Sump build questions
- Thread starter karie36
- Start date
dcantucson
Reef pro
Mag and Quiet One pumps are both popular. Pipe size will depend on the size of pump you use. You will want to turn your system's water 10 times I believe.
project5k
Reef enthusiast
i love this chart for figuring how much flow pipe can handle... just use the left (white) numbers for overflows....
GPM/GPH Flow based on PVC Pipe Size, ie, How much water can flow through Sch 40 Pvc Pipe Size 1/2" 3/4" 1" 1.5" 2" 2.5" 3" 4" 6"
from that chart you can figure that 1" will handle something like 960GPH gravety flow, ofcourse remember to subtract from that any restrictions or turns and whatnot...
one thing that you may run into is if you try and run too much flow through the sump, you may end up with a microbubble issue... just something to think about... i used a 29long for the sump for my 75 and at anything more than about 500GPH i started having bad microbubble issues.....
it might have just been the design of my sump, but its free info... ya know?? :)
GPM/GPH Flow based on PVC Pipe Size, ie, How much water can flow through Sch 40 Pvc Pipe Size 1/2" 3/4" 1" 1.5" 2" 2.5" 3" 4" 6"
from that chart you can figure that 1" will handle something like 960GPH gravety flow, ofcourse remember to subtract from that any restrictions or turns and whatnot...
one thing that you may run into is if you try and run too much flow through the sump, you may end up with a microbubble issue... just something to think about... i used a 29long for the sump for my 75 and at anything more than about 500GPH i started having bad microbubble issues.....
it might have just been the design of my sump, but its free info... ya know?? :)
So I should not run too much flow through the sump. Just use powerheads to make up the difference? Right now I only have fish in my tank but plan on corals soon. From what I have read it says most people like at least 20x turnover in their reef aquarium. Is this what I should be aiming for? Thanks for the help!
Bifferwine
I am a girl
You do need to use powerheads in your tank to supplement the flow from the sump. At least 10x turnover rate is good -- some of us aim for 100x or more. It depends on what type of livestock you keep.
project5k
Reef enthusiast
yea, its gonna depend... i've got a lower flow setup when compared to some... i have (comming up from the sump) about 500GPH comming in through a SCWD, and then another 350GPH comming in through the factory returns, and then i have 2 K1's (400GPH) and 1 K2 (600)and thats it... so total i have 2200gph theoretically, so thats just a tad over 10X total, sump and all...
