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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2014 16:14:31 GMT -5
What size sump would work for a 150 gallon reef setup?
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Post by Lance on Mar 31, 2014 16:25:16 GMT -5
In general...a 30-40 gallon sump (assuming something like a 12x36" 30 Long or 18x36" 40 breeder footprint).
However, it depends on how much water (depth) you need in the sump to run equipment (pump, skimmer) combined with how much water drains out of the 150 when the power is off.
You want to make sure the sump can contain the back flow with room to spare.
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Post by Syntax on Mar 31, 2014 16:45:20 GMT -5
a 30b is only 12 inches tall
Go with a 40b, it's 16 inches tall and the same length (36) and width (18) as a 30b.
Let's say you run a skimmer that requires 8 inches of water.... I wouldn't feel comfortable with only 4 inches of safety... that's only a cushion of 10 gallons(2.5gallons per inch) before you are in a hot mess with the wife.
a 150 is contains about 5.25 gallons per length in height of water.... Could get real messy, real fast with a 30b
You've got a lot more safety with a 16" tall tank.... (20 gallons to be exact)
I got my 40 breeder at Petco today for $40.00.
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Post by gotareef on Mar 31, 2014 16:45:32 GMT -5
a good rule of thumb is to try and match your return flow to your skimmers flow
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Post by BriMc on Mar 31, 2014 16:47:19 GMT -5
I would be running a 75 gallon under that bad boy. ( providing the floor can hold it )
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Post by Lance on Mar 31, 2014 17:02:04 GMT -5
a 30b is only 12 inches tall Go with a 40b, it's 16 inches tall and the same length (36) and width (18) as a 30b. Let's say you run a skimmer that requires 8 inches of water.... I wouldn't feel comfortable with only 4 inches of safety... that's only a cushion of 10 gallons(2.5gallons per inch) before you are in a hot mess with the wife. a 150 is contains about 5.25 gallons per length in height of water.... Could get real messy, real fast with a 30b You've got a lot more safety with a 16" tall tank.... (20 gallons to be exact) I got my 40 breeder at Petco today for $40.00. And that's why I said 30 Long, not 30 Breeder.  |
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Post by Syntax on Mar 31, 2014 17:52:59 GMT -5
a 30b is only 12 inches tall Go with a 40b, it's 16 inches tall and the same length (36) and width (18) as a 30b. Let's say you run a skimmer that requires 8 inches of water.... I wouldn't feel comfortable with only 4 inches of safety... that's only a cushion of 10 gallons(2.5gallons per inch) before you are in a hot mess with the wife. a 150 is contains about 5.25 gallons per length in height of water.... Could get real messy, real fast with a 30b You've got a lot more safety with a 16" tall tank.... (20 gallons to be exact) I got my 40 breeder at Petco today for $40.00. And that's why I said 30 Long, not 30 Breeder. Didn't notice.... Sorry. |
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Post by Lance on Mar 31, 2014 18:28:55 GMT -5
No prob...just clarifying. |
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Post by BriMc on Mar 31, 2014 19:25:19 GMT -5
There are so many variables on flow and sump size, are you running the skimmer chamber directly into the refugium? How wide is the sump, How long is the sump, etc, etc.
I still go with the as close to ten times tank dump to sump. I don't know where matching the return pump to the skimmer pump ever came from. I would have a green swamp of a tank considering my bubble magus pump is rated at 220 gph and my Reef octopus is rated at 190 gph. The majority of skimmer pumps range from 150 gph to 450 gph. I did some reading and it seams the new recommended tank to sump turn over rate is 3 to 6 times tank volume.
Marc Levenson states that the reason that us old timers liked high water flow was because we didn't like looking at power heads in our tanks so we used the return water as flow. Thank you Marc for writing about what you think but he is wrong. The high water flow was because back in the day when there were wet dry filters and sumps using Bio balls and the few on here who can remember DLS material you had to keep the media wet and the more flow the better the air water exchange was. The air water exchange helped neutralize ammonia through the gas exchange. Anytime you can oxygenate water the better and the high flow and churning of the water helped this. Marc also stated that the reason people got away from the high flow rates was because of micro bubbles???, but if you read his "green statement" stated the expense of the pump and the cost of electricity running big pumps all day was a factor.
A skimmer pump will only take in what the pump is rated for with air draw and that is it, the pump doesn't know if 100 gallons of water of 1000 gallons of water is passing by it. if you match the return pump to the skimmer pump you may only get the water in the skimmer chamber twice an hour but at ten times you may get the water through ten times. High flow rate again into the skimmer chamber helps with oxygenation ( again ). When your overflow is running close to capacity you have a better chance of pulling the junk floating in your tank into the sump (due to the amount of flow) where you want it and not having it stay in your tank.
Again there are many thoughts on this topic this is just how I do it.
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