Sump vs two fx6 on a drilled 125g

[dhavalsp]

Hi, hope everyone is doing well! Posting here after a long time. I have moved from Bethesda to Philadelphia about 4 years ago but i still end up on Cca forum regularly. CCA is just the best!

i have recently purchased a 125g setup. It is predrilled on both sides. Came with a acrylic sump( I think 40 gallon)skimmer( not plannin to use), motor( seems functional but looks old, will probably need replacement). I basically need to do replumbing as the pipes had to be cutto move the setup.

I have never had sump before and I am scared that it will malfunction and overflow and ruin everything. my concern valid? I am also not too confident about hard plumbing and thinking about just using vinyl tubing with hose clamps.

Alternatively, I can seal the drills and put two canister filters( my comfort zone) on it.

I am planning to do a freshwater, South American tank-red severums and uaru, maybe acaras,few loaches and cleaners.

questions:

is sump way better than canisters( fx4/6) when it comes to keeping water clean - parameter and clarity.

is plumbing really that tough? My concerns is that I will encounter slow leaks here and there and mess up the whole living room.

can I do soft plumbing ( vinyl tubings) or is it important to do hard plumbing. I am not a big fan of using super glue and cutting those pipes- I think I lack the craftsmanship on that front. Any useful videos that have been helpful to you.

what is a typical maintenance on sump - filter Pad etc?

thanks in advance!

regards,
Dhaval

 

[IndianaSam]

I did a sump on a 135G that was drilled at the ends of the tank and you can read about it here: https://www.capitalcichlids.org/forums/threads/setting-up-my-135g-with-sump.36809/

I’ve had canister filters in the past, but I can tell you that sumps are way, way less maintenance in the long run. I don’t have a direct comparison in terms of water clarity, but I’ve never had an issue with it and my sump.

Regarding overflowing, my setup (and any modern design) is nearly overflow proof because of the use of a primary drain, secondary drain and an emergency drain. Frankly there would need to be something absolutely catastrophic to cause any overflowing. Also it’s very quiet

Biological and mechanical filtration is all performed with Poret foam, which only need to be cleaned every six months or so. I even have a colony of cherry shrimp living in my sump that help clean the foam.

Hope that helps!

 

[dhavalsp]

This is super cool! Thanks for sharing!