Freshwater tank sump setup what does it need?

Hi guys I’m soon looking to get a new tank for some American cichlids and I will be away from it for a fair amount of time so I want the tank to be as maintenance easy as possible. Hence I am looking at getting a sump instead of canister filters as I’ve heard their easier to maintain and are also better filtration systems. I am debating buying a reef tank at the moment and then just using it for my cichlids. Does anyone know if what you need in the sump would be different like do I still need a skimmer etc? And also does anyone have any experience with a freshwater sump who could attest to its efficiency or let me know what they have to do to maintain it? And does it allow less regular water changes without affecting water levels? Thank you and sorry for the long winded post if your still reading!

 

I use a sump for my 150 gallon. Here is what I have in my sump (in the order that water would pass):

• Filter socks
• Biological media
• Heaters
• Return pumps

Don't try and run a skimmer intended for a marine aquarium. It won't work in fresh water.

Regarding if a sump is better than a canister filter, it depends. Canister filters filter the water just as well and are easier to set up. Sumps offer extra water volume and give you a handy spot to put heaters and such. Maintenance seems to be about the same.

 

I run a 29g diy battle kit sump for my 120G freshwater with American cichlids, just adding my experience to the good info mudminnow shared…
- Go with felt filter socks over mesh, they polish the water better
- A taller sump will accommodate longer filter socks which increases the filtration capacity a lot
- I hear about canister filters that present maintenance headaches, I heard this less so with Sumps. I suspect strongly that sumps preserve their return motors better by offering several stages of settling to remove sediment. If something goes wrong in a sump you can generally diagnose the problem visually without disassembling or stopping it. And washing filter socks in the washing machine is super easy

for maintenance I do:
1. replace the filter socks with freshly washed (5-10 days)
2. Replace small custom cut pads of filter floss that I use for extra polish between baffle stages (1-2 weeks)
3. Stop return pump and siphon out the entire sump with a Python, refill partially with treated water and drain again (4-6 weeks), usually also remove bio media for a quick rinse with treated water

stuff I keep in the sump:
Ceramic media, nylon pot scrubbers, heater, bag of crushed coral.

i use the sump for seamlessly managing regular water changes, I never drain water from the display tank:

 

Hi guys I’m soon looking to get a new tank for some American cichlids and I will be away from it for a fair amount of time so I want the tank to be as maintenance easy as possible. Hence I am looking at getting a sump instead of canister filters as I’ve heard their easier to maintain and are also better filtration systems. I am debating buying a reef tank at the moment and then just using it for my cichlids. Does anyone know if what you need in the sump would be different like do I still need a skimmer etc? And also does anyone have any experience with a freshwater sump who could attest to its efficiency or let me know what they have to do to maintain it? And does it allow less regular water changes without affecting water levels? Thank you and sorry for the long winded post if your still reading!

You don't need a skimmer, don't need a reactor either. A fuge is optional, can be useful and fun though. Tbh you'd only really need biomedia... as with any other filter system lol. And then have chemical media on hand just whenever necessary. You can also have some sort of mechanical filter media if you like, though that really just depends a lot on personal preference too.

If you want to make it as maintenance-free as possible, I'd suggest setting up a 'fuge' with plants and stuff. Put a light on a timer and that should be good, the plants would help with nitrate.

An auto top up unit would be good too, especially if you'd always be away for a fair amount of time.

 

I run a 29g diy battle kit sump for my 120G freshwater with American cichlids, just adding my experience to the good info mudminnow shared…
- Go with felt filter socks over mesh, they polish the water better
- A taller sump will accommodate longer filter socks which increases the filtration capacity a lot
- I hear about canister filters that present maintenance headaches, I heard this less so with Sumps. I suspect strongly that sumps preserve their return motors better by offering several stages of settling to remove sediment. If something goes wrong in a sump you can generally diagnose the problem visually without disassembling or stopping it. And washing filter socks in the washing machine is super easy

for maintenance I do:
1. replace the filter socks with freshly washed (5-10 days)
2. Replace small custom cut pads of filter floss that I use for extra polish between baffle stages (1-2 weeks)
3. Stop return pump and siphon out the entire sump with a Python, refill partially with treated water and drain again (4-6 weeks), usually also remove bio media for a quick rinse with treated water

stuff I keep in the sump:
Ceramic media, nylon pot scrubbers, heater, bag of crushed coral.

i use the sump for seamlessly managing regular water changes, I never drain water from the display tank:

Hi thanks for all that info it’s really helpful, I was wondering about the filter sock, if I had a large filter sock how infrequently could I change it if I had to and was away a lot?

 

What is a lot njb235 ? In regards to how long are you going to be away?

I have no hands on with a sump.

One of my local club members had two sumps that were 14 feet long and he still did daily water changes on his breeding tanks. I am not sure what you think you will achieve with a sump. You will still have exactly the same amount of bacteria as if you had barely enough filters. A lot of extra spare filter media may last longer between needing to be cleaned, perhaps?
Sure a sump gives you more volume of water but perhaps someone can tell me how it makes any difference apart from the extra volume of water.

Yes you can also have duckweed in the sump and no fish can eat it. That would be a help. Fill the sump with plants both in and half out of the water knowing no fish are ever going to eat them or their roots.The plants will consume a little nitrates. That was how the 14 foot sumps worked.

To have a truly cycled tank with the magical 3 kind of bacteria that consume nitrates you need a deep sand/ gravel bed . ( AKA father fish) or So I have heard. One 90 year old club member was going 6 months without a water change but his tank was many years old and had over 6 inches of gravel/ sand/ dirt.

I can go 3 or more months without cleaning plan old ordinary sponge filters but it makes no difference to the need to remove nitrates.

Only a water change ,plants or magical bacteria can remove nitrates.

You can go 12 months without cleaning a canister. But unless you have an auto water change system you are limited on how long you can go away.

 

I have used sumps mainly to increase my water volume. I find them to more work than a canister. If you want to minimize maintenance (over a sump), I would go with a canister. You still need large weekly water changes IMO.

One thing to do if you are away a lot is to stock very lightly.