I talked to support at Marineandreef.com and the support person was really helpful in deciding pool filter vs. the Nu-clear filter. The nuclear filter just seemed easier to maintain, less concern about potential parts that are damaging to reefs, and they are designed for aquariums. Price was not much different, so I felt pretty good about going the all reef compatible materials route.
I run a Reeflo Hammerhead external return pump rated at around 5000 gph. I had one on a tank where the sump was in the basement and the tank on the main floor with around 30 feet of 1.5" plumbing. The pump handled it like a champ. Now my sump is less than 10 feet from my tank, so I needed to divert the flows to reduce the flow rate on the tank. So, I run the cannister filter and algae turf scrubber off the return pump plus the return to the tank. I still almost have too much flow to the display. My overflows are rated at 2500 gph (H2O Overflows from customaquariums.com). But, I've had the pump running 2 years with no problems. I shut it down every couple months to do maintenance and glue coral frags down, etc. And it starts up and no degradation in flow. I haven't cleaned it since I installed it. Seems like a really good work hoarse so far.
As to resiphoning, etc, nope. No issues with that. The entire top comes off with a metal spring / screw strap (doesn't touch any of the water.) It comes with a simple easy to use non-pressure valve (open / close) on the input line, so I just close that, then open the drain valve and open the air release valve on the top that unscrews, to relieve the air pressure so it can drain. Wait a minute or two for it to drain. Then unstrap the metal strap and the whole lid comes off with an O ring for a seal. Pull the cartridge out, and media, wipe the inside down of the few drops of water left, insert new cartridge. Grease the O-ring with silicone grease. (light amounts), replace any filter media bags (carbon, purigen, GFO, etc). seal everything back up, close the valves, open the input and let it fill back up and start filtering again. In all it takes me 5 minutes to replace the filter cartridge.
Probably another 15-20 to wash the old cartridge. I do that in the garage, have hot water out there and floor drain. Spray it down for a few minutes, then soak in a bleach water solution for a few days, then spray it down again, then when I'm ready to change it out a month later, I fill up a 5 gallon bucket of RODI water and add a few drops of prime to the water to rinse out any bleach or chlorine left behind. after rinsing it a couple minutes in the prime / RODI water solution, I do a smell test to see if I smell any chlorine. And, if no chlorine smell it's ready to go into the cannister. . It looks like new and works like new at that point. The guy I talked to at Marine and Reef said he runs it through the clothes washer with a few drops of bleach. That doesn't work for me with front load washers. It might work with a top load or something like that. I have to spray it down with a garden hose and garden sprayer adapter.
I run a Reeflo Hammerhead external return pump rated at around 5000 gph. I had one on a tank where the sump was in the basement and the tank on the main floor with around 30 feet of 1.5" plumbing. The pump handled it like a champ. Now my sump is less than 10 feet from my tank, so I needed to divert the flows to reduce the flow rate on the tank. So, I run the cannister filter and algae turf scrubber off the return pump plus the return to the tank. I still almost have too much flow to the display. My overflows are rated at 2500 gph (H2O Overflows from customaquariums.com). But, I've had the pump running 2 years with no problems. I shut it down every couple months to do maintenance and glue coral frags down, etc. And it starts up and no degradation in flow. I haven't cleaned it since I installed it. Seems like a really good work hoarse so far.
As to resiphoning, etc, nope. No issues with that. The entire top comes off with a metal spring / screw strap (doesn't touch any of the water.) It comes with a simple easy to use non-pressure valve (open / close) on the input line, so I just close that, then open the drain valve and open the air release valve on the top that unscrews, to relieve the air pressure so it can drain. Wait a minute or two for it to drain. Then unstrap the metal strap and the whole lid comes off with an O ring for a seal. Pull the cartridge out, and media, wipe the inside down of the few drops of water left, insert new cartridge. Grease the O-ring with silicone grease. (light amounts), replace any filter media bags (carbon, purigen, GFO, etc). seal everything back up, close the valves, open the input and let it fill back up and start filtering again. In all it takes me 5 minutes to replace the filter cartridge.
Probably another 15-20 to wash the old cartridge. I do that in the garage, have hot water out there and floor drain. Spray it down for a few minutes, then soak in a bleach water solution for a few days, then spray it down again, then when I'm ready to change it out a month later, I fill up a 5 gallon bucket of RODI water and add a few drops of prime to the water to rinse out any bleach or chlorine left behind. after rinsing it a couple minutes in the prime / RODI water solution, I do a smell test to see if I smell any chlorine. And, if no chlorine smell it's ready to go into the cannister. . It looks like new and works like new at that point. The guy I talked to at Marine and Reef said he runs it through the clothes washer with a few drops of bleach. That doesn't work for me with front load washers. It might work with a top load or something like that. I have to spray it down with a garden hose and garden sprayer adapter.