Plumbing questions for DIY sump and o/f

OK, I have been searching the net trying to find the gravitational flow rate of water down a specific diameter of PVC pipe.

The set up will be simple. I will have a box in the corner of the tank with the lip slightly below the water level so the water will overflow and go down the pipe. The return path will come up through another hole in the same box.

I plan on using this design:

http://home.ptd.net/~reef101/diysump.html

I would like the water to drain strait down the pipe and have the water drop into the sump (the pipe will not be sumerged.)

*Since the intake for the sump will be on the right side of the it and the return pump will be on the Left, I will have to use 2 90 degree joints for the return feed to get it back into the tank.

K, I hope you have a good idea of what I am talking about

How would I match the intake and outtake GPH? I know that I can have the outake faster than the intake becasue once the water level in the tank falls below the overflow lip no more water will enter the sump..BUT, if the pump is running faster than the overflow drain, then I will have a wet mess.

The tank will be 100 gal. I would like it to cycle 15- 20 times an hour. so I will need piping to accomadate 1500-2000 GPH flow rate. What size piping should I use? and should I use a slighly slower pump?

CHeers

Kabong said:

Ummm are there holes already drilled in the bottom of your tank?
On a tank that size the bottom glass is almost certainly tempered so drilling whould not be a good option.

Click to expand...

Nope the holes are drilled yet. I will not have them drilled until I know the proper diameter of holes I will need. Which of course is my question.