return pump suggestion

[prickles]

Hello, I am trying to decide on a return pump...
It's a 120g with two overflows...leemar...
I am going to run mostly SPS, with a few LPS. Is there a reason not to do lots of flow through the return? I am considering a snapper hybrid (3200gph) or an eheim 1262 (900gph) which will require more powerheads inside the tank.

Can I do the higher return pump and scrimp on powerheads or will it cause problems? If so, is the 1262 too high as well?

 

[iamwrasseman]

first you dont want more flow than your overflows can handle and i think the snapper would be to big . also you will find that you will want to control where the water flow in the tank goes and its much easier to do this with a powerhead . your returns will not create enough internal flow for sps .
the whole turnover thing is somewhat difficult to estimate ans you should be much more concerned with the flow within the tank .
also where is your sump going to be located in terms of head height ?

 

[prickles]

I am doing the standard sump under stand thing so the head height is pretty low, just 5'. So if the snapper's too strong, what's a good one? I like the power usage on the snapper of only 95w or so based on ~3000gph, whereas other pumps do 900gph at 85w. What flow rate do I want going through my sump? I know the snapper can be restricted using a ball valve and it uses less wattage? I assume there is a limit to how low you can go and still be reasonably efficient though.

So what GPH do I want with 2 overflows?

 

[reefsurfing]

prickles take a look at the ocean runner 3500, low energy consumption and great flow for a tank your size, take care.

 

[Fishamatank]

You won't like a huge pump and tons of turn over through your sump nor is there many good reasons to do so.
You will have problems with noise and micro bubbles and the added flow will not be very useful compared to flow from power heads.

 

[SNAKEMANVET]

I would run a mag 18,and a couple of powerheads.

 

[iamwrasseman]

panworld 100 is my guess

 

[aleonn]

Mag-Drive 18 is too much wattage and heat (and some say noise too) imo. They're recommended for submersible use, in case you wanted to go external.

Ideally the flow rate would match your protein skimmer's rate. If there's too much flow, the water going through the sump has less contact time w/ the skimmer. Also, too much flow can lead to noise from the drain, and possibly microbubbles (not sure on this point though).

Also how many drains and what is the drain size? You can always have powerheads in the display tank to provide additional flow.

I went with the Water Blaster HY 7000 (88W) for my 180g. I bought mine at Aquacave with a 5% discount (Code: RC5). There are the HY 5000 and HY 3000 models for your consideration.

 

[iamwrasseman]

i have only seen the Water Blaster pumps in magazines but they look like they are nice pumps for sure .

 

[afernandez]

That's what I'm going to use in my build hydro 5000lph =1300gph good enough for my 155

 

[aleonn]

I took a bit of a calculated risk purchasing the Water Blaster pumps, as they look great on paper. To be fair, because they're so new, there isn't any data on head loss ratings, reviews, and haven't yet passed the test of time. But their company has made successful pumps for the Reef Octopus skimmers (Bubble Blasters), so I went ahead with the purchase.

 

[WhoDey64]

I was in the same situation as you and one of my local club guys pointed me towards the reeflo tarpon. 1440 gph but is a high head pressure pump rated at over 40' of head and very quiet with fan cooling. You should give them a look.