External return pump recommendations

[phishybusiness]

I currently have a 180 gallon reef mostly stocked with sps. For lighting im running 1-400 watt metal halide and 2-250 watt metals. The tank is cooled by a 1HP Oceanic Chiller, 2 computer fans and 3 clip on 6 inch circulation fans within the canopy. I realize the amount of head given off by the lights, but my issue is the fact that when the lights are off the chiller still turns on at 81 degrees. The A/C in my apartment is turned down to 70 degrees at night and 74 during day time hours. I believe my issue is the Blueline 70-HD external pump giving off the heat hours after my lights turned off.

What do you guys think are my best options?

Thanks
Mike

 

[thedragon]

I had the same pump with the same problem. Great pump but man did it heat the water.

 

[nivram]

An equivalent iwaki pump. Or lots of folks like the Reeflo darts.

 

[dbenyo]

I have a Reeflo dart gold on my 180g. Air is kept at 78 during the day and in the 80s at night (we turn the air off downstairs at night). 2 x 250w halides and 320w of T5 no fans in the canopy (at this time). 3/4hp chiller runs off and on with the tank kept at 77.

The reeflo dart gold is dead silent as in no vibrations or anything and I have eliminated using any additional pumps for the chiller, reactors, protein skimmer... by running them all off the pump. Electricity costs are down as well as additional heat from all the drop in pumps to run all the equipment. Definitely take a look at them.

 

[phishybusiness]

Awesome thanks for the advice. Ill look into the reefflo gold. So u plumbed it into a manifold? ? Man i wish i was good at plumbing bc that sounds like a great idea.

 

[gkugelman]

Hey dbenyo, do you have any pictures of your sump / plumbing? I just bought a reeflo dart as my return pump for my 125 and would love to be able to run my skimmer off it as well. How did you set this up?

 

[phishybusiness]

Hey if you can post some pictures to give us some ideas.

 

[OceanLandlord]

Run all my stuff off one dart on my 300, had two darts at one point one doing returns and one doing chiller, reactors and one return, water was going through the sump way too fast and it sounded like a fast running river cause the water was crashing over the baffles too quick. Scaled back to just one dart for everything and it works just fine. Bought a used dart when I first got the tank 5+ years ago, never did seal or anything and pump has been running 24/7 since with 0 issues other than a little salt creep telling me it wants seals replaced.
As for plumbing I made a manifold using 1.5 inch T fittings off the pump and reducing off one end of the T to 3/4" PVC to a ball valve and end with a threaded barb fitting for each device.

 

[AquamanE]

+1 on Reeflo pumps.

Also lots of hype nowadays with the new DC pumps, ie Waveline, etc...