refugium guide lines

[Damnselpa]

I am beginning my refugium and had some questions. I am going to make my own overflow system out of pvc. Obviously the more water you cycle the better but is there a happy medium based on you tank size and pipe size. Also could anyone recommend a good return pump.

 

[Northstar24]

Are you talking about your overflow from your display tank to your sump/'fuge? If so, you can either get a tank drilled for overflows, or get a HOB overflow (often called an overflow box) for a tank that has not been drilled by the manufacturer for overflows.

When you use a HOB overflow or an overflow kit from a manufacturer for a tank, they are rated at a certain GPH of flow, you will want to get a return pump that has a similar GPH rating, so that it can handle the water drained by the overflows. For example, if you have an overflow box rated at 300 GPH, you're going to want a return pump that is capable of 300 GPH, dont forget to add in head loss, so you'd want that 300 GPH at ~3 feet of head, not at 0

 

[Damnselpa]

Not sure I understand what you mean about the 3 feet of head. Is that in relation to the hose or pipe that I use.

 

[Bifferwine]

Head loss is how far vertically the water has to travel from the sump/fuge to the tank. If you have to use 3 feet of piping to get water back to the tank, you have 3 feet of head loss.

 

[reefkpr55]

I made one out of pvc. I used a 1" pipe. I think I heard that can do about 300 gph but I'm not positive. My pump is 260 minus whatever a 4' head does to it.

 

[daugherty]

a 1in pipe can handle around 600 gal as a return line and more from a pump pushing water but at 300 gph on a 4ft head you are prob getting less than 100gph from that pump