MEASURING FLOW RATE

[mikey98]

IS THERE ANY WAY TO MEASURE/CALCULATE THE FLOW RATE OF AN OVERFLOW OR A RETURN? I AM NEW TO THE HYDRODYNAMIC CHALLENGES OF REEF KEEPING. I AM TRY TO DETERMINE HOW THE BEST WAY TO MAKE A SUMP/FUGE COMBO. I KNOW THAT THE FLOW IN THE FUGE CANNOT BE TO EXCESSIVE. I AM USING A MAK/4 PUMP THAT IS RATED AT ABOUT 1200 GPH. I KNOW I AM MOST LIKELY NOT GETTING THAT. IS THERE A METER THAT I CAN PUT IN LINE TO MEASURE WHAT I AM GETTING? IS IT SAFE TO ASSUME THAT IF I AM PUTTING 1100 GPH INTO THE TANK THAT IT IS GETTING 1100 GPH OUT? I WOULD THINK IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SO OR THE TANK WOULD OVERFLOW OR THE SUMP BE SUCKED DRY. I WAS THINKING FOR THE SUMP/FUGE, OF HAVING A CHAMBER FOR THE INTAKE WATER THAT WOULD MAKE THE WATER LEVEL RELATIVELY HIGH, THEN THAT CHAMBER COULD OVERFLOW INTO A FUGE AREA, BUT NOT ALL THE WATER WOULD OVERFLOW, I WAS GOING TO HAVE MY SKIMMER PULL OFF THE FIRST CHAMBER AND RETURN TO THE LAST CHAMBER BEFORE RETURNING TO THE TANK. SO IF I WAS GETTING 1100 GPH FROM THE TANK AND MY SKIMMER PUMP MOVED 900 GPH, THEN I SHOULD ONLY HAVE 200 GPH FLOWING THROUGH THE FUGE. DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT? OR DID I JUST CONFUSE YOU? IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS PLEASE WRITE AND I WILL DO MY BEST TO EXPLAIN IT BETTER.

 

[TheRookie]

Calculating flow of an existing anything is easy. Just a little math. As to calculating it for something that does not exist I am not sure but could come up with something given enough patience.
BTW Please for the goodness of all stop using all caps. Caps = screaming online. Not only is it offensive but it is a pain to read.