Acceptable Sump/Display tank turn over... ?????HELP?????

ZachAttack · #1 12-29-2009, 05:23 AM

OK guys I'm REALLY lost on this one...

I am upgrading to a 90 gallon tank with a 40 gallon sump. It will contain a skimmer section, return, and refug. I've read ALOT of threads about turn over... Some people say you want 50+ turnovers an hour!!!!! while others say 5x is more than enough. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?? is either better or anything? If anything I've heard that high gph is bad because it increases the amount of microbubbles and adds heat to the water. So what am I looking at for differences??

All opinions are appreciated, but if you give me your opinion please substantiate it with reasons why you think it's better. THanks guys!!!

xtreme · #2 12-29-2009, 05:25 AM

The 50x turnover people recommend is the amount of flow within the display tank created by powerheads and/or a closed loop. The 5x turnover is a good rate of flow through your sump using a return pump.

Bloodasp · #3 12-29-2009, 05:28 AM

As far as I know if you have a refugium in your sump you need to slow down the waterflow into it so that the stuff you have in there could do their job efficiently. The rest to me is just trial and error up to this point. Just as long as the water is quite clean, there is minimal noise, and the water does not end up on my floor.

ZachAttack · #4 12-29-2009, 05:29 AM

ok... that makes soooo much more sense. Stupid mis understanding on my part... thanks.

ZachAttack · #5 12-29-2009, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bloodasp

As far as I know if you have a refugium in your sump you need to slow down the waterflow into it so that the stuff you have in there could do their job efficiently. The rest to me is just trial and error up to this point. Just as long as the water is quite clean, there is minimal noise, and the water does not end up on my floor.

OK, thanks. Yeah well the return pump rate won't effect the refug flow b/c I'm going to T my input line from my DT with a smaller diameter pipe running to the refug on the right of the return line, and the larger pipe with the fast flow going to the skimmer on the left side of the return pump

Delphinus · #6 12-29-2009, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xtreme

The 50x turnover people recommend is the amount of flow within the display tank created by powerheads and/or a closed loop. The 5x turnover is a good rate of flow through your sump using a return pump.

Sounds like you're already convinced anyhow but I'll just add a "+1" to xtreme's comments nonetheless.

Volume turnover through the sump doesn't really yield you any benefits by going higher. In fact, the higher the speed of water through the sump the higher the chance of microbubbles in your display since not all bubbles will have a chance to "pop" before getting sucked into the pump and shredded by the impeller. In the 5x to 7x ballpark is all you need to be able to keep your heater and/or skimmer and/or anything else down there.

HTH

ZachAttack · #7 12-29-2009, 06:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Sounds like you're already convinced anyhow but I'll just add a "+1" to xtreme's comments nonetheless.

Volume turnover through the sump doesn't really yield you any benefits by going higher. In fact, the higher the speed of water through the sump the higher the chance of microbubbles in your display since not all bubbles will have a chance to "pop" before getting sucked into the pump and shredded by the impeller. In the 5x to 7x ballpark is all you need to be able to keep your heater and/or skimmer and/or anything else down there.

HTH

OK, that's pretty much what I figured. I just got really confused and didn't realize that when people associated 50x turnover and return pump that they were talking about closed loop

But I think I understand things a bit better now that I realize what they meant. Thanks guys

SeaHorse_Fanatic · #8 12-29-2009, 09:49 AM

I have probably only 3x turnover in my sump. The slower turnover gives my skimmer more time to clean the water.

On the other hand, I have +32x turnover flow in the display (210g mixed reef).

StirCrazy · #9 12-29-2009, 02:03 PM

basicly you can have what ever amount of flow through your sump you want. the limiting factor is the speed of the water flow through the sump. in simple tearms you want the water flow to be low enough that you don't carry over air bubble and such into your display tank.

if you build your sump with a nice space between the baffels and a open area for bubbles to rise then you can get away with more flow.

as for skimmer performance and such, turn over in the sump doesn't matter as the skimmer is still taking the same amount of volume and cleaning it.

Steve

Zoaelite · #10 12-29-2009, 07:12 PM

Hmmm, I have 53X turn over in my sump (Ocean runner 6500 in a 30G Sump) but its directed into a deep aerobically active sand bed which slows it down a whole whack load.

Quote:

as for skimmer performance and such, turn over in the sump doesn't matter as the skimmer is still taking the same amount of volume and cleaning it.

+1 Seahorse, the volume of your skimmer will only change if your water volume drops not if the flow around the pump increases. Slow flow is for the fuge, med flow for the sump and fast flow (Depending on your Bioload) for the main tank.
Levi