Pump return flow direction

[Reedmaster16]

I am in the process of building my new tank and wanted some feedback on the best flow direction to kick waste up into my overflows.

The tank footprint is 8' x 4' with
4 x 2" bulkheads that will act as gravity overflows and
2 x 2" bulkheads that will be the pump returns

There will also be a pressurized suction pipe in the center of the tank hooked up to a separate filter to pickup any leftover waste that doesn't make it up to the overflows.

Due to the width of the tank I feel like the best flow direction for the two returns would be back to front, bouncing the water flow off the front panel of the tank.

Is this the best way for the overflows to catch the majority of the debris in the tank?
Should I lower the pump return toward the bottom or angle it down to better stir up the waste?

Any feedback from those with 4' or wider tanks would be much appreciated.

Sorry for the crude msPaint drawing but I dont have a picture on hand at the moment and figured it would at least help visualize the setup a bit better.

Thanks,
Reed

 

[vamptrev]

Wht kind of pumps u gonna use?

I would put that flex pipe at the end of the returns so u can aim them wherever u want. If u hav enough current nothing will ever settle


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[Silent Bob]

I just don't see the bulkheads working as good as an overflow would. It is going to be hit or miss watching anything get in there.

 

[Reedmaster16]

Factoring in head height the two sump return pumps will be around 3500gph each so around 7000gph give or take with an additional 3000gph running through the separate pressure filter.

I looked at the locline fittings but reducing the return to multiple 3/4" fittings made me nervous it would drastically reduce the flow.

The big thing Im trying to do is push the majority of the waste up to the overflows so the pressurized filter does not get clogged up too quickly.

So you would recommend bouncing the flow off the front wall of the tank or should I extend the return so that it starts at the front of the tank angled down and pushes the debris off the bottom toward the back wall.

Hope that makes a little sense lol.

Thanks for the reply Trevor.

 

[vamptrev]

U can see where i put my returns in the very beginning of this vid. I would do something like this

http://youtu.be/YN0FMNrQjuY


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[geronimo69]

It's tough to not have ANYTHING "settle" on the sand. My 150 has a Quiet one 6000 at about 4' Head, a Fluval 405 AND a Hydor #8? (the big one). My tank has crazy movement, but no matter where I point my returns, it doesn't change. Debris always finds a little spot to settle (don't get me wrong, a lot gets taken out by the filter and sump), but there's always some hiding somewhere.

 

[vamptrev]

Stingrays are always moving stuff that settles though and it eventually gets sucked up. Im moving about 7k gph in my 450 and its perfect


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[Reedmaster16]

Thanks for the replies! I've been trying to test it on my one 8x3 tank but the overflow location is not the same and the additional foot of width gives more places for for deadspots and for the crap to settle haha.


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[DIDYSIS]

I have a 10x4 tank and two overflows in the tank split in the middle, out of the over flows I have a sray bar that is more of a jet bar, slits the flow into three jets that can then be moved around. works well.

 

[Drstrangelove]

I am in the process of building my new tank and wanted some feedback on the best flow direction to kick waste up into my overflows.

Fascinating question, which I have also been spending a lot of time thinking about. If you mean ammonia, it seems that any direction which causes the tank water to circulate adequately will do a great job. In that case, your concern is not having dead spots / stagnant locations, for example, where ammonia builds up due to poor circulation through the filter media.

I suspect you mean suspended particles, and in that case, I'm not sure there is a 'best' flow direction using the normal constraints of an aquarium. I know that I don't understand dynamic water flow the way a scientist does, but in a closed system, I'm not sure of a way to optimize particle pathing to a specific point (e.g., an overflow.) At an extreme, if the water is sufficiently turbulent and turns over fast enough, all particles will be unable to settle and will be cycled.

However, at reasonable levels of turbulence and turnover, it's invevitable that some items will become 'trapped' in locations with minimal or no water movement. Decor will trap items as well. Assuming it's not detrimental to the fish, keeping the tank moderately turbulent at the bottom of the tank would seem the most successful method when using an over flow. Unfortunately, that still may not be adequate with sand, less so with gravel or substantial decor.