- Location
- westchester/greenwich
I'm looking to build a fuge/sump in the stand. I'm looking at an over flow box with a 300gph flow rate, does the return pump have to be exactly the flow rate? is a 300gph flow rate enouph for a 50 gallon tank?
Will you have any ball valves, true unions, 90's, 45's, LocLine, couplers, reducers, or other pvc fittings in the return line? If so, what? Each of those fittings adds backpressure and will reduce the flow accordingly.
Russ
Using a pump with a 450gph flow at zero head will be fine. It sounds like you're planning to use a Mag 5. I'm still confused about why you're only using a 300gph overflow? That is half the flow rate of most smaller tanks. I would use a 1" overflow yielding 600 gph.
My reason for this is the return flow in your tank (not including powerheads) will most likely be less than a MaxiJet 1200 (298gph). Taking into consideration the pvc fittings you listed, the vertical lift from sump to tank, you're at approximately the equivalent of 5' of head pressure. If you're using a Mag 5, as I suspect, the reduced flow based on back pressure will be ~250gph. That's an extremely low turnover (5x).
Russ
i wasn't sure if 300 gph was enouph flow but since its not ill go with the 600gph over flow. so then what return flow rate would need with the same fittings and phosban reactor?
If you plumb a single union ball valve into the return line, you can go with:
Mag 9.5
Marineland Euro Utility Pump 3000
Eheim 1262 Water Pump
Sedra 7000
My choice (cost not withstanding) would be the Eheim and then the Marineland 3000
Russ