Sump flow rate opinions?

[acroholic]

I have slowed my flow rate through the sump on my 465 gallon tank. I am not concerned about water circulation in the tank with 4x MP60s and 2x MP40s, but my tank is so much quieter with a slow flow, maybe 2x tank volume in an hour (guess). What are your opinions regarding slow flow through the sump vs high flow through the sump. Do you think skimmers work better or worse with a slow or med/high flow, or is the effect negligible?

 

[cedzaquaddiction]

What's up Dave?

My vote is for a slightly slower flow through the sump. Gives the skimmer more time to process the water... As you mentioned, good turnover in the DT with multiple good powerheads will keep all of the nasties in the water column a chance to reach the overflow to be processed by the skimmer.

Slow, but not too slow. Don't want the skimmer to overskim what is supplied to it, and be starved for nutrients... (Heard that one from an experienced reefer. :yes

Just kind of seems that if the flow is too fast through the sump, the skimmer may not have a chance to process the water (unless it is an external skimmer that water is provided exclusively to it.)...

 

[ichthyoid]

Assuming you are at ~2x tank volume flow through your sump per hour.

You are still turning the tank volume over ~48x/day!

FWIW-
Skimmer's work best when the calcium level (yep, that's what I said) in the water is consistently high with sufficient magnesium, and I know yours is.

I think that you should be fine.

My $0.02

 

[grouper therapy]

Makes no difference in the skimmer's performance. The skimmer will only process the amount of water that is being pumped into it regardless of how fast the water goes by it. The only time that it is even remotely conceivable that the skimmer performance would be affected by sump flow is if the flow was so low that the skimmer was starved of "dirty" water. If anything higher flow increases the odds of the skimmer being supplied a constant dirty water.

 

[dylpik27]

grouper therapy;871168 wrote: Makes no difference in the skimmer's performance. The skimmer will only process the amount of water that is being pumped into it regardless of how fast the water goes by it. The only time that it is even remotely conceivable that the skimmer performance would be affected by sump flow is if the flow was so low that the skimmer was starved of "dirty" water. If anything higher flow increases the odds of the skimmer being supplied a constant dirty water.

Couldn't agree more. I think the most important factor is that your vortechs keep your DT churning and keep waste from settling. That enables your filter feeders and filtration (no matter how slow the water goes through it) to work efficiently. I wouldn't sweat it, but that's just my .02 and that's only b/c you have so much flow in your DT

 

[cedzaquaddiction]

CedzAquAddiction;870983 wrote: What's up Dave?

My vote is for a slightly slower flow through the sump. Gives the skimmer more time to process the water... As you mentioned, good turnover in the DT with multiple good powerheads will keep all of the nasties in the water column a chance to reach the overflow to be processed by the skimmer.

Slow, but not too slow. Don't want the skimmer to overskim what is supplied to it, and be starved for nutrients... (Heard that one from an experienced reefer. :yes

Just kind of seems that if the flow is too fast through the sump, the skimmer may not have a chance to process the water (unless it is an external skimmer that water is provided exclusively to it.)...

grouper therapy;871168 wrote: Makes no difference in the skimmer's performance. The skimmer will only process the amount of water that is being pumped into it regardless of how fast the water goes by it. The only time that it is even remotely conceivable that the skimmer performance would be affected by sump flow is if the flow was so low that the skimmer was starved of "dirty" water. If anything higher flow increases the odds of the skimmer being supplied a constant dirty water.

Deja vu? LOL...