Quick Return Pump Question

[SonsOfLeda]

I'm starting to look at return pumps for my ~380G display and am looking for something in he 1200-1800GPH range, but ran into a quick hiccup. Do I want a pump that is rated in that range right at the output, or do I want one that has that flow at the head (accounting for head loss)?

Thanks!

 

[Kshack]

That depends on how much flow you want in the tank and how many outlets you have. 1800 is a lot of flow through the sump, but if it is large enough you may be OK. Possibly look for 12-1500, and that is after calculating the head loss (actual flow).

 

[SonsOfLeda]

You're right - I am aiming for the lower end of that range for flow.

How in the world are so many people using Darts on their systems then, with them being rated at 2428GPH at 7' of head? I've got ~6' of head to account for, which puts me right around 1600GPH. I've also got a large display, so this puts me on the "highish" end even for what I need. Do they simply put ball/gate valves on the outputs and turn them down?

EDIT: I'm planning on either splitting the return line into two or running a pair of return pumps. Does this, or - how does this, change my thought process?

 

[tkeracer619]

I run a dart on my 360. I have a 125g sump and 3 overflows. 5 loc line outputs. I couldn't be happier. A snapper would be a fine choice considering your needs. I run a dart because I already had it. If I had to do it over and I didnt have the dart I would have gone with dual snappers should there ever be a problem. There are ball valves but they are in case I need to remove the pump and are wide open during normal operation. The general rule of thumb is 5-10x system turnover per hour so a single dart is right in line with the higher end of the scale.