Internal vs. External

[thewizzrd]

Ok I have a small dilemma, I have a 135 I am getting ready to set up and I already have an Iwaki external pump rated at 1200gph, I was planning on using my old 55g as a sump and drilling it but i found it its not drillable. SO My question is, do I sell the Iwaki and get a submersible, if so what is a good brand, or should I try to sell teh 55g and get a new drillable tank, a quick response would be helpful. Mr. Salty any good suggestions?

 

[surfnturf]

If you were going to use the Iwaki as a return pump, why not just build a pvc pipe deal to pull water from the bottom of the sump, up over the wall of the sump and into the intake of the Iwaki. I'd hold onto the Iwaki, whatever you decide to do.

 

[melbournefl]

sounds good on paper surfn, problem is that centrifigal (sp) pumps are not "self priming" meaning they don't "pull" water in, they have to have the water fed to them to operate. Sorry, don't have an answer to your dilemma off hand but I would agree, don't get rid of the Iwaki, there are submersible pumps out there for a good price.
Later,
Paul

 

[sal t. nutz]

Nah, that would work just fine. It would get primed by the backflow from the outlet in the main tank. The siphon would start and fill the entire pipe becasue it is all lower than the main tank.

 

[almarktool]

Wizz,
if it were me i would keep the iwaki i have 3 of them and i would get a 2nd opiniom on weather or not the tank is drillable

 

[nickoz]

IME when a tank is not drillable it is the bottom that is not drillable because the bottom is tempered glass. IME the sides are drillable no matter what. I have a tempered glass tank that is drilled towards the top of one of the sides for a refugium return.
If I have been informed incorrectly regarding the tempered glass info above please let me know.
-nick

 

[guppie]

I had the same problem awhile ago, had an external pump, and could not dirll the tank, I think I filled the pump and one side of the pvc pipe with water and turned on the pump and it started pumping. Good Luck

 

[surfnturf]

I had a 45 gallon tall aquarium at one time, that was tempered glass throughout, I don't remember the exact height on it, but it was tall enough they had to use tempered glass. I think pretty much all tanks now have a tempered bottom, but the taller tanks usually are tempered glass. Id really look into running plumbing into the sump like I suggested above. To prime it, you would do the same thing that you do with the overflow on the tank, same principle.

 

[chainsaw5vent]

i'd have to say don't bottom drill your tank. if you should move up to a larger tank and want to use this one as a sump, you'll have to build a platform to keep the tank from sitting on the bottom mounted plumbing.

 

[broomer5]

Although I don't know all the details on a closed loop circulation arrangement, it may be possible to use a MagDrive as your submersible in sump return pump installed in the traditional manner, then still be able to use the Iwaki in a closed loop plumbing configuration for additional display tank water circulation - thus reducing the number of intank powerheads required.
Possibly not having to worry about drilling anything.
But as I said - I don't know if the Iwaki would be good for this, and I'm not sure that this would even be an option you'd want to consider.
I'm looking into something like this myself someday.