my opinion. Use a Vectra M1 or Cor 20 Silent DC pump or two.
Two DC adjustable pumps will allow one to back the other up on a failure.
Both the COR20 from Neptune and the M1 Vectra have intelligent designs for feed modes and will not turn off the pump, but go to the lowest setting made by your decision to keep the water coming up the return line to the display tank and not back to the sump.
It's really nice when used properly.

Use a mesh strainer bag on the main drain pipe in the sump.
It catches snails and is easy to clean.
Socks are a pain to clean.
Use sections of different porosity PORET style foam that does not break down in each chamber of the sump.
The bio in these sponges will eat and match your bioload from the fish over time.
All you need is sponge.
You can still you ceramic rings too in the furthest protected camber in the sump.
Keep a guard on the pumps inlet.

Spend money on the pump, not the sump.
Spears and Cepex make valves and take-down points called unions in PVC.
Spend money on good valves and good unions.

Ask away.
I can give you examples from lots of different build methods.

Great info, thanks!