Help Cannister versus wet/dry

[Isaiah]

I am new to the salt world. I have had a salt tank running for over a year, going well and using a fluvol 305 cannister on a 56 gallon deep tank. I think I woul dlike to move to a wet/dry fitrations but I am unsure of the difference it would make? I think my water quality could improve and filtrating byproducts would be nice. What brand would be the best for my setup? Help is needed. I really dont like the cannister because of some maintnaince issues. Tx

Isaiah

[chrischris]

i think you should go sump or refuge do you have live rock? if so you dont need a wetdry because the live rock has the denitrafying bacteria

[dobejazz]

I agree with Chrischris - forget the wet dry you will have similar issues to the cannister filter.
Just a plain sump will be more than adequate if you have live rock and a skimmer

[Isaiah]

I have live rock and a skimmer. Is the refuge the same as a sump? Am I looking at a lot of plumbing?

[chrischris]

a sump is a body of water hooked up to the tank (the short definition) and a refuge is the same but you put macro algae in it and grow the macro algae in there. theres many differing opinions on refuges but i use one and alot of other people do to i know for a fact geoff is completely agianst them

[Isaiah]

So basically the sump would hang on the back of my tank and water would filter into that? Are the y easy to set up? So what exactly does the sump do to improve your tank, soryy lots of questions but I am getting my self invested into this so I need to make the right choices. tx Isaiah

[chrischris]

no the sump goes under the tank and you have a drain and a return pump to return water to the tank
the sump is added water volume makeing you water par. more stable

they are really easy to setup what skimmer do you have?what size is the tank?what fish do you have?

[Isaiah]

This would be in addition to my cannister filter?

[dobejazz]

Here is a good article on sumps - A sump would replace the cannister filter

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/fa...es#faq_sumps_1

[chrischris]

no youd get rid of you canister because its a place for nitrates to build up what skimmer do you have?

[Isaiah]

I have the red sea prizm newer model

[Isaiah]

Thanks for the article, I read the article and what do I do if my tank is not "reef ready" can I buy a sump for a tank thats not pre drilled?

[DaveTheReefGeek]

plain sump... all the way!

[chrischris]

ya youd buy a hob (haang on back ) over flow im useing it on my 90 gallon

[DaveTheReefGeek]

I would sooner have the tank drilled than buy an over the tank overflow (too many risks) would cost about the same anyway. Just make sure to find whether the tank bottom is tempered or not, if so drill the back.