To have a closed loop or not

[Krish]

Just posted something similar to this on a poll a few mins ago, but my opinion on slow flow through a sump versus fast flow is I think for me personally they work about the same. I've had a 75gal with about a 30 gal sump with 700 gph of flow passing through the sump and a 38 gal with about a 15 gal sump with 950 gph running through the sump. Both tanks I was able to keep un-detectable nitrates which I think had a lot to do with my diligent tank maintenance habits. I never missed a beat and stayed on top of things which I think is what helps. Where something may have fallen short, I was there to pick up the slack. I can see both sides of the coin which is being argued here though...Fast flow and your sump see's more water passing through it per hour giving things like your skimmer more chances at catching what's passing through as water makes more rounds within that hour. Then you have slow flow, which less flow passes through the sump each hour, but your skimmer is given a longer period (ie more contact time) to process water. The analogy I just made a few mins ago is I look at sump flow the same way I look at a person walking from point A to point B in the rain versus the same person running from point A to point B. Which one gets wet more?? I think it all works out about the same, but that is just my personal opinion because I never had either one (slow or fast flow through my sump) fail me. Now if I didn't maintain my tank as thoroughly as I did, then I think it is quite possible I may have seen a difference between the two. So far in my personal experience though, slow or fast worked just as well as the other, but don't take my word for it. Might have just gotten lucky and of course so many things to factor in.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

I look at a person walking from point A to point B in the rain versus the same person running from point A to point B. Which one gets wet more?? .

Truly brilliant analogy! Yep, think most of us are on same page. Get enough flow to feed the system, more is just a waste of electrons.
Problem with saying this is I have seen too many systems with the sump return pump trottled back to where there wasn't nearly enough flow to even utilize a great skimmer they had paid dearly for...

 

[TJL]

Well... just read this entire thread and strongly agree with the point that it matters not how much flow through sump as far as skimmers and reactors go. BUT IMHO also strongly believe that a high flow sump/fuge is only beneficial and why waste money on a pump that does not add significantly to your water flow in your DT. I have successfully ran high-flow and extra-high-flow fuges for nearly 20 years and would not even consider to have a system puimp that only had a 5-7x turnover rate. Curently my sump/fuge has a 27-28x turnover rate and even with only one black toothed divider to shield cryptic end the macro remove most all micro-bubbles and the return is a valuable part of my Displays water movement.
Macro algaes absorb nutrients they do not capture it like prey, if you look at nature (even locally) say Deception Pass, Agate Pass and Tacoma Narrows and most rocky points all have tremendous Algae and Kelp Forests and all have one more thing in common HIGH FLOW WATER MOVEMENT and above average fish and invert populations. My long winded point is why would you not have the whole system as high-flow and as Mark brought up that keeping all detritus in suspension it will eventually be filtered out naturally by corals and other filter feeding life in your system.

Gotta stop now my (2) typing fingers are sore, Todd

 

[MrGone]

I have a 2600gph pump on the 255g tank at my dads work, total system volume is probably around 320 gallons, I'd need to do the math to be certain. The sump setup goes filter socks, refugium, skimmer/other filtration compartment, return compartment. Having the high flow is nice because it enables the chaeto ball to spin around and it grows very evenly (and very very quickly!). I have a SRO XP5000 internal cone protein skimmer and it has no problem keeping up.

At home I have two of those 2600gph pumps, one powers two 125g tanks and the other feeds a 210g and a 75g. The sump is an L shape with each of the two tanks overflow piping entering at the ends and working towards the corner/center of the L. The 210g/75g line feeds directly into the refugium and the two 125g's run through a filter tray, then through two more 40g breeders with my filtration and protein skimmer (Vertex Alpha 300 cone) before heading back to the return pump tank.

I tend to shoot for the 10x turnover rate for the sumps. I've run way faster, I've run a bit slower. Honestly I think its more a preference. I would consider the fuge at my Dad's office extremely high flow (for the size of the compartment vs the flow) and I've never had chaeto grow so quickly, but then I can only really use chaeto in there and can't make a cool little fuge garden thing like I could if I wanted to at home.

The 255g tank is a reef tank, it has two Vortech MP60w's running full blast in addition to four outlets from the 2600gph pump. My two 125g reef tanks have one MP60w and one Koralia Evo 1400 each, then off the shared 2600gph pump each tank has one 3/4" loc-line outlet and one 1" sea-swirl with two 3/4" loc-line outlets. I'd say if the opportunity presents itself to install a closed loop do it. You can always valve it off and not use it, but I think everyone here with corals has experienced that point where you want/need more flow so having that option is always nice (especially when you can plumb it to shoot from above the front glass towards the corals).

 

[dragoneggs]

I am kinda siding with Scooter and Skimmy... But great points all around. My latest sump with very low flow is collecting quite a bit of sediment and my skimmer seems to be pulling a whole lotta crap out. I believe though there is an optimum flow to maximize skimmer and allow settling vs. Just pumping back to the DT.

 

[bigblue141]

Dude,

I would just stick 4-6 K4's in there and call it a day.

Stick a 1000-2000 GPH pump mount a spray bar on it spraying up and forward from the back of your tank.

That's JMO.