Plumbing Return Line Qs

[Beej1254]

Hello everyone! I'm looking for a bit of guidance on redoing the plumbing for my return line. I currently have a fountain pump from the hardware store as my return pump. It's rated at almost 600gph but not sure what it's rated for pumping water to 5ft (the height of my tank). My return is currently plumbed with PVC at 3/4inch with a couple 90degree bends. I'm sure my gph isn't that great with what I have. I've wanted to upgrade my return for awhile now and my drain line from the DT to sump is 1 inch PVC. I've been looking at the Quiet One Pro 4000 return pump. It says it has a max flow rate of just over 1000gph. I think this will be a definite upgrade but am concerned my current 3/4inch pvc isn't enough?

Thoughts?
Thanks


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[Ziggy953]

Originally Posted by Beej1254

Hello everyone! I'm looking for a bit of guidance on redoing the plumbing for my return line. I currently have a fountain pump from the hardware store as my return pump. It's rated at almost 600gph but not sure what it's rated for pumping water to 5ft (the height of my tank). My return is currently plumbed with PVC at 3/4inch with a couple 90degree bends. I'm sure my gph isn't that great with what I have. I've wanted to upgrade my return for awhile now and my drain line from the DT to sump is 1 inch PVC. I've been looking at the Quiet One Pro 4000 return pump. It says it has a max flow rate of just over 1000gph. I think this will be a definite upgrade but am concerned my current 3/4inch pvc isn't enough?

Thoughts?
Thanks


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If you upgrade to that pump I would suggest putting a ball or gate valve on the return line right after the pump. 1" pvc can only handle so much water about 600gph. If your pump moves more water than that you could cause the DT to overflow.

There is a calculator out there that will tell you how much gph you lose for each 90/45 ect.

Hope that helps.

[Beej1254]

Thank you for the information! I have a ball valve on my current setup and will definitely put one on the next.

Any ideas where you may have seen the calculator? I'm going to search now thanks for letting me know about it


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[cgthebeast]

What size tank is this?

[Ziggy953]

http://reefcentral.com/calc/hlc2.php

[Beej1254]

It's a 110gal

And thanks for the chart Ziggy. I'm not going to lie..I don't exactly know how to utilize that chart in planning out my new plumbing. I guess that was part of my issue to begin with I kind of just set it up without really considering the best design.


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[Ziggy953]

The link I posted above the chart is the calculator I was talking about.

Is this going to be SW?

What rate of turn over were you planning for this tank?

[Beej1254]

This is for my 110 gal saltwater tank I already have running. I'm looking to replace a pump and plumbing system I believe is inadequate and my current pump actually isn't even rated for SW use. What would you recommend for turn over rate?


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[Ziggy953]

Originally Posted by Beej1254

This is for my 110 gal saltwater tank I already have running. I'm looking to replace a pump and plumbing system I believe is inadequate and my current pump actually isn't even rated for SW use. What would you recommend for turn over rate?


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Turn over rate is dependent upon the filtration you have. I haven't looked at your thread yet.

When I had my 40b reef setup I was running about 50x (50x40 =2000gph) turn over per hour. That flow did not all come from the return pump however. I had 2 MP10s in the system generating flow. The return pump I used was a Mag5 (500gph) and I had it throttled back. The flow through my sump was about 250gph. I had a skimmer and refugium on the tank so I wanted the water to flow slower through the filtration. I got most of my flow in the display from the MP10s.

[Beej1254]

Well considering the powerheads in the DT I've anywhere between 2000-5000gph of flow totally depending on how I feel about it. I've run it anywhere in that range for long periods of time with success. I really only ever change it just because I want to give the tank something different.

My sump is a pretty simple design. Starts with the filter sock into the first chamber which is the biggest. That chamber has my DIY PVC protein skimmer. Then water overflows the first baffle down about 17 inches deep by 2 inch wide by maybe 12 inch long? I don't know the demotions of a 29gal tank. But that first baffle I just described is packed to the very top with lava rock. Water then flows under a baffle and up through a small chamber with my heater. Then overflows into my refugium. The refugium both enters and exits the top. I have about 3 inches of lava rock at the bottom of that with an airline to the bottom pumping air to create a sponge filter like effect. Then it overflows to the return


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[Ziggy953]

That's a pretty interesting setup.

[Beej1254]

It's all been working out very well for the past year. But my real concern is the fact that this pump isn't rated for SW use so I want to replace it. I guess I figured I'd get a pump with a higher gph rating to increase tank overturn. But don't really know if it's necessary


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[Ziggy953]

Originally Posted by Beej1254

It's all been working out very well for the past year. But my real concern is the fact that this pump isn't rated for SW use so I want to replace it. I guess I figured I'd get a pump with a higher gph rating to increase tank overturn. But don't really know if it's necessary


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If you have good flow in the tank then having a powerful return pump isn't really needed. I have gone both ways in my SW setups. I had a very large pump on my 120 but the pump also supplied my 55g with flow both were plumbed into the same sump and I diverted the pump as return for both systems.

[Beej1254]

Hmm. Maybe with that information you've given me I'll try and calculate exactly what I'm getting now with my current pump and buy one comparable or slightly more powerful. We mentioned the ball valve on the return which I have but its wide open now. So if I buy a stronger pump I guess I could tune it down if needed


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[Ziggy953]

Originally Posted by Beej1254

Hmm. Maybe with that information you've given me I'll try and calculate exactly what I'm getting now with my current pump and buy one comparable or slightly more powerful. We mentioned the ball valve on the return which I have but its wide open now. So if I buy a stronger pump I guess I could tune it down if needed


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When I first set up my 120 I used a MAG9 for the return pump (900gph) (upgraded to a Mag36 - 3600gph when I added the 55) it did a fine job for me. So if you go with something 900-1200gph you should be fine as well.

[Beej1254]

I hope so. These quiet one pumps are on sale so I think I'll pick one up


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