Internal Pump Options

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booker1978

Premium Member
I'm looking at options to convert my sump to run an internal pump from the current setup as an external. I am setting up a 210 gallon with a 80 gallon sump. There are three reasons why I want to do this:

1) I need the pump to be contained in the stand cabinet. Currently, the sump is drilled in the front middle, as seen in the picture below. This current setup does not allow me to install doors on the front of the cabinet. I could turn the sump around, but then it would be very difficult to service at the bulkhead if a leak occurs, as it is against a wall. I plan on plugging the hole with a bulkhead and then inserting a PVC plug to fill the hole.
2) I have an Iwaki MD-70RLT, but it is a power consumption hog! Looking for something that uses less wattage with the same (or similar) flow capabilities.
3) I like the peace of mind that if a leak occurs in the pump, it would stay in the sump.

I understand that I am looking for a pump that has a turn-over rate 3-5x the total contents of the main tank, which would bring me to a flow rate of 1050 gph at 5x. Accounting for Head pressures the return is will need to travel up about 4-5 feet and will be divided into two returns areas back in to the main display.

Some options I am looking at are:
- Mag 12: Max output 1200 gph / 1100 gh at 4ft
- Mag 18: Max output 1800 gph / 1350 gph at 4ft (a bit of an overkill, but the power to push would be available)
- Eheim Compact 5000+: Max output 1320 ghph

My question is what experiences do you have with internal pumps that would work for this setup? I am not limited to what I listed, so feel free to suggest based off of experiences. Thanks!
 
mag drive pumps are good reliable pumps, but can be rather noisy and generate A LOT of heat that would be going into your water column. You could always go with a DC internal pump, like a Jebao DC12000. They use much less electricity, generate less heat and are variable speed so you can dial in your desired flow rate. You can find them online for under $150 new.
 
I agree with above, I love my dc pump after switching away from mag 18.


Sent from pay phone in the airport.
 
I run dual Mag 12s on a 260 but have manifolds off of one for reactors and a chiller off the other with a water change manifold. I like the redundancy and cheap replacement cost of magdrives if you buy used ones. I use them for mixing pumps too so I always have a spare around. As a side note, the Mag 12 and 18 use the same magnet assembly and just use different impeller assemblies. They have been rock solid for me but as noted above, they can create noise (minimized with use of flex tubing coming out of them and a pad for them to sit on) and add heat. My setup is open top so heat is not an issue. I still have to run 3 x 300w heaters in the winter on top of the dual mag 12s.

I am interested in trying out some of the DC pumps though for control and if they have enough headpressure to run everything I have with the way it is plumbed (lots of twists and turns in addition to manifold feeds).
 
Saw a thread on reef central about someone asking 10feet. May look there for the answer.


Sent from pay phone in the airport.
 
Looks like to me that you have several options. If you move the sump all the way to the left of the stand you can use your Iwaki MD-70RLT on the right side with an elbow. I have used mag pumps as returns before, but they are power hogs and create allot of heat. They are dependable though....especially the really old ones. The newer ones tend to have poorly made impellers.

I have never used DC pumps, but that is what I would recommend. They use less power and release less heat, oh and ehiem pumps are really nice. Either that or a dart (external of course with the elbow) =less power consumption.
 
I have been trying to figure out a way to use the external pump that I already have, but my stand is packed with the size of the sump. I would have to run it outside of the stand and still run into the problem with plumbing it. That would be my first choice. I am really interested in the Jaebo DC12000... it sure can push out some major flow if you want it too. The variable flow rate is a plus too.
 
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