AIO or Sump?

[dcrabb80]

Hey guys! So not totally a newbie but never had a "large" tank. Currently run a 32g BC mixed reef and a 10g JBJ rimless mixed reef with just a HOB. All doing good. I actually LOVE my 10g. Anyway I want to upgrade (no, you dont say!).

Debating with an AIO or a sump. I guess what scares me with a sump is the large water volume traveling up and down, potential leak or overflow issues while Im not home (work about 55 hours a week). I understand and know how the sumps work just have that fear. I like the ease of the AIO but wonder if it will limit the type of reef I want to run?

I guess Im looking for someone that has a large mixed reef tank to say "I have an AIO and I put anything in it I want and it runs great!"

 

[Reef.]

What size tank are you considering? Much bigger than 32g then I would recommend a sump as the back compartments just take up too much room, and with you working a lot of hours you want as much equipment in the tank as possible to reduce maintenance.

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

I would vote for the sump because there will always be 'one more thing' you want to add which is not accommodatable in an AOI.

 

[Dburr1014]

Sump with a herbie or been animal for peace of mind.

 

[rhostam]

I started with a 50g AIO. I wish I hadn't. Between heaters, pumps, ATO, UV, filters, etc. just not enough space - never mind cleaning the danged thing. Refugium? Forget about it unless you want add-on stuff that may not be worth the trouble. Granted, many of these things are quality of life things. Some are only useful under certain conditions. But you never know. Eventually, I upgraded.

Choose a tank/sump. It will make a world of difference and allow you the flexibility you didn't know you needed - until you need it. Just follow configuration and tuning advice from the manufacturers or any of the fine folk on this forum that has posted about it and you'll be fine.

 

[PatW]

I would vote sump also. It just gives you are more flexibility. Also on an AIO, you tend to be stuck with their gear. Sumps will take anything you care to stick in them and you get to choose the manufacturer.

 

[dcrabb80]

What size tank are you considering? Much bigger than 32g then I would recommend a sump as the back compartments just take up too much room, and with you working a lot of hours you want as much equipment in the tank as possible to reduce maintenance.

Id like to get a longer tank possibly like a 65-90g

 

[Reef.]

Id like to get a longer tank possibly like a 65-90g

90g! Do they even come in aio?

I believe an aio’s main method of nutrient export is water changes, if you go too big you start to then reply on your equipment over water changes, the space available then becomes a limiting factor.

I think you just need to put a few safe guards into place to put your mind at rest, as the obvious answer is a sump, no question about it.

 

[undermind]

Id like to get a longer tank possibly like a 65-90g

for a 65-90g I would also vote sump, definitely

I'm a huge fan of AIO's, and I think they work really well. I run a few in addition to my "large" tank but I have a mental category I place those in: they are what they are. I will not modify or change them because they're just not conducive to a wide variety of equipment.

And at 65-90g you're squarely in the sump class. And don't worry about spilling out the contents. I understand the concern for sure – I used to worry about the exact same thing before I got my first tank with a sump. But if the plumbing is solid, there's little risk.

I think that coming from an AIO-only world, buying a Red Sea, Waterbox, Innovative Marine, etc that is already plumbed to the sump, is an easy transition. Doing your own plumbing is conceivable but you'd want to get it checked if possible. There's more margin for error there for sure.

 

[dcrabb80]

for a 65-90g I would also vote sump, definitely

I'm a huge fan of AIO's, and I think they work really well. I run a few in addition to my "large" tank but I have a mental category I place those in: they are what they are. I will not modify or change them because they're just not conducive to a wide variety of equipment.

And at 65-90g you're squarely in the sump class. And don't worry about spilling out the contents. I understand the concern for sure – I used to worry about the exact same thing before I got my first tank with a sump. But if the plumbing is solid, there's little risk.

I think that coming from an AIO-only world, buying a Red Sea, Waterbox, Innovative Marine, etc that is already plumbed to the sump, is an easy transition. Doing your own plumbing is conceivable but you'd want to get it checked if possible. There's more margin for error there for sure.

thanks for those thoughts. Ideally I like Waterbox and would 100% NOT do anything myself lol. I'm not too handy so I lose man-points there, hell I just found my dipstick the other day, thought I broke my car. And I know if I go AIO I wouldnt be able to go to 90g. Sounds like a sump is the way to go just gotta make sure my safegaurds are there. I will mainly rely on water changes vs equipment but still sounds like just getting comfortable with the sump is the best route.

 

[Wasabiroot]

IMHO- dilution is always the solution to pollution - increasing total volume isn't a bad thing almost ever other than slight electrical costs. I have a 50g aio and added a sump. To be frank your system looks happy the way it is so ensure you're not trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist.

The plumbing isn't too bad - just need to make sure the display volume won't overflow the sump when return is off (i.e. accommodate for the volume that will go down below). I think their pros outweigh the cons. It also gives you a great spot to move problematic livestock with short notice.

 

[codenfx]

I had this question a year ago and in the end I decided on a sump. It was my first time having one and I went with the waterbox 90.3, it's been great no regrets. I played around with the sump for a while until I understand the water level so it doesn't overflow and flood. You have many options on equipment which is a big plus over AIO. I like the fact that I can temporarily timeout hermit crabs in there if I see them picking on corals. The only con is the sump will take up cabinet space, not really an issue though, I just store supplies on another cabinet.

 

[undermind]

thanks for those thoughts. Ideally I like Waterbox and would 100% NOT do anything myself lol. I'm not too handy so I lose man-points there, hell I just found my dipstick the other day, thought I broke my car. And I know if I go AIO I wouldnt be able to go to 90g. Sounds like a sump is the way to go just gotta make sure my safegaurds are there. I will mainly rely on water changes vs equipment but still sounds like just getting comfortable with the sump is the best route.

Haha nice – at least you knew it was a dipstick

Since you said Waterbox (same for Red Sea, IM, etc.) there is very little to worry about or get comfortable with. If for example, the display tank volume (above the return output) back siphoned into the sump during a power outage, these systems are designed to easily take on that amount of water, to my knowledge.

Just make sure the weirs stay clear, and if you use loc line or similar to direct flow off the return nozzle, don't have those too low, as that will result in more water draining if flow is stopped.

 

[mrpontiac80]

Just to jump in on this, I have a Waterbox 65.4 AIO. I really do love the tank but I HATE that the display area is less depth because of the rear chambers. The footprint of my tank is roughly 48” long by 20” deep but only 15” deep display.

This was my first saltwater tank and now that it’s been up and running for a little over a year, I really wish I had more depth for islands for specific coral colonies. I have a mixed reef and it is finally starting to do pretty well, but I definitely plan to upgrade to a bigger tank like 6’x2’x2’ with a sump!

The equipment for my aio is limited but I do have quite a bit of space to fit things as long as they are smaller items. My skimmer for example is an icecap k1-50. It works great, and I have room for a couple heaters and reactors and such.

 

[JakefmStFarm]

IMHO- dilution is always the solution to pollution - increasing total volume isn't a bad thing almost ever other than slight electrical costs. I have a 50g aio and added a sump. To be frank your system looks happy the way it is so ensure you're not trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist.

The plumbing isn't too bad - just need to make sure the display volume won't overflow the sump when return is off (i.e. accommodate for the volume that will go down below). I think their pros outweigh the cons. It also gives you a great spot to move problematic livestock with short notice.

I have a 20 aio, how? did you run sump from aio