Return pump help.

Hi all. I need some help replacing my return pump. My LFS isnt much help but heres what I have. My tank is 180g the overflows and returns are in the center of the tank. The overflows are 1' pvc x2 and the return are 3/4 x2. The sump is a adhi sump and guessing 25g in it at all times the the overflow pipes drop down into the first chamber where thr ev-240 skimmer with mag 12 then flows to the chaeto and then a foam block and then the return pump. The return line comes up from the pump to the bulkhead in the sump takes a 90 goes about 2 and 1/2 feet and then connects to the bulk heads on the bottom of the tank and up about 3ft. Whats a good pump to put on this tank? I had a mag24 which I dont know was good enough or to much. I hooked up a ehiem 1262 but didnt know if the was enough and the flow coming out the return lines wasnt alot in my mind.

This is a mixed tank with sps and lps with some zoas. I do have 2 mp40 turned more than 3/4 the way for flow. Can I use the 1262 would that be enough or do I need to go something bigger for more or faster flow thru the sump? I have no clue how much flow is coming thru the system.

Thanks

 

The 1262 is probably sized better than you think.

Too much flow through the sump makes much of your filtration quite inefficient, and with a smallish sump you can easily use too large of a return.

The vortechs are much more efficient at creating circulation in the DT than relying on the return pump.

 

Would the 1262 be better than a mag 18? The sump is rated up to 225gal tank and a max flow rate of 1200gph

 

The 1262 is not enough... you want to be in the range of 900gph. A 90 generally adds 1ft of head, and your plumbing is 3/4". The 1262 will do about 700gph at 6ft of head... and that is without all the other restrictions.

Sorry.

You need a pump that will give you 900 gph at 6ft of head. Then you want 1" plumbing. And you need to take a look at your bulkheads... they really neck down inside if they are barbed. I changed mine out to threaded and got a lot more flow... but then you have to put the pipe/tube on the outside and seal up with silicone. Anyway, lots you can go to get more flow... but the smaller the line, the less gph. Meaning if you get a pump that will do 900 gph at 6ft of head, that does not mean that is what you will get at the tank. Plumbing matters.

Errr... sorry if I am rambling... the 1262 is really borderline. With your fuge in line, then all you have to do is feed the skimmer... which can do 550 gph... so that is really the number you have to meet. With what you have mentioned, you might be getting that much. But if you want to run the 1262, then you really need to look at improving the plumbing as much as you can... and then, ya. It will run your tank the way it is set up. Hope that is not too confusing.

 

What pump should I use a reef dart? The 1262 only does 910gpd. How do I know whats going thru the sump in gpd?

 

I'm guessing "GPD" is gallons per day and nobody uses that term. Gallons per hour.

To get water up to your tank, just put in better plumbing, or buy another pump. Plumbing is cheaper.

And you do not know what is going thru your sump. You need to look at how much water your skimmer can process... which is 550 gph... and get a pump that can match it with the height your tank is. The 1262 will do ~600gph at that hight.

If you really want to buy another pump... then get one that can do 700-800gph at 5ft of height and plug it in.

 

I would disagree.
With only 25 gallons of water in the sump you will want to keep the flow volume and velocity down so you will not experience microbubble problems and your protein skimmer will work better.
A good general rule of thumb for sizing a return pump is 3 to 5x the display volume so in your case that would be a range of 540 to 900 GPH. But you must aslo consider the volume of wate rin the sump and your baffle or bubble trap configuration. If the sump was larger I would lean towards the 900-1000 GPH range but not with a sump that small.

I am a big fan of Eheim 1262 pumps, they are an excellent pump and in my own testing I have found their ratings to be conservative. I have found they pump more GPH and a higher head than they publish which is not the case with most pumps. Ocean Runner is another I found to be conservative. I literally hate Mag pumps but they are an old standby and many still use them. They draw more power than comparable pumps, run very very hot in most cases ( I have personally owned and tested 6 different Mag pumps) and they can be very loud compared to comparable pumps.

 

Sorry its gph not per day good old auto correct. Im guessing its about 25 might be more I think the whole sump holds 45gal if filled all the way to the top its second biggest they make see link below. Its a large sump.

http://www.aquacave.com/ADHI-Berlin-Sump-45-by-Aquatic-Design-Habitats-P1000.aspx

 

Exterior dimensions show that sump to hold 44.8 gallons full. You are correct in that it will operate at 1/2 to 2/3 full in normal operation so 20-30 gallons true working volume.
When you start putting 900 GPH through the sump you will only have a 1 to 2 minute retention time in the sump, actually it will be less than that in reality since the refugium end will contain a large volume of the water and it will not be turning over as fast as the main sump so a 1 minute maximum retention or less is more accurate. Is that enough time for microbubbles to dissipate and detritus to settle out? Who knows. You and always get a little larger pump and throttle or restrict the discharge side, which is a very common practice and good idea to have some adjustability. I would start around 600-700 GPH and see how things look myself and work up or down from there.

I'm not sure I like that particular sump as it does not have sufficient baffles to me. I prefer an over-under-over baffle arrangement before the return chamber to get the last of the microbubbles out from both the overflow and the skimmer. Its is very easy to construct a sump using a glass aquarium like a 30G or 40G and get the configuration you want yourself, so many premade sumps are someone elses idea and may not fit your situation. Plus you can buy a glass tank for $1.00 a gallon and getting some baffles cut is pretty inexpensive. I made mine 9 years ago out of a 30G long AGA and its been flawless ever since.

 

Thanks for the info. What do you mean by over under? Is there some where I can find the plans to build one like what your saying? I do want to make sure I have a good size in the middle as I do have a peacock mantis that lives there For the timing being would the 1262 be ok? There is a enough flow coming down into the first chamber for the mag 1200 to keep up it does blast down the straight pipes pretty good.