What is the right amount of flow to put though your sump

[Anonymous]

What is the turnover rate that your tank's volume should go through your sump?

I have a 300G tank and an Iwaki 1000, which is approximately 2000 GPH. That's about 6 - 7 times tank volume for turnover.

I am thinking that that might actually be a bit too much flow. All this talk about recirc style skimmers has me thinking that the slower your tank volume gets turned over, the longer the water is in the sump, then all the more opportunity for your skimmer to do it's think, whether it's a recirc style or not.

What do you think?

Could I get my turnover though the sump in half? Might this help the protein skimmer be more effective?

I have two Tunze 6200's in my tank that provide 10000 GPH of flow inside the tank, so I don't think the tank would suffer if I cut the flow back. I could also add more Tunze's in the tank if slowing the flow through the sump resulted in better protein skimming.

Opinions please

Louey

 

[LA-Lawman]

I have a 180g. i am pushing close to 1200gph thru the sump... mine is about 6.66667 times per hour...

you should add the gph rating on your skimmer and such... my sump is about 45gallons... my ER is about 550gph...

so.... I think I am ok.... if I need too I can add another overflow...

 

[Anonymous]

I think its good to balance your sump throughput with your skimmer pump capacity. I would write more but my brain hurts.

 

[Anonymous]

I am of the thought that the skimmer works better if the water is dirtier. Basically the flow through the sump should be appox equal to the flow of the skimer. In my mind the skimmer can pull X% per pass. If the sump flow is less than the skimmer flow you are reprocessing water. Also, another assumption in my reasoning is the water only picks up crud in the tank.

 

[Anonymous]

Righty wrote:

I think its good to balance your sump throughput with your skimmer pump capacity. I would write more but my brain hurts.

So if your skimmer feed pump is 700 GPH, your system pump should also be 700 GPH? Is that what your hurting brain is trying to say? Or maybe my brain is hurting too much to understand (U2 concert last night )

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

Octo is finally getting to him.

 

[Anonymous]

lol Wazz.

It looks like you agree that the skimmer flow though rate and the sump flow through rate whould be roughly the same.

I am hoping that is what I draw from this thread. I could change an Iwaki 100 for an Iwaki 40 RLXT. That RLXT is currenly feeding my skimmer, but the Burger King skimmer only needs 700 GPH.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

The way I look at it I do not see having more as being a bad thing. No real reason to, but it would not be detramental.

 

[Anonymous]

So then you would agree that I don't need 2000 GPH when my skimmer only uses 700GPH.

This is a good thing and will save power.

Now, If I needed the 2000 GPH for flow through the tank, then that would be a different story.

My drain lines (2-1.5") are a tad small for 2000 GPH. The water height inside the tank is all the way up to the center braces. I'd like the water height in the tank to be just under those braces.

The 40 RLXT is actually rated at 1380 GPH at zero ft head, so I'll still wind up with quite a bit more than 700 GPH anyways.

I think I am going to take the penductors out of my tank and just return two lines with those loc-line fittings, one at the top one each end of the tank. I'll see how the tank reacts to that. I can always change it back.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

Righty wrote:

I think its good to balance your sump throughput with your skimmer pump capacity. I would write more but my brain hurts.

So if your skimmer feed pump is 700 GPH, your system pump should also be 700 GPH? Is that what your hurting brain is trying to say? Or maybe my brain is hurting too much to understand (U2 concert last night )

Louey

I think he's saying that if your skimmer pump is rated at 700gph (or whatever) and you're putting 1400gph into the sump (and conversely out of the sump) then you're skimmer isn't doing as good as it probably can be doing. Of course having less flow means your skimmer more likely is skimming already skimmed water which can't be too bad of a thing!

 

[Anonymous]

I am of the opinion that you want two things in regard to flow

1. Lots of flow through your tank

2. Just enough flow through your sump.

I think that slightly more than your skimmer suction would be great.

My system sucked while I had 290 gph going through my little 20 gallon sump.

Course, what do I know.





Louey, you went to a U2 concert? Lucky dog you....

 

[Anonymous]

So then you would agree that I don't need 2000 GPH when my skimmer only uses 700GPH.

This is a good thing and will save power.

Now, If I needed the 2000 GPH for flow through the tank, then that would be a different story.

My drain lines (2-1.5") are a tad small for 2000 GPH. The water height inside the tank is all the way up to the center braces. I'd like the water height in the tank to be just under those braces.

The 40 RLXT is actually rated at 1380 GPH at zero ft head, so I'll still wind up with quite a bit more than 700 GPH anyways.

I think I am going to take the penductors out of my tank and just return two lines with those loc-line fittings, one at the top one each end of the tank. I'll see how the tank reacts to that. I can always change it back.

Louey

From a skimmer point of view yes. IMO since you are keeping SPS I would shoot for atleast 30x total turnover. Personally I like 10x through the sump, but that is a preference.

 

[Anonymous]

Righty wrote:

I think its good to balance your sump throughput with your skimmer pump capacity. I would write more but my brain hurts.

So if your skimmer feed pump is 700 GPH, your system pump should also be 700 GPH? Is that what your hurting brain is trying to say? Or maybe my brain is hurting too much to understand (U2 concert last night )

Louey

I think he's saying that if your skimmer pump is rated at 700gph (or whatever) and you're putting 1400gph into the sump (and conversely out of the sump) then you're skimmer isn't doing as good as it probably can be doing. Of course having less flow means your skimmer more likely is skimming already skimmed water which can't be too bad of a thing!

I do not think so. If you are supplying as much or more than the skimmer needs than you assure it is getting maximum saturated water. Just my thought.

 

[Anonymous]

Wazzel wrote:

From a skimmer point of view yes. IMO since you are keeping SPS I would shoot for atleast 30x total turnover.

The two Tunze 6200's put out a total of 10,000 GPH. That alone get's me better than 30 X's turnover. So I think I will be okay to cut the flow through the sump.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

I think so

 

[magicman76]

I am of the oppinon that the most consitrated "dirty" water is at the surfase of the tank.. so.. thats the water you want your skimmer to skimm.. so.. I agree with Righty I think the water going though the sump should be the same amount of flow that your skimmer can process.. otherwise your going to be remixing the surfase water that didnt get skimmed back into the main tanks water colom just to try and get it to float again so that it can be skimmed off the surfase by your overflow and skimmed by your protine skimmer.. if you need 30X water flow (wich helps keep particals in suspention so that they can be skimmed and not sink into those DSB's lol). use closed loops, and limit surfase aggitation to just waves tops, you won't have to worry about your skimmers performance taking a hit..

Im glad to see this.. Ive been telling people about this elsewere and the first reaction I get is.. greef he's nuts.. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[HisKid]

So I am setting up my new 180 reef and I just went out and bought all new equipment. I have 2 Turbo-Sea 580's one for the return and one for my Nautilus EX. My math shows 3.22 turnovers per hour. Is that enough? Should I exchange the return pump for a 790 or a 1270? DO they need to match?

 

[magicman76]

So I am setting up my new 180 reef and I just went out and bought all new equipment. I have 2 Turbo-Sea 580's one for the return and one for my Nautilus EX. My math shows 3.22 turnovers per hour. Is that enough? Should I exchange the return pump for a 790 or a 1270? DO they need to match?

from the sounds of it.. your flow though your skimmer is a bit quiker then your flow though you sump (not as much head to fight powering the skimmer IMO) this in my oppion is a better situation then too much flow though the sump ie a pump thats to big going back to the main tank..
its very difficult to match them perfectly (Ive tried using head loss calculators) you louse more with smaller pumps.. I would keep what I had if flow calculators said that I didnt louse too much...
3.22 turnover toal is too low.. but.. you can build a closed loop system with a bigger pump and not louse anything to head loss.. they tend to run cooler without the head preasure as well.. win win in my book..

 

[LA-Lawman]

Louey...

You can afford to slow your sump flow down. you have closed loops... So I can see that you want the most efficent skimming...

But on my system I decided to max out the overflows because i could install a loop at the time... when i figure out how to do a loop. I will slow the sump downa bit...

 

[Anonymous]

LA-Lawman wrote:

you have closed loops...

I don't have closed loops.

Louey