Help! Pump Suggestions/Advice

Old Glory · 04/29/2012, 08:11 PM

I hurt my hip recently and I am unable to move as well as I used to. My tank is on the second floor and it is very difficult to perform water changes.

I make my water in the basement and used to be able to carry two 7.5 gallon jugs at a time up to the second floor and dump them in a barrel next to the tank. I would drain tank water into 5 gallon buckets and dump into my bathtub. Then pump the new water into the tank using a small submersible pump. I change about 28/30 gallons per week. I can't carry them up with my injury. I want to see if I can use a pump to transfer the water via hose from a 30 gallon barrel in basement to a 30 gallon barrel on second floor. The hose will be outside running from bulkhead door to door on second floor. I will reheat the water before I transfer to tank.

Can I use new unused garden hose?

What pump is necessary/can I use for this? Will a utility pump work or do I need an aquarium specific pump?

Thanks!

bnumair · 04/29/2012, 08:21 PM

first i am sorry to hear about ur injury, secondly hope to see u get well soon, thirdly if were closer i would do some water changes for u lol. forthly i am not sure on using garden hose. u can buy a clear tubing from homedepot or lowes in 25-50-100 ft rolls. i know they are 100% reef safe. probably cost the same. if its outside i would paint it black for algae not to grow in it.
u need a pump that can bring water up even after 10-15ft head loss.

tkeracer619 · 04/29/2012, 08:36 PM

So this is going up 2 flights of stairs?

There are a couple of options. It will take a serious pump.

The cheapest option imho is to mix the water on the top floor and use a aquatech booster pump to send the water up to the container upstairs. You can probably run the 1/4" tubing through your central air ducts easily if you have them.

tkeracer619 · 04/29/2012, 08:44 PM

Garden hose is not food grade. They make them for rv's that are but are expensive. You would need to cut off the ends though. If you need to mix salt in the basement a reeflo tarpon will pump up that high. I think its the tarpon (using cell atm) and I would use vinyl for the tubing.

woganaga · 04/29/2012, 09:35 PM

take a look at the shurflo demand pumps - they are typically used in RV's and they have a diaphragm pump model with no metal in the pump head. It has no problem pumping up 2 stories. Added plus is they come with a pressure sensor - so when you open the valve where you are unloading the water, the pump will turn on. When you close the valve, the pressure sensor will turn the pump off. Check sites like Northern tool or tractor supply...

here is a picture of mine - goes from the basement to the first floor. On the first floor is the tank. From there is a connector that i can connect a vinyl tube for getting the mixed salt water to the 2nd floor.

Old Glory · 05/01/2012, 04:51 AM

Thank you for all your replies and help. I ordered a 75' water supply hose and will cut off the metal ends. I will have to save up for a larger pump. The RV pumps look good but they look like they need to be hard wired.

I also picked up a Danner Mag Pond pump that pumps 950 gallons an hour. Do you think that will work?

Danner 02720 Pond Mag 9.5 950-Gallon-Per-Hour Pump

tkeracer619 · 05/01/2012, 05:29 PM

Mag 9.5 won't make it.

You can put a plug on the pump mentioned above if it doesn't come factory with one. Its easy.

woganaga · 05/02/2012, 07:18 AM

I do not think you will be able to find a centerfugal pump that can handle the head-pressure you need at an economical px. The positive displacement pumps like the rv pump I use range from $59 - $99.... You might be able to find one pre-wired, but if not pm me... I can walk you through it you would basically be adding a lamp cord with plug to the leads ...

gweston · 05/02/2012, 08:49 AM

I really like the idea of that demand pump woganaga.

The only thing with that pump that I'd want to look into... make sure it can handle salt water. Its probably fine with RODI. My concern would be salt corrosion if you ran saltwater through it. Probably not worth getting overly analytical. If it is just used to transfer water on occasion, and is flushed with RODI after running saltwater, that may be ok too I guess.

A few thoughts, I am not a plumber or an expert on materials/corrosion by any means.

woganaga · 05/02/2012, 04:39 PM

Gweston - agreed 100% .... Basically I pump up the saltwater and then pump up ro/di into the topoff bucket which cleans out the pump.... My topoff water ends up having a slight amt of salt, but it is not measurable on the refractometer.

I do not remember the exact materials off the top of my head but all the wetted parts were plastics that you find in other aquarium parts.... Having said that the pump is specified for freshwater use only but i have had no issues (yet)

04/29/2012, 08:11 PM	#1
Old Glory Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 32	Help! Pump Suggestions/Advice I hurt my hip recently and I am unable to move as well as I used to. My tank is on the second floor and it is very difficult to perform water changes. I make my water in the basement and used to be able to carry two 7.5 gallon jugs at a time up to the second floor and dump them in a barrel next to the tank. I would drain tank water into 5 gallon buckets and dump into my bathtub. Then pump the new water into the tank using a small submersible pump. I change about 28/30 gallons per week. I can't carry them up with my injury. I want to see if I can use a pump to transfer the water via hose from a 30 gallon barrel in basement to a 30 gallon barrel on second floor. The hose will be outside running from bulkhead door to door on second floor. I will reheat the water before I transfer to tank. Can I use new unused garden hose? What pump is necessary/can I use for this? Will a utility pump work or do I need an aquarium specific pump? Thanks!

04/29/2012, 08:21 PM	#2
bnumair Dr. Reef at ur service Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tulsa, Ok, USA Posts: 7,751 Blog Entries: 15	first i am sorry to hear about ur injury, secondly hope to see u get well soon, thirdly if were closer i would do some water changes for u lol. forthly i am not sure on using garden hose. u can buy a clear tubing from homedepot or lowes in 25-50-100 ft rolls. i know they are 100% reef safe. probably cost the same. if its outside i would paint it black for algae not to grow in it. u need a pump that can bring water up even after 10-15ft head loss. __________________ Water Quality: NO3 0,Phos 0,Cal 440,Alk 7.5,Mag 1300 "Reef Fast, You Crash, Reef Slow, You Pass" Mike's Reef 3:16 Current Tank Info: 350g DT,95g sump, 50g Frag tank, 4800gph return 4x Sea swirls. 6x AI Vega Color. 200# Pukani rock, dual recirculating skimmer, Biopellet, GFO Carbon rx's, Cal rx. Closed loop. 1.5hp chiller, genesis renew. Apex & RKE

04/29/2012, 08:36 PM	#3
tkeracer619 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Westminster, CO Posts: 17,289	So this is going up 2 flights of stairs? There are a couple of options. It will take a serious pump. The cheapest option imho is to mix the water on the top floor and use a aquatech booster pump to send the water up to the container upstairs. You can probably run the 1/4" tubing through your central air ducts easily if you have them. __________________ Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k.

04/29/2012, 08:44 PM	#4
tkeracer619 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Westminster, CO Posts: 17,289	Garden hose is not food grade. They make them for rv's that are but are expensive. You would need to cut off the ends though. If you need to mix salt in the basement a reeflo tarpon will pump up that high. I think its the tarpon (using cell atm) and I would use vinyl for the tubing. __________________ Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k.

05/01/2012, 05:29 PM	#7
tkeracer619 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Westminster, CO Posts: 17,289	Mag 9.5 won't make it. You can put a plug on the pump mentioned above if it doesn't come factory with one. Its easy. __________________ Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k.

04/29/2012, 09:35 PM	#5
woganaga Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Lehigh Valley Posts: 109	take a look at the shurflo demand pumps - they are typically used in RV's and they have a diaphragm pump model with no metal in the pump head. It has no problem pumping up 2 stories. Added plus is they come with a pressure sensor - so when you open the valve where you are unloading the water, the pump will turn on. When you close the valve, the pressure sensor will turn the pump off. Check sites like Northern tool or tractor supply... here is a picture of mine - goes from the basement to the first floor. On the first floor is the tank. From there is a connector that i can connect a vinyl tube for getting the mixed salt water to the 2nd floor.

05/01/2012, 04:51 AM	#6
Old Glory Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 32	Thank you for all your replies and help. I ordered a 75' water supply hose and will cut off the metal ends. I will have to save up for a larger pump. The RV pumps look good but they look like they need to be hard wired. I also picked up a Danner Mag Pond pump that pumps 950 gallons an hour. Do you think that will work? Danner 02720 Pond Mag 9.5 950-Gallon-Per-Hour Pump

05/02/2012, 07:18 AM	#8
woganaga Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Lehigh Valley Posts: 109	I do not think you will be able to find a centerfugal pump that can handle the head-pressure you need at an economical px. The positive displacement pumps like the rv pump I use range from $59 - $99.... You might be able to find one pre-wired, but if not pm me... I can walk you through it you would basically be adding a lamp cord with plug to the leads ...

05/02/2012, 08:49 AM	#9
gweston Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Gardner, MA Posts: 961	I really like the idea of that demand pump woganaga. The only thing with that pump that I'd want to look into... make sure it can handle salt water. Its probably fine with RODI. My concern would be salt corrosion if you ran saltwater through it. Probably not worth getting overly analytical. If it is just used to transfer water on occasion, and is flushed with RODI after running saltwater, that may be ok too I guess. A few thoughts, I am not a plumber or an expert on materials/corrosion by any means.

05/02/2012, 04:39 PM	#10
woganaga Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Lehigh Valley Posts: 109	Gweston - agreed 100% .... Basically I pump up the saltwater and then pump up ro/di into the topoff bucket which cleans out the pump.... My topoff water ends up having a slight amt of salt, but it is not measurable on the refractometer. I do not remember the exact materials off the top of my head but all the wetted parts were plastics that you find in other aquarium parts.... Having said that the pump is specified for freshwater use only but i have had no issues (yet)