Pump sump and powerhead question.

[boosted chemist]

I just finished my 15g sump on my 20l, and with my mag5, it has PLENTY of flow. I currently have a K2 powerhead, and i was wondering if i could remove it and run an additional outlet from my pump and would this be enough flow?

The glass hole box is in the middle of tank and the current return is on the LHS, i would like to install an additional one on the RHS.

 

[magdelan]

Is this an open system or closed system? Stand pipe or syphon? Maybe my calculations are incorrect, but a closed system should be turned over aprox 5 times per hour. An open system only 3. With 35 total gallons of water and a Mag5 pump [500 gph minus 5ft head preasure (assuming that your return outlet is 5ft from the sump) equals 425 gph], you are turning your water over 12 times per hour. That seems sufficient. Splitting your return should be fine.

Edit: You GPH may be less. Another website says that the mag5 puts out 310 gpg at 3ft of head.

 

[boosted chemist]

sorry for the noob q, but whats an open or closed? its a gl*******s overflow if that helps?

 

[magdelan]

Just to answer another question for you... the name of your overflow was ***'d out because RC does not sponcer them

A closed loop system is a system where there is no air in the plumbing. It is all underwater. A syphon is a good example of this. The mouth of the syphon is usually over the back of the tank and pulls the water out via a syphon. The water then enters a canister filter or maybe just a pump under the tank. The water is then pushed back up to the tank and is distributed by bulkheads installed either on the floor of the tank or in the walls of the tank.

An open system usually uses standpipes but can also use a syphon. The difference is that when the water is pulled or gravity drained from the tank, it usually comes out of a pipe or tubing above the water and falls into a sump (a smaller tank under your display tank). An underwater pump or external pump will now shoot the water from the sump back up to your display tank (DT). Due to the water being exposed to air, it is deemed an open system.

Follow?

PS- Sounds like you have a syphon.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Just to answer another question for you... the name of your overflow was ***'d out because RC does not sponcer them

To be technically correct, the asterisks are due to the profanity filter, since the letters in the middle of the site's name spell "donkey hole" if you know what I mean. FWIW the real address of the site is not blocked:

http://glass-holes.com/

The flow through the sump will be limited by the standpipe's capacity. Can you tell us the diameter of the standpipe? The flow ratings on their website should be a good rough guide. As long as the mag 5 doesn't overpower the overflow box, you can certainly run it wide open, though depending on your livestock choices, liverock placement, etc. it may or may not be "enough" flow.

 

[boosted chemist]

I have mostly lps, kinda thinking of going into sps next. I have the 300gph box, wiht 1" pipe (i believe its an open system) The pump is at 3/4 throttle, 1/2 pvc flex tube and its blasting the tank.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Any overflow/sump/return system is absolutely an open system.

You can easily experiment to determine if that pump will overwhelm the overflow - just slowly turn it up, and see if there is a point (before you reach full open) at which the overflow can't keep up, i.e. the display tank overflows onto the floor. If there is such a point, then just don't run the pump above that. If that never happens, then go ahead and run the pump full blast.

I'd consider any rearrangement of the plumbing to be a separate issue from determining the max flow you can get through the current overflow/return system, so go ahead and reconfigure if you want to.

 

[boosted chemist]

At full bore it doenst max out the over flow, it just BLAST the water and has almost too much flow, by splitting it i should lose a little of the volume (more head) but have decent flow is my philosophy, and not to mention my 20l would look 10X with out an ugly power head.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Go for it then!

 

[jacksonpt]

Sounds like your thinking is pretty sound, so go for it. If you've already got the stuff and just need $10 in plumbing to split the return, then definitely try it out. It's easy to go back if it doesn't work or you don't like it.

 

[boosted chemist]

Cool i just need to get another return and some tubing. I will report back.