Sump Vs External Filter

[fish_face]

Hello again,
Can anyone tell me exactly what a sump is and whether they are better to use rather than an external filter?

I'm just setting up a new marine tank in our existing 350 litre tank and some people seem to think drilling the tank and getting a sump is a better idea than using an external filter. We were thinking of using an external filter + live rock to keep things simple. We only want to keep about half a dozen small fish and a few invertebrates + a few soft corals, nothing too complicated So would using an exetrnal filter still be ok?

Thanks

 

[mr oscar]

sumps every time, a sump is a glass or plastic tank/ container below the tank it usually has 2/3 compartments, in the first is the skimmer and bio balls or sometimes rock, personally i hate bio balls they can be aid nitrate, second compartment has cheato and or carbon bags to aid nitrate removal and keep the water pure and sometimes mud or live sand is added, usually a light is installed above the sump to help the cheato (algae) grow and it is easier to clean and change media because unlike a canister you do not have to shut it off, also if you have aproblem fish you can stick it in the sump temporarily until you find a new home,hope this helps

 

[SkiFletch]

At the risk of throwing her under the bus, it sounds like you want to make a tank a lot like littleme's