What Is the Difference Between a Sump Filter And a Wet Dry Filter for Fish Tanks?

Fish tanks allow you to keep a bit of under water nature in your own home. In order for fish and other water creatures to survive in a tank, the environment must allow the animals to flourish. This requires keeping the water full of nutrients. Moreover, the water should be kept fresh and clean by a continuous filtration process, such as the sump filter and wet/dry filter systems.

  1. Sump

    • The sump filter includes a second fish tank the same size as the main tank, an overflow pipe and a water pump to push water back into the main tank. Water is siphoned out of the main tank into the overflow. The force of gravity pushes the water down a pipe that leads it to the second fish tank. The second fish tank is placed below the main tank so that the siphoned water can easily make its way to it. In the second tank, water is filtered and is pushed back into the main tank via a water pump.

    Benefits of the Sump filer

    • By using a tank the same size as the main tank, the water volume of the fish tank is essentially doubled. This allows for a lower overall concentration of impurities and water fluctuations. The over all quality of the water is improved. You can place plants like water hyacinth in the extra tank to further increase water quality.

    Wet/Dry Filter

    • The wet/dry filter is an addition to the sump filter. Little bio-balls are added to the sump filter where the water from the overflow pipe meets the water in the extra tank placed below it. The water trickles over the bio-balls as it makes its way down into the lower tank. By having the water trickle over the bio-balls, an oxygen rich environment is created in the lower tank. This allows ammonia and nitrate rich bacteria to flourish.

    Cons of the Wet/Dry Filter

    • The nutrients that are created by the bio-balls create an environment in which fish can flourish. On the other hand, reef based tanks can have a hard time flourishing with these bacteria. The byproduct of the bacteria process is nitrate. Fish can handle environments that have high levels of nitrate; reefs cannot survive well in nitrate high environments. Thus, the use of the bio-balls and the wet/dry filter system depends on what type of tank you are keeping.