Those backflow valves usually get stuff growing in them. A good reef aquarium system has stuff growing all over, even in the plumbing.
But this can allow a backflow preventer to stick open at the wrong time.
A better way to prevent a flood is to place at least one nozzle of the return up near the water surface so that when the return pump is shut off or during a power outage, it will not siphon too much water out of the display and into the sump/Refugium causing it to overflow and flood the floor. It's easy to test if this works by experimenting with nozzle placement and manually shutting off the return pump to see if the sump will hold all the draining water before the siphon breaks. If it looks like the sump is going to overflow simply plug in the pump and turn another nozzle up to the water surface.
The other really good benefit to having water shooting across and rippling the surface is what we call gas exchange. That's where CO2(Carbon Dioxide) in the water is exchanged for O2(Oxygen). I'm sure you know why O2 is good, but what you may not know is that CO2 is what causes lower pH. In our reefs we want the pH to be as close to 8.3 as possible. Good turbulance at the surface ensures good gas exchange and good pH.
Hope that's not too much information.
At least I'm not ranting this time.
Edited by Mark Peterson - December 12 2009 at 6:36am
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