Sump?

[BrianOKC]

I'm fixing to add a sump to my 100 gal. What does everyone suggest for a overflow box i see some rated at 500-1200 GPH and what size of sump do u think would work best?

 

[pwhitby]

i would go with a 55g and a lifereef overflow.

Any overflow with a 1 inch pipe will have a max flow rate of 700gph. You would not really want to try and achieve the maximum, ....unless you want wet floors.

I would suggest running around 500gph through the overflow. Separate the sump into three compartments, one for water entering the sump (I keep a lot of liverock there to stop bubbles). the middle chamber is where I sit the return pump. The other chamber is the refugium....here I have 5-8 inch sand and chaetomorpha. The refugium is fed by a "T" off of the return pump so I can control the flow.

P.

 

[papagimp]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8857368#post8857368 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pwhitby
The refugium is fed by a "T" off of the return pump so I can control the flow.
P.

What a simple yet brilliant idea, wish I wold have thought of that sooner, my silicone is probably all dry as we speak, lol.

 

[captbunzo]

Why is it necessary to control the flow? Shouldn't the flow going through the overflow be just fine to pass through the refugium?

 

[pwhitby]

not always. especially if the refugium is small, or if you want to change anything (like sand) without turning the system off (which results in the sump filling....which is the opposite of what you want).

personally, I like slow flow through the refugium area.

P.