How often do you clean your return pump?

[Ryan - Serious Reefs]

I find this to be true of almost all aquarium maintenance.

I wish pump and wave maker companies would build this into their products, the ability to “hot swap” their gear for easy servicing.

This is one of the reasons I like ecotechs mp line of wave makers. I can have one or two extra wet sides and simply swap them out every few weeks and then soak the dirty in some citric acid and rinse and repeat.

Any return pump that does these three things would get all my money

1. Add watt consumption or speed to the app.
2. A water poof quick connect on the power cord. Maybe 3 feet above the pump
3. Colder like push lock coupling. One button removal.

All the rest of the "features" are immaterial :)

 

[exnisstech]

I wish pump and wave maker companies would build this into their products, the ability to “hot swap” their gear for easy servicing.

This is one of the reasons I like ecotechs mp line of wave makers. I can have one or two extra wet sides and simply swap them out every few weeks and then soak the dirty in some citric acid and rinse and repeat.

My thoughts also. I keep spare wet sides for my MP40s and MP10s because I do clean my powerheads. I also have spare return pumps but I guess in reality my spare return pumps are in case of a failure since I don't clean them lol.. funny thing is I run cheap jebao returns and have yet to have a failure in almost 10 years using them so the spares are dust collectors.

 

[RichReef]

2 return pumps. Every 6 weeks staggered no matter what. So every 3 weeks I'm cleaning a pump.

Have to unless I want to keep buying impellers.

The wet sides on MPs is whenever they need it. They are so easy I don't even call that maintenance.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Been running an Abyzz 200 for the last two years and it suddenly gave me a run error. I took it apart and found the titanium shaft broken. When I sent it in for repair (they have a 10 year warranty) they told me it was coated in limescale and should have been cleaned more often. I have been running it at 65% since it was installed. I had run other pumps in the past for years without cleaning but this incident made me aware that return pumps need cleaning on a regular basis, obviously more than once every two years.

I'm at 2 years so it looks like i'll be opening it up this weekend.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Might have been said already but I think it depends. My returns were in the sumo chamber where I dosed calcium and alkalinity so it would get this thick hard shell buildup on and in it so it needed cleaning more often.

Were these two dosed around the same time?

 

[areefer01]

I wish pump and wave maker companies would build this into their products, the ability to “hot swap” their gear for easy servicing.

We, the hobbyist, bear some responsibility here in my opinion.

Gyres - those of us who have used them know cleaning can be frustrating. Spare gyres, cages, blades, make it a lot easier. Stop the device, remove and set on working area, remove cage, blades, swap with spare(s), move back into tank, turn on, done.

Powerheads - I'll take my current example of Tunze 6105. I have a spare. Stop, disconnect, route cord safely, remove from tank, replace with clean spare, route cable safely, connect, turn on. Done.

Things can get a bit precarious as Ryan noted above with hidden, masked, or other challenge installations. Also if spares are not in play (budget, etc). Part of the design phase that maybe is overlooked be it installation location, device type, and numbers. Cleaning one thing is a lot easier than cleaning three.

In my opinion.

 

[areefer01]

Any return pump that does these three things would get all my money

1. Add watt consumption or speed to the app.
2. A water poof quick connect on the power cord. Maybe 3 feet above the pump
3. Colder like push lock coupling. One button removal.

All the rest of the "features" are immaterial :)

Budget
Design
Installation

Going through an exercise now with an upgrade on an 8 year old reef. Flow be it return or internal is different as you know as the tank matures. Sometimes we put off buying the right thing, or choosing the right design, due to a scary price point. As the years go by we become frustrated, buy things to triage, apply band aids, and when we go back later to sum all that up it may be close to, or more, than that scary number we chose not to impelment.

It is an interesting topic or so I found. Looking back on purchases and its impact on our systems and asking if we could have done something differently to save in the long run.

Fun fun - hope you are well.

 

[McPuff]

My thoughts also. I keep spare wet sides for my MP40s and MP10s because I do clean my powerheads. I also have spare return pumps but I guess in reality my spare return pumps are in case of a failure since I don't clean them lol.. funny thing is I run cheap jebao returns and have yet to have a failure in almost 10 years using them so the spares are dust collectors.

But if you didn't have those spares, your pump would almost certainly fail. It's insurance for you.

 

[ben f.]

I clean mine monthly, mainly to make sure the impellers aren't getting a build up. I think it's like anything you own-if you take care of it, it will last and run more efficiently.

 

[BeanAnimal]

People clean their return pumps?

 

[MikeReefs]

You’re supposed to clean it ? Lmaoo that’s news to me

 

[mcarroll]

Lately it seems like i have to keep turning up my return pump to compensate for it slowing down. Once i clean it, i can always lower back down to my initial settings. I feel like i’m having to clean it a lot lately. So i ask, how often does everyone else have to clean theirs? I’m most interested because I find it to be a pain in the butt.

I know you have't named names or said what "a lot" means to you, but....

Your description sounds like it could be a DC pump. Some (manybe most?) of these are reputed to be designed to operate at especially-low pressure, some AC pumps are probably similar...fouling may have a bigger impact since they don't generate as much force to begin with.

Using a pump with a higher max. head (but same GPH) might be better for your situation.

I noted a few folks speak up about their Mag pumps....my experience has been similar with almost every Model from 3-36. They tend to have more power than some comparable pumps....higher max mead for the same GPH. That means more torque, which mean more resistance to fouling. Dunno if these would be a good alternate for your exact situation, but there are also other pumps out there (even DC) that have higher max head/Q max ratios like this.

You aren't going to get the best power efficiency on any of these pumps compared to lower pressure pumps....but there's a need for that sometimes and that's why both kinds of pumps are for sale. Sometimes it's literally the only thing that will do! :)

 

[n8harp]

Mine has been running non stop for about 6 years. I keep saying im going to clean it but I never do.
So I guess my answer is never.

What return pump do you have and sized tank?

 

[jphilip813]

Mine has been running non stop for about 6 years. I keep saying im going to clean it but I never do.
So I guess my answer is never.

Take a pic and post it, of what it looks like after SIX years of runing nonstop...lol

 

[BeanAnimal]

People clean their return pumps?

I was only partly being funny.

For shaft driven centrifugal pumps, there really is no need to clean them. It is often more trouble than it is worth. There are exceptions, but they are rare.

For magnetic impeller pumps, things are different. The biggest issue is calcification due to dosing near their intakes. The heat in the impeller housing can cause rapid calcification. Better pumps have a cooling loop (internal or external) to help prevent this.

The older Poseidon T4 titanium pumps absolutely required regular cleaning. They had a titanium volute and impeller bearing that would grow calcium scale until the pump seized. The pump shed the majority of its heat through the titanium components. When I was bolus dosing back in the early 2000's, the pumps required cleaning at least once a month. Amazing pumps, especially for the era. They were high flow, high head, and dead silent. They were just a true pain to maintain.

 

[BubbleAlgaeFarmer]

Lately it seems like i have to keep turning up my return pump to compensate for it slowing down. Once i clean it, i can always lower back down to my initial settings. I feel like i’m having to clean it a lot lately. So i ask, how often does everyone else have to clean theirs? I’m most interested because I find it to be a pain in the butt.

I know you have't named names or said what "a lot" means to you, but....

Your description sounds like it could be a DC pump. Some (manybe most?) of these are reputed to be designed to operate at especially-low pressure, some AC pumps are probably similar...fouling may have a bigger impact since they don't generate as much force to begin with.

Using a pump with a higher max. head (but same GPH) might be better for your situation.

I noted a few folks speak up about their Mag pumps....my experience has been similar with almost every Model from 3-36. They tend to have more power than some comparable pumps....higher max mead for the same GPH. That means more torque, which mean more resistance to fouling. Dunno if these would be a good alternate for your exact situation, but there are also other pumps out there (even DC) that have higher max head/Q max ratios like this.

You aren't going to get the best power efficiency on any of these pumps compared to lower pressure pumps....but there's a need for that sometimes and that's why both kinds of pumps are for sale. Sometimes it's literally the only thing that will do! :)

I’m using the smaller cor pump with my apex. It’s on a 75 gallon tank so i’m forced to keep it on the lower side

 

[mfinn]

The older Poseidon T4 titanium pumps absolutely required regular cleaning. They had a titanium volute and impeller bearing that would crow calcium scale until the pump seized. The pump shed the majority of its heat through the titanium components. When I was bolus dosing back in the early 2000's, the pumps required cleaning at least once a month. Amazing pumps, especially for the era. They were high flow, high head, and dead silent. They were just a true pain to maintain.

I loved how you didn't need to run a heater in the winter with them.
But they were my first experience with silent pumps.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Yep, they heated the water like an internal pump. I ran two of them on a 75. One as a return and the other a closed loop. I had the blue and black version sold by Velocity. They were 140w each. So basically a 24/7 280w heater.

That is part of the reason that I migrated the return to a ReeFlo Dart.

 

[mcarroll]

I’m using the smaller cor pump with my apex. It’s on a 75 gallon tank so i’m forced to keep it on the lower side

well, that at least fits my "profile".

If you were feeling experimental, it would be interesting to see you test out a mag pump (or similar) on there and see if you get the performance difference I'm talking about.

if I have the right pump in mind on your side, it seems like a mag 18 might give you a similar flow, but check their flow curves:

Pondmaster Pond-Mag Magnetic Drive Water Pumps

PONDMASTER POND-MAG® 250 to 3600 SERIES PUMPS have been designed to handle virtually any application where water has to be moved. They've been fulfilling the needs of professionals and consumers for decades with quiet, efficient and reliable 24/7 performance. They feature a magnet impeller...

dannermfg.com

 

[BubbleAlgaeFarmer]

I’m using the smaller cor pump with my apex. It’s on a 75 gallon tank so i’m forced to keep it on the lower side

well, that at least fits my "profile".

If you were feeling experimental, it would be interesting to see you test out a mag pump (or similar) on there and see if you get the performance difference I'm talking about.

if I have the right pump in mind on your side, it seems like a mag 18 might give you a similar flow, but check their flow curves:

Pondmaster Pond-Mag Magnetic Drive Water Pumps

PONDMASTER POND-MAG® 250 to 3600 SERIES PUMPS have been designed to handle virtually any application where water has to be moved. They've been fulfilling the needs of professionals and consumers for decades with quiet, efficient and reliable 24/7 performance. They feature a magnet impeller...

dannermfg.com

I was wondering if i spiked the pump speed real quick if it would remove the gunk that fowls it up. To me it’s crazy that it causes an issue because it wipes off so easy