return pump help
 

hi, could really use some help. i got a 3 x 2 x 2 aquarium with a 30 gallon sump. the height between the bottom of the sump and top of tank is 5' 4". the return has a couple of 90 elbows over top of tank bringing output into tank. would like the ability to add acouple of reactors etc in the near future. im not looking for high flow through the sump prob around 5x. i am running a sro1000int skimmer also. pls suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Mag pumps are reliable and easily located just about anywhere. I would recommend a Mag9.5 or a Mag12 for your setup.

You could also look into waveline DC pumps. You can buy a larger model and dial the flow into exactly what you want using the DC speed controller.

Mag pumps, though, add a lot of excess heat into the system's water which is fine in the winter but will become an issue in the heat of summer.

An Eheim 1262 would be perfect
I run one on my 100g total system and it's super quiet

i run the same on 150g total system and am very happy . also t off it for calcium reactor

+1 +1. Eheim FTW!

Guess I'll add that I've been running mine since May 2012. I've only cleaned it a couple times and it's never stopped once, or had restart issues. Can't beat it for price vs reliability

Jebao dc12000.. Can't beet it,reliable and very low cost.have one for a year never clean it and is still run like the first day..highly recommend it

I've read way too many posts concerning DC pumps failing, mostly due to controller issues, but whatever the issue I wouldn't trust them as of now

Just sayin' :wink:

Like anything else there is no such thing as not failing on you.even the red dragon pumps are failing sometimes. I have 2 of them dc 12000 as my return pump,dialed down to about 75% and another dc 3000 for my reactors. There are running for about a year without ever having a issue with themost.dead silent and berly any heat added to my tank.with the old mag 7.5 the water would rise much higher. I was septic at the beginning but I don't regret buying them.even the wave makers I have them from jebao,2 years and no issues...

And that's your experience with DC pumps
You're lucky to not have any failures as so many others have
I've read many threads here about the Jebao pump controllers failing, and Waveline, and Waveline's offshoot Speedwave
Anyone notice J&L doesn't carry Speedwave anymore ?

From what I've seen here on Canreef, and what I've read online, I would never buy any DC pump right now no matter what brand. Even the Waveline products have had issues and I thought they were the best

I'm still waiting for the DC pump market to 'fix' itself before I spend any of my limited reef tank budget on anything I 'don't need'

agreed 100%

Agree with that.I don't try to convince nobody to purchase dc pumps,the tread is about what options he has,I just shared my experience with jebao.I did bite the bullet and it worked out good for me,financialy doesn't make sense for me to spend 400 dollars on mp40 witch is loud when is at max when I can spend 100 on wp60 and is quiet and even if does fail on me is just 100$. And about the controller failing don't know if this the secret but all my controllers are mounted outside from my sump area so I have no moisture in contact with them,in the end are made in China and the seal is not the best...

Agree with this. Actually im waiting for quality DC pumps to become affordable. While the speed waves are crap the abyzz seem to run like a dream. Some middle ground would be nice. Also it needs to be a more commonly available pump for me to switch. Dealing with high end parts replacement is a total chore.

Unfortunately I need a pump to push from my basement otherwise the choice is so easy. One or two eheims. They run forever and are quiet. Noisy mag 24 for now for me. Reliable like the eheims tho.

That said I would take a chance on another speedwave or similar if it was one speed (no controller).

I had a system the same size as yours and ran a Mag9.5 for 6 years on it without a single issue. It was still running as new when I sold it. Never had any heat issues, even in the summer temp never got over 79. I should also mention that mine never had a mounting base so I just stuck a piece of foam rubber under it and it was silent with the foam.

Have a Jebao dc9000..works flawlessly (fingers crossed).

The smaller mags aren't actually bad for noise.

Yeah on most of my previous setups I ran Mag9.5's and I cant say anything bad about them. They're way cheaper than the eheims (nothing bad to say about the eheims aside from price). All of mine were quiet and added no heat to the aquarium. I currently have a Mag12 running my manifold, and its dead silent with no heat issues.

I have to add to the DC pump thing as well. They do have known issues with the power supplies and controllers. But that being said, I purchased a new power supply from an electronics store and both my DC10000's have been running perfectly ever since. They just need to tweak their power supplies and controllers a bit before they are truely suitable for the hobby.

Do you really think there are gonna be tonnes of threads saying their DC pumps are working awesome? People post more when they want to complain vs. praise a product.

Personally I treat Jebao as disposable equipment, if it breaks down, I replace it. Last time I bought DC-12000 pumps, they cost me $140 each. One just broke down and I'll probably just keep it around for parts. When I started out I wasn't sure what equipment I was gonna run so having the flexibility to control flow was important to me. My RO DC skimmer has been going strong for almost a year now.

Like FishyFishy said, early power supplies were the main culprit but supposedly if you don't run it at 100%, it lasts a lot longer. I'm not saying that's right because who wants something they can't fully utilize but something that may help. I also never cared about controllers much once the after market Apex cables were available. I believe the new powers supplies and controllers are better now.

I also now have an Eheim 1262 and Compact 5000 as back up return pumps but not because I don't trust DC pumps but because I got them for a good deal.

thanks to everyone for replying... so i have to agree on thr dc pumps, great that they are adjustable but i have heard to many bad opinions.. eheim 1260/2 was an option but not sure how well it do with roughly 6 ft of head. mag 9.5 is another option but i hear there loud and heat issue from all the posts i read but yes just like the eheims everybody finds them very reliable... the one other option i am considering is the sicce syncra 5.0. it seems to have the power, and they advertise quiet and although not dc they do have adjustment for flow.. anyone have any experience with this pump. thanks again for the responses

how do you find the eheim compact 5000. thinkin about that one too being adjustable

Let me tell you about my Eheim compact 5000. It is noisier than I expected. I've had to sit it on a media foam pad and I am using medical tubing on the output. Now it's deadly silent. The valve on the side of the pump is fully open and pushing about 600 gph @ 5 foot of head (3/4 PVC). I need to ramp it down. I don't question Eheims reliability, as I've used smaller ones on past freshwater tanks. Next time I purchase a return pump, I too am thinking of trying a Sicce Syncra. Hope this helps.

thank you for telling me that...i had almost decided on the compact 5000. so im back to the drawing board then at least iv narrowed it down to mag 9.5, eheim 1262 or the sicce 5....like the price of mag but also find the sicce interesting

Jebao DCT 12000 has been good to me so far. 2 mo running @80% w/no issues. Hope it lasts. This is the newest model so supposedly bugs have been worked out. Guess I'll find out and keep my fingers crossed.

its in the living room so noise is a factoe.. also if maxxing out at 600 at 5 feet then not much room for future expansion with my head of 5'6" might not make the compact 5000 a good choice. if the sicce is a good pump it has a operating range that i can grow with

just had my new mag 9.5 delivered... it was so cheap that i figured if i dont like it i can keep it for a backup or find another use. so time to start playing with flow:biggrin: