Confused as to pumps for skimmer & return etc

[Candi]

Please bear with me, I just picked up my first RR tank (a used oceanic 70g with the megaflow overflow & plumbing) which also came with a reef devil skimmer & sump. This is my first experience with RR tanks and sumps (my 50g has a HOB remora skimmer and no sump and my other reef is a all in one aquapod)

So the pump on the skimmer is a valve and it has to be throttled down all the way to not overflow the skimmer, after posting some photos the pump was ID'd as a mag 18! The makers of the skimmer call for a mag 7 (some people recommend a mag 9) either way the 18 is overkill.

The return on my overflow is a via aqua 3600, no valves or anything on it.

I'm trying to figure out what I should do.

-I could leave everything as is with the mag 18 throttled down all the way.
- I could sell the mag 18 and get a mag 7 or 9
- I could swap the via aqua 3600 to use on the skimmer and use the mag 18 as my return (or would that be to strong to use as the return?)

Thanks for any advice!
Candi

[TheMcs]

The Oceanic overflow can handle a Mag9.5, maybe a Mag12, but not an 18. You could probably plumb the 18 to service both the tank and the skimmer. The less Magdrives sitting in your water, the better (excessive heat).
Leaving the 18 valved all the way back is a quick way to burn out the pump.

[Candi]

Thank you for the info! Could you tell me how I would plumb it so that the mag 18 would run both? Or do you think it's a better idea to just sell the mag 18 and get a mag 9.5 for the skimmer leaving the via aqua as the return?

Thank you!

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10148631#post10148631 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TheMcs

Leaving the 18 valved all the way back is a quick way to burn out the pump.

No, its not. Throttling back a mag drive pump does not harm it in any way, it causes it to move less water, and use less electricity.

Yeah, if the valve is closed, it'll destroy the pump, but turning it back to 700gph wont bother it at all.

Is it efficient to do? No. Will it hurt the pump? Not at all.

[TheMcs]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10148661#post10148661 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Candi
Thank you for the info! Could you tell me how I would plumb it so that the mag 18 would run both? Or do you think it's a better idea to just sell the mag 18 and get a mag 9.5 for the skimmer leaving the via aqua as the return?

Thank you!

Not knowing how your skimmer is set up, here's the general idea;
Plumb the Mag18 similar to how the Via Aqua is returning to the tank.
At whatever level you need it to be, place a 'T' fitting pointed towards the skimmer.
Place a valve on that as well.
Use whatever connections you need to make it work.
If you provide pictures I can provide more detail.

[TheMcs]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10149270#post10149270 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
No, its not. Throttling back a mag drive pump does not harm it in any way, it causes it to move less water, and use less electricity.

Yeah, if the valve is closed, it'll destroy the pump, but turning it back to 700gph wont bother it at all.

Is it efficient to do? No. Will it hurt the pump? Not at all.

Okay.

[Candi]

Here are a couple of photos from a few days ago, I DO NOT have the skimmer hooked up like that (I was told it wouldn't work, that if I wanted to use it externally that I'd have to either drill the sump and have a bulkhead at the buttom for it to run into or put the skimmer on something to have it up above the sump so the flow out wouldn't be restricted) the skimmer is in the first chamber now.

http://members.aol.com/vcandiv/fish/sump1.jpg
http://members.aol.com/vcandiv/fish/skimmer1.jpg

I'm assuming I could get a "T" at lowes?

Assuming I could plumb it correctly, would it be better to use the mag 18 for both, or would it be better to sell the 18 and use a mag 9.5 for the skimmer and keep using the via aqua for the return?

Thanks!

[TheMcs]

Personally I'd plumb both into the mag18. See how the two hoses criss cross? Right about there you could put a PVC T from Lowes. You'd have to get 3 barbed fittings into the T to attach the clear tubing. LFS ought to have that. All looks to be 3/4".
Hopefully you've got a good store, a lot easier to describe this by showing.
Won't be able to follow this the rest of the weekend, shoot me a PM if you have any more questions.