Which return pump for a 50g cube, I want to run 3 loctite arms

[agoutihead]

Ok I am building a 24x24x20 AIO 1" acrylic cube.

Now I will have a return chamber in the back.

Now my hopeful ideas is to have this 1 return pump feed a single loctite arm that quickly breacks off into 3 separate arms once it enters the display.

So for this size tank and my 3 arm idea

What pump would you guys suggest?

I should say that I am going to have mostly an LPS tank

But I am trying to eliminate having to put a power head in the display not only for cosmetic purposes, but also because of it being an extra cord, plug, electricity etc.

What do you guys suggest?

[Alaskan Reefer]

What size drain?

[agoutihead]

I will have an overflow that goes right into the back chamber/false wall.

First the skimmer area, then a fuge and then the return chamber.

All areas broken up with baffles of course.

[agoutihead]

bump

[Alaskan Reefer]

Sounds cool. Will you want that kind of flow through a fuge / skimmer? If so how much can they handle and still perform well? I'd say go at the maximum of that. I'm partial to Eheim products -- what flow rate would you like for the LPS? 20X turnover or 1000gph as an idea, an Eheim 1262 would fit that scenario at 900gph. Still that seems awfully quick for the fuge / skimmer depending on how it flows through the back chamber.

[agoutihead]

I dont know how much flow rate to be honest & I'm not sure how many times I want the tank to turn over.

As I mentioned, I am going to have mostly LPS and want to skim as lightly as possible and want to have the back a fuge.

So I suppose I dont want a lot of flow/turn over.

But I still would like to have 3 loctite arms being ran off of one main feed/pump. And not just melting out of the tips, I would like it to have some force to it, just nothing crazy.

What do you guys think for keeping a decent turn over rate, yet still being able to successfully feed 3 loctite arms with out having tremendous gph?

[Toddrtrex]

What size sump do you have?

And do you want an internal or external pump?

[luther1200]

What are you planning on keeping in the fuge??

[agoutihead]

As mentioned above, this is an AIO cube, there is no sump, only a back chamber behind a false wall for a fuge. So this will be an internal pump.

I will have sand, rubble rock & chaeto in the back chamber.

[Arati]

didnt see internal. sorry no clue

[agoutihead]

anyone else?

I need to figure out which pump I will use so I can figure out the footprint and adjust my return chamber accordingly.

Thanks.

[Shekki]

I had a similar tank. 56 gallons with a false wall. The rear compartment was divided in half, with some holes for water to pass through. I had the intake on the right side. Some water was sucked into a tunze nano filter, some was sucked into a tunze nano skimmer. The rest of the water made it to the return pump (eheim 1250 I think) and was returned via two 1/2" loc lines. I also added a closed loop that also used a 1250 and returned through two more 1/2" loc lines.

Here's an older picture before I added the closed loop:
http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p294/Monkeyrobb/Aquarium/56sunpod.jpg

[Alaskan Reefer]

The closed loop idea is a good one, which would allow the skimmer / fuge pump to be appropriately sized. I think for this question you either have to add a closed loop or a powerhead -- otherwise the question is basically "I need a low flow and high flow pump" which doesn't compute. :)

[agoutihead]

The closed loop isnt an option unfortunetally because it will take up space I have planned for my fuge.

http://www.aquabuys.com/page/aqb/PROD/am_or_2500

It says its rated for 650 GPH which is what we're shooting for. But I dont want really limpy feed lines.

I want moderate flow through all 3 loctite arms.

But I do like how it is better on heat & electricity. Its got a good foot print also.

Question is, will it give me the flow I need when broken up into 3 arms.

I see the feed line is 3/4

So what if I made a T reducer to 1/2 for all of the arms?

Would that work?

I dont want wimpy feed lines, so if I have to go with a stronger pump I will.

Can anyone suggest another pump other than the Ocean runner?

I like the specs on it overall, just afraid it wont push water fast enough through the feed lines.

Perhaps I would be better off going with an 850 GPH pump and just dialing it back instead of being capped with 650?

I'm not entirely against putting a powerhead, just trying to design with out and want to exhaust all ideas & leads before I go that route.