Return positions @$#%!

[805hd]

First off, I apologize for the double post.

This may be a stupid question but is there any rule of thumb in regard to orientation of returns to achieve a good flow cycle throughout the tank?

My internal overflow sits dead center with 1 return on either side of it. I'm assuming playing around with it until finding the "sweet spot" is the consensus. But was kinda hoping theres an easy way to find said "sweet spot" cause so far it's been a !!!

Anyone want to shine a little light on this for me?

72"x18"x30"

 

[HUKIT]

I run dual outlets loc-line on all my tanks but in reality I don’t use the returns to do any of the heavy lifting. I run a low turnover through the sumps, right around 4x the water volume and use circulation pumps to direct water and waste to where I want it to go.

 

[805hd]

HUKIT yea, I think I might be getting into that mind set of “if I don’t turn over my water volume 5 gazillion times a day I’m not filtering enough” mindset. To be completely honest the tank runs crystal clear on a lower flow.

But isn’t that just because everything is settling at the bottom?

Looks like frequent gravel vac and water changes are going to be the norm. Which is fine. Just frustrating to have a massive amount of filtration and still see particulate in the water when running with higher flow. I did add some filter floss into the mix. Might help further “polish” the water..

Being planted and having discus I can’t run a massive amount of current anyways.

 

[HUKIT]

Yes keeping the detritus suspended and directed towards the overflow makes the sand in the tanks nearly spotless. The water is crystal clear as each sump has at least two 100 micron filter socks which unfortunately need to get changed daily. I only keep cichlids that don’t typically tolerate plants so the only thing I grow is algae for the scrubber in the sump. It doesn’t take much flow to kick up the detritus and directing it towards the overflow or I’ve done one tank that will direct the waste to a certain corner which can quickly be disposed of during a water change instead of vacuuming the entire tank. When I kept discus I still used circulation pumps but I only use hardscapes and with no plants in the display tank. So in your case where you’re looking for more surface skimming and waste management I’d still experiment with circulation pumps and see how that effects the system as a whole.

 

[805hd]

HUKIT Valid.


I have two 3/4 inch drains running wide open from tank to sump. Had a couple filter socks on there and got tired of changing them out so I get you on that. My main concern was not catching it early and it backing up and potentially flooding. I just run some slip on sponges at the end of the drain and a series of coarse to superfine mesh before it gets to my bio.

I think playing around with a couple power heads or wave makers might be worth it. I was trying to avoid that wanting to keep equipment in the tank to a minimum. Literally the main reason behind the sump! This tank is Euro Braced so that creates an obstacle. Oh well, I'm sure there are some less bulky options out there. Perhaps one tucked away in each corner.

Going to keep playing! Appreciate the advice buddy, thank you!