What Size Return Pump??

cjcoopertag

Member
So we moved into our first house this past weekend and have went through the pains of tearing down our tank and getting it back up and going. While the tank was down I had it drilled, 75gal. I will be adding sump and fuge this week but wanted to get some feed back on a return pump size. I am looking at the Quiet One Model 2200 which is 581 GPH. What does everyone recommend? Thank you in advance.
 

cjcoopertag

Member
There is 1 overflow, (1" Bulk Head screened) and 2 returns (3/4" Bulkhead). The overflow is located in the center of tank while the returns are at both ends of tank.
 

trippkid

Active Member
I don't think the Quiet One is going to do it for you, if you are going with this brand, I would go with the 3000 or 4000(4000 being a better choice, better to have too much than too little, IMO). I personally don't like the Quiet Ones, I have two 9000 models that I have had problems with(noise, starting and stopping for no reason, not easily serviced, 3 broken impeller shafts) I like MagDrive's for submersible return pumps, have used them for years and can honestly say have never had any problems with them( I did crack the faceplate on one, but that was my fault for overtightening it, oh and had to replace an impeller in one that was about 6 yrs old) I would go with a Mag 9.5 or 12, when you figure in the head loss, plus pipe friction loss(T's, Elbows, pipe sizing,etc). I would run the largest size pipe from the pump to the tank then split for the two returns right before it goes into the tank, will help a little with friction loss, I would use at least 1" return piping, then reduce to 3/4 when you have to. There are many ways to do this, this is just what I would do for a basic sump set-up for your size tank.
Matt
 

bang guy

Moderator
That's fine for flow through the sump. You will need to add more waterflow using a closed loop or powerheads though.
 

scsinet

Active Member
Be careful. With only (1) 1" bulkhead drain, you're going to get about 600gph max through there. I think a Mag 9.5 would be a bit much, but you can always throttle it back.
People try too hard to try to max out their tank's plumbing, which IMO is the wrong approach. Bang_guy has the right idea... all you need through your drain and return is enough flow to satisfy the requirements of your filtration. Your flow should be a separate system.
 
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