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View Full Version : Pump size for closed loop


invertinoob
07/02/2014, 11:14 AM
I know this should probably be in the equipment thread, but seeing that I keep sps I thought that I might try my luck here. So I just purchased a 90 drilled standard and the guy that I purchased the tank from has 6 holes drilled in the back for a closed loop. They are all connected to ball valves so are easily shut off. I'm trying to figure out what would be the best external pump to run the loop. I will probably be running 550gph to the main return and I have 2 Jebao wp25s for in tank circulation. Could I get away with running less than 1200 through the plumbing? Will I have to use something that is rated a little higher to cover that amount of plumbing. I can probably take a picture later tonight if it would help. I am planning on using a standard 55 for the sump. Any advice would help :D

invertinoob
07/02/2014, 01:40 PM
Figured it would get moved...lol Bump for being under a different sub group^_^

invertinoob
07/02/2014, 09:08 PM
bump^^^

Dodger745
07/02/2014, 09:13 PM
Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you plan on running two wp25's in a 90, I don't see a need for the closed loop also

invertinoob
07/02/2014, 09:26 PM
well...the tank is already drilled for it. They are all plumbed with ball valves and unions. So I can shut them off. My question was more along the lines of; if I do run a pump off of the CLS could i get away with using a lower powered pump. Or would a smaller pump not be able to move enough water through the plumbing. I do like the idea of having the extra flow blowing behind the rock works. Not to mention I bought this tank for 75 buckaronies.

nickdo
07/02/2014, 09:57 PM
I recommend a controllable dc pump with high head pressure for the close loop, like abyzz.

invertinoob
07/02/2014, 10:29 PM
What about something like the Jebao DC6000. The max flow rate is 1580GPH and the head pressure max is 11.8 FT.

gcarroll
07/02/2014, 11:12 PM
What about something like the Jebao DC6000. The max flow rate is 1580GPH and the head pressure max is 11.8 FT.Is it?

invertinoob
07/02/2014, 11:32 PM
http://www.amazon.com/Jebao-DC-6000-DC-Submersible-Pump/dp/B00G3HXLI2

Here is a link to amazon. It is also pretty cheap...120$ seems like a killer price.

ca1ore
07/03/2014, 07:00 AM
Trouble with the DC pumps is that the manufacturers state that they are not for external use. Don't know if anyone has tried to run one externally, but when I asked this question a while back I got no responses.

Assuming there is no flow director device on the closed loop, then 6 bulkheads implies one suction and 5 returns. Although plumbing resistance is probably fairly minimal (nothing like head pressure), 5 returns will require a decent-sized pump. Probably the best choice would be one of the Reef-flo units.

invertinoob
07/03/2014, 05:35 PM
Yeah, I found some threads about the Jebao DC6000 and it is out. People who have used them as external have had some issues with leaking from the casing. Some people use them with success. I would for sure use one for a skimmer and or for a submersible return.

I have to add some couplings to the pump unions. I had to saw them to fit the tank into my car...:/ not that big of a deal though. it also has an extra overflow in case to much water gets pushed into the overflow chamber when running a stronger pump.

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t41/r21cougar/securedownload-12.jpeg (http://s157.photobucket.com/user/r21cougar/media/securedownload-12.jpeg.html)

ca1ore
07/03/2014, 08:34 PM
I'm not entirely sure I know exactly what I'm looking at. Tank is upside down, right; but I count more than 6 CL holes.

invertinoob
07/03/2014, 09:57 PM
oops your right. There is 8 plus one extra. I had to saw the pipes where the pump would attach when I moved the tank. I am pretty sure that they Y pipes are where the water gets sucked into the CLS and the single fitting is where it distributes the flow into the rest of the plumbing. Would you happen to have any brand selection and pump size suggestions? I am sorry for the bad pic...:/

pmrossetti
07/03/2014, 11:34 PM
that looks like a lot of head loss woth all those 90s and ball valves.
with 8 holes, at 200g per hole that's 1600gal after head, right?

Maybe the Reeflo Snapper/Dart hybrid using the Snapper?

slief
07/04/2014, 12:29 AM
Many years back I had a few external circulation pumps on my tank. At one point I decided to remove them and switched to power heads. I had elbos attached to the outside of the bulkheads and then the lines went down below to the recirculation pumps.

I cut the pvc pipe several inches past the elbow leaving enough one so that when I rotated the bulkhead, the end of the cut pvc pipe would extend above the water level. This insured water would't come out. In my case I had the threaded bulkhead plugged from inside the tank since the tank was full of water and livestock. This swap went without a hitch and my power savings in the end was astronomical. I had 3 large pond pumps which were replaced by much more efficient pumps with better flow. My tank ran cooler and is much quieter too.

When I first did this, I started with Koralia pumps and removed the magnets and attached them to the ends of PVC pipe that was threaded onto the bulkheads. The power plug was cut off and the power line run through the fittings out the back of the tank. I then attached a screw on wall plug from Home Depot. Eventually I replaced the Koralia pumps with controllable Tunzes. That was more complex because the Tunze pumps have a little box attached to the end of the cable. I desoldered the little box and routed the wires through the tank and then re solder. Im an expert with a solder iron so it was easy for me. If a pump dies, its a bit of a pain but 3 years and no failures knock on wood.

Perhaps this will give you and others creative ideas for using old bulkheads. I love it because there are no wires visible in my tank from these pumps and the setup couldn't work better.

Now for the visuals..
This is one of the PVC pipes for the original recirculation pumps. You can see it's been rotated up and the wires are coming out of it. There are 3 of these on the back wall of my peninsula setup that are now hosting Tunze pumps.
http://i390.photobucket.com/albums/oo347/shleif/Tanks/Koraliamodcloset.jpg

This is the modified Koralia mount that threaded into the bulkhead inside the tank prior to being replaced with the Tunzes.
http://i390.photobucket.com/albums/oo347/shleif/Tanks/Koraliamod.jpg

Here is one of the Tunze 6205's mounted to one of the recirculation pump bulkheads inside the tank.. The Tunze silent mount is screwed to the PVC pipe plug with a nylon screw and nut.
http://i390.photobucket.com/albums/oo347/shleif/Tunze/DSC01825.jpg

This is another Tunze 6205 mounted on another bulk.
http://i390.photobucket.com/albums/oo347/shleif/Tunze/DSC01821.jpg

This is a Tunze 6105 that I mounted to some line lock in my central overflow. This line was used for one of the returns from a recirculation pump. This wire comes out the top of the tank through the overflow.
http://i390.photobucket.com/albums/oo347/shleif/Tunze/image_zpsae063602.jpg

Here is a video I took 3 years ago after installing two of the 3 Tunze's. You can see the how the pumps are mounted and the results of them.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/BQua9Niz-RU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

ca1ore
07/04/2014, 07:20 AM
Maybe the Reeflo Snapper/Dart hybrid using the Snapper?

That would be my suggestion also.

ca1ore
07/04/2014, 07:21 AM
That's very clever sleif - gets the wires out of the tank, mostly.

slief
07/04/2014, 08:12 AM
That's very clever sleif - gets the wires out of the tank, mostly.

Thanks. Wires out of the tank was one of the great uses for those existing holes. My acrylic is 1.5" thick so most pumps wouldn't have worked because the magnets aren't strong enough. I was in a power saving mode when I did came up with the idea. One of my other goals was to eliminate my dependency on my chiller. It also provided a nice solid mount for the Tunzes as well as the Koralia pumps before these. The results exceeded my expectations in every way and my chiller hasn't turned on in a couple years now after running for 30 minutes every hour. My power bill as a result of these and a few other changes dropped by more than 50% and the best thing is that my flow improved drastically.