ManotheSea
New member
BTW - Mac Inger and Flyyyguy - You both have great home pages. Flyyyguys SPS look super sweet. Mac Inger's site is spectacular, although its not reef related it is really something to see. How about some tank shots Mac Inger?
Please help w/ sump turnover, once & for all
- Thread starter beanoil
- Start date
Mac Inger
Member
Im really not proud of these pics (point and shoot at hand right now only) but here it goes. Thanks for the compliments on the site
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1307473&perpage=&pagenumber=2
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1307473&perpage=&pagenumber=2
Years ago when I started this hobby, the prevalent idea was high flow through the sump. I did this as well. I read a thread that introduced the idea of slower flow through the sump. The idea was brilliant...the more concentrated the organics, the easier it is to remove them. I tried it and my skim production was dramatically improved.
Think of it this way. We know organics rise to the top and the surface water of the display is more concentrated than the middle section of water. The more concentrated the water our skimmer sees, the easier it is to remove. By slowing down the flow, we are allowing the more concentrated water more time to be skimmed. As far as macro algae is concerned, it grows better in more fertile water...the same nutrient load is present in the tank...but we want to concentrate it for export. High flow mixes it back in faster than it can be skimmed or used by chaeto and low flow keeps it in the sump longer to be skimmed or used.
Try this simple experiment to grasp the concept, though it is in reverse. Take a glass of ice, add a coke to it and let it sit until the ice has melted. You have the same amount of coke and water but the coke is concentrated at the bottom of the glass and the excess water is at the top. You want to drink the coke so you use a straw to suck it from the bottom of the glass. You could drink the same volume of coke by simply drinking the whole glass or stirring it up with a 1200 gph pump...but the idea is to drink just the coke. In our tanks, we can skim the same volume of water with high flow, but we want the concentrated stuff to be skimmed. High flow mixes those organics back into the display before they can be processed by the skimmer. Call it organic blow by.
The original thread was started by a fine American, and maybe you will figure out who it is by the end of the thread. At any rate it will give you something to think about.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=550482
I miss Herbert T. Kornfeld.
Think of it this way. We know organics rise to the top and the surface water of the display is more concentrated than the middle section of water. The more concentrated the water our skimmer sees, the easier it is to remove. By slowing down the flow, we are allowing the more concentrated water more time to be skimmed. As far as macro algae is concerned, it grows better in more fertile water...the same nutrient load is present in the tank...but we want to concentrate it for export. High flow mixes it back in faster than it can be skimmed or used by chaeto and low flow keeps it in the sump longer to be skimmed or used.
Try this simple experiment to grasp the concept, though it is in reverse. Take a glass of ice, add a coke to it and let it sit until the ice has melted. You have the same amount of coke and water but the coke is concentrated at the bottom of the glass and the excess water is at the top. You want to drink the coke so you use a straw to suck it from the bottom of the glass. You could drink the same volume of coke by simply drinking the whole glass or stirring it up with a 1200 gph pump...but the idea is to drink just the coke. In our tanks, we can skim the same volume of water with high flow, but we want the concentrated stuff to be skimmed. High flow mixes those organics back into the display before they can be processed by the skimmer. Call it organic blow by.
The original thread was started by a fine American, and maybe you will figure out who it is by the end of the thread. At any rate it will give you something to think about.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=550482
I miss Herbert T. Kornfeld.
just dave
11th in '11
A few things to remember. People have being doing both ways for some time now with stellar results ,with horrible results ,and everything in-between. So the flow rate through your sump ( within reasonable boundaries) is not going to doom you to failure or make you an instant Tank Of The Month candidate. I assume we all have tanks with enjoyment being the primary reason for ownership. With that in mind , micro bubbles and horrible drain noises would definitely detract from that experience. So IMO the maximum flow rate through the sump should be determined by the sumps size and design and the drains capabilities. It has been stated that the problem with forums like RC is that there is too much anecdotal evidence and not enough proof and or science. I think if we removed all the anecdotal evidence / experience there would be like three posts a day on this board. I don't think the hobby would nearly be at the level it is today without all the unproven and unscientific stumbling and plodding that happens within it on a daily basis. It would possibly be cheaper ( less dead ends) and most certainly easier ( less confusing especially to a novice.) Would it be better? That's an argument for another day. Something that would make the hobby better with regards to the exchange of information, IMO, would be a more universal acceptance of the cat skinning and the agree-to-disagree philosophies and the absence of personal attacks.
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