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View Full Version : Plumbing & Pump size: What do you think


fijiblue
09/25/2008, 09:45 AM
ok...I have a 30 gallon drilled with a 1" return and 1" drain. For the past couple of years I have always ran a Mag 5 return on the tank. As I am sure you guessed, the gurgling has always been a nightmare. Tried turning the ball valve down on the pump - didn't work. So I decided to switch out to a Mag 2 and WHAT A DIFFERENCE! Before, the water level would be well above the drain because it couldn't handle the pump. Now the water level is an inch lower with absolutely no gurgling. Now, do you think a Mag 2 is sufficient on a 30 gallon with ~ 35 gallons total water volume or should I try a mag 3?

bbehring
09/25/2008, 10:03 AM
Is the sump return the only flow in the tank? I'm thinking you will need either a mag 3 or the introduction of a powerhead, say a korilia #2. Denpends on what animals you want to keep. If SPS you will need more flow. I'm surprised that you couldn't throttle down the mag 5 effectively to eliminate the gurgling?

fijiblue
09/25/2008, 10:15 AM
SPS in the tank with 3 maxi 1 maxi 1200, 2 maxi 900 and 1 maxi 400. Tried throttling it down, but never did anything.

pjf
09/25/2008, 10:36 AM
I had a similar experience when I replaced my Iwaki MD-30 with an Iwaki MD-20. In theory, the return pump only needs to keep up with your skimmer intake rate. Use powerheads for circulation.

bbehring
09/25/2008, 11:18 AM
Then your really only concerned about feeding your skimmer properly as PJF noted. If the flow to the sump is more than the skimmer uptake, then you should be fine with the Mag 2. I'd ride it out and see how the system works/reacts over a 2 week period. You will then be able to see if there are any negatives from the reduced flow.

fijiblue
09/25/2008, 11:48 AM
My skimmer is an ASM Mini Moded ...I can't seem to find the gph of the pump on the web - I don't want to yank it out of the sump!

bbehring
09/25/2008, 01:05 PM
Is it still working/functioning as it did before? If so, I wouldn't worry about it.