How to size return pump

kzeller

kzeller

New member
How do you know what size is adequate for the return pump? I am seting up a 46bow with a 22g sump. height from sump to top of DT is 4' max...
 
you typically want 3-5x display tank volume per hour after plumbing losses/head..

Then you want a total flow of 10x or more (even up to 100x for SPS,etc..) total flow rate..
(return + powerheads)
 
mcgyvr said:
you typically want 3-5x display tank volume per hour after plumbing losses/head..

Then you want a total flow of 10x or more (even up to 100x for SPS,etc..) total flow rate..
(return + powerheads)
Click to expand...

plumbing losses/head. how do you figure this out? I haven't read this anywhere. so if I plan on SPS in the future in want 500gph in the DT? thanks
 
head is your 4ft..
then there are some restrictions from friction,etc.. from plumbing elbows...tubing,etc..

In general just shoot for 5x display volume at 4ft of head (look at chart that is provided with the pump)..maybe slightly more 6-8x..
THEN.. you add powerheads in the tank to get to the rest of the "total flow" in the system..

You don't increase sump flow for SPS,etc.. so its the same for SPS vs softies,etc.. but total flow in the tank should increase for SPS as they tend to like/need more flow to keep them clean of settled material,etc...
 
I would shoot for at least 40 times your display tank in total flow for SPS corals so at least a total flow of 1900 gph (powerheads and return pump flow). I would shoot for at least 250 gph though your sump so size your return pump accordingly, you can find the head pressure flow loss charts of nearly any pump on line. It's nice to have a little extra return pump capacity to run any reactors you may choose to use like carbon or GFO reactors. Your return pump is the heart of your system, purchase a high quality pump, this is not a piece of equipment where you want to purchase an off brand cheap model.
 
I was looking at a Danner mag drive or an Eheim? Are these acceptable/good. I was told the same about getting a quality return pump just unclear on what is an actual "quality" pump vs every day pump.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
Mag pumps tend to be durable but a bit noisy and transfer a lot of heat to the water. Classic eheim models like the 1260 are a much better choice
 
And to make sure that I am understanding properly, head pressure is the distance of travel from the return pump outlet to where it physically re-enters the DT?
 
kzeller said:
And to make sure that I am understanding properly, head pressure is the distance of travel from the return pump outlet to where it physically re-enters the DT?
Click to expand...

Not exactly. It's a measure of how much resistance your return pump will experience as it pumps. It's a function of the height to which it is pumping, the number and radius of the bends in your plumbing, and the diameter of the pipe.

Pumps have different performance curves so pump x will pump 100 gph at 4 feet of head and pump y will pump 200 gph at 4 ft of head.
 
Hey guys,

I'm setting up a 75g display tank with a 35g sump. Is there such thing as a too big return pump? I bought a SYNCRA SILENT 5.0 PUMP (1321 GPH). Will this be too much? I am planning on doing 2 1" overflow pipe with a 24" pvc pipe connecting them in the tank with 2 10" slits at the top of the pipe to skim the water surface. I dont know if that makes sense (here is a link to what i mean, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHn7_ZqZljs).
 
Hal said:
Not exactly. It's a measure of how much resistance your return pump will experience as it pumps. It's a function of the height to which it is pumping, the number and radius of the bends in your plumbing, and the diameter of the pipe.



Pumps have different performance curves so pump x will pump 100 gph at 4 feet of head and pump y will pump 200 gph at 4 ft of head.
Click to expand...



But the measurement of distance is from pump to top of display correct?
 
yes head is vertical height from pump to top of plumbing..
Its how much the pump has to push water UP..
 
Not that this changes much, but want to clarify (for myself too).

Wouldn't Head be measured from the top of the WATER LEVEL to the top of the plumbing?
Usually not much difference I know.

So if a pump is sitting in 2 feet of water it's not having to push it that 2 ft because it is the natural level of the water. It only has to push it the distance above that. I may be off here so want to check with others with more knowledge.
 
The depth of water in your sump has no bearing on the head pressure. It is only the distance from the outlet of the pump to the highest point in your return line, plus a small bit more to account for friction losses due to plumbing restrictions (elbows, etc.) When in doubt, round up.

And FWIW - if you purchase a eheim 1260, you will never have to replace it. I have one that is well over 25 years old and still going strong. It can also be easily upgraded to the 1262 if you need more flow down the road.
 
billdogg said:
The depth of water in your sump has no bearing on the head pressure. It is only the distance from the outlet of the pump to the highest point in your return line, plus a small bit more to account for friction losses due to plumbing restrictions (elbows, etc.) When in doubt, round up.

And FWIW - if you purchase a eheim 1260, you will never have to replace it. I have one that is well over 25 years old and still going strong. It can also be easily upgraded to the 1262 if you need more flow down the road.
Click to expand...

The nice this is that right now on BRS the 1262 is $25 less than the 1260. seems like a good idea to get the bigger one and just dial it down?
 
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