# Water turnover rate



## maxb310 (Oct 5, 2011)

I have 36g sw, i was wondering how many times my water should cycle through my sump/refgium and as well as 2 power heads in the display


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

maxb310 said:


> I have 36g sw, i was wondering how many times my water should cycle through my sump/refgium and as well as 2 power heads in the display


Using a 1" overflow pvc to the sump, for 600gph.
Powerheadds in the tank, for a FOWLR you would use 360gph, for a REEF, you would use 720gph.


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## maxb310 (Oct 5, 2011)

ok perfect! thank you!


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## AZDesertRat (Apr 10, 2009)

3x to 5x the display volume is a good number for the return flow rate as it keep the velocity and flow managable in the sump so you don't experience micro bubble problems and the skimmer has time to work well.

As far as total turnover it depends on the inhabitants in the display, softies are fine at 10-20x the display volume while hard corals like LPS and SPS like much more, 30-40x is not uncommon. I run all my systems at about 35x the display volume or more with mixed reef corals.


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## maxb310 (Oct 5, 2011)

AZDesertRat said:


> 3x to 5x the display volume is a good number for the return flow rate as it keep the velocity and flow managable in the sump so you don't experience micro bubble problems and the skimmer has time to work well.
> 
> As far as total turnover it depends on the inhabitants in the display, softies are fine at 10-20x the display volume while hard corals like LPS and SPS like much more, 30-40x is not uncommon. I run all my systems at about 35x the display volume or more with mixed reef corals.


So 3 to 5x from sump to display? and then the 35x would be the type of power head i put in the display to simulate current and waves?
Im just trying to figure out which type of return pump i should purchase, along with powerheads


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## AZDesertRat (Apr 10, 2009)

Purchase a return pump that will do at least 200-300 GPH at your specific head loss, usually 5-6 feet taking into account the vertical lift and line loss due to friction and fitting. Its common to install a ball valve on the discharge side of the pump to regulate or fine tune the flow to eliminate noises and flushing effects in the overflow plumbing so a slightly oversized pump is the way to go. Say 300 GPH at 6 feet to be safe.
The powerheads could be something like two Koralia Evolutions 750's or 1050's, Tunzes, Seios or Sicce Voyagers in the same size range. The Evolutions ans Voyagers can be controlled with a wavemaker, timer or controller like a Reefkeeper Lite Or Apex Jr so have the advantage while still being economical.


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