Return pump flow rate

[taki123]

Hi guys,

I have a Redsea 425XL reef pump with around 300L of water in the tank given a lot of rocks.

I am running a TMC reef Dc return pump 12000L at max flow which I believe is 12000L/h.

This is around 40x the volume of water in my tank per hour. I read online at some places it says run it at 5-10x water volume and others who say the higher the return rate the better.

whate your thoughts on this?
Is there a problem with running it so fast?
Should I slow it down and what’s the benefits of slowing it down to let’s say 3000L/h (10x tank volume)?

 

[Mike konesky]

Anywhere from 2x to 10x imo. Faster can be louder, clear your tank faster if you run a sock, create a more stable temp depending on size of sump/tank. Trident method calls for higher turnover through the refugium. Matching the return to the skimmer has also been recommended in the past. I'm running 2x, 4x, 5x, and 7x on my systems. Curious to know how high people are actually going with turnover.

 

[Jeffcb]

X10 is "standard rule of thumb".

On my 224 gallon I have 2 Cor 20s that should 1500 gallons per hour each at 5 feet head room that should be X13. Ratings are never real. Pumps get dirty, clogged some and slow down with time so its always less than specs.

X40 is a lot but it probably isn't that much.

 

[BaliReefBox]

dont you need a certain amount of dwell time in the sump to allow benificial bacteria to work?

 

[RocketEngineer]

dont you need a certain amount of dwell time in the sump to allow benificial bacteria to work?

No because it’s not a single pass system, if the ammonia gets through then it just cycles back around later. Same goes for the skimmer, multiple times per day to remove stuff.

 

[taki123]

So based on your comments seems like there’s nothing wrong with running it faster. I guess my biggest risk is I’m running my pump on max speed so maybe it will give in quicker

 

[RocketEngineer]

If your drain setup can handle full flow of the pump, go for it. If the noise is too much and you need to back it off somewhat, that’s also acceptable. Keep in mind the flow rate listed is with no restriction on the pump. If you account for the ~5’ of vertical head pressure, it’s going to be less. Not all pumps flow the same under load so your miles may vary.

 

[taki123]

If your drain setup can handle full flow of the pump, go for it. If the noise is too much and you need to back it off somewhat, that’s also acceptable. Keep in mind the flow rate listed is with no restriction on the pump. If you account for the ~5’ of vertical head pressure, it’s going to be less. Not all pumps flow the same under load so your miles may vary.

Surprisingly the pump is extremely quiet. I’ve seen no ill effects of the pump so far. And you’re right there will certainly be pressure loss so it’s not really at x40. Thanks for your help!

 

[Dburr1014]

Hi guys,

I have a Redsea 425XL reef pump with around 300L of water in the tank given a lot of rocks.

I am running a TMC reef Dc return pump 12000L at max flow which I believe is 12000L/h.

This is around 40x the volume of water in my tank per hour. I read online at some places it says run it at 5-10x water volume and others who say the higher the return rate the better.

whate your thoughts on this?
Is there a problem with running it so fast?
Should I slow it down and what’s the benefits of slowing it down to let’s say 3000L/h (10x tank volume)?

I have a refugium and everything runs through it. I do about 3.5 turnover per hour. Refuge is about 5 gallon and the sump itself is a 50 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank holding about 40 gallons. I don't want a high rate though the refuge for contact time.
Most of the flow is at the tank. 75 gallon with 2 wav and 1 mp40.

 

[PeterEde]

Running 4000lph at full speed on my 425 and it's dialed in perfectly. Near zero noise at all. I'm actually amazed at how quiet it is. For now