Sump Design/Flow Rate

[PotomacBoater]

I'm new to salt water, so please bare with any incorrect terminology.

 

I am trying to design a sump for a 90 gallon FOWLR tank.

 

I'm picturing a three stage sump - skimmer, cheato/live rock/pod breading area, and return pump.

 

I'm deciding between a center return with the main flow going thru the skimmer side and just a trickle on the cheato side and both spilling into the return area.

or a skimmer, then cheato then return format.

 

Some of the things I've read said that it has to be low flow or the pods will all get swept out.

But it also says that low flow is bad for the cheato.

 

Other posts I've read say that if there is enough live rock for the pods to hide in,

then doing the cheato in the center stage with a higher flow rate would be fine.

 

which one is correct?

 

Is "Rolling the cheato" in water flow, benefitial or unneccessary?

 

Thanks,

[jaddc]

I'm not sure about what Cheato needs to thrive since I don't use it.

 

I can say that if you offer your pods a rubble pile in the sump or DT, they will naturally migrate there for protection. So if the flow is high, then they will find protection in the rubble. Once they colonize the rubble, then they will begin reproduce there and the eggs will be protected and so the population will grow and explode in about a month or two.

 

I use a pile of snail shells in the back corner of my DT to keep my pods (and target mandarin) happy. It was like "Field of Dreams" -- if you build it, they will come.

Edited April 22, 2011 by jaddc

[beatle]

I used a similar 3 chamber design on my old 90 w/30g sump. I use the same design now on my 120 w/40g sump. Drain/skimmer -> fuge -> return. I run about 600 gph through the sump, never an issue with pod population in the fuge, though I did have LR rubble in the corners. My chaeto never tumbled but still grew like the weed that it is.

[onux20]

I went with the drain/skimmer->Return<-Sump setup. I got the design off RC. Never had a problem with Chaeto though I think my Dragons breath died. I have a ton of pods in the sump and tank.

 

+1 on the low flow rubble areas. That I what I used on my Solana and it worked really well.

 

RT