Keep Sump & Reduce Return Flow
Keep Sump & Reduce Return Flow
My recommendation is to keep your sump and lower the flow rate of your return pump to lessen the noise and to improve skimmer performance. You can make up for the reduced return flow with additional flow devices (Vortech propellers, etc.) in your main tank.
Here is an except from Anthony Calfo’s post on why you need a sump and why you need less turbulence in your sump:
“So... why donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t you get such daily skimmate? There are many common reasons for this.
The number one reason is the quality of water delivered to the skimmer.
Anything less than raw water overflowed straight into the skimmer is a compromise.
Hence the popularity and track record of Tunze rail- and top mount skimmers (they sit at the surface of the water).
I understand that this is not always practical. Top mount skimmers are unsightly, and not everyone can or wants to plumb their overflow directly into the skimmer instead.
So whatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s the next best thing? Well... overflowing raw water into a narrow and concentrated skimmer vessel (just slightly larger than the footprint of your sump model skimmer... or really... just the pump that feeds the skimmer). The easiest way to accomplish this is to seal a partition in the sump if the sump is large enough. Else, just get a small plastic or glass vessel (again... just large enough to squeak the skimmer into) and drill it to overflow into the sump. It will, of course, be kept next to and slightly higher than the sump for this strategic position between the overflow and the sump proper.
If instead you simply sit your skimmer in an open sump... you may just want to unplug it and save the electricity. I'm guessing you get a full cup of skimmate out of that skimmer once weekly or less. Itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s no great surprise. Some skimmers can perform well this way... but most do not. And itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s as much to do with size (small) and flow (high) of the sump that makes skimmers in open sumps work at all.
The problem with the majority of skimmers installed (and working poorly) in open sumps is that the fluctuation in water level (turbulence and/or evaporation) slightly affects the head (pressure) on the pump and in turn the amount of water forced into the skimmer. The open sump with slower flow also wreaks havoc on the collection/concentration of proteins (they can migrate back to the surface of the water as they do in the main tank) above the level of the skimmer pump in this case.
That reminds me of the problem with HOB skimmers... their feed pump is drawing water from several inches below the surface of the tank. Wanna improve HOB skimmer performace? Raise the powerhead as close to the surface as you can. Its not as good as getting overflow water (better concentration of surface protein overflow water)... but it is a huge help.â€Â
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=554786&perpage=25&pagenumber=1
