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

[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?

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..

So I was thinking that a 1270 Turbo-Sea or R70 Iwaki for my return. That should give me a better balance for my skimmer and better flow for my reef.

 

[magicman76]

So I was thinking that a 1270 Turbo-Sea or R70 Iwaki for my return. That should give me a better balance for my skimmer and better flow for my reef.

you did your reaserch and know the specs of the pumps so if your going to get a flow thats close to the flow going through your skimmer through your sump with one of those pumps then that would be ideal..
good luck
I would still consider a closed loop to up the total flow to 15-20 cycles per hour..

 

[HisKid]

Thanks Magicman. I think I have finally decided what to do. I am going to run each of my 580's in a closed loop to each overflow, and then put my skimmer inside my sump with a 500GPh mag drive at the return side of my Model 3 sump.

So I am looking at 1160GPh = 6.44 turnovers Per Hour, and 500GPh through my protien Skimmer. I can always change out the pumps if needed, but I am also placing 2 SEIO 1500m Powerheads in the tank on an electronic wavemaker. That should keep the detrus from settling too much, thereby increasing the efficiency of my filtration loops.

Its a gamble but its one I am willing to take for now. If it doesn't produce the results I am looking for, I guess I will just have to get bigger pumps.

 

[LA-Lawman]

LA-Lawman wrote:

you have closed loops...

I don't have closed loops.

Louey

hmmmm, must have got confused with another huge massive tank i wish i had!

what is the flowrate on the BK you ordered...?

 

[Anonymous]

what is the flowrate on the BK you ordered...?

I was told that a Mag7 would be perfect to feed my BK 300. So 700 GPH. They said anywhere from 500 - 800 GPH would work fine.

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

A fow just better would be better. A flow of 100 to 200 gph more than the skimmer pump would be better IMO.

 

[magicman76]

A fow just better would be better. A flow of 100 to 200 gph more than the skimmer pump would be better IMO.

Im currious why you think a sligtly higher flow then your skimmers flow through rate would be better then the same flow as your skimmers flow through rate? or is this a causionary idea.. in wich case I would think a slightly lower flow would be safer to insure the most skimulate production possible..

 

[HisKid]

I don't necessarily agree with the whole "matched flow" hypothesis. I can see the logic; I am just not sure it actually applies. Skimmers are designed to be passive. The “matched flow” hypothesis would really only apply in an active scenario, and it would be dependent on the efficiency of the skimmer, system bio load, and so on. It seems to me that the best way to get good skimming results is to surface skim the water as well as the middle and bottom. I set up my system with an auto top-off and placed my mag drive’s pickup in a vertical position. My protein skimmer started producing a lot of skim mate after that.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[magicman76]

its a matter of were protiens and fats stettle in the water coloem.. and they happen to float.. so.. the better the surfase water is skimmed before returned to the main (to be remixed and have to wait for the protines to float back out) the better. The matched flow just makes sence to me..
effecency is my only concern here..

drawing water from diffent levels, other then the surfase, I belive will harm skimming performance..

its not like skimmers will not work when installed in a way that will make them less effecent.. and changing the position of a pump could increase flow wich would compensate for poor flow to some degree.. to prove matched flow doesnt help I would suggest you try it on top of other modifications..