# External filter or sump for planted tank?



## Mark Barron (16 Nov 2016)

I am going to start a planted tank soon and have the choice to have a sump instead of an external filter. What are people's thoughts on this please?


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## foxfish (16 Nov 2016)

Try typing "sump UKAPS" into Google as there are lots and lots of threads on this subject.
Sumps  have good and bad points but they seem to be getting more popular due to marine tank keepers changing over to plants.


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## Mark Barron (16 Nov 2016)

Thanks, I'll check it out. I've been hearing that sumps are becoming more popular but you don't know if that's because they sell them lol


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## zozo (17 Nov 2016)

Mark Barron said:


> but you don't know if that's because they sell them lol


They don't, at least not from the shelf.. Maybe in the USA because there sumps are most popular. They need to be custom build and calculated regarding tank vulome it should filter if you want it in minimum dimension. So since all sumps are actualy custom build (DIY) products, the good and bad things are all about how good it is build.

I'm running a 110 litre planted low tech  tank on a 25 litre DIY sump for a year now.. Bad points? How hard i try, can't find one.. Also running a 54 litre planted high tech tank on an external cannister. It just is a totaly different way of filtering and both need another maintenance approach.. But if i had to nitpick i would be able to put more bad points to a cannister than to a sump.. But imo good / bad is not the correct way to look at it.. It's just different.. If it is sufficient it is good..


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## Mark Barron (17 Nov 2016)

The tank I'm getting has the sump in the bottom of the cabinet. I have a Trigon 190 at the moment but I want a planted tank that's more easily accessible with slightly lower sides and a rectangle shape


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## Mark Barron (17 Nov 2016)

Although a planted tank gives plenty of oxygen off by the plants themselves, would I just be able to put an air stone in the sump like I would co2 if I want to put a decent stock of fish in it???


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## zozo (17 Nov 2016)

Sumps are very good and much more sufficient with highly (over) stocked tanks.. And if you go for a sump than why not make it a wet and dry trickle filter.. That way the waste water and bacteria get oxygenated by the atmosphere and works most sufficient. That way an airstone is not realy something you need to provide extra oxygene.

Or you could go for a moving bed media filter (part of the sump) with for example K1 beats which are moved around with an airstone. I've tried the K1 moving bed concept, but it makes a lot of noise, a bit to much in a living room.. For me personaly i went on with just a simple wet and dry setup which only requires a water pump to get the water back into the tank.

Sumps are as said all custom DIY projects, no 2 sumps made by diferent people are the same.. It a very versatile concept when it comes to design.. You can make 'm as simple or complex as you like. Most sumps i've seen are imo a bit over complicated, but that is something personal.

Anyway if you plan to stock the tank highly with livestock and have enough space so you can manage to design the sump to also grow emersed plants in it (Helophyte filtering) and I have to quote Darrel aka dw1305 on this. Then you have the Rolls Royce of filters.


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## Mark Barron (17 Nov 2016)

Thx zozo, I'll have a look into them


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## zozo (18 Nov 2016)

Welcome..  Succes!..


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