Sump on a 120G

[mike]

I'm thinking of adding a sump to a 120G tank. Tank is not up yet, still in the planning stages. I was going to go with the this design http://www.beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system.aspx. The holes are not drilled yet.

My original objective was to have secondary filtration and as a way to inject CO2 using the Barr External Venturi and to also hide the heater. Then in another post I had (http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.php/9705-Question-about-the-External-Venturi-Rector), a member (Left C) suggested I put the Eheim Compact + Marine with needle wheel inline with my Fluval FX5. I like the idea and it seems very efficient. Would it be better to put it in the sump and inject co2 in there or is it more efficient inline with the canister? If I put it inline then I don't see much benefit in going through the trouble of drilling the tank to hide the heater and extra filtration, I might as well just add a second canister. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thank you,

Mike

 

[Tom Barr]

If...you have a sump, then do not bother with it.

I think you will be much better off going with a nice large sump, bean animal overflow.........and forget about a canister.
If you want a canister, get a HOT Magnum or something in that size range to run as a polishing filter.

There is little reason to add both a canister and sump overflow. Some folks use the canister to add water back to the tank, but as the canister clogs, so does the flow rate.
This can be avoided by using course media, but then you lose the polishing of the canister's intent.

I use a Lifegard 4000 on my 120 gal tank.
Most of the filter catches perhaps 90% of the leaves etc, in the screen overflow and the sponge prefilter BEFORE it ever makes it to the sump.

So I only clean my sponge blocks in the sump once every 3 months or so.
That's an easy task also.

Need to add carbon or a dosing pump? Automate water changes?
Sumps are great and much easier.

 

[mike]

Thank you Tom. I already have the canister, it's a Fluval FX5. I will also go ahead with the sump. For my Co2 do you think I should put the EHEIM Compact + Marine pump with needle wheel inline with the canister or put it in the sump and draw water from the sump to the tank, in effect use that as my sump pump also?

Mike