Alright lets have it out....fast or slow...how does your sump flow?

[ReefLogic]

Seems to always be a debate with valid points on both sides....so let's see if we can come to a conclusion here....fast or slow....how does your sump flow and why?

 

[NWDiver]

My sump flows slow, but only because I listened to the crazy people on this site
I think it matters very little...

 

[trido]

My overflows are maxed out at a big 5.7x turnover. Slow.

 

[Krish]

It's a wierd subject I never really understood. Fast flow and water passes through the sump more times and hour. Slow flow and you have less water passing through per hour, but you have more contact time with the water that does pass through. If you ask me, I'll say it is the same as either walking in the rain from point A to point B vs running from point A to point B. Who gets wetter?? I think they both work out the same way . On that same note, I guess it all depends what is in your sump. If you have a refugium that requires slow flow so as to not disturb whatever is in there, then I can see the need for slower flow. Same thing for something that requires a ton of flow. Past experiences, I had a 75 gal display with about a 30 gal sump with 700 gph passing through it. Another setup I had a 38 gal tank with about a 15 gal sump with 950 gph passing through it. To be honest, never saw a difference with either two setups and both used the same skimmer and equipment. Guess my vote is for both fast and slow as I have done both. If you want an option for both, let me know and I can add it in.

 

[thatguy559]

i voted for fast flow...it works for me i have a 120g reef ready and i have all four holes as drains

 

[DTECH07]

Fast is working for my 75gal.

 

[TJL]

Fast to Very Fast, would not even consider s l o w nearly 20 years without a hitch.

Todd

 

[Burke]

I voted for slow, its been working fine for me for years. If it aint broke dont fix it.

 

[ReefLogic]

I think Krish kinda nailed it. I mean I have used fast before, and apparently am doing so again with my new tank, but have also done slow. I didn't notice any real difference either. I mean fast does allow for a better possibility of any air bubbles passing into my display, but that is about it. I don't rely on my return for flow....learned that one the hard way. But with slow I seemed to get a tad more skimmate. My current systems is a 150 display with 30 g sump (I know....way small) with 3200gph passing through.

I am curious about this as I hear opinions back and forth on which is the "way to go".

Krish....can you add the 3rd option for me please....

 

[user 26995]

Mine are all running slow, but I'm with you Reeflogic, in thinking Krish pretty much said it all.

 

[Krish]

Krish....can you add the 3rd option for me please....

No problem!

 

[ReefLogic]

No problem!

Thanks Krish....as always you are the man.:rockon:

 

[Krish]

Thanks Krish....as always you are the man.:rockon:

That's what my wife says :rofl:

 

[mcoomer]

My return pump is a ReeFlo Barracuda feeding a 2" PVC manifold. Slow? Yeah right...I could surf in my sump.

 

[mojoreef]

I dont think its a matter of right vs wrong its more like trade offs and which side of the trade off you want to take. If you take out the external equipment (as in skimmer/uv/ozone and similar as they are controled/limited by their own pumps) it comes down to whats left in the sump and what best for it.

With fast flow the point has been made that more raw water enters the processing area, this is a valid point and should be concidered so. Algaes with out hold fasts dont mind more flow (but not crasy flow) so another point.

With the slow flow you are going to get much much more fall out of detritus and the nutrients it binds. SO if export is a main concern then it would be better to have it occur in the sump as it would make it much more available to algae and the equipment that resides in the sump, also pretty easy to suck it out. If you run any kind of sediment in the sump then you are really looking for this fallout, as it will be the life force of the bacteria that resides with in it.

So you cant really say one is better then the other, you have to look to what you are trying to accomplish, what you are using in their and what their limitations are. Because the fellow that stands up and says I make more raw water available and the next fellow stands up and says I have more fallout and therefore export more raw nutrient are not both wrong, they are actually both right!

SO anyway understand the concepts of each thing you have going on in their and then decide which ones are the nes you want to practice. And Krish the guy that runs in the rain gets wetter, :yo:

Mojo

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Run or walk in the rain? - a good poll:
Do You Get Wetter if You Run or Walk in the Rain?

 

[Skimmy]

the reasons i like slow flow in the sump over fast are;
decreased energy consumption,
increased contact time/nutrient absorbtion,
detritus settling,
no salt creep or spray in the sump area,
much quieter.

IMO, the key is to match the throughput of the water flow in the sump to the amount of water processed by filtration in the sump.

 

[Skimmy]

also, a really good question that herefishyfishy asked in another thread is:
wot iz the best flo rate for macroalgae to absorb nutrients??

I obviously ASSUME it is slower flow, but I honestly have no proof other than anecdotal, individual experience.
I do think it is a safe assumtion though, that if water is moving slower, and thus more contact with the algae,
that more nutrient will be absorbed.

 

[Scooterman]

If you ask me, I'll say it is the same as either walking in the rain from point A to point B vs running from point A to point B. Who gets wetter?? I think they both work out the same way .

The guy that runs, runs into more of the rain along the way, just overall he doesn't stay in the rain as long.

I had a 75 gal display with about a 30 gal sump with 700 gph passing through it.

Sometimes I think people mess up here because depending on if the pump is pressure rated or not and the head that is loss. This by nature has lots of Losses that take up some of that pump GPH rating. So the opinion that they have a high rate of flow could be obscured by the situation on how the system was built.

So I have to agree that under so many variables, the flow rate will not be the same from one tank to the next. When I compare a typical overflow, it has a drain pipe and that is the limiting factor of how much flow will go through that particular Open darin type system, which is most common.
Just a few points to ponder!:usa2:

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Anthony Calpho stated "tumbling" in the fuge was best, just like in the reefs. Our FASTEST flow is still nothing compared to the daily tidal surges and even the gentle wave action in nature

also, a really good question that herefishyfishy asked in another thread is:
wot iz the best flo rate for macroalgae to absorb nutrients??

I obviously ASSUME it is slower flow, but I honestly have no proof other than anecdotal, individual experience.
I do think it is a safe assumtion though, that if water is moving slower, and thus more contact with the algae,
that more nutrient will be absorbed.