Looking for a better pump.

[roadster3043]

Greetings.

I currently have in my 46gal. bow front a Lifegard Quiet One model R175254V. It is supposed to be rated at 1140 gph at full flow and yields 724 gph through a 1" line at 4 feet. The pump currently has a 3/4" line. I need to use two maxi-jets 1200 PH for more flow. I've been thinking of eliminating the PHs so the tank looks better.

I would like a pump that will give me enough GPH to have three spray bars, one to go the length of the tank, one to go the width of the tank and another that goes down to the bottom with water coming out at 90 degree angles.

I would like the pump to be as quiet as possible. I would like the first two spray bars to break the water surface and to have another row of holes at an angle of maybe minus 45 degrees.

What would be a good PVC I.D. for the recommended pump? I was thinking of using the widest allowable by the pump and then use reducers to perhaps half an inch for the spray bars.

What PVC I.D. would you recommend for the spray bars?

What size in diameter should the spray bar holes be? 3/16"? more? less?

How far apart should the holes be drilled from each other?


I was thinking of a closed loop on a timer for running just in the day time(if the pump is too noisy) and just leave the regular pump on all the time. I've read that some people who use closed loops use the Aqua Clear prefilters on the intake of the closed loop. Should they be used with or without the filter media(which would be cleaned weekly or bi-weekly).

I would like it to be the first option since I don't have much room under the tank.

Thank you.

 

[loganj]

I like the Little Giant pumps. They are pretty quiet and work well. The Iwaki with the Japanese motor is supposed to be one of the quietest pumps available. Be sure you get the Japanese made motor though. They are expensive. I used a screw in strainer on the closed loop on the 180. You can get it from Dr Fosters. It'll screw into a PVC female adapter.
Logan J

 

[fishfreek]

The pump currently has a 3/4" line.

First thing I would do is to put a 1" return line on that pump. If your reducing the line from a 1" outlet to 3/4" your in effect butting a retrant to how much that pump could flow.

I would like a pump that will give me enough GPH to have three spray bars, one to go the length of the tank, one to go the width of the tank and another that goes down to the bottom with water coming out at 90 degree angles.

Your gonna need a heck of a big pump to do that. Spray bars in my view are something that add alot of head pressure to the pump in effect lowing its flow rate. Why not just have a half dozen outlets positioned at different angles.

As far as what type of PVC. Any type that is rated for inhouse plumbing will be fine. How big the holes and how far apart is kind of up to you. Remember any reducing in plumbing size will increase backpressure lowing the flow of the pump. WIth additional backpressure its possible to acutally increase the noise the pump produces.

I use a Little Giant 4-MDQX-SC and its rated at 1225GPH at 3' and 1080GPH at 6'

My pump produces a low hum.

Im curious on why the timmer unless its totally for the noise issue. I have my pumps running full blast 24X7x365

 

[roadster3043]

Greetings.

Thanks guys.

Fishfreek: the timer would be used if the pump makes too much noise, so it shuts off at night and turns on during the day, so that I can sleep at night.

 

[kribbz]

is the pump going to return water from a sump or just a closed loop? the timer might not be a good idea because if it is going to a sump then your water will not be heated over night if you keep the heaters in the sump therefore causeing large fluctuations in your temp. also if it is a closed loop and your pump shuts off you will have no circulation overnight and i don't know if thats a good idea.

 

[loganj]

Here's an alternative to the spray bar...similar to what fishfreek was talking about. Use PVC tees and glue a short piece of pipe into them. Then heat the end of the pipe with a propane torch and squeeze it down with a pair of pliers. It makes a good nozzle that creates much more turbulence than even the spray bar will. You might look into a pressure rated pump rather than a circulation pump also. Little Giant makes them both ways. The pressure pumps are not rated for as much flow, but they will handle back pressure with less loss than the circulation pumps will. I'm using the same pump fishfreek mentioned on the 180 at the eyecare center and it's really quiet.
Logan J

 

[roadster3043]

Greetings.

Thanks again.

kribbz, the timer will be used in a secondary pump, most probably a closed loop. Since I want more circulation in the tank from top to bottom, with water surface turbulence(breakage).

 

[marinelife]

What about instead of a closed loop going with a Tunze stream pump. These give off alot of current. I removed my closed loop and all the powerheads in my tank and now have one of these in each end. They look better than the pipes I had in there for the closed loop.

 

[roadster3043]

Thank you all for your replies and good suggestions. I'm still tinkering in my head with all of the suggestions.

First thing I would do is to put a 1" return line on that pump. If your reducing the line from a 1" outlet to 3/4" your in effect butting a retrant to how much that pump could flow.

Spray bars in my view are something that add alot of head pressure to the pump in effect lowing its flow rate. Why not just have a half dozen outlets positioned at different angles.

Remember any reducing in plumbing size will increase backpressure lowing the flow of the pump. WIth additional backpressure its possible to acutally increase the noise the pump produces.

fishfreek, if I go with the half a dozen outlets, what would be the best way of doing it, and that most of them have an equal flow and don't cause backpressure?

I was verifying the pump's manual and it says that to maximize flow use 3/4" plumbing. I think I will need a 3/4" to 1" reducer if I change the plumbing, because I think the outlets are either 1/2" or 3/4" on the pump.

TIA