Recommend a return pump

schristi69

Master of Space and Time
I am looking to build a new sump for my 58 Oceanic and would like pump recommendations. I plan on replacing my Mag Drive 7 with an external pump. I would like pump that adds little heat to the water, is quiet, takes up as small a space as possible and consumes as little power as possible. I am looking at Pan World pumps at the moment. I would like your recommendations and reviews of the pumps you are using.
 
I've always used a Mag and love them. They can be a bit noisy at time though : ( but I've been using the same one for 3+yrs and only changed the impeller once (darn sand).
 
You should look at the new Tunze Recirculation Pumps Silence - and much cheaper too compare to ehiem, at least in this part of the world :)
 
I believe that an Iwaki MD-20RXT meets all of your specifications.
93304Refugium_07Sept2008.JPG

If you plan to use an elbow to save space, be sure to oversize your elbow & bulkhead to 1-1/4" diameter. Removal of the pump is fairly easy. Just lift the end and twist out.
 
Your initial thought of using a Panworld is right on in my opinion. They are VERY quiet, cool to the touch, and one of the few pumps I've seen that actually OVERSTATE their wattage (mine run 5-20% more efficiently than advertised numbers).
 
The Panworld 40PX and BlueLine 20HD are both very comparable to the Iwaki MD-20RXT. The Iwaki has the edge in flow. The Panworld & BlueLine have the edge in maximum head. I believe that all of these pumps were designed by the same engineer.

The advantage of the Panworld 40PX and BlueLine 20HD lies in their smaller 3/4" connectors which are standard in the hobby. Your plumbing can be smaller than that required for the Iwaki MD-20RXT.
 
Eheim - NEVER!!! Did that and the threaded connections are not standard US nor do they offer adapters. Plus, the pump leaked from day one. Only good for submersible use and using tubing.

Mag Drive/Danner - I thought you had to run these submerged? The do run very hot. One of the main reasons I want to replace it with an external. I do not run a chiller and it does heat the water a bit.

The 40PX has a little less flow than I like. I was leaning toward the 100PX, 50PX-X or the 100PX-X. The Panworld site was not much help in the differences between the pumps. And yes the Iwaki and Panworld pumps were designed by the same guy. They are basically the same pump. Don't like the angled outlet on the Iwaki. Makes it goofy to hard plumb the thing.

Thanks for all of your remarks!! Helped a lot.
 
On my 58 I have a Velocity T2, and love it. It might not be the most efficient pump out there, but it is dead quiet, and fairly small. This one is 6+ years old, and still runs like a champ -- just clean it every once in a while.

Others have claimed that they add heat to the tank, but I have never noticed that.

Also have one on my 75.
 
schristi69, yes most run mag's internal. Not a great pump in a lot of people's eyes. I didn't have great luck with the couple I had in real "production", but I've used them as hobby utility pumps before.

Here's a link to pumps:
http://phishybusiness.com/store/ind...id=88&osCsid=70110d77dd846985c69802e5f73820db

What weren't you able to find on Panworld's site? They have flow charts and all the specs in PDF:
http://www.panworldamericas.com/PXseries.html

Look at the 50PX-X. ~720 GPH at 5'. That would be more than sufficient, and they throttle back nicely.
http://phishybusiness.com/store/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=88&products_id=740
http://www.panworldamericas.com/PX/60Hz/A3400466.pdf
 
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