confused about what pumps to use

[Yinger]

Hey everyone, i was just thinking about how to plumb my 150 which I am about to start soon. The dilemma i'm having is how to connect the pumps to each of the equipments. I'm going with a ev 240 skimmer, a jbj 1/4 hp which only has a 3/4 inch inlet. My questions is, should i get a seperate pump for each of these as well as a return pump? or can i plumb the chiller to the return, however, with a 150 gallon tank, most 1500g/h return pumps have a one inch outlet and the chiller only has a 3/4 inch inlet. What should i do about the pumps? Am i supposed to have 1 pump for each thing. Also, what pump would everyone recommend for the return? any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[bennyinca]

I think the skimmer should have its separate pump.
The return pump plumbed to a chiller is a good idea. Will you be using internal / external pump? How about some 1inch to 3/4 inch reducers? Or, pick a smaller pump that has a 3/4 inch port, the setup a closed loop, or use large flow pumps (tunzes) to provide the extra flow in the tank.

 

[Yinger]

yeh i was just thinkin that if i have more PHs in the tank, it would make up for the lack of water flow from the return pump. I want to use an external pump, but most of the higher output pumps all have one inch returns and if i reduce it to 3/4s wouldn't that lower the flow as well?

 

[bennyinca]

the smaller diameter will lower flow.

This is what I did then I hooked the chiller to the return. Pump was 1 inch hose, chiller was 1/2 inch hose.

 

[Yinger]

so is the return pump split then? one to the chiller and one to the tank? I think i might just buy an external pump and go with 3/4's pipes all the way just to make it easy haha. and make the flow up with some Tunzes