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Unread 07/08/2011, 10:58 PM   #1
daplatapus
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Return pump research

I've been researching the pump I need for my return to the DT. I seem to be in a bit of a twilight zone though. My sump is going to be in my basement which is barely 6' floor to underside of floor joist. So rough head pressure will be approx. 10' and adding a few 90's for plumbing I'll be around 15' head pressure when all's said and done. Finding a pump that will give my 80 gal reef tank the required 800 gph flow at 15' of head appears to be a challange if I'm reading these pump charts right.
The ReeFlo Super Dart Gold Pump (4300 gph) won't do it (750 gph at only 12' head), so I have to go to the next larger pump, but that's the ReeFlo Barracuda Gold Pump (4680 gph) but at 16' head it's putting out 2400 gph!

Am I missing something? Can someone point me in the right direction for a pump that will serve my purpose? Even the Mag-drive 36 will put out 1000 gph at 15', but a quick look at a few retailers, no one sells it.


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Unread 07/08/2011, 11:48 PM   #2
dzhuo
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There are lots of pumps that would work. For ~800GPH @ 15', I would look into Blueline 70 HD.


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Unread 07/09/2011, 12:33 AM   #3
jamesbaur13
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WOAH!!

All your return pump needs to do is process what your skimmer and other filtration is doing (mainly your skimmer).

Start looking at these 2 things...

#1 your sump, What do you need in terms of GPH to keep up with all of the filtration processes you have going on within the sump? ...skimmer, GFO, carbon, etc. Chances are your skimmer will have the highest rate of flow... that GPH is all you need of your return pump if your sump is partitioned correctly. Going higher means you are taking in more than you can process. At max you need 2x's per hour, everything else is overkill . You don't need 10 x's per hr turnover through your sump!

#2 What flow rate do you need for your tank to grow the species you want to grow?

It sounds like you might be trying to combine point #1 and point #2... that's good sometimes, but it's not good when you are working against as much force as you are. Gravity is a pain. Don't fight it. You'll go farther by supplementing your return flow with power heads.

You have an 80g display you can easily hit 30x's turnover ratio with a pair of hydor koralia 1400 for $45 each

Not saying that is the way to go, but it is a way to go and it is cheaper then you have been researching.

Hope I helped.



Last edited by jamesbaur13; 07/09/2011 at 01:05 AM.
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Unread 07/09/2011, 08:02 AM   #4
daplatapus
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Hmmmm, ok. Told ya I was a noob. Well, maybe I didn't but now you know.
For starters I will be FOWLR but want to move into corals as time and budget allow. From what I had read the target flow was 10X your gallonage per hour. I based this on:

http://www.livingreefs.com/sump-size...mp-t33623.html (read post 4 & 7)

http://www.3reef.com/forums/filters-...ump-36636.html

http://www.3reef.com/forums/i-made/1...ns-110940.html (post 3)

I don't want to be limited by pump size when I want to move into SPS (if my wife/budget allows) I'd rather throttle back the pump or put a bypass in. I just don't want a tsunami in my basement from a massive pump that's only being used at 10% either. Suggestions? What are you using for your return pumps and what tank volumes are they hitting?


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Unread 07/09/2011, 10:53 AM   #5
Baldguy
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I like the Tunze Silence pump. Output is adjustable at the pump so no valves needed to limit the output. Still might not be enough flow with your head pressure though. Like James said power heads for tank flow and return pump for sump flow.


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Unread 07/09/2011, 03:02 PM   #6
Green Chromis
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I would look into buying a good pressure rated pump like the Iwaki line of pumps. Someone else suggested the blueline pumps, also look into the Pan World pumps. These are all pressure rated pumps and will use more electricity than regular pumps which maybe be a problem for some people.


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Unread 07/09/2011, 03:42 PM   #7
TellyFish
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Im currently running the ReeFlo Super Dart Gold (4300 gph) for a display and prop tank system and it is a phenomenal pump. If you get a pump with more flow than you may need, just plumb in a valve to divert the flow back into the sump so you can dial back the flow.

Photobucket

Your pushing the water up 6 feet plus, who knows you may want to plumb in a reactor or something else down the line and IMHO you'll appreciate the extra power from the return pump especially with the basement sump.

My skimmer is not plumbed into the drain so it gets the proper amount of water input regardless of my return pump. I don't place a whole lot of faith in these various rules regarding 'optimal' turn-over. They have gotten too confused over the years and were often based on things like refrugiums, fuges, skimmers, etc... and may not necessarily relate to your specific situation. It sounds to me like you have a pretty good idea of what you need.

The Reeflo pumps are great for electricity. If you didn't want to go with the Reeflo because its just too much extra flow, I would second the BL-70 HD as a great choice.


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Last edited by TellyFish; 07/09/2011 at 04:06 PM.
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