Return pump

[machodik]

Dear All,

I am using Eheim compact 5000+ as my main pump or return pump , using 1" PVC pipe , about 4 feet from sump to display and there is a check valve plus 2 X 90 degree elbow . As per factory specs it is rated 1320 U.S. Gallon or 5000L .

I am using this for my 420 liters water volume system .

I wonder with my above said plumbing what will be the actual flow rate then?

Thinking of going to change for either Abyzz or Red Dragon pump if this pump is not efficient enough for the actual flow rate needed for my systems .

Happy to hear from you guys !


Cheers,


MD

[Jade5051]

Around 50 liters a minute.

[machodik]

So this means around 3000 liters per hour. Is this good enough to my system ?

[slief]

With 1" PVC, a 4' head, your two 90's and the check valve, that will put you at about 6.5' of head pressure. That Eheim will be pushing 360gph or less at that height. It's not enough in my opinion. I would aim for around 5-6x your display size as the minimum flow at a height of 6' assuming you don;t plan on running any reactors or anything else from that return. It's always a good idea to have more flow than you need because you can gate it down but the minimum I would suggest is 5x the display size at the calculated head.

[machodik]

Hi Scott,

Yes , that is the idea that is why I am planning to change my return pump very soon.

By the way , I just want to know the red dragon 80 W with RD3 what is the size connecting to the PVC ? My intention is not to make a big changes with my plumbing , so it will be best is just to connect to my 1" PVC pipe with silicone of that size in between .

As per you mentioned 5x of my water volume system so in this case, I think Red dragon 80 W pump is just the best suitable since it is rated at 8000L/h (2113 GPH), a little over but not lesser.

[slief]

Originally Posted by machodik

Hi Scott,

Yes , that is the idea that is why I am planning to change my return pump very soon.

By the way , I just want to know the red dragon 80 W with RD3 what is the size connecting to the PVC ? My intention is not to make a big changes with my plumbing , so it will be best is just to connect to my 1" PVC pipe with silicone of that size in between .

As per you mentioned 5x of my water volume system so in this case, I think Red dragon 80 W pump is just the best suitable since it is rated at 8000L/h (2113 GPH), a little over but not lesser.

In your case it would be 50mm in and 32mm out. We use 1.5" in and 1" out in the US...

[Jade5051]

Originally Posted by slief

...With 1" PVC, a 4' head, your two 90's and the check valve, that will put you at about 6.5' of head pressure...

Scott, for my better understanding, how are you calculating this head pressure?

[machodik]

Originally Posted by slief

In your case it would be 50mm in and 32mm out. We use 1.5" in and 1" out in the US...

For clarification , the "In" refer to inlet to this pump and the "out" is to the 1" PVC to the display ? As I will have this submersible in the sump so the "in" or the 1.5" is actually not a concern here ?



If this is the case then no need any plumbing changes with my existing 1" PVC pipe?

[slief]

Originally Posted by Jade5051

Scott, for my better understanding, how are you calculating this head pressure?

I used one of the many head pressure calculators. In this case the one from the reef central home page. I chose a pump with similar flow to figur out total head and then cross referenced that to the Eheim flow chart.
http://www.reefcentral.com/index.php...oss-calculator

[slief]

Originally Posted by machodik

For clarification , the "In" refer to inlet to this pump and the "out" is to the 1" PVC to the display ? As I will have this submersible in the sump so the "in" or the 1.5" is actually not a concern here ?



If this is the case then no need any plumbing changes with my existing 1" PVC pipe?

Yes.. "In" is the big one on the front of the pump were water enters the pump from. Out is the 1" or 32mm one on the top where water exits the pump. If you order the pump from Europe, you will need to request the US imperial fittings to get the 1" ones. All pumps shipped from Europe include metric fittings and not imperial. Only the North American pumps get imperial fittings. Since it will be used as a submersible, you don't need to concern yourself with the inlet fitting. Just the outlet that goes to your display.

[reefforums]

MD,

Have you tried calculating the actual flow rate coming from your pre-filter into the sump? You can use a 1 liter and time how long it takes to fill it then calculated the flow rate per hour using the following formula:

3600/fill time for 1 liter container=LPH

For the "System" pump, you should have a target of 2-3 times the system volume turnover per hour. I.E., 420l X(2 to 3)=840 to 1260 lph. This flow rate spec/requirement is NOT the same as the flow rate required inside the aquarium proper to facilitate circulation for the animals. That will vary greatly depending on the type of animals and reefscape.

Based upon the head and plumbing you described, the CP5000+ should be able to provide that flow if not well in excess of it. In contrast, the Abyzz A100 will be able to provide that flow rate quite easily with minimal power consumption (I would estimate around 15-20 watts or so vs the Eheim @ 78 watts. Complete silence, programability, controller interface/integration (0...10v), and a 10 year warranty!

I hope that info helps!

-Jeff

Originally Posted by machodik

Dear All,

I am using Eheim compact 5000+ as my main pump or return pump , using 1" PVC pipe , about 4 feet from sump to display and there is a check valve plus 2 X 90 degree elbow . As per factory specs it is rated 1320 U.S. Gallon or 5000L .

I am using this for my 420 liters water volume system .

I wonder with my above said plumbing what will be the actual flow rate then?

Thinking of going to change for either Abyzz or Red Dragon pump if this pump is not efficient enough for the actual flow rate needed for my systems .

Happy to hear from you guys !


Cheers,


MD