What return pump?

RebelReef

RebelReef

New member
Looking for some recommendations on return pumps. The tank is 300g and the sump will be located in the basement. The water has to travel 18' horizontally and 8' vertically into two return lines. I've never needed a pump this strong so I have no idea. Looking for something somewhat energy efficient and quiet. Thanks.
 
Go to the top of the page and click on "Home", once there go to "Calculators" and select "Head Loss". This would be your starting point, even when considering your plumbing.
 
Okay, tried a 4200gph Reeflo and it was pumping less than a mag 24 does at the same distance. Any other thoughts? What about a dolphin amp master 5600?
 
I've run an Iwaki in a basement sump for about 5 years. Mine has a 13' head, and it has run great 24/7 for all that time.
 
The question of pipe size is very relevant, but without that info, I would recommend a Dolphin pump. Currently using the Amp Master 6250 from a 125 gallon sump (located on basement floor) up to a 255 gallon show tank on main level. This pump runs not only my return but also a custom manifold that serves the calcium and phosphate reactors, UV sterilizer, and has a return by-pass to sump to control flow in sump and maximize pump efficiency. Note that each use has a valve control and none are wide open. Pump still has plenty of water flow available as it is not running full throttle according to electrical usage in amps. Would also recommend the type 4 seal offered by Dolphin. Opened the pump up during a very recent aquarium rebuild and the seal looked like it did when I bought it about 2 years ago. Previous Dolphin pump I owned worked for over 10 years without any maintenance (I was lazy) until I sold it. Company provides outstanding service and advice.
 
Guys, I feel pretty stupid right now. All of my pipes are 1". I never knew pipe diameter has such a tremendous impact on the output of a pump. I plugged in the numbers in the calculator and the GPH nearly doubled when I calculated with 2" pipes instead of 1".

Originally, the tank was run on a mag 24 with 1" pipes. It pushed A LOT of water through two return lines. This is with the sump located in the stand.

After moving the tank, I was hoping to get by with the mag 24 running one return line. The calculator says I'm getting around 850gph with the remote sump and mag 24... but the return feels very weak... Id say around 500gph.

Then I put the Reeflo in with 1" pipes and it had less flow. So Im going to redo all of the plumbing and try the Reeflo again. Hopefully it works.

The Reeflo pump has a 2" inlet and 1.5" discharge hole. Based on their chart, with the correct plumbing... I'm seeing that I will have around 2000gph at 8' head. Of course this isn't counting the 18' horizontally the water has to travel to the tank. If its a problem, I can move the pump directly under the tank so I'll only have to worry the pump moving water 8' up. Does this sound like a good plan before I go hacking away? I'll post a link to my pumps flow chart if that helps.

Thank you very much to all that have responded.

http://www.webbsonline.com/catalog/pumpsext/PDF/4200SEQ12.pdf
 
Last edited:
What GPH are you looking to achieve?

IMO I would like to have less GPH through the sump area to allow your skimmer and macros (if using) more touch time with the water and use in tank circulation pumps (tunze, vortechs...etc) to move the water around to get the turnover rate, just my thoughts anyway.
 
BfishLpond78 said:
What GPH are you looking to achieve?

IMO I would like to have less GPH through the sump area to allow your skimmer and macros (if using) more touch time with the water and use in tank circulation pumps (tunze, vortechs...etc) to move the water around to get the turnover rate, just my thoughts anyway.
Click to expand...

You're absolutely right. I used to run my tanks this way. The skimmer is slightly oversized and theres not a ton of fish in there. Water quality is great. I like running a good bit of flow through the sump. In my opinion it oxygenates the water a bit more and keeps detritus from settling in the sump. I started running higher flow through the sump after going bare bottom on my tanks. I really feel it creates a healthier, more vibrant system.
 
I usually try and put a small powerheads in areas that may develop detritus...mainly in my return pump section.

My skinner section has lots of action as the outlet for my skinner puts out serious water movement. I also have an oversized skimmer...SRO3000 with about 150 gal of water...lol. I just redid my sump today.

40B and I have a mag 9.5 currently wide open with 3/4 inch returns so I have a lot of movement through the sump...might dial it back just a bit.

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2
 
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