Return Pump to Powerful?

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Stck2mlon

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Mar 4, 2011
Messages
7
Location
Annandale, VA
Hi Everyone. Long time lurker, first time poster.

I have a Pro Clear 150 filter that I am just setting up. I got a general purpose utility pump (Supreme Classic Model 7). Its rated at 460 gph at 3', roughly my distance back to the tank. The intake pump is a Catalina CA-1800 rated at 400 gph at 4ft, again roughly the distance from the overflow box/prefilter contraption. When I turn them on, the return pump is returning it faster than it can take in. So after maybe 30 seconds its blowing bubbles like snow into the tank and I can't see a thing. The fish are loving the O2 it seems :D. I have the sump "gate" pushed all the way down, I even removed the filter pad so there was only the plastic tray and bio balls between the final filter block and the return pump. So my question is, do I need a less powerful return pump?:confused:

Tank Specs
====================================================
60 gallon rectangle. FOWLR but moving towards reef, hence wet dry. Have a Marineland 400 attached now until I can get the wet/dry function properly.

Any thought would be greatly appreciated.
 
Usually you can find a ball valve at a hardware store like lowes or home depot. Is your return plumbing PVC? If you are still having problems with having too much return something else you can do is have a T placed in the return and each T section having a ball valve so some of the water goes back into the sump. I would try just a ball valve on the return first.
 
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