Refugium/Sump

Hey guys. I have attached a rough drawing for my plans, but have a few questions. I have a 60 gal tank and a 20 gal long tank for the fuge. I'm setting up my Fuge/Sump in my basement. There is about an 8 foot distance from my overflow to the sump. My overflow is a dual output with 1" pvc piping. The LFS that sold me the overflow stated it would easily push 700-800 GPH. Is this true? Secondly, as far as a return pump, if I have to match the input this means I will have to get a pretty big submersible pump. Will a flow accelorator help as well on the return line?

Any changes or problems you guys see with this plan.

 

looks pretty good overall, however i would run one submerged siphon that splits to the skimmer section and fuge, and use the other drain as an emergency backup (in case the primary gets clogged). you set the waterline just below the emergency drain. also, i do believe a single full siphon 1" drain can do easily over a 1000 gph if given a strong enough return pump. look up "herbie overflow" drains. you can also control the flow to the fuge with a ball valve to achieve a perfect flow rate.

 

My overflow has two bulkheads and two pipes coming out of it. Would it hinder anything if I shutdown on of its sides? My concern is that the return line will not pump fast enough and my incoming lines will flood my fuge.

 

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_ujFD9DxsrV8/TIm9DGn51wI/AAAAAAAABsw/B_jUhYEb4dI/IMG_1443.JPG

look at this picture. this is one of the safest ways to set up an overflow. you set the water level between the two pipes. if your main drain fails the level will raise and start to go down the secondary drain. if your pump fails or you turn it off it will drain to just below the main line and stop. you just need to make sure your sump can handle a few extra gallons of water for power outages or when you simply unplug your return pump. and yes the pump can keep up because the pump rate will control the drain rate in this type of set up. just make the emergency drain a straight pipe to the skimmer section with no valves. and make the main operating drain ( lower one) drop to a gate valve ( which gives better control then a ball valve. from there have it split with a tee fitting. the one should point striaght down to your skimmer section next to your emergency drain and the other pipe should extend out to a ball valve which will then dump to your fuge. the ball valve will control the flow rate through the fuge and the gate valve will control the overall flow. you want a bulk of the water going into the skimmer section and a lot less going through the fuge, so close off your ball valve a good portion.

 

This is my overflow tank.

 

ahh, i thought you had a drilled overflow sorry!

 

in this case i like your original design! the gph should be about what they stated. it will handle anything between zero and 700/800 gph. but you should find out specifically. so if you wanted to run 500gph then it would self regulate to that flow rate. and yes a strong pump... get a mag drive pump with a high head rating. they are expensive up front but it will save you from upgrading later. they handle head pressure amazingly! marine depot has a head height/ flow rate chart for them. you can find them used online though all the time. i just got a mag drive 12 for half price used.