Best return pump for the money?

Total for the powerheads plus return

 

I was just looking at the blowhole 1450 and think that is what i will go with. Sounds like a quiet and reliable pump.....

Any input from you guys?

Oh and thanks for the replies!!

 

Hello,
Another nice pump is the Waveline DC 5000 @ 1350gph w/6 speed controller for $ 199.00.
Good Luck!

 

Okay one other question for the moment, i guess I am confused or just not grasping the 20-50x flow rate. Is that times the total sytem, just tank, or?

If I do go with the Reeflo BH 1450. I am also going to get a Hydor smart wave controller, What size heads should I get? I am thinking of starting with two heads.

I know you probably would need to know but, I am not sure exactly what I am going for at the monet as far as a FOWLR or reef. So, is there something that will work for both?

Right now I have a fairly new system with cured LR, nothing else.


Okay I just seen 20-50x the tank volume. So does that mean like 1450 for the pump and if i went with the koralia 1400. That would be 1450+2800= 4250gph or about 35x my tank. will that be sufficient? Or am I way off?

 

Your math is correct. But you also need to take into account additional head loss on the return pump due to fittings (elbows), etc. But you are on the right track. With the SmartWave, you can add multiple pumps to each plug, so you are not limited to just the two. You would definitely benefit from another, 1400 or maybe 1050.

 

Is your return running wide open, or do you have it valved down?

 

Your display tank. You can do the nominal volume of the actual volume if you measure that.

 

I shoot for 3-5x the display volume, I have a Sicce 5 on a 180 gal and its dialed down a bit. If I dont dial it down its about 1000 gals an hour at the tank, I could have gotten away with a Sicce 4.

The Sicce is dead silent, all you hear is the overflow draining and the protein skimmer.

IMO use just enough pump to keep the DT surface skimmed and get your tank circulation with powerheads or a CL