Pump Recommendation for 1/10th Chiller

[MHG]

So I scored a Current 1/10th HP chiller on Craigslist. Current recommends it for a 50-90 gallon tank and to use a 300 -720 gph pump. That sounds huge....


Now it will sit on the floor outside the cabinet with about 8 feet of tubing to and from the sump ( next to the chilleer so no heights).

Any recomendation for a pump? I think it has 3/4 connections but I have a small sump. Is slower better? I was thinking a maxi jet 1200 with some sort of adapter...

 

[Tennsquire]

I think you need more than a MJ1200. Chillers need to have a certain flow rate through them to be effective and efficient. You're not going to have nearly enough flow with a 1200. I also think that running it to and from the sump is going to make it cycle on and off much more frequently, since you'll only be chilling the sump and not the whole tank.

I have a 1/6 hp chiller on my 75 gallon reef and I run a MAG 7 on it. It goes from the sump to the chiller then up to the tank, so there's some head involved. That way, it cools down all the water as it cycles from the sump to the tank, and not just the sump water in a loop (if that makes sense). I was going to originally do it the way you've proposed, but the manual advised against it for the reasons I stated.

 

[MHG]

Well the output of the chiller will be in the return section which is the chamber after the input so all the chilled water will be going directly into the tank.

Regarding the pump size thanks for the info... I am testing a rio 1100 with is a 1430 liter per hour which is about 370 gph... It is the biggest pump I can fit without loosing my fuge...

 

[MHG]

Well I got a rio 1100..... Works good. Takes an hour to cool 70 gallons the one degree.... Tank is now stable at 78-79. With 4 hours between chiller cycles... Local weather has hit the high 80's so I will see how that changes when we are in the 90's