Greg,
I just reviewed your three part article on sumps in Reefkeeping and I thank you for sharing your knowledge. I have a few questions if I may.
I have a 175 bow front oceanic tank. It has two overflow boxes each with a one inch drain and a 3/4 inch return. I am planning the sump which will go underneath the tank in the cabinet. I can fit a 50 gallon sump (~36 X 18 x 18). There will space in the cabinet (in addition to the sump) for external return pumps if need be. I estimate I will have 7 feet of head (5 vertical feet and 2 feet estimate of pipe bends and drag)
1) I estimate that each drain should drain from the tank about 600 gph. Do you think this is reasonable? I have heard estimates that range from 300 - 1000 gph for each 1 inch drain.
2) I am planning on two return pumps, one to each return in the overflow. Is this reasonable or is it better to have one larger pump and split the return to the overflows?
3) Assuming 1200 +/- gph flow through the sump is it best to have the return pumps inside the sump (submersible) or external to the sump connected by bulkheads?
4) since the drain flow rate is a guess and the actual pressure head is a guess, what size pump(s) would you recommend for this setup?
Thank you very much for your tiem and expertise.
Chris
I just reviewed your three part article on sumps in Reefkeeping and I thank you for sharing your knowledge. I have a few questions if I may.
I have a 175 bow front oceanic tank. It has two overflow boxes each with a one inch drain and a 3/4 inch return. I am planning the sump which will go underneath the tank in the cabinet. I can fit a 50 gallon sump (~36 X 18 x 18). There will space in the cabinet (in addition to the sump) for external return pumps if need be. I estimate I will have 7 feet of head (5 vertical feet and 2 feet estimate of pipe bends and drag)
1) I estimate that each drain should drain from the tank about 600 gph. Do you think this is reasonable? I have heard estimates that range from 300 - 1000 gph for each 1 inch drain.
2) I am planning on two return pumps, one to each return in the overflow. Is this reasonable or is it better to have one larger pump and split the return to the overflows?
3) Assuming 1200 +/- gph flow through the sump is it best to have the return pumps inside the sump (submersible) or external to the sump connected by bulkheads?
4) since the drain flow rate is a guess and the actual pressure head is a guess, what size pump(s) would you recommend for this setup?
Thank you very much for your tiem and expertise.
Chris