Booster Pump Inline with Canister/UV??

[mr2die4]

After my previous post I am really unimpressed with the flow rate of my Magnum 330 canister. The aquarium is Acrylic and the previous owner did a killer job plumbing the whole thing from the back so it really can use a higher flow rate. I am experimenting with a reverse flow undergravel setup so I want to make sure the aquarium moves a good volume of water (I am also going to increase the media in the canister). Is there anything wrong with putting a pump inline with the canister to boost flow through put of the whole system? Not planning on sticking somethign huge in-line just something to help it meet the actual 330gpm flow rate. If anything it should take a load off the canister pump. The idea is to filter as much waste as I can through the filter before pushing it through the gravel thus to reduce the number of gravel cleans and simply replace all or half the canister media as Nitrate's go up to unacceptable levels. Anyone tried something like this? Also what is the best cost/performance solution for filter media? Especially if I'm going to be doing filter changes every 2 weeks or so. Basically after getting my equipment (came in one package used) I am tapped out for the next few months so I want to try this out before going to a more sophisticated/expensive filtering setup.
Thanks,
Kal

 

[broomer5]

Well ....
Are you planning a saltwater or freshwater tank?
Not a huge fan of UGF be it traditional or reverse flow installations.
Pump flowrates are always plotted on a curve that corresponds to the amount of head pressure. Many pump manufacturers advertise GPH based upon zero head pressure ( zero back pressure - not pumping uphill sort of speak.
With that said, to answer your question - if you put 2 pumps in series in the same flowpath ( tubing, piping, whatever) - you run the risk of one pump overpowering the other, or not being able to keep up with the demand of the next pump down the line. As an example, if the first pump in series delivers 100 GPH and discharges water to the second pump, which is capable of pumping 200 GPH - you got a real problem. You will starve the suction side of the second pump. This could lead to cavitation or premature pump failure.
Better off just sizing one pump to give you the amount of flow desired. Need to take into consideration head/backpressure in feet or inches, fittings, hoses, etc.
Hope this helps, and good luck.
Broomer

 

[mr2die4]

Yeah Saltwater is what I am doing. I know now there are a lot of different equipment paths but I have seen setups work fine with UGF for years as long as the system is kept clean. Unfortuantely there is no set upgrade paths when it comes to this hobby and it appears everyone everyone has their own of doing things. This is the equipment I haven now...if it doesn't work for me I will try something different. What is the concensus on the best/simplest Filtering setup for a tank in the 55 gallon range?

 

[beth]

I just dismantled my UGF. Could I have kept it going, yes...but the maintence efforts on my time and money was getting to be a big burdon. Did I ever get rid or even reduce nitrates no matter how much cleaning and water changes I did? NO! UGF and canisters are nitrate factories. In a FO system you are fighting a losing battle. Now, some hobbyst say that with lots of LR, you can keep a UGF going. But what for? If you are going to have LR, then just go with LR, LS, PH's, UV [which is what you got already] and not use UGF. I tried the reverse flow on my UGF. The pressure to push water up thru over 100lbs of cc was questionable and, frankly, I didn't trust it.
I'm not a plummer, but my immediate thought to your querry about the pumps was that unless each pump was equal in pumping capacity, you would likely run into problems with that setup.