Sump vs HOB vs Cannister vs AOI

[Qckslvr]

My wife is absolutely in love with my 32 biocube even though it only has the two clowns. The clowns have so much more personality than her tetras.

So seeing as Petco has all their tanks 50% off she is seriously thinking about getting an Imaginarium 60 gallon breeder tank (not as tall, but longer).

My question is this, I have seen many ways to set up a traditional glass aquarium.
1st get out the diamond hole saw and add bulkheads for a sump
2nd HOB filtration unit which comes with a skimmer (https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/hf-m-complete-filtration-system-aquaready.html)
3rd Canister filtration unit, like a Fluval 307
4th make some kind of AIO on one end of the tank or in the middle. (I am no stranger to working with acrylics)

Which of these options will pose the least amount of tank issues in the future? I know the sump will take up the most room, and I have a couple 20 gallons that I could turn into sumps if needed.

Thoughts?

 

[lapin]

Get an AIO. They make all sizes and will save you a lot of work. You can see a lot of them on this website

 

[BCollins]

My wife is absolutely in love with my 32 biocube even though it only has the two clowns. The clowns have so much more personality than her tetras.

So seeing as Petco has all their tanks 50% off she is seriously thinking about getting an Imaginarium 60 gallon breeder tank (not as tall, but longer).

My question is this, I have seen many ways to set up a traditional glass aquarium.
1st get out the diamond hole saw and add bulkheads for a sump
2nd HOB filtration unit which comes with a skimmer (https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/hf-m-complete-filtration-system-aquaready.html)
3rd Canister filtration unit, like a Fluval 307
4th make some kind of AOI on one end of the tank or in the middle. (I am no stranger to working with acrylics)

Which of these options will pose the least amount of tank issues in the future? I know the sump will take up the most room, and I have a couple 20 gallons that I could turn into sumps if needed.

Thoughts?

It kind of depends on what you're looking to do with it. If you're looking for a full blown reef packed with corals, a sump is most logical to house additional equipment like media reactors, dosing lines, etc. If you're looking to just do some fish, you can probably get away with the HOB or canister options.

 

[Freenow54]

My wife is absolutely in love with my 32 biocube even though it only has the two clowns. The clowns have so much more personality than her tetras.

So seeing as Petco has all their tanks 50% off she is seriously thinking about getting an Imaginarium 60 gallon breeder tank (not as tall, but longer).

My question is this, I have seen many ways to set up a traditional glass aquarium.
1st get out the diamond hole saw and add bulkheads for a sump
2nd HOB filtration unit which comes with a skimmer (https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/hf-m-complete-filtration-system-aquaready.html)
3rd Canister filtration unit, like a Fluval 307
4th make some kind of AOI on one end of the tank or in the middle. (I am no stranger to working with acrylics)

Which of these options will pose the least amount of tank issues in the future? I know the sump will take up the most room, and I have a couple 20 gallons that I could turn into sumps if needed.

Thoughts?

First consider a 75 tank My 65 was 4 feet by 12 inches by 20. I decided to get a new tank on advice due to age. Luckily I found a 75 . it is same dimensions except its 18 inches front to back way better . Since mine is an original fresh water like yours I was going to stick with my existing 307 Canister. That said I am considering a small sump to add an algae scrubber so it depends on your future plans. I investigated a HOB Fluval overflow box pretty cheap

 

[Qckslvr]

It kind of depends on what you're looking to do with it. If you're looking for a full blown reef packed with corals, a sump is most logical to house additional equipment like media reactors, dosing lines, etc. If you're looking to just do some fish, you can probably get away with the HOB or canister options.

Yes the wife would like corals and fish, and I have told her we would be better off with a sump. But she doesn't like the idea of trying to hide it somewhere.

On the topic of sumps.... can the sump be remote? Like 5 - 8 feet from the tank?

 

[FUNGI]

The sump can be anywhere.

 

[Freenow54]

Yes the wife would like corals and fish, and I have told her we would be better off with a sump. But she doesn't like the idea of trying to hide it somewhere.

On the topic of sumps.... can the sump be remote? Like 5 - 8 feet from the tank?

I dont agree with that statement I would do some research on your own. There are a lot of coral that need minimum flow. However I cant argue with a place to put reactors and such. I am dealing with the same decision. As to distance you have to get the correct pump. You can go on an AI platform and put your info in and it will guide you through. I did it with a UV light install very slick

 

[BryanM]

I only have experience with sumps.... So that's my vote.

Sump = hiding place for filters/etc, and increases water volume, which IMO increases resiliency if/when you make a mistake.

 

[mariano]

Nothing like a sump! They are fully customizable.

A sump will also make your display tank look cleaner.

 

[Pico_Reefs]

Personally as someone who is currently running all 3 :

AIO: It's fine but they are pretty restrictive and also harder to maintain.

Canister Filters: I like these personally I like to run with no mechanical filtration but I also like contingencies. I run the canister filter with bio media and I clean it once a year. If something spikes like nitrate or phosphate and I can't get control of it I can put chemical media in the canister and push a good bit of water through it. you can also put a RFG on the outflow and you basically have a powerhead

Sump: Probably the best just for options, you're able to implement a lot of different nutrient management techniques and ease of cleaning.

 

[Blue Ring Octopus]

IM 50 gallon AIO
and this skimmer. https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/bullet-2-hang-on-back-protein-skimmer-aquaready.html

 

[141918]

Sump is the best, period, and I have never even owned one. It's just the pure logic of it that makes it the obvious choice if there are no restrictions.

AIO tanks look very nice, especially with the typical black background. Although very versatile, they have a limit on the internal dimensions of the filtering areas. Even so, still not bad for a nano tank whatsoever. A good tank comes down to good tank husbandry no matter the size and good reef keeping practices in reference to filtration.

Canister filters are excellent if maintained well. However, they will need checking depending on bio load and their intended purpose. Seachem matrix media in one of these adds an excellent supply of surface area for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria to colonize, helping with nitrate reduction.

Personally on my 25, I run a seachem 55 tidal HOB. My rocks provide all the surface area I need for biological filtration, and I run filter floss to comb the water. I can also choose to run carbon or GFO/P04 remover if needed,

 

[landlubber]

in general my opinion would be Sump>AIO>Canister>HOB but it really matters how you are with maintenance and what you're hoping to do with it and what is easiest for you to manage. They all work!
I ran a combination of canister filters and HOB for 20 years with success but I also was committed to cleaning them regularly. The day I upgraded to a sump I decided I was never going back.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

I run a cannister. There are times I wish I had a sump. It allows flexibility like nothing else for needs yet unknown while keeping the display clean-looking, hiding all the tech and gadgetry. Whichever way you go, consider drilling the tank now and closing the holes with bulkhead plugs if not immediately needed. Not doing so is one of my biggest regrets in setting up my tank.

 

[141918]

I run a cannister. There are times I wish I had a sump. It allows flexibility like nothing else for needs yet unknown while keeping the display clean-looking, hiding all the tech and gadgetry. Whichever way you go, consider drilling the tank now and closing the holes with bulkhead plugs if not immediately needed. Not doing so is one of my biggest regrets in setting up my tank.

I'm so with you on this. My next tank will have a sump or I'll scrap the idea entirely. It's ultimately the best case scenario for any tank period. Very few if any cons, and a tremendous amount of benefits