Sump Pump

[seirk]

I am putting together the components for my first reef tank. So far I have a 75gal tank w/overflow, 20 gal sump tank, & Berlin Classic protien skimmer. Now here's the 2 questions.....

What size pump(gph) do I need for the skimmer? Also, what size pump show I have for the return flow back up to the tank? If it doesn't hurt the reef, I would like to oversize the components so that if I get a bigger tank in the future, I'll have most of the parts already.

And one last question. How many, if any, powerheads do I need to have in the tank and what flow volume should they be?

As soon as I know I can order from these great guys at aquarium pros!!

Thanks!
seirk
Thanks

[AquariumPro]

Hello!

Well, it seems all the reef folks are ignoring this forum, so we'll answer this one.

You need a 500 GPH pump for your Red Sea skimmer. The pump you select for re-circulation will depend on how many powerheads you run in your tank, but a 1000 to 1500 GPH pump will do the trick. You should also use two powerheads in the tank for additional current, but use small models. Hagen 301s will work fine.

As far as using over-sized pumps, the major drawback will be heat transfer. With all those pumps running, you're going to be heating up the water. You may want to consider using an external air-cooled pump for the recirculation like a Little Giant or Iwaki.

[dan]

oversizing is good idea. downsizing will and heat to tank. as for powerheads you will need some for current int he reef to meet species needs and gen. tank health/circulation. however--oversizeing/undersizing will vhange head pressure etc. so this will take more research. dont forget your lights--sorry to say but there just is no 'cheap' fix---means diff. between dieing or thriveing.
note---coral/anenome sting each other so be carfull. good luck http://aquariumpros.com/ubb/smile.gif