Pump Return Questions

2 sumps would complicate things too much for your first sump. Get a hang on back overflow. The smallest is probably 600gph. On the outlet hose going into the sump install a ballvalve (found at any hardware store) to control the flow coming down from the tank. Your 270gph pump should work as a return but may not be powerful enough to fight the "head", you just have to give it a try and you will knwo right away. Install it on the far end of the 10 gallon to suck the water back up to the display. You will have to tweak the ballvalve on the outlet to the sump to get it to match the speed of your return. Another thing to think about before starting all of this is how you are going to separate your sump into chambers. Most people have a chamber where the overflow hose dumps water, usually your skimmer would reside here too. Then a chamber for your refugium, then a chamber for the return pump. What type of pump do you have, a Maxi-Jet 1200? You display tank will still need flow besides the return otherwise your tank will have dead spots that won't get filtered into the sump. Get a couple more maji-jet 1200s or a couple Koralia 2s. That should do the trick.

 

Never, never, ever restrict the overflow to the sump with a valve. Its OK to install a valve in the line for maintenance but always keep it 100% open when in use, never throttle with it. Thats a surefire way to cause a flood, all it takes is a snail or some food and you have a mess on your hands when it catches on the valve lip.
If flows need regulating do it with a valve on the discharge side of the return pump, never on the suction side or you starve the pump. An overflow is self balancing and will always balance itself perfectly with the return pumps flow as long as the overflow box is the correct size.

 

Generally speaking I would agree, but you can restrict an overflow line with a valve so you can have it run a complete siphon. BUT you have to have an emergency drain that can handle the full gph as the primary as well that has no water flowing through it and is there just as a backup in case the primary clogs.
I didn't quite understand if the OP was going to be using a drilled tank or using overflow boxes, I'm not sure this will work with non-drilled tanks but I'm not an overflow box expert.

 

I'll agree with you to a point. As Screwtape mentioned, you can, but you would need to have two drain pipes. One drain pipe that leads to the sump( fully open) and then T'ed off to the refug with a valve to control the flow to the refug. Thats the way I had a past set up and no floods in my house. I do agree with you about restricting the flow to a return pump thou, the valve should be on the output and not on the input.


Luna

 

say I want to put a over flow box on with no drilling holes........Its a l36xh24xw12 with a 10 gal sump(just wanted to add that).........What would be the propper size box for me set up...Its a l36xh24xw12 with a 10 gal sump....I have done a lot of searching in how to do it but what size would i accualy need? Would 2 of those specimen things my (LFS use to lure the fish into) work or is it all about the lines going in?.....It's funny your read and read for hours on end thinkinf you are going in prepared then boom....lol.....I love it though....I'm hopeing in a year or two I'll be the one like " this noob has no clue what he is getting into"...lol......I guess thats how you learn trial and error......I'm going to take pics of it all B4 and after.....I like looking at the pic on here;D

 

Hang on overflow boxes have an internal part and an external part so specimen containers are not the best choice. The internal part is low enough in the tank so water enters the box and specimen containers hang higher than that. You can find used overflows really cheap if you look around a bit like on craigs list of from a local reef club.

 

i found lots of videos using the siphon hose over the top.....and they dont sit low in the aquarium

 

The overflow box needs to sit just below the surface so it skims the surface. It is also important it not bee too deep so if power goes off you do noty drain the display down into the sump. Skimping on an overflow is not a safe thing to do. I am partial to built in, internal overflows myself, much safer.

 

The problem there is if the return pump stops(electric goes out) the siphon won't and it will siphon all the water out of the display tank, overflow your sump and all over the floor. I use a HOB overflow box but before that I made one from the dyi section on this site:

http://www.3reef.com/forums/i-made/nice-cheap-diy-overflow-29396.html

also a weir style HOB overflow.
http://www.3reef.com/forums/i-made/building-weir-style-overflow-29456.html

I just want to say from looking at building my own, in the long run its allot cheaper just to buy one. Because if you do make your own and it doesn't work right you will have saltwater all over the place.

for your setup you could go with this its 300gph:
http://www.marinedepot.com/CPR_CS50...or_Aquariums-CPR-CR1511-FIOFEB-CR1511-vi.html
or the 600gph.
http://www.marinedepot.com/CPR_CS50...or_Aquariums-CPR-CR1511-FIOFEB-CR1511-vi.html

 

You cannot just use a hose to siphon....you need the box. As RHOton says, if the power goes out, there is nothing to stop your siphon. It will siphon the water out until the hose is no longer touching the water surface then stop the siphon. Once the power is restored, the return pump will start and suck all of the water from the sump back into the display and burn out your pump.

With an overflow box, when the power goes out, the siphon pauses. When the power comes back on, the return pump starts filling the display again and the overflow box will resume siphoning. You should be able to find a nice used one off craigslist or buy a new one for around $50. I would look on craigslist or local reef clubs and try to get the overflow and pump together. That way they are already matched up.