a few general questions.

[g_dobbs]

I have a few questions, about things that could potentially be problems for me. for reference, I have a 20 gallon tank, with 10 gallons sump.
1. I have a mag 9.5 for a return from the sump (I know its a bit overkill) but as it stands that works out (at 800gph with the head) to a 40x turnover! Whats the max turnover rate I would want in a reef tank, and are there any ways I can position things to make a higher flow possible?
2. I know that a ball valve will help hold back a pump (see #1), but how much can I safely hold it back, and will that effect the life of my pump at all?
3. Will the 10 gallon sump (with baffles) be able to handle that kind of flow?
4. What kind of noise can I expect to hear from this whole setup? (skimmer, pumps, overflow, etc.)
Thanks!

 

[trigger11]

Originally Posted by G_Dobbs
I have a few questions, about things that could potentially be problems for me. for reference, I have a 20 gallon tank, with 10 gallons sump.
1. I have a mag 9.5 for a return from the sump (I know its a bit overkill) but as it stands that works out (at 800gph with the head) to a 40x turnover! Whats the max turnover rate I would want in a reef tank, and are there any ways I can position things to make a higher flow possible?
2. I know that a ball valve will help hold back a pump (see #1), but how much can I safely hold it back, and will that effect the life of my pump at all?
3. Will the 10 gallon sump (with baffles) be able to handle that kind of flow?
4. What kind of noise can I expect to hear from this whole setup? (skimmer, pumps, overflow, etc.)
Thanks!
I am assuming you have not set up the system yet? For a 20G tank yes I would say you are at the overkill stage. I do have a question about the size of the overflow piping you are planning on using. If it is a 1" overflow that will allow 600GPH to go through it. You would have to throttle your pump back quite a bit. So you would need to have a 1 and 1/2 inch piping. it would just be my oppinion but it seems to me you are going to want a smaller pump.
As far as hearing noises from the tank goes you can expect to hear some noise. There will be definitely be a sound like running water which will come from the overflow. Depending on how that gets set up you might also hear a gurgling noise. Shouldnt really hear too much noise from the pump. Unless it gets moved to a weird spot and then vibrates causing a rattle sound.
~Trigger

 

[g_dobbs]

Thank you. I guess I will throttle the pump back a bit, and try to place rocks and such, so I don't even up with a tsunami. I'll space my baffle out alot in my sump to allow max flow to go through it. Since I dont want to have to throttle the pump back tooooo much, I guess I will go with the 1.5" bulkhead, does anybody make a 1.25" bulkhead? as that would seem like the best size for me. Also, I havent drilled the tank yet, and am wondering how far from the edges I should place the hole? (would have to be a 2.5" hole) Thanks!

 

[vicegrip]

imo you will either burn up your pump or your 10 gal sump will not keep up. good luck.

 

[trigger11]

Originally Posted by G_Dobbs
Thank you. I guess I will throttle the pump back a bit, and try to place rocks and such, so I don't even up with a tsunami. I'll space my baffle out alot in my sump to allow max flow to go through it. Since I dont want to have to throttle the pump back tooooo much, I guess I will go with the 1.5" bulkhead, does anybody make a 1.25" bulkhead? as that would seem like the best size for me. Also, I havent drilled the tank yet, and am wondering how far from the edges I should place the hole? (would have to be a 2.5" hole) Thanks!
I really would just go with the standard 1" bulkhead and buy the appropriate pump. From there you would only need like one Maxijet powerhead in the tank and you would have a good amount of flow. Depending on what hang on the back items you are looking at putting on the system you might check into getting a CPR style HOB overflow box. Very easy to set up without the hassle of trying to drill the tank.
~Trigger

 

[bs21]

just have a comment on the flow. in my nano i have ~30x turnover w/ soft corals and lps. It depends on what type of reef you want to have eventually. if you are planning on doing hard sps corals then your flow rate is sufficient. A way to keep your 10g sump would be get a return pump with less flow and use a powerhead in tank (if you want to keep your turnover rate that high) or you can make a closed loop that is seperate from the sump if you don't want to see powerheads in the tank.
p.s. i just read that you haven't drilled the tank yet so a closed loop would still be easy to do just need some more planning.