Gonna need some help

[oldreefer76]

ok I picked up my skimmer from Mattyice today PM-Bullet1 with Gate valve and waste collector Sedra 9000, and as my luck has it lately it won't fit in the tidepool sump, but I can plumb the return in through the end of the sump, here is my problem I can partition off a return area 7x8x maybe 7" in water depth will this be enough lets say running a mag3 or will my overflow combined with the sedra 9000 on the skimmer push to much for the return pump????? I am a true newbie when it comes to making things like this happen and can use all the help I can get... oh and this all needs to fit under a standard 55g I got a really good deal on the set up and need to make it work

 

[Cove Beach]

Are you using the Mag 3 as the return?

 

[oldreefer76]

Not as of yet have not made a final decision

 

[Thinslis]

The pump on the skimmer makes no difference, the return pump controlls the water level. The skimmer is going to draw x gallons of water from the skimmer section and return roughly the same amount to the same section minus the skimmate. So the skimmer pump is essetially a moot point. Your return pump dictates how much water is forced into your overflows and into your sump creating your overal flow rate through your sump / fuge.

When I first tested my return plumbing with my Mag 9.5 I thought there was no way the sump could keep up with the amount of water the pump was pushing.... Literally 5 gallons in under a minute. But when the system was full of water and everything is running. All levels are equal all the time, no compartment runs faster then the next because all levels are controlled by the return pump and the presure it created in the overflows.

 

[Thinslis]

The skimmer pump would make a differance if it was drawing from the skimmer section and pumping its return water into the return section of your sump, but you don't want to do that. You want the skimmer to draw and return water from the same section in your sump, before the baffles.

 

[Cove Beach]

The overflow is only going to flow what the return gives it, I'm not sure how much flow you will get through the skimmer, if you go with the Mag 3 the skimmer may try to put more water in the compartment than the return will get rid of.

 

[Thinslis]

Cove, the skimmer is drawing and returning roughly the same amount of water from the same section of the sump, how is the skimmer pump affecting the volume of water out of that section of the sump?

 

[oldreefer76]

so lets say 300gph return will only provide 300gph to the skimmer, will this be enough to run my skimmer? and suggested flow rates thru a sump are no more than 5x tank volume so on a 55g would be around around 275 gph

 

[oldreefer76]

ok think I have it return pump goes in it's own section and return from skimmer goes into the input section and then will flow into the return?

 

[Thinslis]

I don't think it maters really how many GPH the skimmper pump is rated for and here is why: Skimmer section hold X gallons, Skimmer itself holds X gallons, water out of skimmer = water in - watter removed in skimmate cup. basicly equalizing its draw and return after a few minutes of operation.

If you run your sump with out the skimmer turned on you will see all compartments flowing normall, all levels equalizing depending on baffle height. (if your skimmer is in the sump you'll need to hold it down becuase the air inside it will want to make it flowt"

Now turn on the pump to the skimmer. You will see the water in the return section start to lower, water level in the skimmer section will remain constent. If you have an auto top off unit it will begin to kick in and raise the level in the return section. Once the skimmer is full and operating at normal flow and the auto top off has return the water level to preskimmer levels all compartments will be as if the skimmer was not running.

Take a look at my build thread and my sump and how it looked before during the leak test and then once the system was running, you'll see what i'm talking about.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1178054

 

[oldreefer76]

Thanks for the replies I have it all figured out now, just need to get that return pump and a little plumbing done and will be up and running