jdieck
New member
Hi Sue... Let me try to make it simpler and feel free to ask as many questions you may have.
First let me explain about the pumps.
A: Volume vs pressure (head) I would say there are two generic kinds,
1. Pumps that can deliver high pressure to act upon high head usually referred to as pressure rated pumps, normally used to pump water from a basement to a first floor tank.
2. Pumps that can deliver high volume but low pressure rating usually used for closed loops as there is almost no head.
B: Construction Type: All pumps used in aquariums (Except doser or air pumps) are centrifugal pumps but although they operate in the same principle (A big wheel like fan impeller sucking the water and pushing it out) the way the impeller is connected to the motor is different.
1. Inductive motor driven. This are the typical pumps were an electric motor is connected to the impeller via a shaft. They have the advantage that can be made very powerful (Typical swimming pool pumps) but the disadvantage that in general they are bulkier, heavier and need a seal between the shaft and the casing of the impeller (The volute). This seal eventually wears and leaks needing replacement.
2. Magnetically driven: In this design there is no shaft between the motor and the impeller but rather the impeller is directly mounted in the rotor (the rotating part) of the motor and the rotor is also in contact with the water inside which is used as lubricant for the axle were it is mounted. (If you have opened a power head it is the same principle). The rotor is a magnet which is dragged around by a rotating magnetic field created in the stator (The non rotating part) of the motor.
These pumps tend to be a bit more reliable as the electrical parts of the motor can be completely enclosed but as the rotor is in contact with the water that might add a bit more heat.
C: Installation wise Also two kinds:
1. Submersible, typical are power heads some of them really large to be called pumps like the Mag Drive 36. The installation is simple as you just dump them inside the sump and hose the water to wherever you want it. The problem is that most if not all are not pressure rated and I really doubt any submersible pump would do a good job to pump the water upstairs. The second issue is that they use the tank water for cooling which in turn heats up the tank and if you have other sources of heat like MH lighting that may become a problem if not using a chiller.
2. External. These are pumps operate outside of the tank. They are in general more powerful and you can get them in both pressure rated and volume rated. The problem here is that they require a more complicated installation as you need to drill the tank that feeds them so you can pipe the water from close to the bottom of the tank to the pump inlet. These pumps require positive pressure at the inlet, this pressure is provided by the water level in the sump over and above the level of the pump inlet. So here lies your first decision. On one side you need an external pressure rated pump to be able to rise the water to the upper floor but on the other hand you have a glass sump so you will need to drill the sump or replace it so you can get a pipe for the external pump. (See pic below)
Now having talked about the pumps and before we talk about capacity and types let me try to explain what I would do regarding installation.
As a return to move the water from the basement sump to the main tank you will need a pressure rated pump which as I mentioned you will need a mean to provide a bulkhead drilling the sump or replacing it.
From the main tank to the basement I would take a drain and split it in two and installing two valves on each line. One line be used to feed the refugium by gravity and the other one to move the excess water directly to the sump. The overflow of the refugium you can feed down to the sump by gravity so the total water volume gets together back at the sump were it will be pumped up to the main again. This can be done by a single pump.
Tip: You may even try to tap a third line from the drain to feed your skimmer by gravity!
Now for Capacity:
Here you have several options:
a) Large return pump and no closed loop using rotary devices and spray bars.
b) Smaller return pressure rated pump and a second volume rated pump on a closed loop
c) Smaller return pressure pump and continue using the power heads in the tank.
The c) option is the cheapest power wise and the easiest installation wise.
The a) option will be the higher power consumer and might or might not be the most costly or complicated installation wise depending on how complicated the closed loop and costly the closed loop pump will be.
As a pressure rated pump my recommendation will be if possible to use a power rated magnetically driven external pump.
Now lets see the alternatives.
a) You will need a pump that can handle about 8X to 10X the main tank volume at a head of about 15 to 18 feet (without restricting rotary devices) or about 20 to 25 feet with additional restrictions.
Using the performance chart of the pumps you can determine the right sizing of the pumps.
Below is the curve for the external pressure rated magnetic drive Iwaki 100 RLT. As you can see this pump will be the one to use if you were to go option (a) with all the restrictions of rotary flow directors and that kind of restrictions as it is capable of providing 1500gph to 1400 gph at a head pressure of 20 to 25 ft. (You need to verify the capacity of your overflow to handle this much flow)
For the same option (a) but with just spray bars or a couple of return 3/4" locklines (lower head) or if your overflow capacity is limited to around 1300 gph, the Iwaki 70 RLT would provide the 1000 to 1500 gph at the required 15 to 18 ft of head
For options (b) and (c) were you need a smaller return pump or if your overflow has limited capacity, the Iwaki 55 RLT or similar could be a good option as it will give about 700 to 800 gph at 15 to 18 feet and the rest of the flow you can supplement with either power heads or a Danner Mag Drive 9.5 or 12 in a closed loop.
Note that for the pipe from the sump to the main I would prefer a single 1-1/4" diameter split to two 3/4" entering the tank for two return outlets.
For the drain from the main to the fuge two drains of 11/2" bulkheads that joint into a single 1-1/2" pipe at the tank outlet all the way to the sump, T-off 1" to the fuge.
This is a top view pic of a connection from a sump wall to the inlet of an external pump.
First let me explain about the pumps.
A: Volume vs pressure (head) I would say there are two generic kinds,
1. Pumps that can deliver high pressure to act upon high head usually referred to as pressure rated pumps, normally used to pump water from a basement to a first floor tank.
2. Pumps that can deliver high volume but low pressure rating usually used for closed loops as there is almost no head.
B: Construction Type: All pumps used in aquariums (Except doser or air pumps) are centrifugal pumps but although they operate in the same principle (A big wheel like fan impeller sucking the water and pushing it out) the way the impeller is connected to the motor is different.
1. Inductive motor driven. This are the typical pumps were an electric motor is connected to the impeller via a shaft. They have the advantage that can be made very powerful (Typical swimming pool pumps) but the disadvantage that in general they are bulkier, heavier and need a seal between the shaft and the casing of the impeller (The volute). This seal eventually wears and leaks needing replacement.
2. Magnetically driven: In this design there is no shaft between the motor and the impeller but rather the impeller is directly mounted in the rotor (the rotating part) of the motor and the rotor is also in contact with the water inside which is used as lubricant for the axle were it is mounted. (If you have opened a power head it is the same principle). The rotor is a magnet which is dragged around by a rotating magnetic field created in the stator (The non rotating part) of the motor.
These pumps tend to be a bit more reliable as the electrical parts of the motor can be completely enclosed but as the rotor is in contact with the water that might add a bit more heat.
C: Installation wise Also two kinds:
1. Submersible, typical are power heads some of them really large to be called pumps like the Mag Drive 36. The installation is simple as you just dump them inside the sump and hose the water to wherever you want it. The problem is that most if not all are not pressure rated and I really doubt any submersible pump would do a good job to pump the water upstairs. The second issue is that they use the tank water for cooling which in turn heats up the tank and if you have other sources of heat like MH lighting that may become a problem if not using a chiller.
2. External. These are pumps operate outside of the tank. They are in general more powerful and you can get them in both pressure rated and volume rated. The problem here is that they require a more complicated installation as you need to drill the tank that feeds them so you can pipe the water from close to the bottom of the tank to the pump inlet. These pumps require positive pressure at the inlet, this pressure is provided by the water level in the sump over and above the level of the pump inlet. So here lies your first decision. On one side you need an external pressure rated pump to be able to rise the water to the upper floor but on the other hand you have a glass sump so you will need to drill the sump or replace it so you can get a pipe for the external pump. (See pic below)
Now having talked about the pumps and before we talk about capacity and types let me try to explain what I would do regarding installation.
As a return to move the water from the basement sump to the main tank you will need a pressure rated pump which as I mentioned you will need a mean to provide a bulkhead drilling the sump or replacing it.
From the main tank to the basement I would take a drain and split it in two and installing two valves on each line. One line be used to feed the refugium by gravity and the other one to move the excess water directly to the sump. The overflow of the refugium you can feed down to the sump by gravity so the total water volume gets together back at the sump were it will be pumped up to the main again. This can be done by a single pump.
Tip: You may even try to tap a third line from the drain to feed your skimmer by gravity!
Now for Capacity:
Here you have several options:
a) Large return pump and no closed loop using rotary devices and spray bars.
b) Smaller return pressure rated pump and a second volume rated pump on a closed loop
c) Smaller return pressure pump and continue using the power heads in the tank.
The c) option is the cheapest power wise and the easiest installation wise.
The a) option will be the higher power consumer and might or might not be the most costly or complicated installation wise depending on how complicated the closed loop and costly the closed loop pump will be.
As a pressure rated pump my recommendation will be if possible to use a power rated magnetically driven external pump.
Now lets see the alternatives.
a) You will need a pump that can handle about 8X to 10X the main tank volume at a head of about 15 to 18 feet (without restricting rotary devices) or about 20 to 25 feet with additional restrictions.
Using the performance chart of the pumps you can determine the right sizing of the pumps.
Below is the curve for the external pressure rated magnetic drive Iwaki 100 RLT. As you can see this pump will be the one to use if you were to go option (a) with all the restrictions of rotary flow directors and that kind of restrictions as it is capable of providing 1500gph to 1400 gph at a head pressure of 20 to 25 ft. (You need to verify the capacity of your overflow to handle this much flow)
For the same option (a) but with just spray bars or a couple of return 3/4" locklines (lower head) or if your overflow capacity is limited to around 1300 gph, the Iwaki 70 RLT would provide the 1000 to 1500 gph at the required 15 to 18 ft of head
For options (b) and (c) were you need a smaller return pump or if your overflow has limited capacity, the Iwaki 55 RLT or similar could be a good option as it will give about 700 to 800 gph at 15 to 18 feet and the rest of the flow you can supplement with either power heads or a Danner Mag Drive 9.5 or 12 in a closed loop.
Note that for the pipe from the sump to the main I would prefer a single 1-1/4" diameter split to two 3/4" entering the tank for two return outlets.
For the drain from the main to the fuge two drains of 11/2" bulkheads that joint into a single 1-1/2" pipe at the tank outlet all the way to the sump, T-off 1" to the fuge.
This is a top view pic of a connection from a sump wall to the inlet of an external pump.
