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Need some advice on a pump for my sump

absoluteshawn

absoluteshawn

Here's the setup..... 75 Gallon tank, flowing into a 37 gallon long refugium/sump. It's drilled with 1/2" PVC plumbing. What do you think my best option for GPH out of a pump would be. Probably looking at a 4 foot rise. I know I can ball valve the inlet as well to slow down the flow or ball valve the return but I've heard this creates some "noise". You guys are pros.... let me know what you think.
 
Nickjr000

Nickjr000

Id prob use a mag 9.5 or a mag 12 and u can run somethin else off it 2. Ball valves r fine to use. Really have to know what size overflow/drain u have, so we can see how many gph u can flow through the tank.
 
magic

magic

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Always put the ball valve on the outlet side or you'll burn out your pump.

Bob
 
ricwilli

ricwilli

The pumps that Nickj recommended should be good. The bad thing about them, is that they run hot. I like the eheim pumps. The 1262 would be great. You can run it on a manifold to run other stuff like gfo or carbon reactor. Which Nickjr also mentioned.
 
howze01

howze01

NJRC Member
I just set up my new tank and I LOVE the Sicce Syncra 5 I have on it. Problem is it's waaaaaaay too strong for my set up. Thinking of swapping it out for a weaker model. One of the nice things about them is that they have a dial on the front that you turnn to adjust the flow. No valve needed!
 
redfishbluefish

redfishbluefish

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Part of what determines your return flow rate (how big a pump you need) is the overflow rate you have. Obviously you don’t want to put more water into the DT than what the overflow can handle. As an example, lets assume your overflow handles 700 gph. You want a return pump that supplies less than 700 gph.

Accordingly I believe what downbeach was getting at is whether or not the ½ bulkhead is in the DT or the sump. The other consideration, even if there is a bulkhead in the sump, is whether you wish to run a submersible pump (in sump) or an external pump.

So I’ll restate the question. Where is this ½ bulkhead and what kind of overflow do you have? This will help with the advice.
 
Nickjr000

Nickjr000

Bob is right , should of specified what side the ball valve should go. Always the outlet side. Also ricwilli is right the mags do run hot , but they are cheap. Also if your gonna use leds or t5 u can prob get away with the heat. With only a 1/2 drain line your not gonna get many gph. I think a 1" is around 600-750. A 1/2 " might b around 2-300, im just guessing though. You sure the drain line is 1/2" ? thats real small . I think most 75rr come with 1-1" drain
 
downbeach

downbeach

Is it a reef ready tank? Does it have an overflow chamber with the holes through the bottom of the tank?

Can you post a picture of the tank and current plumbing?
 
absoluteshawn

absoluteshawn

redfishbluefish said:
Part of what determines your return flow rate (how big a pump you need) is the overflow rate you have. Obviously you don’t want to put more water into the DT than what the overflow can handle. As an example, lets assume your overflow handles 700 gph. You want a return pump that supplies less than 700 gph.

Accordingly I believe what downbeach was getting at is whether or not the ½ bulkhead is in the DT or the sump. The other consideration, even if there is a bulkhead in the sump, is whether you wish to run a submersible pump (in sump) or an external pump.

So I’ll restate the question. Where is this ½ bulkhead and what kind of overflow do you have? This will help with the advice.
Click to expand...

Well, it's a used setup I just got. The bulkhead is drilled about 2 inches below the waterline in the acrylic DT. The Sump is a 37 gallon long, and has bulkeads drilled in the glass about 1/3 the way down. I know I can always plug them up if need be. I've just never run a "plumbed" setup before with PVC. Always had a HOB overflow. I'd like to run an insump pump, not an external.
 
absoluteshawn

absoluteshawn

Acrylic1.jpgacrylic2.jpgsump.jpg

Ok, here's the setup. Keep in mind. This is two Acrylic tanks, one on top of the other. I'm only using one of them, but the package was for both. They're drilled on the side. The one tank has a bulkhead down low (why I don't know) and one up high, with a skimmer cone on it. The second tank is only drilled in one spot up high, so I'll probably use that. Maybe someone has an idea why the first one is drilled so low (run in a series maybe?)
The sump has two holes drilled side by side, but they're kinda lower than I would've expected them.
 
absoluteshawn

absoluteshawn

Also, this doesn't have to be a high class set-up. lol It's not being used for any kind of amazing display. Mostly frags, trades, stock, etc.
 
downbeach

downbeach

I can't make heads or tails of it, I may have to come take a look at it. It wasn't your typical set up, from what I can see.
 
absoluteshawn

absoluteshawn

downbeach said:
I can't make heads or tails of it, I may have to come take a look at it. It wasn't your typical set up, from what I can see.
Click to expand...

I know, it's odd. The one tank is drilled higher with an intake just below the waterline, with a standard strainer like you'd see in any LFS. But then down low, it has another capped off bulkhead. (why, I don't know) I guess I could just drill another bulkhead up high for a return line, and leave the lower one alone capped off. My bigger question I guess was the flow rate of the pump. Didn't know if I should be in the 400, 600, 800, 1000 gph range. lol
 
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