Help Choosing a Pump

[Singlemalt]

Hi again all. As usual I need some help from some of the experienced reefers out there.

I'm about to set up a 120RR AGA with dual megaflow overflows. Sump and fuge will be in the basement so I need a good reliable pump.

I figure there will be about 12 feet of head pressure to deal with along with a couple of 90 degree elbows. Been looking at the Dolphin and Sequence pumps so far. Can anyone suggest a better option?

Thanks as always

 

[Sk8r]

Iwaki 100, Japanese motor [you attach your own plug.] I have it running 15 feet up to a 54g and have to throttle back.

I got this recommended by my lfs guy who uses it to power his shop tanks, and says he's run an Iwaki pump for 10 years with no mechanical issue with it. Highly reliable. Noisy as a jet engine, not submersible, so you put it through a bulkhead connection, and you'll hear it, so a door between your sump and the family room is good.

My rig: a 100g stand [bought on the cheap, slight dings] with a 30g sump atop, just enough room for the Iwaki; I set eggcrate atop the sump to support a refugium light and the Aqua C EV 120 skimmer, with the stand interior to use for cord spaghetti.

Noise is the primary issue with the Iwaki. Because it doesn't contribute heat, that's a plus in stabilizing temp.

I used hose to eliminate the elbows, snaked it down from the living room, 2' over to the wall, down on the other side.

A union ball valve on the up line is a good thing. If you have room, the same on the connection with the bulkhead can make any pump cleaning or service much easier, although you can just put a good cap on the bulkhead connection with about equal water mess.

I know it's a far jump from my 54 to your 120, but I'm pretty sure this pump would handle it.

I would recommend this sort of sump, that has 20g center space for a refugium, plus 2 one and 1/4" entry ports for separate downflows. I don't recommend joining those lines into one because of the gurgle factor. Mine is a bowfront with a single downflow, and I have it totally gurgle-free abovestairs.