NEED HELP from the PUMP EXPERTS

[Tangwich]

So tonight about an hour ago, my return pump died on me. It started by blowing a lot of microbubbles into the tank and then got louder and louder until it sounded like something was obstructing the passage and then it shot it out, not sure what it was though. Anyway, right now I just have 2 Koralia 3 running flow until tomorrow when I can buy a replacement. The link below is the pump that was running on it as my return pump which also fed from the sump to the chiller and return back to display. What return pump do most of you guys recommend and where can I buy one like tomorrow (Wednesday)? Thanks for any and all help.

 

[Tangwich]

here is the link...also it says its 290 watts, what pump is more energy efficient than this one? Thanks again.

http://www.aquarium-supply.biz/Coralife_Turbo_Sea_1740P_Aquarium_Pump_p/res34006.htm

 

[cthetoy]

Not sure if you need a pressure pump or not. Your pump you linked has a 39 foot head which puts out good pressure however you are getting only 1700gph. You can get double the flow (3600gph) and half the watts with the Sequence Dart pumps but you need 1.5" plumbing. You can get away with 1" plumbing but you lose almost 1/2 the flow which is still the same as the Coralife pump you had.

If you save 100 watts on your pump you will save over $50 a month just in electric cost alone.

I think Tom at socal troprical fish in Fullerton stock those pumps cheap or any mail order places

 

[Tangwich]

thats great info, will look into sequence pumps..thanks.

 

[reefkt]

I have this laying around
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4585+4614&pcatid=4614
4-MDQX-SC
free for your emergency

 

[Tangwich]

thanks Kevin, that's very nice of you. i truly appreciate it. at this point the pump is putting out air just very low flow with tons of microbubbles so i'm going to keep it running and go see tom tomorrow and see what he has in stock. if i can't find anything, i will let you know, thanks again.

 

[NVTE]

I have a new Reeflo Snapper , Super quiet . lmk .
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1495282

 

[Tangwich]

thanks nvte, but i think i need the dart since i'm running 3/4 inch piping and that alone will cut the gph in half.

 

[Reefski's]

Dart is the way to go but you are wasting the pump unless you upgrade the plumbing too! pipe size is everything to flow.

 

[Tangwich]

now i have another question, must i replumb my return piping so that's it's 1 inch or in order to run a dart? currently i am running 3/4 inch pvc piping for my return. thanks

 

[cthetoy]

The intake is more important than your return line when I last spoke to Sequence about this so you don't damage the pump. Sequence said you can restrict all you want on the outake but never on the intake. You can leave the 3/4" on the outake but your pump volume will be reduced. At least this will temporarily get your system running. If you feel you have enough flow then leave it the way it is. If you want double the flow then upgrade to 1.5". Also note the intake of this pump is 2"

 

[Tangwich]

ok, that shouldn't be a problem since the pump connects directly from my sump...so i guess on my way to tom i go if i cant open up this pump and fix it. thanks again.

 

[Reefski's]

i would never restrict the intake or outflow. you may as well just buy a smaller pump that would be cheaper to run the has the in and out you have.

i would definitely replumb if you want to use the Dart.

you probably don't need that much flow going through your sump anyway. 2-3 times tank volume is fine through the sump as long as you have other flow mechanisms in the tank. that will still be many times the sump volume.

after all a 3000 gph pump through a 30 gallon sump is 100x turnover and not needed.

 

[Tangwich]

the inlet and outlet on my current pump is 1 inch and my return pump uses 3/4 inch piping that splits to also feed my chiller. so what smaller pump that would be cheaper would you recommend reefski? thanks for the advice by the way.

 

[cthetoy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13642400#post13642400 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reefski's
i would never restrict the intake or outflow. you may as well just buy a smaller pump that would be cheaper to run the has the in and out you have.

You can restrict the outflow according to the technician of Sequence pumps. You will even use less watts if you restrict the outflow. I asked the tech if restricting the outflow will cause any premature wear or damage and he said no. Only restricting the inflow will cause premature wear.

There's not too many pumps that can match what Tangwich's old pump can do in term of GPH with the wattage a Sequence Dart can give you. Mags, Gen-X, and Pan-world uses more watts and add heat to you water. Iwaki's are great pumps but are pressure pumps using double the watts.

Also compared to the Coralife , Iwakis, or any other pressure pumps the Sequence is much quieter.

Sequence does make a smaller pump "Goby" but not might perform well with 3/4" plumbing compared to the Dart and the price difference is minimal.

 

[Reefski's]

i don't know what pump would be better. i just think the Dart is overkill for you. i have Darts and Hammerheads and love them.

i'm all about the flow and head pressure, all of which is cut down by smaller diameter pipes.

 

[Tangwich]

ok, thanks guys for chiming in. will try to fix this pump and if not i will go down to see tom and see what he recommends. thanks again

 

[JMaxwell]

I'll second the Dart. Also the points about no restriction on pump inlet and okay to restrict pump outlet.

Please give some thought to getting a loaner and replumbing your returns. Its pretty hard to get the flow you need in a 225 with only a 3.4" return line. 1.5" is much better.

Also, please invest the time in calculating your head pressure and desired flow rate before purchasing a pump or replumbing. Reef Central has a head calculator accesible from the home page. Also, Sequence Reeflo will help you calculate your dynamic head if you send them an email.

If you stick with the 3/4" pumping, you are probably going to want a "pressure" pump rather than a "flow" pump. Flow pumps like Dart have larger inlet and outlets (2" to 1.5") while pressure pumps can be 3/4". Sequence Reeflo has pumps like Tarpon and Wahoo that might fit the bill for you. Either way, the Sequence pumps are pretty efficence and durable, so I would look there.

The first thing is that you need to decide on a desired flow, calculate your dynamic head under that flow rate and with your plumbing situation and only then pick a pump.

Last, 290W seems quite inefficent, so you can look forward to some cost savings.

 

[Tangwich]

JMaxwell, I respect your opinion and value your advice. Only thing I will say is that anyone who has seen my tank (even prior to getting the two Koralia 3) has mentioned that I had good flow in my tank. I like gentle swaying out of my LPS and RBTAs and I'm thinking that if the Coralife pump put out 1744 gph with the 3.4 inch piping, the Dart with 3600 gph even cut in half will still put out more flow than the Coralife so that should be more than enough to satisfy my needs. Just spoke with Tom @ socal (geniunely nice guy btw) and he feels the dart or the dart gold is the way to go. Will just have to do some mods to attach pump, but should be fine. Thanks to everyone who chimed in.

 

[cthetoy]

If you have problems getting a 2" bulkhead I got mine from a Koi/Pond store. They are a better quality and I think cheaper in price as well compared to the standard bulkheads you see from LFS. I like the extra thick EPDM gaskets these bulkheads give you. These will never leak!!

At Mystick Koi in Upland

$13 for 2" and $10 for 1.5"

Since you live in San Gabriel you can check out Morning Sun Garden on Valley Blvd which carries a huge inventory of Pond Supplies and Kois.

Also consider when changing to 1.5" PVC to use Flexible PVC (Spa Flex) They are about $2/ft at the above Koi/Pond shop. Home Depot carries them as well but not sure of the cost. With Flex PVC you can do a long 90 degree bend to minimize head pressure vs a sharp 90 degree bend. Also water flowing through it is quieter. Home Depot sells the PVC Cement for Flexible PVC (Spa Flex) but some reefers use regular PVC glue with no problems.