I'm thinking about converting from a canister filter to an overflow and sealed sump. I want to do this on an established tank. Do I just move my bio media from the canister over to the sump? Should the bio media be submerged or should it be elevated above the water in the sump like a bio ball set up?*Is there anything else that I'll need to be concerned with?
How do I switch from a canister filter to an overflow and sump?
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thegasman;92101 said:I'm thinking about converting from a canister filter to an overflow and sealed sump. I want to do this on an established tank. Do I just move my bio media from the canister over to the sump? Should the bio media be submerged or should it be elevated above the water in the sump like a bio ball set up?*Is there anything else that I'll need to be concerned with?
I did this in my 220. I took the eheim media and placed it in mesh bags. These simply sat IN WATER in the sump. The bio balls or whatever you place in the trickle tower will also become bio-media.
Just do some extra water changes for the 2 weeks immediately after just as a caution.
Thanks Gerry. I figured that was the way to go, but I needed a guru to confirm! Do you run bio balls in the trickle tower? Is the trickle tower even necessary? I was thinking of having the overflow tube submerged to reduce the noise and to conserve CO2. Your thoughts?
NP. I do use bio-balls in the tower and seems to work fine for me so far. You can use ceraminc rings or simple cheap sponges as well. Which overflow tube do you mean?
What kind of overflow and sump will you use?
What kind of overflow and sump will you use?
You can do both. I have sponges submerged that act as bio media, and I have a trickle tower as well.
I was thinking of the Life Reef or CPR overflow box. What do you recommend? I had one similar to the Life Reef on a reef tank and never had it break siphon. The tube I was referring to is the one that carries water from the overflow box to the sump.
Hey,
Both are excellent. The CPR has a smaller footprint but needs an aqualifter pump to maintain the siphon and these can go bad. So have spares. The lifereef has the U tube siphon system and does not break siphon much at all if ever.
If the standpipe to the sump is submerged there will be less noise and de-gassing....
Both are excellent. The CPR has a smaller footprint but needs an aqualifter pump to maintain the siphon and these can go bad. So have spares. The lifereef has the U tube siphon system and does not break siphon much at all if ever.
If the standpipe to the sump is submerged there will be less noise and de-gassing....