AGA over-flow rate

[tye_c]

I have a 75g AGA tank with a corner overflow. I am currently running a Mag 12 with about 8' of head. The return is split to a refugium with minimal flow. I would like to increase the turnover in the tank. Anyone have any recommendations on a pump to maximize my overflow.

 

[geo]

I would rather see more flow in the tank with the use of powerheads or stream pumps than a larger return pump.

 

[tabndust]

build a closed loop

 

[tye_c]

Anyone had any success with SCWD's?

 

[geo]

I am personally not a huge fan of the closed loop, I feel the stream pumps offer a much better alternative to producing flow in the aquarium.
I have never used a squid.

 

[szwab]

i'll back up George on the more flow in the tank rather thatn the return. heard squids are ok but over time eventually start having problems. I have not used one myself though.

 

[tye_c]

Are tunze's the way to go or are there cheaper alternatives?

 

[geo]

The sieo or seio are the rio knock off of the stream pump, but I would vote tunze as being the wat to go

 

[Treg]

To me, Turnover rate and maximizing your overflow are 2 different things...

For Turnover rate, I'm with everone else, I'm a big fan of the streams. A Tunze gives you a lot of flow for very little energy consumption. A Tunze Stream 6000 would give you 1850 GPH @ 15w, a MJ 1200 is 300 GPH @ 20w. Of course the Tunze is a lot higher up front investment but they are upgradable, expandable and just plain cool.

For maximum overflow potential, assuming its a standard AGA overflow, you probably already have the right pump. You may want to take a look at your plumbing. A Mag 12 should get you in the area of 700 GPH even with 8' of head but unlikely with 3/4" plumbing or to many 90's/45's/valves. Try to lower the friction loss by Increasing the pipe dia and reducing any "extra" fittings.

The Head Loss Calculator may help or this Friction Loss Chart is pretty cool too.

Squids are suppose to be flow killers from what I have heard... No first hand experience here tho. A better option would be an OceansMotion Squirt or Super Squirt.

 

[Reefbone]

A Tunze would be 24x turnover in a 75. Isn't that overkill?

 

[Treg]

I wouldnt say it is overkill but it depends on what animals your keeping and what your goals are.
Another thing to keep in mind, atleast when were talking the controllable streams, it wouldnt be a constant 24x turnover.

I'll use mine for example, I have 2 6100's in my 90 set to pulse from 40%-100% every 6 seconds.
Adding in my overflow return the turnover rate is more like 40x for 6 seconds then 83x for 6 seconds.

 

[cfishrun]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7010477#post7010477 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Treg
To me, Turnover rate and maximizing your overflow are 2 different things...

I definitely agree! Although, sometimes it's overlooked...

IMO, tank circulation is simply increasing the current in the main display to provide more water movement and increase gas exchange. System turnover is how much water is being exchanged between your main display and the area(s) of filtration (primarily a sump with a skimmer and/or refugium). It is important to separate tank circulation from system turnover, primarily for the latter reason:

The surface of the water contains the highest concentration of protein-rich material, which gets skimmed off via the overflow. In a typical Berlin-style setup, this water flows down to a sump where it immediately hits the protein skimmer. So, you first want to make sure the tank's drain-line is located very close to the skimmer's intake; otherwise all of the tank's surface skim rises back up to the sump's surface and likely ends up getting pumped back up to the display tank. Secondly, you want to try and match the flow rate between the drain line and the skimmer's intake in order to optimize the skimmer's functionality.

Now, if you want to increase the circulation of your main display, my advice would be not to add on another return pump or buy a bigger one. Also, a standard RR AGA has a 1" bulkhead and, to my knowledge, it is not physically possible to drain more than 600 gph through it (unless you're creating a siphon). Your two best options for increasing tank circulation is building a closed-loop, or adding on PHs or stream pumps. IMO, the latter option is best b/c it allows for more indirect current, which, depending on your selections, can even be variable (e.g. TUNZEs on a multicontroller or a CL w/ an OM).

~Aaron