Wet/Dry Users: What Size Sump and Filter Flow Rate are you using?

[Chaitika]

A 10x turnover rate is a figure arbitrarily made up somewhere on the "if I read it, it must be true internet".

Based on what I know from over 20 years in the hobby, it is almost always overkill and there is certainly safety in overkill. It does allow people to overstock to deal with aggression in african cichlids, and that is more than likely the area of the hobby where it is originating from.

It's also amazing ohw some hobbyists come to add the flow rates of their filters in order to achieve the magical number of 10x, without even factoring in that their filters slow down considerably once media is added. As far as I know, Eheim is the only filter manufacturer that identifies the filter flow rate with media.

 

[Jgray152]

ya, what do you wanna know?

I have seen remarks regaurding what size a sump should be compaired to the flow rate. This thread contradicts most of what I have heard now.

A 10x turnover rate is a figure arbitrarily made up somewhere on the "if I read it, it must be true internet".

Based on what I know from over 20 years in the hobby, it is almost always overkill and there is certainly safety in overkill. It does allow people to overstock to deal with aggression in african cichlids, and that is more than likely the area of the hobby where it is originating from.

I agree.

It's also amazing ohw some hobbyists come to add the flow rates of their filters in order to achieve the magical number of 10x, without even factoring in that their filters slow down considerably once media is added. As far as I know, Eheim is the only filter manufacturer that identifies the filter flow rate with media.

Hagen and Rena do the same thing. Hagen I know does this with the Fx5 but I am not sure if they do it with there other filters. Hagen does have charts though that gives you a rough idea of what the flow will be with a certain amount of media.

 

[mtuttle02]

From what I understand you want the most water contact time as possible for you biological media to work to its full potential- on wet/dry’s that is.

 

[DB junkie]

^ Right.

SO, if my water is pumped throught the bio tower 20 times in an hour isn't that a lot more contact time then 4 times an hour?

So doesn't that mean higher flowrate = MORE contact time?

 

[basslover34]

Sometimes... OH GOD... Ok... I'll make this SUPER Simple...

BIG Tanks... More stable water quality...less turn over (Stop confusing Flow rate with Turn over... it's anoyying )

small tanks... less stable water quality... more turn over

That was easy wasn't it?

 

[DB junkie]

Maybe you can bless me with your knowledge and explain to me the difference between flow rate and turnover since I am confusing the 2.

So, if I have a small tank I need a huge pump, but if I have a big tank then I just need a little pump...... OK now is 300 gallons "small"?

Make it super simple so I might have a chance at understanding......

 

[Chaitika]

My understanding is that flow rate refers to "gallons per hour" flowing through the filter. Turnover rate refers to the volume of the tank and how many times per hour the volume of the tank is filtered.

Smaller volumes of water are more susceptible to quicker changes in basic parameters by way of pollutants, hence a need to filter the water more quickly. The parameters of larger volumes of water are less likely to be AS affected by pollutants, hence the filtration rate does not need to match that of a smaller volume of water.

 

[Chaitika]

^ Right.

SO, if my water is pumped throught the bio tower 20 times in an hour isn't that a lot more contact time then 4 times an hour?

So doesn't that mean higher flowrate = MORE contact time?

It may be more contact time, but the whole idea of a wet/dry filter is to have the water flow the bio-media in an environment that is mostly air. Suspending the bio-media in a moist chamber allows the bacteria to basically function at maximum capacity. Oxygen is what makes them run. The water drips/trickles through. If you are flowing the water through the media in a way that itis more like a river of water streaming through the media, you are essentially defeating the whole purpose and you may as well use a canister filter.

So essentially, if you are using super-charged bacteria to filter your water, you don't need as many runs through it as you would with a filter that employs submerged bacteria.

 

[DB junkie]

Right...... And when you run a sump with a single pump higher flowrate=higher turnover.

 

[Chaitika]

Right...... And when you run a sump with a single pump higher flowrate=higher turnover.

Yep.