6000 gph Water Pump in 55 gallon sump on 1100 gallon tank ok?

[Kobeclone]

I will be beginning my pond project this summer providing I find a very large water pump very cheap. I have located a great deal-a 6 month old 6000 gallon per hour external water pump for $160 plus shipping. Providing that I have large enough overflows on the tank, could a 6000 gph external water pump be fitted to a 55 gallon sump? Would the water be too turbulent in the sump? If my 1000 gallon tank has a medium/large bioload, would around 40 gallons of pot scrubbies in the sump be sufficient for biomaterial? If not how much bio material (gallons of pot scrubbies) will I need? Also, if I Have a single overflow on the tank, then how large ( in diameter) should it be? Thank you very much!

 

[rallysman]

The only problem I see is that it'll probably overflow the sump if the power fails.

 

[FishDog]

Your water turn over in the sump would be too fast for good biological filtration. At 6000 gph your sump water will be turning over 109 times an hour. It would look like a jacuzzi. I would use a larger sump or maybe add two if you have the room.

 

[Kobeclone]

The only problem I see is that it'll probably overflow the sump if the power fails.

I will have a ball float valve in the sump. Are there any other problems at all that you can see? I trust your opinion greatly from reading your posts on other threads.

 

[rallysman]

I will have a ball float valve in the sump. Are there any other problems at all that you can see? I trust your opinion greatly from reading your posts on other threads.

I think it's overkill on flow rate too. I generally run 3x system volume.

How will you use a ball valve to make water stop flowing if there's a power outage?

 

[Kobeclone]

I think it's overkill on flow rate too. I generally run 3x system volume.

How will you use a ball valve to make water stop flowing if there's a power outage?

Just think of what happens in a toilet. The water in the toilet bowl (sump) rises, and when the water is high enough the ball valve stops the flow from the pvc pipe overflow into the sump. When the power comes back on, the pump restarts and the water level in the sump decreases, when the water level is low enough the ball valve opens and the overflow restarts. Correct me if I am wrong. This seemed logical to me, and my brother who is a plumber, but as usual we are probably wrong.

Edit: as to flow rate- we are stocking with a rtc and rtcxtsn- they are extremely messy and can develope many diseases directly related to water quality and dissolved solids in the water

 

[rallysman]

If it's an overflow from the tank into the sump, it's working opposite of a toilet. unless you have a lever that pulls a flapper (with a chain or something) over the overflow when the ball raises with the sump, I don't see how it'd work.

 

[Kobeclone]

I dont know if the sump idea will work, but to the other parts of the question. Is 40 gallons of scrubbies enough bio material for 1000 gallons? Also, how big should my overflows be? I know I want my overflows to outrun my sump, but I am not sure by how much.

 

[FishDog]

I would run a minimum of two 2" pipes from the overflows to the sump with a valve on each pipe restrict flow. I would use a smaller pump for the sump around 2400 gph with a valve on the outlet to fine tune flow and use either the 6000 gph or mayber a smaller one to create current in the water. The 6000 gph will turn the water over so fast in the sump it will basically work as a mechanical filter only. In order for biological filtration to work the water needs contact time with the bacteria. I ran a 30 gallon sump on an old 220 tank and what I did for power outages was I figured how many gallons per inch my tank was. Say if I took 1 inch of water out it was say 15 gallons. I set my overflows 1 inch under the surface of the water and I ran my sump less than half full (about 12 gallons in it). If the power ever went out the tank would drain 1 inch filling my 30 gallon sump to 27 gallons. Flooding the floor problems solved. The closer you run your overflows to the surface the fuller you can run your sump.

 

[Kobeclone]

Thanks. I am thinking three two inch overflows with the 6000 gph pump, but I figure I can get a pond liner off of ebay for $40 and get some plywood and 2x4's for a few bucks and make my own 100 gallon sump, or get a 100 gallon rubbermaid for a sump. How much better would 100 gallons be than 50 gallons?