Flow Changes

[tazzmanian123]

My 46g bow currently is setup like this:

cpr cs/50 overflow which has 3/4" outlet-pipe heading to fuge.
Mag 7 with 1/2" return plumbed through chiller back into tank through 1/2" pvc spraybar.

From tank to fuge is approx. 4' of pipe. From fuge to tank is approx. 7' of pipe/tubing, not including spraybar.

I have 2 koralia 2's, & 2 micro powerheads in tank.

The tubulence in tank is pretty good from stuff being suspended in water. But suspended being the key word. I believe I do not have enough flow from tank through fuge, & then back to tank.

Also the cpr overflow has me scared of a flood in my livingroom caused by the hair algae problem i'm currently battling.

Solution:

Should receive my Lifereef overflow with 1" downpipe to sump in a couple days.
Replacing Mag 7 with Quiet One 4000 pump for return.

If I reduce the output of the Quiet One 4000 from 1" to 1/2" flow through the 7'+ of plumbing returning to tank.

Its got to push water from fuge through chiller up to tank, then through spraybar back into tank.

Will that be enough flow? or to much?

 

[tazzmanian123]

bump

 

[murfman]

Why not run a closed loop and then have 1 return pump from your fuge to the tank? The CLM will give you the circulation and flow and the fuge pump will allow for maximum contact time with your Macro algea.

 

[tazzmanian123]

Thought it was closed loop. QO 4000 does everything. Pumps water from overflow through sump/fuge, back through chiller to tank.

Powerheads in tank are for more circulation. Only other pump, is the one attached to Octopus nw110 skimmer.

Did I miss something, or do it wrong?

 

[murfman]

Closed loop will have pipes drain directly from the tank to the pump and return from the pump to the tank. There is no filtration in a CL system.

 

[tazzmanian123]

Hmmm,

Kindof see your point on flow with a closed loop. But if im understanding correctly, I would have to add another pump to system.

My attempt at the problem was 2 things. 1st to get more gph out of tank from overflow, by replacing faulty designed 300gph cpr OF, w/ Lifereef 700gph OF.

CPR OF has 3/4" pipe going into sump/fuge, & is being returned through a chiller to tank via a Mag 7 pump w/ 1/2" piping.

The Mag7 is rated at 700gph at 0'. The return section of this system w/ chiller involved is approx. + or - 7'. Which I believe is a significant head loss, even with only a 300pgh overflow.

So I thought, with a better OF. of 700gph w/ 1" pipe going to sump/fuge, & being returned by a bigger pump via Quiet One 4000 w/ 1017gph at 0', which has to go through 7' of headloss to get back to tank.

My thinking was to force the QO pump to return water through 7' of headloss via a 1/2" piping by reducing output from 1" to 1/2", in effect increasing speed of flow, which would give me a gph of hopefully somewhere between 400 to 600gph.

I can't see a closed loop on this small system, with more piping & another pump, of which I have nowhere to place it.

Appreciate the feedback though.