Tank Build! my 210

Personally I would not run 2k gph on my return. I'm not saying you can't buy a 2k gph pump and with head pressure figured in etc... you get much less...but if this is going to be a reef tank I would shoot for closer to 5x tank turnover per hr. (210 x 5 = 1050gph) That's what I would aim for personally and I would run maximum of half of that through my fuge. I always try and run the bare minimum in my fugr as possible to just barely agitate top of water and not get cyano. I also would not run my fugr first off my drains... others may disagree...but imo it ends up becoming a large detritus trap with no mechanical catch first. I tee off my return pump and a portion goes to my fuge...then fuge dumps back into return pump section. This way copepods that make it out of fuge go straight to display tank or back to fuge and not to filter socks,skimmer, etc... hope this helps...any questions on this ramble just ask...hopefully it's not too much...!!

 

You can still do this set up... I would just personally not run that much water through a sump in a reef tank...fish only yes...reef no. And like I said...others may have other opinions. I have a similar idea to yours... one pump does all...just a manifold to do it...as I don't want a lot of pumps either.

 

Setting up your system with one return pump is great.

Couple words of wisdom. Get the same exact pump again, and keep it as a spare, because invariably it will fail on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, and you will be lucky to get another before Monday or Tuesday. Also make sure you put in a union to change out said pump.

Now. Personally I would run 5x through your tank, and 1-2 times through your fuge. No big deal, just have to be plumbed a little different.

Drain water into sump, and T off return pump to feed fuge that will also drain back into sump, preferable right into the return pump.

Just my 2 cents

 

As Craig said too...I also have a spare of the exact same pump on hand wit union attachments on it so no matter what...anyone would be able to change it and get it going if I were to be out of town etc...

 

I agree back up pumps with ways to shut off water on return side and feed side if plumbed externally. I had my controller fail on my dc pump on a holiday weekend of course and had to do a makeshift plumb job to make a mag 12 pump I had on hand work till I got a replacement. I now have complete backups for my tank and my skimmer.

 

I use a L4 algae scrubber

 

Honestly, this is a subject worthy of its own thread!