pump for sump...excessive?

[Oceanicsublimat]

I just got back from the lfs with my new pump they had ordered and it is a 950gph pondmaster.. I have a 55gal.. is this excessive?

 

[fishfreek]

Not excessive unless your overflow cant process the flow. You wont get 950GPH out of the Mag 9.5 unless you have zero head height. Since most tanks have a at least 4' head you will get something more like 700-650gph. Reference the Mag website for a flow chart showing the pump's output at your given head height/.

 

[pearsont74]

Just get a value in your return line and adjust the flow to match the your overflow box.

 

[Oceanicsublimat]

Ok.. my sump is probably 4' from pump to top of tank.. should I keep this pump? or go down to the 700gph? http://www.pondsonlinecanada.com/pumpssup.htm this is a site with a flow chart..

 

[fishfreek]

If the 800GPH at 4' head is still to much for your overflow you can throttle the pump with the ball valve as pearsont74 suggested. This basicly artifically increases the head back pressure on the pump slowing the flow.

 

[Oceanicsublimat]

would it be just as good to get a different pump? the lfs guy is coming by in a few to look at my setup... I may just tell him to get me a different pump

 

[fishfreek]

I see no need to get a different pump unless you dont want to have that much flow in the first place.

If you dont like the idea of using a ball valve to throttle the pumps flow you can plumb in a T fitting and put the ball valve on the horizonal part of the T fitting and have that act as a 'bleeder' line dumping back into the sump. This way the pump runs at full speed and you adjust how much water flows back into the sump thus acting as a throttle to how much water goes into the tank. The wider open the bleeder valve the less water flows into the tank since the bledder side is the path of least resistance it will be where the water will want to go first. Close the bleeder down and more water goes into the tank.