return pump

Snelly40

Snelly40

Well-Known Member
hey guys, i am still piecing together everything for my new 90 gallon.
i got a nice sump from woody and am going to build a fuge into it as well and add some height to the baffles to make it hold about 30 gallons.
my question is though, what type or brand and make and model should i get for a return pump?
 
Woodstock

Woodstock

The Wand Geek was here. ;)
RS STAFF
External or submersible?
Ihave used submersible Quiet One and Mag Drive pumps with great success. Although the magdrive seemed to increase the water temp a tad.
I will soon have my first external pump going and will then be able to offer advise on them. With that said, I have read that external pumps can be more energy effecient and add less heat to the water than the submersible pumps. I purchased an Iwaki 55rtl external pump for my new tank.

Good luck with your decision and I am glad you could use the sump :)
 
prow

prow

Well-Known Member
the best submersible pumps i have used are the sedras. i have used just about every one too.

for external pump yeah like woodstock said. for the quaility of a external pump can not tell you which ones are better than which but it is pretty well known/or said to be, iwaki pumps with japanses motors are by far the best. a distant second is iwaki pumps with american motors. at least that what i have come to understand from others.
 
Snelly40

Snelly40

Well-Known Member
is there a certain gph or flow rate i should be at for about 120 gallons of water in the system?
 
prow

prow

Well-Known Member
what you want to do with the refugium/sump will determine what the best flow rates should be. most go with about 5x turnover rate total water volume in there refugiums. the limiting factor on the overflow rate is your bulk head and that will determine your pump size, so match your pump with your bulk head then adjust acordingly to your needs and your tanks setup capabilities.

just incase your dont know already but the turn over rate in the main tank should be say 20x turnover, via powerheads, return pump ect..again this depends on what you are keeping, sps,lps, softies ect..but it does not mean you have to have that same turnover rate of 20x going through your sump. whatever the main taks rate is most refugiums run at 5x turnover rates or even less.
 
BrothaWolf

BrothaWolf

Well-Known Member
Your overflow can only handle about 600 gph So once you calculate head pressure etc anything over that to the tank will run your pump dry. I have a 75 gallon and 30 gallons working water in my sump... I have mine T'd off twice One to the fuge and one back to the sump. If I close both valves my pump runs dry. 3-5 x's turnover is what was recommended to me...
 
Snelly40

Snelly40

Well-Known Member
ok so the 90 aga with the magnaflow can handle 600gph, and it is of course gonna be going up about 4 feet.
i am gonna look at this right now, thanks wolf
eheim 1262
 
rDr4g0n

rDr4g0n

Well-Known Member
i purchased a quiet one 3000 (on a recommendation from someone else here at RS) that is rated at 780 gph. it can run wet and dry, so it wont burn up if the system runs dry, though it will get hot.

its relatively quiet and does what i need it to do (a little more than that actually).
 
burning2nd

burning2nd

Well-Known Member
ive had my mag 7 for almost 1 year... and today i just cleaned it for the first time...


needless 2 say.

it never let me down.
 
Woodstock

Woodstock

The Wand Geek was here. ;)
RS STAFF
I would go with the Eheim followed VERY closely by the magdrive. :) If heat isn't an issue, save a few $ and get the Magdrive.
 
Snelly40

Snelly40

Well-Known Member
alright, eheim it is, and with the scwd hooked up the 900 gph should work well i'm thinking, thanks for the tips guys.
if its that much better id rather spend the little extra
 
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