<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12873755#post12873755 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jriechel
I've seen this design several times, and it always perplexes me. Sending raw overflow water into a fuge will cause detritus buildup that can clog up the algae and provides no benefit. Sending overflow water to the skimmer first will maximize its efficiency as that will cause the highest concentration of proteinaceous material for removal.
These two subsystems have different purposes. The skimmer removes, primarily, the pre-nitrate material while the chaeto in a fuge removes, primarily, nitrates and phosphates. It seems to me that all overflow water should pass through the skimmer section first, to maximize its efficiency, then divert some of the return water to the fuge for nitrate/phosphate removal.
If there is a different purpose for a chaeto containing fuge that will maximize its functionality by supplying it with overflow water, then that may be a valid choice. Otherwise, sending skimmed water should be a better design.
Jeff