Powerhead in sump

[yagerboy]

I've noticed I sometimes get a coating on the surface of the water in my sump.  I've increased flow which has helped but still get it on occasion.

I've never put a powerhead to increase flow in a sump before, and asking if anyone has ever done this and what were the results?  TIA

[Sharkey18]

I have several power heads in my sump. One creates flow for some frags, I have two pumps that power the skimmer and another that pumps water through a carbon reactor. They all help flow. It is not uncommon to have flow in the sump if you want to keep detritus suspended. Some people choose to have a very calm sump so that detritus collects and can be siphoned out. 

 

You want to do whatever works best for your filtration system and maintenance schedule. 

 

 

[BtmDweller]

I use a power head in each chamber to blow out detritus. They’re attached to a power strip and turned on a few times a week. You may need to beef up your skimmer if you’re getting protein buildup on the water surface. Also use of a filter sock can help.

[Jon Lazar]

I have a low flow sump and used to get a surface slick.  So I bought one of these aquarium surface skimmers and hard-plumbed it into my MJ1200 skimmer feed pump.  There's no extra pump required, and the surface scum goes directly into the skimmer.  The whole contraption is held in place against the back wall of the sump with an old MJ magnet set.  I used a die to thread the intake of the MJ, so the PVC ell screws on and off.