Qualitydaydream's 180 - 250 transplant! **Pics Galore**

What an awesome tank! Just beautiful! I use a psk200 on a 240gal mixed reef tank with 20+ fish. I have to empty the skimmer cup weekly, but for the price I think its a great skimmer. I'm very surprised that a store did not upsale you though. Most stores will sell you more than you will need. Can someone here explain why I would need a bigger skimmer if mine works as good as it does? I'm always looking for info as this hobby is always changing for the better. Leave your plumbing, it looks great. Herbie looks dangerous!

 

So if you empty your skimmer weekly... how do you know you should not be emptying it daily?

As far as Herbie, there is nothing dangerous about it, period. Read about it before dismissing it.

 

Nice reef tank, qualitydaydream. Can't wait to see some more pictures.

 

Im happy with the sound so I wont be needing a herbie.

The folks at blue reef aquatics are giving me full credit and ill purchase a better skimmer and return pump.

Ive been talking with a whole bunch of people and think the swc 300 cone is the best i can get for what im willing to spend.

Can 3reefers please help me suggest a good return pump?

 

First off, your tank made me sigh.. it's an awesome setup and Im certain that the tank will look even better in no time.

As for the return pump, what are you using right now? How full is the sump, like 80%? Are you looking at an external or internal? And I was told that the return pump GPH rate should be 6~10 times sump water volume. So let's say you have 60gallon water in the sump, the return flow should be 360~600GPH after the headloss. I see you use MagDrives, they might be loud and run hot but very reliable.

 

Great store.

The 300A really is a good thing. SWC is a solid company and the Askol is a perfect for your size and is a really good quiet pump. You will be very happy. You will find cones to be super consistent and once you get it dialed in, you will never give skimming another thought.

So why do you need a different return pump? Do you want internal or external?

You do not need any "flow rate" or tank/sump turn over rate. All you need is to supply the stuff you have. That skimmer will process about 5 maybe 600 gph. Not real sure, educated guess. Do you have a fuge? (Middle chamber right?) Welll you do not need to add flow cause it is inline.... but if all you did was supply 600 gph... then that water would be well skimmed... so add another 100 gph for some stuff to get by and feed the fuge... so we are talking 700 gph max. Just saying it is not a ton and you do not need a huge pump.

Heck an Ehiem 1262 will be close to good with head pressure.... Bubble Blaster makes return pumps too, but I think they are a little pricey. Mags are solid if not a little less efficient. But you can get a good size... like a 18 will be plenty.

Do you plan to supply anything else off the return pump like a chiller or reactor?

Also... any way to reconfigure your sump to have the return in the middle?

 

Please correct me if I'm wrong here but my brain tells me that the faster the water can come into the sump get skimmed, pass the refug, then pump back into the tank the better. It was just my assumption that with a skimmer that has a better skim rate, should have an equally impressive return pump.

My return pump is in the last compartment of the sump. My refug is in the middle. Are you saying the return pump should be where the refug is and the refug in the last compartment? I've only read that the inflow and outflow should be at opposite ends.

 

With a refugium, the most popular setup for a sump is to have the return pump between your protein skimmer and the refugium. This way, both the skimmer and the refugium are getting the dirtiest water.

 

People have "turn over" rates burned into their brains... it's a hold over form canister, HOB, and W/D filters. It was an easy to understand way to figure things out.... but basically it was saying you wanted your water filtered this many times and hour.

That does not matter with a sump because a sump is not a filter. A skimmer is only processing so much water per hour, and most makers do not even tell you how much that is. Some do, I didn't see it for the 300, but call SWC and ask them. Good bunch of guys and helpful. They do know and I'm guessing it will be around that 500 gph number.

Basically, in all my reading, never have I heard any sort of statement form anyone how many times a skimmer should filter your tank... a turn over rate for your skimmer. But anyway... if your skimmer is only doing 300 gph, then there is no point moving 600 gph thorugh your sump. It will only process what it will. On the other end, if you are only supplying that same skimmer with 150 gph, then you are basically "recircing" that compartment.

Ideally the return should be in the middle. The fuge does not need 800 gph going through it. Skimmer first can take out too much food for the fuge, and skimmer last can skim pods.... both ways are done, and it isn't the end of the world... I could not tell you exactly how many pods or if the fuge is getting enough... but if you have a choice you want the me separate to do what they will and then be able to control the flow rate through the fuge. If there is a way to put the return in the middle then that works best. Most sump makers won't do that though cause that requires you to split your drains.... not a big deal, but most folks that buy ready made sumps just want to stick it under and go with it so that is how most are made.

Also, because of a open system and gravity... a return pump is the absolute worst way to provide flow in a tank... way too much power wasted. You want tank flow from power heads, only move as much water as needed through your sump and no more.

 

You guy's are great and so is this forum. A special thanks to Powerman as well for his detailed analysis. I apologize for my lack of knowledge, I've been a canister guy for quite some time.

Here is a better picture of my sump after about 9 days of running:



Is my current sump able to have the return center while the refug and skimmer are on separate ends?

Below a picture of my skimmer the psk-200 that will be replaced with the SWC 300.
I'm just curious about the condensation and if the cup is supposed to be filled. It really doesn't look that dirty yet.



Below is a pic of where the tank is now.



I'm sorry so many questions.

in the next couple of days I will be purchasing my lights.

2 x PR-156W
4 x Black Maxspect Mazarra

Any ideas?