# wet/dry filter



## Abrium (Jan 7, 2011)

Wet/Dry filters or sumps are the king of the hill when it comes to filtration because they take full advantage of oxygen to feed the nitrifying bacteria bed. Eheim, Fluval, and even Filstar filters are great filters and provide great filtration for a price but once the introduction of Co2 is plugged into the equation the real question becomes what level of involvement do you want to have with your filter? You can easily buy a canister filter and Co2 equipment and sit it up and forget about it but sealing off a wet dry sump is a little more involved, okay a lot more involved hehe.

I mean saying that you want to mimic a setup that Tom has, while admirable, states that you have the time and knowledge to deal with the bumps along the way. I'm not trying to sway you either way but I've been keeping planted tanks for a few years now and whenever I want to partake in something above and beyond my skill set I think about the analogy "My eyes are bigger than my stomach" because in the end it would be GREAT to do everything I want to do with my systems but in reality I don't have the time, money, or expertise. Or, better yet, once I truely analyze the overall output required I realize that I don't want to provide that level of effort.


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## Abrium (Jan 7, 2011)

Sorry, also here is a quote on a sump for a tank up to 125 gallons and here is a link for a rena that will control up to a 175 gallon tank. As you can see there is a little bit of a cost difference but once again all of this depends on your individual wants, needs, and goals. Don't try to do something because someone else has done it. Provide your system with what IT needs to flourish and everything will be great.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

Having both in several forms I feel like I can offer opinion.
Sumps are cleaned when rarely needed in less then 5 minutes and any disposable material used is generally cheaper. 
Canisters take me 30 minutes start to finish on average.

Setup right CO2 loss is negligible with a sump and the benefits out way the slight increase in gas loss by miles (imo) 
I don't use a tower or wet / dry. Planted tanks are a huge bio filter in and of themselves. 
Mechanical filtration is the greater need.

Do a web search for 'George Booth' lots of topic information and quit a bit on sumps and gas.
Right here recently and most posting have sumps so checking they're user threads would help I'm sure.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/equipment/150888-co2-loss-reef-style-tank.html

Covered sump using glass panels to divert water flow.










Converted in this thread.
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/equipment/85462-trickle-filters.html

Covered Mattenfilter sump which has direct path water flow.



















sumps are easy, it's the drains that take brains







(couldn't help it LOL) tuning the drains is my only challenge figuring out new tanks.


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## jrman83 (Nov 22, 2010)

I had a hard time getting my wet/dry to seal and not loose all of my CO2. I will admit that I never tried to turn up the bubble rate to see if the loss could have been compensated for though. I ended up just getting the Eheim 2229 wet/dry canister and it doesn't loose anything. I use it in conjunction with a 2080.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

Duct tape worked fine for me.

Once the dry section where the water enters is sealed, it's no less of an issue than a canister. Steve D, George Booth, myself all stated this 15-17 years ago independently. 

O2 levels are also higher by 1-2 ppm consistently over 24 hours.


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## jcgd (Feb 18, 2004)

Abrium said:


> Wet/Dry filters or sumps are the king of the hill when it comes to filtration because they take full advantage of oxygen to feed the nitrifying bacteria bed. Eheim, Fluval, and even Filstar filters are great filters and provide great filtration for a price but once the introduction of Co2 is plugged into the equation the real question becomes what level of involvement do you want to have with your filter? You can easily buy a canister filter and Co2 equipment and sit it up and forget about it but sealing off a wet dry sump is a little more involved, okay a lot more involved hehe.
> 
> I mean saying that you want to mimic a setup that Tom has, while admirable, states that you have the time and knowledge to deal with the bumps along the way. I'm not trying to sway you either way but I've been keeping planted tanks for a few years now and whenever I want to partake in something above and beyond my skill set I think about the analogy "My eyes are bigger than my stomach" because in the end it would be GREAT to do everything I want to do with my systems but in reality I don't have the time, money, or expertise. Or, better yet, once I truely analyze the overall output required I realize that I don't want to provide that level of effort.


I dunno. When you actually think about Tom's tanks, I am envious of how simple the setup is. He has stated many benefits including more O2, Hiding equipment, easy of maintenance, and less maintenance.

He has the sump and overflow, a vortech and injects co2 into the return pump and just enough light. It doesn't get more more streamlined than that.



plantbrain said:


> Duct tape worked fine for me.
> 
> Once the dry section where the water enters is sealed, it's no less of an issue than a canister. Steve D, George Booth, myself all stated this 15-17 years ago independently.
> 
> O2 levels are also higher by 1-2 ppm consistently over 24 hours.


The only thing I don't get is how more O2 gets into the system besides the greater surface area. If the wet/dry is sealed it wouldn't be added there. What am I missing here?


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## tetra73 (Aug 2, 2011)

jcgd said:


> I dunno. When you actually think about Tom's tanks, I am envious of how simple the setup is. He has stated many benefits including more O2, Hiding equipment, easy of maintenance, and less maintenance.
> 
> He has the sump and overflow, a vortech and injects co2 into the return pump and just enough light. It doesn't get more more streamlined than that.
> 
> ...


Is sealed but not water tight.... Air (O2) can still get inside.


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## jcgd (Feb 18, 2004)

I dunno. I bet hardly any air/co2 gets in or out of that tower.


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

Great thread topic.


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

Now that I don't have a wet dry AND the sump is an old fish tank so I can see what happens in the sump I can see how more oxygen gets in. The overflow drags it in with that vortex out of the overflow box. The pipe into the sump carries loads of bubbles with it. I cover the sump itself and the overflow box but lots of air must still be exchanged as I don't have tape or tight fitting lids.


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

jcgd said:


> I dunno. I bet hardly any air/co2 gets in or out of that tower.


Actually lots get sucked down the prefilter, but the CO2 does not degas, nor does the air/O2. It's trapped in the tower, there's only a burp coming back up that pipe, or dissolving into solution.........

It's a 2 box model, what goes in, must come out.


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## KH2PO4 (Jul 18, 2009)

jcgd said:


> I dunno. When you actually think about Tom's tanks, I am envious of how simple the setup is. He has stated many benefits including more O2, Hiding equipment, easy of maintenance, and less maintenance.
> 
> He has the sump and overflow, a vortech and injects co2 into the return pump and just enough light. It doesn't get more more streamlined than that.
> 
> ...


Overflow box, I bet (no I don't :tongue.


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