return pump size?

whip1

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 22, 2010
Messages
266
Reaction score
10
Location
Md
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi, I have a new 180 gallon reef with a 75 gallon sump/fuge and I am concerned the return pump is too small because I can only open the valves about 2/3 of the way open and I am having trouble with particales in the main display. the return pump is a 1800gph any ideas?
thank you
 
OP
OP
whip1

whip1

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 22, 2010
Messages
266
Reaction score
10
Location
Md
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What is your overflow rated at? Is it particles or micro bubbles? If it's micro bubbles it could be the way your sump it set up.
it has two 1 inch corner over flows I dont know what its rated.
how would I find out?
they are particals not micro bubbles.
 

Paul_N

MOD
View Badges
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Messages
3,964
Reaction score
64
Location
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
it has two 1 inch corner over flows I dont know what its rated.
how would I find out?
they are particals not micro bubbles.

I think you get around 800 gph with a 1" so your around 1600 gph with 2. If anything I would think that with particles/detritus making it back to the tank it means that it doesn't have time to settle in the sump or get skimmed out so too low flow would not be your problem. You could always try a filter sock on the overflow from the tank.

Also you have to account for loss of flow for the pump for every foot so you are not getting 1800gph from the pump probably more like 1500 or 1400 if it is under the stand.
 
OP
OP
whip1

whip1

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 22, 2010
Messages
266
Reaction score
10
Location
Md
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I think you get around 800 gph with a 1" so your around 1600 gph with 2. If anything I would think that with particles/detritus making it back to the tank it means that it doesn't have time to settle in the sump or get skimmed out so too low flow would not be your problem. You could always try a filter sock on the overflow from the tank.

Also you have to account for loss of flow for the pump for every foot so you are not getting 1800gph from the pump probably more like 1500 or 1400 if it is under the stand.
Thanks Paul! each pipe is about 5 ft down to the sump. maybe I am not being patient enough we have been doing alot of work on the tank and moving corals around. my skimmer seems to be doing a good job but I have no idea what it is rated for either I got it free from a guy on cl here is a pic of the skimmer its about 2 1/2 feet tall and is pulling a good dry foam the cup is about 12 inches around and the pump on the skimmer says 500 gph. I was also thinking of replacing the koralia mag 7's with 2 mp40's because the 7's seem to blow really hard in only one area and nothing ever settles. wouldn't we want to be able to open the valves fully for good flow? as it is now we can't because the pump can't keep up without over flowing the sump.do you think this skimmer is big enough?
005-12.jpg

006-5.jpg
 

mr_X

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 11, 2009
Messages
122
Reaction score
3
Location
Fairless Hills, Pa.
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
how is it that your sump is overflowing? what you are explaining is impossible. the return pump pushes exactly the amount of water back to the tank as what comes in the sump. it's what dictates the amount. if you put a smaller pump on the tank, less water will come down to the sump. if you put a larger pump on the system, more water will come into the sump. what valves are you talking about opening up fully? do you have ball valves on your drains? if so, yes. they should be open all the way. if you want to slow down the flow from the tank to the sump or back up, you want to choke back the pump itself, at it's exhaust port.

as for the koralias v.s. the vortechs, they are going to do the same thing. swapping them out is not going to solve your issue, although i don't understand why you would want to solve it. the powerheads are doing precisely what you want them to do- keep detritus suspended until the filtration has a chance to remove it. you don't want anything to settle.
 

LegoZ81

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Messages
775
Reaction score
6
Location
IL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
whip1 we really need to see some pics of your setup, the overflow box/etc. If you just have a hole drilled in the tank somewhere low without an overflow box or standpipe it will not work. you can not reliably rate match feed vs drain and will always have a HIGH change of overflow. so please post a picture of the drain in the main tank and of the sump
 

Mixing lighting technologies: Do you use multiple types of lighting for your reef?

  • I currently use multiple types of lighting for my reef.

    Votes: 6 60.0%
  • I have used multiple types of lighting for my reef in the past.

    Votes: 1 10.0%
  • I haven’t used multiple types of lighting for my reef, but I plan to in the future.

    Votes: 1 10.0%
  • I have no plans to use multiple types of lighting for my reef.

    Votes: 2 20.0%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top