tank turnover??

[cmejaf30]

Ok what is a good number that a tank should turn over? I have a 55 with a 20tall sump underneath (total volume of about 65 gallons). I know there is a difference between circulation in the display (by using powerheads) and the total volume that should pass through the sump. Any clarification greatly appreciated.

[cmejaf30]

any input would be great...

[95accord]

i have a 55gal aswell and ive been told that id want a flow rate of at least 1200gph or so...which translates to roughly 20x turnover.

[jubjub]

i just got my pump the other day which is a mag 9.5 pump....which 950gph which is 17.27turn over....i guess kinda gotta factor in sump size and distance to tank also....i heard somewhere 10x turnover was good....but i figure its easier to get it to flow less vs getting it to flow more

[cmejaf30]

See that's wat i'm using...the mag 9.5 (or i want to). The thing is, it almost pumps too much. It's pumping more up back to the tank compared with what can flow in. It's overpouring out of my biohome (i drilled the tank and have a pipe feeding the fuge rather than overflow boxes). There seems to bee too much getting pumped out. Any suggestions? How are you going to have your Mag 9.5 hooked up? SHould i build a bigger biohome? I'm using 3/4" PVC for the return on the pump and 1.5" PVC for the drainage pipe from display to the refugium. I'll try and post a pic when i get home tonight.

[Chibils]

It mostly depends on what kinds of corals you plan to keep. A lot of softies won't open at 25-30x turnover, but a lot of sps require that much.

[MalHavoc]

you generally want lowish flow through a sump. Maybe 4-6x turnover. It's totally dependant on what your overflows can handle anyway, because the water can only drain into your sump as fast as the overflows can get it down there. If you try to run a pump that's too big, you'll drain your sump faster than the overflows can handle and your tank will overflow.

You make up the difference with powerheads in the tank. It's hard to recommend a number, because it's dependant on your rock structure, and what corals you want to keep. A tight, packed rock structure will block water flow.

I have over 60x turnover in my little 29 gallon AquaPod, and I think I want even more.

[BrentN]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11008440#post11008440 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cmejaf30
See that's wat i'm using...the mag 9.5 (or i want to). The thing is, it almost pumps too much. It's pumping more up back to the tank compared with what can flow in. It's overpouring out of my biohome (i drilled the tank and have a pipe feeding the fuge rather than overflow boxes). There seems to bee too much getting pumped out. Any suggestions? How are you going to have your Mag 9.5 hooked up? SHould i build a bigger biohome? I'm using 3/4" PVC for the return on the pump and 1.5" PVC for the drainage pipe from display to the refugium. I'll try and post a pic when i get home tonight.
How about a "T" in the return line, with a valve that can dump the excess flow back into your fuge? Not energy efficient (like driving with your foot on the brake) but should work.

[cmejaf30]

I thought about putting a valve on the 3/4" return line...is that going to be really hard on the pump?? Or should I just downgrade the pump? I already have a T on the return lines into the display...they branch off at the top and it works really good to distribute flow in the display. I think I might just have too much flow through the sump and too small of a biohome.

[MalHavoc]

If you're at the point where you're turning down your pump, get a smaller pump. You're wasting electricity.

[rustybucket145]

wasting electricity, yes, not much. It will not damage the pump to valve the line in-between the tank and the pump. DO NOT valve the intake of the pump. This will cause damage. I'd imagine that the slight waste of electricity wouldn't come close to the cost of a replacement pump.

[jubjub]

i was planning to have a 1.5" drain and a .75" return i was planning to have a T that dumped into my refugium to get lower return if needed... realistically prob just end up leaving that valve shut permanently...for the extra flow

[dickhordishay]

Hey BrentN - you skydive? Fly, Baby, Fly!!!!

[Tpareefer]

I have a 55 gal, I use a Mag 7 for return, works great. No need to turn down and doesnt empty my sump.

[reefergeorge]

T it off and have it run to something else like a uv or fuge. As for turnover I like 25x in most tanks but their are a lot of variables. You also have to take into consideration head loss when calculating your return flow.

[amike5]

Depends on what type of coral if any you want to keep. In general, 6 - 10x flow through your sump is all you want. In the tank, for fish only about 15 - 20x, for softies 20-30x, for sps 30-60x. Every tank is different though and how you set up the flow makes a difference, nothing can replace your intuition on the matter.