Pumps

[jslaney]

No one seems to be posting so I think now would be a good time to ask a pump question.

Then maybe I can act like a jerk when people try and help me and I will get some free corals. (Someone had to say it)

Onto the question but first I want you all to know that I have completed all available reading on pumps in the canreef library and a little extra on the side.

My system is a 72 gal bow front corner drilled and I am hoping to set up more of a lagoon type tank then full blown reef.

I understand for reefs you need a circulation of about ten times you tank volume not necessarily all provided by your return pump.

I am thinking that for a lagoon I should be ok with a 5 time tank volume return.

I am considering the quite one 3000 or Mag drive 700 for my external return pump. Noise is my biggest concern as I live in a teeny condo and the tank is right by the computer.

Finally the questions...

1. Any comments on personal experience with these pumps?

2. Does my flow rate seem reasonable?

3. How do I make it so my overflow does not sound like a continuous flushing toilet?

4. Should I stop being cheap and just go for the Iwaki and if so is it really $150 better then the others.

Thanks for any answers, Mods feel free to kick this post off the air.

Jon

[mr_alberta]

Hi Jon,

Looking at your pump choices, I assume the pump has to be a submersible pump? If I had to choose one of the two pumps, I would choose a mag 7. I've used many different mag pumps and I've never had a problem with any of them. Another excellent pump to look at is the eheim series of pumps. The build quality of those pumps is excellent but you do pay for that in the end.

What type of standpipe are you using in your tank? A better standpipe design such as a durso, stockman, etc. may help with the noise problem.

[Canuckgod420]

I use the quiet one 4000 on my tank and it goes into the chiller first then the tank and I am happy with the flow.
My wifes 34 gallon cube reef uses a 3000 and we are very happy with these pumps....as for noise they are pretty quiet.
Hope that helps.

[jslaney]

So its 1:1, and maybe an enhiem.

The current standpipe is just your basic flow over the top. I never new about the dursa design until now. Something else to incorporate.

Every bit helps, Thanks.

Jon

[jslaney]

I stole this from some other board.
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Almost all of us have dealt with excessive noise in our aquariums, one of the major ones is overflow noise - this is how to fix it.

Durso Standpipe
http://www.rl180reef.com/pages/stand...pipe_frame.htm

Stockman Standpipe
http://www.rl180reef.com/pages/stand...n_stockman.htm

Hofer Gurgle Buster
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/domitron2/HGB/HGB.html

My only concern with the two designs is that they seem more likely to plug and that scares me. You would have to isolate your overflow box so absolutly no snails made it in. Great idea though I still think I will use it.

Jon.

[Delphinus]

Those overflows styles work well. They all work on the same premise in that water enters the pipe from a point under the surface, thereby eliminating the toilet flushing sound as water gets sucked into pipe. And you have an air input solution because you need air going into the pipe as well.

If built correctly they won't really be prone to clogging, I mean any kind of pipe can clog obviously but do things like put teeth on the overflow, or a strainer (if you go with a Durso), and things won't be able to get in there.

If you're ever in the deep south end of the city, you're welcome to look at my tanks, I have some Durso's going and a Stockman/Hofer derivative, if you're just in need of seeing something in action.

As for pumps .. I think you will be disappointed with the noise level of the Mag drive. They are great pumps, I love them, they are workhorses that just go and go and go for years on end, and they're not too expensive ... but they do rattle.

The Eheims are supposed to be one of the best pumps out there. But you do pay for the premium. I haven't tried one myself yet but I hear only good things about them.

Another option to consider is a Sedra .. I have one on my 65g planted tank and it was the second pump I tried for that tank (first one was a Mag5 and it just made the whole tank and stand howl .. it had just the right resonance). I then tried a Sedra 7000 but it was too much flow - I finally settled on a Sedra 5000 and it's a perfect fit. One, the pump size is physically smaller so it fit in my sump better, and two, the flow was right, and three, although not whisper silent, the noise level was much more within tolerance (this is a tank near bedrooms so it was imperative to be quieter). The Sedra model #'s more or less correspond to the Mag drives. Ie. Sedra 5000, Mag 500; Sedra 7000 Mag 700, etc. etc.

There were other pumps I considered as well, but I don't remember all the names.

The Hydor Seltzer pumps are really nice and quiet but I don't think they come in a size big enough for what you want.

I wouldn't push more than 7 times volume through the sump. Any more and you risk microbubbles in the main tank. I suggest aiming for 5-7 times, and then makeup the additional tank flow with powerheads, closed loops, wavebox, Tunzes or Hydors ... you'll be much happier with the end result.