Sump flow

[nellynel21]

Hi reefers

I been thinking lately , what should be the proper flow on a sump ?
Refugium With cheato ,rocks and Skimmer
Eliminating nutrients , nitrate , phosphate etc

How can the flow help us in our reef tank in the long run..??


So I been thinking .
The % is something I just threw there lol

Should the flow be fast enought ,making the skimmer take out 30% nutrients ?
Should it be moderate giving time for skimmer take out 50% of nutrients and give time for the refugium to do it work?
Or should it be slow so the skimmer could performe it best taking out at least 70% of nutrients and the refugium do it best work helping eliminate nitrate and phosphate ??

What are your thought ..if there's something wrong with the explaination please help also
Any advice will help others new reefers in the future
Thanks

 

[theMeat]

Cool topic..

What me thinks and have found good over the years,,,

Sump should flow 3-5x the display volume per hour

Fuge should flow 10x the fuge area or less per hour for calerpra and just about all other macros, and 10x or more for cheato

Skimmer should process about the same amount of water that goes throu your sump per hour.

And of course there's so many variables with all this info depending on what you have living, do you run an algae scrubber, bio-pellets, etc

 

[nellynel21]

Cool topic..

What me thinks and have found good over the years,,,

Sump should flow 3-5x the display volume per hour

Fuge should flow 10x the fuge area or less per hour for calerpra and just about all other macros, and 10x or more for cheato

Skimmer should process about the same amount of water that goes throu your sump per hour.

And of course there's so many variables with all this info depending on what you have living, do you run an algae scrubber, bio-pellets, etc

Thanks
That's a great mathematic idea on the flow display volume and fuge area ..

I think and believe it's going to be a great topic if we all get along and give ideas as the reef community we are, .. And let this thread blow up ..

I do have a bio pellets reactor .. I have the drain next to the skimmer pump,
Never let the water from the bio pellet go to your tank ..

 

[noelskii]

I say make the flow slow enough for the skimmer to take out 75% of the garbage and the fuge to take out 20% to leave you 5%. That should be good.

 

[nellynel21]

I say make the flow slow enough for the skimmer to take out 75% of the garbage and the fuge to take out 20% to leave you 5%. That should be good.

Good point ..