Help with figuring out what size return pump i need.

[Guy554]

So I have been slowly buying thing for my new salt water aquarium. I keep trying to do research on how to figure out what size return pump I will need. I will have a 75 gallon show tank and a 40 gallon breeder I will make into a sump. So you can figure 100 gallons give or tank couple gallons. Please help or point me in the right direction.

 

[Daniel Fishy]

How many gph or pipe size of overflow? I like mags so mag 7 will run wide opened,9.5 will have to be throttled back with a ball valve either one will benefit from a ball valve just incase it needs to be replaced.

 

[Guy554]

I think it's one inch but unsure I just order the tank tonight. It will be a marineland 75 gallon reef ready, with overflow in the Cornor.

 

[Dav3]

If it is a standard per drilled then they say 700gph with 1" bulkheads. You will want to have a pump rated just under that after headloss. There are headloss calculators online. As stated before a mag 7 or mag 9.5 with a ball valve will work depending on vertical distance from bottom of sump and top of display tank. Use headloss calc to figure out which.

 

[Grizz]

Trying to figure head loss will cause hair loss. Rule of thumb match the return to the over flow. Unless you have a long run or a lot of elbows it wont matter

 

[chbix]

Regardless of the size you get I would recommend the ball valve so you can dial it in or as someone else said if you have to shut it down.

 

[Dav3]

Trying to figure head loss will cause hair loss. Rule of thumb match the return to the over flow. Unless you have a long run or a lot of elbows it wont matter

It's not that difficult. The calculator on reefcentral is super easy to use. Simply picking a pump that is rated to 700 gph just like overflow means you will end up with an undersized pump. A mag 7(700 gph) moving water just 3 feet vertically with no elbows looses 200 gph due to headloss. 3 feet isn't far. Use the calculators.

In the end go bigger with ball valve or bypass to dial down the gph to match overflow.

 

[Grizz]

Why choke a bigger pump? That's like buying a F1 and never driving it over 30 mph. The larger pumps cost more. The more parts you add to any system the more chances for failure Yes a Mag does lose 200 gph at 3ft But not every one is hung on those Mag pumps.

 

[Guy554]

I think I might go with a diablo Dc 3500 or 5500. It's a variable pump with a feed mode

 

[Grizz]

Nice pumps, cant go wrong with those.

 

[mr_X]

I'm pretty sure a 1" pvc pipe can drain 960 gph. I'm not sure about the surface skimmer though.

 

[Dav3]

Why choke a bigger pump? That's like buying a F1 and never driving it over 30 mph. The larger pumps cost more. The more parts you add to any system the more chances for failure Yes a Mag does lose 200 gph at 3ft But not every one is hung on those Mag pumps.

Mag was merely an example. And I didn't mean greatly bigger pump. Just big enough to exceed the overflow after headloss if needed. If you can find one that will match that is better. But if you need to, go little bigger and dial it back a little bit.