Help me choose a pump for new sump

[CMOS]

Hey All,

I'm retiring my HOB skimmer in lieu of a newly built sump, which will include a RL-125 skimmer and a refugium section.

I have no experience with pumps for this application so I'll need some help choosing a pump for my sump.

Here are the specs for my system:

* tank is ~46 gallons (36x12x24)
* sump is about a 12 gallon capacity (30x9x18, 10" water level)
* I'll have about 58-60" of pump head height
* L-box overflow spill area is 10" x 5"
* area in sump for pump is 8" x 4-3/4


What kind of pump capacity should I get keeping in mind that I don't want the water to travel too fast through the refuguim as to render it useless.

Would an Eheim 1250 be a suitable choice?

Thanks for any suggestions.

CMOS

 

[ccCapt]

How many gph can your overflow handle? You want to match the overflow rate and pump flow rate. For example, if your overflow can handle 600 gph, look for a pump that pushes aprox the same volume. You DO NOT want a pump that pushes more than the overflow can drain back into the sump or you can end up with an empty sump and overflowing tank.

 

[CMOS]

I don't know what the flow rate of the new overflow box is. I will probably go by calculatuions: ~45 gallons of water capacity, 10-12X turn-over rate, head distance, then buy a pump that is slightly oversized (in case I erred in calculation) and add a ball valve between the pump and return in case I need to choke the flow a but as to not overwhelm the overlfow box.


CMOS

 

[dcantucson]

Look at some of the Quiet One pumps. I use them and they seem to be a good brand.

 

[project5k]

you might think about this pump.. i havent tried one yet, but i have its big brother on order... and i use thier smaller pumps all over my system, as power heads, as my ATO all that stuff...

- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

 

[CMOS]

project,

90 watts is a lot of heat for my rather small 45 gallon tank. I don't think I need something quite that big and to be honest - I feel that just about everything at China Harbor, er, I mean Harbor Freight, is junk.

CMOS :mrgreen:

 

[project5k]

fair enough, i just threw it out there as an idea... and remember that its not 90 watts of heat, its 90 watts of input power, some of that is converted into kenetic energy to move the water, and some is lost as heat. Besides, if your worried about it, run the pump in an external configuration, that way the body of the pump is loosing it's heat to the air, and not your water.

i would agree that lots of the things that harbor freight sells is on the cheaper end, but these pumps are from pacific hydrostar, and i've had them in my fresh tanks for a really long time, i only this year got into salt water tanks, but i've had one of these pumps in that tank since march when i got it, and it hasnt failed yet...

infact, now that i think about it, i've never had one of the pacific hydrostar pumps fail unless it was my fault, dropped, run dry, or fed something that killed the impellor...

just a thought... i trust them, and i use them, but thats why there are different ones available.... different people, different needs, different pumps... :)

 

[CMOS]

I appreciate your input. I really don't have room to run an external pump with my small tank footprint. I'll need to get one that fits in the return chamber of the new sump.

CMOS

 

[yote]

Get a Mag 5.That should be just about right.

 

[CMOS]

Get a Mag 5.That should be just about right.

At 60" of head the Mag 5 is rated at only 250 GPH. Too low for my application. I'd need the Mag-7 if I get this brand.

CMOS