Sump/Fuge flow question

shuguley · 06/25/2008, 08:18 PM

My 55 gal DT will have a 10 gal sump and a seperate 5 gal fuge in the DT stand.

My overflow will split and feed the sump and fuge seperately.
I am going to install ball valves to control how much flow goes through to each tank.

My question is... how much flow do I want going through my fuge and how much do I want going through my sump? I know I want the fuge to have less flow than the sump, but how much should I be aiming for?

shuguley · 06/26/2008, 08:12 AM

atwinparadox2 · 06/26/2008, 08:56 AM

Just an FYI, I have a sump setup that has a fuge and skimmer section that both feed into the return section of the tank. I use a 3:1 skimmer section to fuge section ratio because the fuge section filters directly into the return immediately and the skimmer is filtering first before it goes into the return. Needed more flow in the skimmer section to compensate for that. it has worked well for me. Hope this helps and gives you some ideas.

mrbigshot · 06/26/2008, 01:33 PM

5x-6x max display volume for flow. do not figure in sump/ fuge. use the head loss calculator on the side of the main page to figure what pump you need. use 3/4" pvc and rough in the amount of elbos and verticle hight needed.

275-325 gph return rate with a gravity overflow (it only take out what goes in) to much flow and the fuge wont have time to work to little works well but alloes buildup in the first chamber and you will need to clean it periodically.

i would guess an ehiem 1280 or so for a pump.

shuguley · 06/26/2008, 02:30 PM

It is important for me to figure flow rates for a sump and a fuge, because I have two seperate tanks that will be fed by one overflow, once I know how much flow I want through each tank, then I can decide how strong I want my return pump to be. See my diagram...

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Playa-1 · 06/26/2008, 05:30 PM

Your looking for around 5x display volume thru the sump, Including the fuge. So 55 x 5 is about 275 gph. Use the headloss calculator and get yourself roughly 275 gph flowing thru the sump/fuge. Use the ball valve and send a fraction of the 275 thru the fuge that ultimately flows to the sump anyway. So you looking for 275 after headloss is taken into consideration. Give or take a little bit. It's not an exact science. Too much flow and you will have drain noise, micro-bubbles, and possible flooding issues to deal with. Too little and you will have other issues with stagnant water, nuisance algae and gas exchange issues to name a few.

mrbigshot · 06/26/2008, 06:12 PM

i would use a small powerhead like a maxijet 400 to pump from the sump up to fuge and use gravity to return.

or use another bulkhead with a valve on it to reduce flow.

fuge flow 5x-6x

sump flow, whatever the sump can handle without putting microbubbles in the tank. thats dependant on your baffle setup and spacing between baffles.

06/25/2008, 08:18 PM	#1
shuguley Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Smiths Station, AL Posts: 536	Sump/Fuge flow question My 55 gal DT will have a 10 gal sump and a seperate 5 gal fuge in the DT stand. My overflow will split and feed the sump and fuge seperately. I am going to install ball valves to control how much flow goes through to each tank. My question is... how much flow do I want going through my fuge and how much do I want going through my sump? I know I want the fuge to have less flow than the sump, but how much should I be aiming for?

06/26/2008, 02:30 PM	#5
shuguley Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Smiths Station, AL Posts: 536	It is important for me to figure flow rates for a sump and a fuge, because I have two seperate tanks that will be fed by one overflow, once I know how much flow I want through each tank, then I can decide how strong I want my return pump to be. See my diagram... [IMG][/IMG]

06/26/2008, 08:12 AM	#2
shuguley Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Smiths Station, AL Posts: 536

06/26/2008, 08:56 AM	#3
atwinparadox2 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kingston, PA Posts: 782	Just an FYI, I have a sump setup that has a fuge and skimmer section that both feed into the return section of the tank. I use a 3:1 skimmer section to fuge section ratio because the fuge section filters directly into the return immediately and the skimmer is filtering first before it goes into the return. Needed more flow in the skimmer section to compensate for that. it has worked well for me. Hope this helps and gives you some ideas.

06/26/2008, 01:33 PM	#4
mrbigshot Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: mn Posts: 387	5x-6x max display volume for flow. do not figure in sump/ fuge. use the head loss calculator on the side of the main page to figure what pump you need. use 3/4" pvc and rough in the amount of elbos and verticle hight needed. 275-325 gph return rate with a gravity overflow (it only take out what goes in) to much flow and the fuge wont have time to work to little works well but alloes buildup in the first chamber and you will need to clean it periodically. i would guess an ehiem 1280 or so for a pump.

06/26/2008, 05:30 PM	#6
Playa-1 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 7,497	Your looking for around 5x display volume thru the sump, Including the fuge. So 55 x 5 is about 275 gph. Use the headloss calculator and get yourself roughly 275 gph flowing thru the sump/fuge. Use the ball valve and send a fraction of the 275 thru the fuge that ultimately flows to the sump anyway. So you looking for 275 after headloss is taken into consideration. Give or take a little bit. It's not an exact science. Too much flow and you will have drain noise, micro-bubbles, and possible flooding issues to deal with. Too little and you will have other issues with stagnant water, nuisance algae and gas exchange issues to name a few.

06/26/2008, 06:12 PM	#7
mrbigshot Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: mn Posts: 387	i would use a small powerhead like a maxijet 400 to pump from the sump up to fuge and use gravity to return. or use another bulkhead with a valve on it to reduce flow. fuge flow 5x-6x sump flow, whatever the sump can handle without putting microbubbles in the tank. thats dependant on your baffle setup and spacing between baffles.