Which is better sump or canister?

[Slimkasey]

I'm about to upgrade to a 30 gallon, and will eventually upgrade my filter system from a Fluval C4 H.O.B. Which can handle 70 gallons, but was thinking, would this be enough as the LPS is trying to sell me a Eheim canister filter, but then I'm reading bad things about them here, so I was thinking sump as well in future upgrade.
Any thoughts?

What are the absolute needs for a sump as well. Yes, I am looking in the DIY section as well.

 

[Smitty]

Dutch the canister filter undress you're going to clean it daily. A sump is beneficial because you can store your equipment there, and it also adds water volume. You can also add some micro algae (cheato) to the sump, and instantly turn it into a fuge. All you really need is an overflow, and the return pump, and a old tank or bin as the actual sump.

 

[Slimkasey]

Thanks, could you explain your set up on the sump in a little more detail?

This is Very new to me

 

[Northstar24]

If you google 'Sump Design' you find all kinds of information on sumps. It its most basic form, imagine the following:

Take an old tank and divide it into three sections.
The section on the left is where the water drains from the main display tank into the sump system. It then flows over the first set of baffles into the center section of the sump.

This is where you would have a refugium with some live rock (or live rock rubble) and some macroalgae such as Chaetomorpha. Running macroalgae here has two benefits to you:
a) filters phosphates and nitrates out of your water
b)allows a safe place for pod to grow (to feed your fish)
The water once again flows over a set of baffles into the right section of the tank

This section is the return chamber, where your system pump returns the water to the display tank. This is also where a protein skimmer would live

That is it in its most basic form, but they can get more complicated as well

 

[Sir Alex]

Dutch the canister filter undress you're going to clean it daily. A sump is beneficial because you can store your equipment there, and it also adds water volume. You can also add some micro algae (cheato) to the sump, and instantly turn it into a fuge. All you really need is an overflow, and the return pump, and a old tank or bin as the actual sump.

Dutch undress unless you clean your canister filter daily??? :shock::shock:

 

[Smitty]

Dutch undress unless you clean your canister filter daily??? :shock::shock:

D'oh...damn swype keypad. Lol.

 

[Slimkasey]

Hey, Ive got an iPad and my typing sucks too, but I understood what you were saying.

 

[little_fish]

+1 everyone

 

[wontonflip]

+2 everyone....but a sump doesn't have to be so complicated. Some people just use an old rubbermaid tub. Pretty much whatever you can fit under your tank. I once had a large rubbermaid tub where I kept my skimmer and heater. I do all my water changes via my sump.

 

[sen5241b]

Understand the difference between a sump and a refugium (fuge). Northstar's description above is good.
KEEP the canister around for emergencies. You could fill it with some toxic absorbing media and run it for about 48 hours and it could resolve a spike in nitrates, phosphates, ammonia, copper, etc. But I would not run it on a continuous basis.