Pumps For 55G. To Eliminate Powerheads and can you also.....

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xxnonamexx

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Regulate the flow on them using ball valves? I am trying to eliminate the PH in my tank and use a pump. I wanted to know what is powerful enough for a reef and also can you regulate flow with ball joints? Will it damage the pump? Thanks
 
so replace the mag5 he used with a 9.5

i plan on doing that later this year

I have the 9.5 and the pvc, just need the spare time.
 
Yes, you can restrict the flow OUT of a pump with ball valves. The general rule of thumb for tank throughput on a reef would be 10-20x water volume in turnover per hour. You also have to take into consideration head loss through 90* angles, Ts, Ys, etc. You'd probably want something along the lines of a Mag12 which would push 1200 straight out of the pump but by the time you get done bending it around it would probably be closer to 700gph. I'd probably go with an 18 and dial it down if need be.


http://www.reefs.org/pumps/
 
Thanks for the info but what do you mean by a 18? Do you mean Mag18? also the previous post what do you mean by a 9.5? Any suggestions on where to order these from??
 
I am looking into Live Aquaria. I see the Little Giant that states gallons per hour for a 3,6, and 12ft. I do not understand what these sizes mean. Also I see the MAG MD18 with 1800 with a 21ft. max head 145W and a 3/4 fittings. Question how easy is the maintenance on these? Thanks alot for info.
 
Mag 18 (1800gph), mag9.5 (950gph).

The GPH readings are at 0 head. That's pushing straight out of the pump. The ft height is how many verticle feet (head height, see calculator that I posted) the pump could push up and by the time it got to the top of that run, the posted value is what would be coming out of the other end (at 21' with 3/4 fittings a mag 18 would be pushing 200gph, for example).

If you take your desired pump and enter the information into the calculator that I posted you'll find out how many GPH will be coming out the end of the pipe.

Have you checked CaptiveReefs? I've had a hard time beating his prices on most items.
 
I would be doing the same setup as in http://www.melevsreef.com/closedloop.html except this is for a 55gal not 29gal. So would a Mag18 be powerful enough? the pump would be on the floor and 4 feet to the top of tank and also the tank is 4ft wide so it will split to 2 feet on each side. The setup will be the same as his except with ball valves. When I entered it into the calc it said 668gph when all is said and done I think I did it wrong.
 
I was wondering if a more powerful Pump like the MD24 would be better I can always control them and make more outlets?
 
I came up with 920 going through 1" pipe (I got 658 when I used .75" pipe; is that what you plan on using?). The 18 would probably be fine. You could always get the 24 if you're looking for a LOT of flow (SPS dominated, not so much LPS, they won't like that).

Don't plan on dialing it back a lot with the ball valves. That will affect the lifespan of the pump some.
 
I have alot of corals, leathers, polyps, etc http://www.flickr.com/photos/59422509@N00/ I think like you said the 18 sounds good. I would need only 2 ball valves correct? What do you need to do for maintenance?? As of now I have 3 PH one on each side and one in the middle. So the Ball joint I might keep open since I will be openiong another port correct? The area with all the holes in Melev's reef pix the fish will not get sucked up to it correct?
 
IMO a mag 9.5 would be plenty for a 55 gal tank, split the return and have 2 return points on the tank. I'm running a Via Aqua 3300 as a return on my 55 fowlr and I have flow through the whole tank with only 1 return line centered on the tank
What type corals are you thinking? soft and LPS will do just fine with the Mag 9.5
Hell, I'm only running a Sen 900 on my 125 reef and I have plenty of flow for the soft and lps I have.
 
I would be cautious going too big with the mag pumps. They are bad noise and heat producers when you get up into the larger sizes. I have no problems with the smaller ones though. Revtree posted a link about 2 months ago where petsmart had mag pumps on sell. I got two mag 12's and a mag 5 shipped to my door for $129. keep your eyes open.
 
You can check out my tank here.http://www.flickr.com/photos/59422509@N00/
I want to eliminate the 3 powerheads and keep the wet/dry filter return in the tank. I like Melev's setup. Seaham do you have pics of yours? I am trying to see what you mean by splitting the returns? Is there any other pump w/ less noise, maintenance, heat? My tank is in a family room the tv is noisy enough and the MH ballasts give enoough heat lol. What do you need to do for pump maintenance? Thanks
 
I have a T coming off the return pump and run 2 lines back into the tank from my sump. I have the hang on back return elbows that amiracle makes. Very easy set up. I used vinal tubing as my return line and have them placed at both corners of the tank pointed in towards the center.
I have pics on another computer so I cant post right now... will try to post them soon. If your looking to do what Melevs has then heat should not be a issue because the pump is not in the sump or tank.
I will post pics soon so you can see how mine is set up. I have great flow with no PH and only 2 hang on back returns. If you looking at getting hard corals then you will want more flow then this will give you.
 
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