<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15697728#post15697728 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefscape15
Well, sounds like I may want to avoid this item. I want some nice flow in the tank with the least amount of cords as possible, and the less noise, the better. Tank is in the bedroom, and if there was a "click" that my wife and I had to hear every 10sec or so, it could get a little irritating. Well, if I take the SCWD out of the equation and just split the return into 2 eductors, what does everyone think of that plumbing plan?
Jesse - is the swine flu back, or do you just have a cold?
I cannot speak directly to the SCWD, as I've never had one or seen one first hand... splitting the return is a great idea for sure... but that also scares me...
Why?
Cause the return is simply to get clean water back to your Display. Nothing more. ( I know you know that, but I'm just speaking out loud here..
)
Splitting it, indicates your looking to create circulation and flow patterns with it. Not a bad thing, so long as you are simply augmenting the good flow & circulation you already have...
Additionally, through my additional research I've come to believe that the flow thru the sump should be around 250 - 350gph... Not based upon your tank size, but simpy based upon the size of the skimmer.
Your skimmer? yeah, your Skimmer... But what? Your crazy you damn silly canadian, must be the maple suryp and rye...
maybe so, hickup, but think about this... Skimmers have a rating on them. They are rated for a target volume system size.
The question to ask is, "how did those companies get those ratings?". What are they based on.
When talking to compaines like Bubble King, MRC, Deltec, etc, the ones with actual engineers, not chinese knockoffs, they have test-spec's that they use to publish those numbers, and they all have a sump-turn-over rate of aroundd 300gph. (this is second hand info to me from someone who claims to have done the phoen-calling, whom I believe).
This allows the skimmer to skim out the organics at peak efficency before returning the water to the DT.
If we run 2000gph thru the sump, for a skimmer rated at 400gallons system size, and that same skimmer expects 300gph, how effective will that skimmer be? Likely not as effective...
What does it all mean to me? (the question reefscape is bound to be asking by this point)
As for your design of splitting the return, if your only splitting 300gph, will it even make a difference at 150gph per outlet in your system, and therefore do you want to go thru the work?
Fine, so you got some theory there boy from the frozen north... so what does that have to do with me...
well, nothing actually... its just info...
the more you have the better armed you are... take it for what its worth, or more accurately what it cost you to gather...
However, my system has been reduced to ~300gph turnover, i've also stoped surface agitation from the circ pumps, and created a flow pattern that directs the general flow from the bottom of the tank, up and around (the front of the glass) to push the "oil slick" to the surface skimming overflow...
Cheers....
PS: If you were building a closed loop system for flow using this design, and somehow I've re-interpreted what you wrote to mean the return from your sump... then you have been hit by a wall of text that is almost meaningless for your scenario... it still crits you for 10,000,000...
