water flow?

[GMGQ]

I concur. Slower is actually better, so that your skimmer has the best chance to skim the nasty stuff. Too much flow, and the stuff will just get flushed right by the skimmer's intake, without getting a chance to go through it. Depending on how your skimmer is setup, the proteins in the water column generally float upwards.

So check the GPH rating of your skimmer's intake pump to determine the flow through the sump.

Originally Posted by TheReefGeek

I would match the draining gph to what your skimmer needs, then feed the overflow water right into the skimmer, this way the skimmer is dealing with all the crud from the surface of your water and it is the most efficient.

Also with too much sump turnover, you could have a microbubble problem.

As suggestions, get the tank drilled for a closed loop, or go with "nicer" powerheads like Seio's or tunze streams.