Pump size for return

justinf67 · 06/02/2010, 12:52 PM

I am building a fuge for my 28g build and I ams stuck using a 10g for now. I had previously had a sump on a freshwater tank. This consisted of an eshopps pf1000 dual pipe overflow with a large rio that pumped 840gph at 4 ft of head...
I will be building a bubble trap, but with the 10g its tough as the dual pipes take up a lot of room in the sump and I feel the rio pump is way too much flow for the 28g and will push microbubbles into the tank. I may be building a new overflow box and I need to know what size pump I should be using on my 28g. I have read that u should keep the pump return between 3-5x turnover to avoid microbubbles. So, should I be looking for a pump that pushes between 90-150 gph?

justinf67 · 06/02/2010, 03:48 PM

anyone?

mutateddogbone · 06/02/2010, 06:43 PM

rule of thumb is a return pump that can do 10x turnover rate or more per hour

30g - mag 3
75g - mag 7

Agu · 06/02/2010, 07:46 PM

First question that comes to mind, Will the return pump create your primary flow or is it just to circulate water through your sump?

If it's the primary flow the 10X rule is applicable if you want to have SPS corals. Lower is acceptable if you want LPS or softies. However you do risk the microbubbles problem with flow that high.

If you have other sources of flow, substantially lower flow from the return pump is acceptable and probably preferable. Less chance of microbubbles , less chance your return pump will create a vortex and suck air if water levels drop, and more time for waste to be skimmed/settle out before it gets pumped back into the display.

FWIW I have a 10 gallon sump with a Maxijet 1200 (300 gph before similar head) as a return. With my other sources of flow it works for me ......

justinf67 · 06/02/2010, 08:35 PM

Like I said, I have a setup more suited for a 75g or so tank as far as flow with my current setup being it was running 840 gph. I built a fuge today out of a 10g and tomorrow will be leak testing it. If all goes well, I will be try to get the fuge integrated. The ehopps overflow I have might be too much as well. I may do a diy box and drain along with a smaller sized pump... The maxijet 1200 would work pretty well, right? Its not putting too much pressure forcing it up 4 ft of head?

I was wanting the fuge to be the main source of flow. I was gonna add a powerhead in the tank as well. Currently, while the tank is cycling, I have a penguin 150 with just some floss in it. I was using it to clear the water after adding my aragonite sand, which even after washing, clouded everything quite a bit...

What would be ideal to add to the tank for flow if I ran the fuge with a 300gph pump? Would a powerhead in tank be sufficient? Or should I add something else?

mutateddogbone · 06/02/2010, 08:56 PM

http://www.reefcentral.com/calc/hlc2.php

head loss calculator, you can factor everything in and it tells you how many gph you are actually going to get

justinf67 · 06/03/2010, 09:49 AM

I will prob run the maxijet 1200 for a return. It took a bit of research, but I found a chart for head and gph for it. I see a lot of people use them for intank as well, so I assume the build quality is pretty good... What should I use intank? another maxijet 1200? A koreila?

06/02/2010, 12:52 PM	#1
justinf67 Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 249	Pump size for return I am building a fuge for my 28g build and I ams stuck using a 10g for now. I had previously had a sump on a freshwater tank. This consisted of an eshopps pf1000 dual pipe overflow with a large rio that pumped 840gph at 4 ft of head... I will be building a bubble trap, but with the 10g its tough as the dual pipes take up a lot of room in the sump and I feel the rio pump is way too much flow for the 28g and will push microbubbles into the tank. I may be building a new overflow box and I need to know what size pump I should be using on my 28g. I have read that u should keep the pump return between 3-5x turnover to avoid microbubbles. So, should I be looking for a pump that pushes between 90-150 gph?

06/02/2010, 06:43 PM	#3
mutateddogbone Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Broken Arrow, OK Posts: 1,016	rule of thumb is a return pump that can do 10x turnover rate or more per hour 30g - mag 3 75g - mag 7 __________________ 2013 Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society - President An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure Current Tank Info: 75g braceless SPS dominated w/ 50g Frag Tank

06/02/2010, 07:46 PM	#4
Agu Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Sarasota, Florida Posts: 30,279	First question that comes to mind, Will the return pump create your primary flow or is it just to circulate water through your sump? If it's the primary flow the 10X rule is applicable if you want to have SPS corals. Lower is acceptable if you want LPS or softies. However you do risk the microbubbles problem with flow that high. If you have other sources of flow, substantially lower flow from the return pump is acceptable and probably preferable. Less chance of microbubbles , less chance your return pump will create a vortex and suck air if water levels drop, and more time for waste to be skimmed/settle out before it gets pumped back into the display. FWIW I have a 10 gallon sump with a Maxijet 1200 (300 gph before similar head) as a return. With my other sources of flow it works for me ...... __________________ Less technology , more biology . Current Tank Info: 30 gallon half cube and 5.5, both reef tanks

06/02/2010, 08:56 PM	#6
mutateddogbone Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Broken Arrow, OK Posts: 1,016	http://www.reefcentral.com/calc/hlc2.php head loss calculator, you can factor everything in and it tells you how many gph you are actually going to get __________________ 2013 Oklahoma Marine Aquarium Society - President An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure Current Tank Info: 75g braceless SPS dominated w/ 50g Frag Tank

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06/02/2010, 03:48 PM	#2
justinf67 Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 249	anyone?

06/02/2010, 08:35 PM	#5
justinf67 Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 249	Like I said, I have a setup more suited for a 75g or so tank as far as flow with my current setup being it was running 840 gph. I built a fuge today out of a 10g and tomorrow will be leak testing it. If all goes well, I will be try to get the fuge integrated. The ehopps overflow I have might be too much as well. I may do a diy box and drain along with a smaller sized pump... The maxijet 1200 would work pretty well, right? Its not putting too much pressure forcing it up 4 ft of head? I was wanting the fuge to be the main source of flow. I was gonna add a powerhead in the tank as well. Currently, while the tank is cycling, I have a penguin 150 with just some floss in it. I was using it to clear the water after adding my aragonite sand, which even after washing, clouded everything quite a bit... What would be ideal to add to the tank for flow if I ran the fuge with a 300gph pump? Would a powerhead in tank be sufficient? Or should I add something else?

06/03/2010, 09:49 AM	#7
justinf67 Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 249	I will prob run the maxijet 1200 for a return. It took a bit of research, but I found a chart for head and gph for it. I see a lot of people use them for intank as well, so I assume the build quality is pretty good... What should I use intank? another maxijet 1200? A koreila?