Return Pump Recommendation

[Armand9601]

Looking to set up a 120g tank with a Trigger 36 sump, any idea what size pump (GPH range) I should use? I'm thinking of upgrading to a DC for the controllability but wondering if I'll then be sacrificing reliability.

Any advice / insight is greatly appreciated.

 

[MJNTWise]

Do you have a Apex? Cor 20? I just got 2 of them for my 180..controlablity and warnings

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[Armand9601]

No, unfortunately I don’t have an Apex however as I start the build I’m going to do a bit more research on them.

 

[lapin]

That is a impossible to answer question. There are so many variables. Including; overflow plumbing, return plumbing, manifold to reactors, tank flow rate desired and how to achieve that, whats going to be in the sump. Internal or external skimmer, and many more. 5x to 10x is the std for tank turn over. You can go from there. You can always dial back a pump with a valve on the return side.

 

[Bpb]

Return Pump Recommendation

Looking to set up a 120g tank with a Trigger 36 sump, any idea what size pump (GPH range) I should use? I'm thinking of upgrading to a DC for the controllability but wondering if I'll then be sacrificing reliability.



Any advice / insight is greatly appreciated.

I'll probably be the odd man out and say yes, you'll be sacrificing reliability for controllability. Unless you're going from something like a mag drive to a vectra, going a/c to d/c isn't a guaranteed upgrade. For a 120 gallon tank, running an eheim 1262 for lower flow, or a fluval sp4 for higher flow would be terrific. Yes you'd sacrifice control, but you would also get a stable long lasting pump which won't be at the mercy of its external power supply.

There are some nice DC return pumps out there. That's one area of the tank though that id favor longevity and reliability over other features.


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[billdogg]

I use a eheim 1262 as the return for my 120DT. If you want the most reliable pump on the market, look no further. it is now 6 years old and running like a champ. I also use a 1262 on my 60g FT. That one is now well over 30 years old. As for controlability, you can just put a ball or gate valve on the output of the pump to tune it back a bit if you think it's too much.

 

[Armand9601]

I really appreciate the feedback, thank you to everyone that’s responded, sounds like reliability & throwing on a gate valve to dial back flow is the way to go.

 

[billdogg]

FWIW - I run my 1262 wide open from a below tank sump, so maybe 5' of head pressure. According to the flow chart, that gives me ~600gph. No real need to restrict it unless you have a small drain.