Hypothetical reef tank

[danny zubot]

Catherine, don't get me wrong about the pump thing. Any pump will do the trick but pressure rated pumps won't have the head loss.

[michika]

I'm thinking I'll be going with the Reeflo Snapper pump. I chose it mostly for wattage (I'm on a power budget), and it has the highest head at 0ft. I can't remember if its pressure rated or not.

Thoughts on my pump choice?

[danny zubot]

See, that's the thing that is dependant on many other variables. You need to decide how many output nozzles you will have first, as well as the diameter of each nozzle. If you used a Mak4 that puts out roughly 1200 GPH though a 1" return line, and you 6 nozzles should get 200 GPH per nozzle. If you reduce your nozzle diamter to 3/4" then you effectively have more force of water pressure coming out of each nozzle, but still maintain about 200 GPH out of each. This would change your flow style though, much like the difference between a maxi-jet and a koralia.

As with so many things in this hobby, I would buy a bigger pump than you might need. It saves you from having to upgrade later.