I am setting up a 210 mixed reef. I plan on keeping quite a bit of sps though. What would you guys recommend for a return pump gph? I have always heard 10x plus. But then I have recently heard don't do more then your skimmer can process. The tank will also have 2 EcoTech MP 40's for flow.
Tank turnover (flow rate)?
- Thread starter tcfab
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Plan>B
New member
Re: Tank turnover (flow rate)?
Good question, but I heard about 3-5 times on turnover rate and over 10 for circ. Now here is another one.... is the turnover rate DT or system?
Reason I ask is what if you have a (big) DT and (small) DT with a couple growout tanks connected to the same sump.
Good question, but I heard about 3-5 times on turnover rate and over 10 for circ. Now here is another one.... is the turnover rate DT or system?
Reason I ask is what if you have a (big) DT and (small) DT with a couple growout tanks connected to the same sump.
troylee
In Memoriam
well there is some variables that come into play one is how much can your skimmer take in??? alot of people base there return off of this so it doesnt take 3 passes ect. for the skimmer to process the tank water....others like myself like alot of flow the more you get down there the better the chance the skimmer has to process even if it is 3 passes it's really prefernce...the atb flowstar after head loss figure 1100 gph or so....actually decent for a sump flow but it's really based more on prefernce than anything.....the display is another deal but vortechs will handle that....good choice!!!
So when you base the flow through the sump on skimmer processing capacity, how do you guarantee that the water all goes through the skimmer before it continues on through back to the tank? Answer is you can't. Some of the water will flow right past the skimmer. That is why I have always thought that basing flow on the skimmer is pointless. I use a micron bag on my system, so more flow through the sump equals more water through the micron bag. I think it all depends on your particular setup.
augustasalty
New member
some of the water will bypass the skimmer no matter how you do it. if you run it by all water going through the skimmer before it goes back into the tank, you'll slow it down way too much.
200mfromocean
New member
I the flow rate just needs to match your skimmer so woith 3-5 times you should be fine. Also powerheads much more effiecient way to circulate water in the tank on a gallon per watt basis versus sticking on a monster pump. A larger pump also calls for beigger overflow and additional return lines. I think you will be fine with a 1800 GPH pump or higher. After head loss you may be looking at 1200 GPH, 1.5X skimmer, 6X display. I have also seen people do two smaller return pumps.
So what happens on a system like mine where my returns deliver approx. 1900gph into my display, but my MRC2R skimmer only uses a 600gph feed pump? I have never believed that these ratios much matter. Since I use a micron bag, I want the flow through my sump as high as I can get it.
pmrossetti
Active member
3-5 times your tank volume is fine. Use your Vortechs for flow.
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