[N9CQB]

I have a 90g that has bulk heads for drain & return. They are in the overflow which is in the center of the back of the tank. Return is 1 1/4" PVC which turns 90 deg to toward the front of the tank. In other words water flow is directed to the front glass.
I am going w a larger pump for more turnover.
Is the flow normally directed toward the front of a tank ??

[demonsquirt]

Pointing toward the front center glass is good. But i dought the return from the sump is near enough flow for your 90 reef.

Then to much flow in the sump isnt good either.

[N9CQB]

I have 3 power heads in the tank too, but I've always wondered where to place them. They are on a wave timer that alternates the 3 of them.

[demonsquirt]

Wavemakers can be usefull but if your new i would just use your powerheads independent untill you master this then research controllers.

Just place them in a way they can circulate the water flow. Either one one each side faceing the front center then it will push back and cause a circle motion. Or one on each side faceing front . just done have them facing each other or facing to the surface. Better to push down and force up.

[N9CQB]

Makes perfect sense, thanks.
I'm using MJ 600's which may not be enough flow, but that's what I've got to work with.

[WILLIAM1]

Get a maxijet upgrade mod kit for those $15.00 a piece should really help. I rum a mag12 on my 90 and its fine. You can put a T on the intake to the sump 1 end into the refugiumpart of the sump with a ball valve and the other into the opposite side of the sump with the return in the center. like 3 chambers.

[N9CQB]

thanks, I'll take a look at the MJ upgrade. I just saw a pic of that today in a magazine. I took out 1/2 the LR & rinsed off the detritis, re arrange it to make better flow.
The Mag 12 sure makes a diff from the Rio 3100 I had been using.

[demonsquirt]

3 600gph powerheads should be good for a new setup but as stock grows then flow rate should be increased.

You dont want them facing the surface and more toward the bottom to keep debris from collect down there. A cross flow or anything that get the tank to circulate constantly.

I like to say that whene you feed then add some extra frozen and whatch how it floats. You dont want the food to float or drop. It should stay suspended and circulate around the tank a few times to give coral time to catch.

[joelq]

I use a Mag-Drive 7 as a return pump on my 90g. My return's output is also split, and I have both outputs aimed towards the front corners of my tank. The Mag-Drive 7 gives me about 500gph at 4' head. In addition to that, I have 2 Koralia 3s and 2 MaxiJet 900s. All that put together gives me some decent flow.

[N9CQB]

All looks good except the return is blowing all the substrtate away from the bottom of the tank !
Gonna have to get some way to split it & direct the flow so its not straight at the glass front

[IceMan]

Originally Posted by demonsquirt

Then to much flow in the sump isnt good either.

why? what does it matter how much flow is in the sump? the more water by more liverock the better, and higher flow would churn more so the skimmer will pickup more...

[joelq]

Originally Posted by IceMan

why? what does it matter how much flow is in the sump? the more water by more liverock the better, and higher flow would churn more so the skimmer will pickup more...

You want the flow through the sump to be slow enough to allow particulate matter to settle in the sump for siphoning later on. A rule of thumb I've read about is to match the flow through the sump with the flow through your skimmer.

[IceMan]

Originally Posted by joelq

You want the flow through the sump to be slow enough to allow particulate matter to settle in the sump for siphoning later on. A rule of thumb I've read about is to match the flow through the sump with the flow through your skimmer.

filter socks would be my responce, and if you slow it to match the skimmer it would be closer to a fuge... i like the rolling sump myself. and i've yet to see anyone that ran a sump that slow. it does make sence about the matter collection though if no other filtration is being used.

[N9CQB]

I've seen a big difference in flow since the larger pump was installed. Cleaner sand, cleaner water, rocks, etc.
I always thought the foam polishing block in the sump trapped the debris