Red Dragon 100w pump

[Reefer911]

I had no idea how massive this thing was!! Literally won’t even fit into my return chamber but I’m wondering if it’s meant to be external anyway. Any ideas would be helpful. Should I have chosen the 50w model for my 150g CADE?

 

[mfinn]

I use a RD3 100 watt as a return on my 233 and run it at 54 watts, so I'm thinking you could gone with a smaller pump.
I have mine plumbed externally.
You could always use it as a closed loop and get a 50 watt for a return. lol ($)

 

[Reefer911]

Can you show me how you have yours plumbed? I’d like to do an external if possible but yeah I’m thinking I should have went with the 50w…I do have a UV sterilizer though and that was part of the decision to go with the 100

 

[mfinn]

The return pump is in front. The closed loop is in back.
THe return line just goes up the back of the tank and 90's into a bulkhead in the back of the tank.
Inside the tank is a loc-line Y that goes to a pair of 1/2" fan nozzles.

 

[Reefer911]

What’s the closed loop? That’s something that’s always confused me. UV?

 

[mfinn]

What’s the closed loop? That’s something that’s always confused me. UV?

A closed loop is usually a external pump that sucks water from a central location on the tank and the water goes through the pump and back into the tank at several locations helping eliminate powerheads, or lowering the amount needed.
On mine I have a 1-1/2" bulkhead in the middle of the backwall ( a little off center to the right) that is the suction line. The water returns after the pump to the manifold line on the bottom. I have four 1" risers coming off the manifold the go back into the tank, 2 on near top, 2 on the near bottom.
Inside the tank on each is a loc-line Y with a pair of 1/2" fan nozzles creating flow in 8 different directs, all from a single pump.
The 3 lines in the middle are drain lines.

 

[Reefer911]

Ok got it. Thanks for that explanation.

 

[Reefer_kano]

A closed loop is usually a external pump that sucks water from a central location on the tank and the water goes through the pump and back into the tank at several locations helping eliminate powerheads, or lowering the amount needed.
On mine I have a 1-1/2" bulkhead in the middle of the backwall ( a little off center to the right) that is the suction line. The water returns after the pump to the manifold line on the bottom. I have four 1" risers coming off the manifold the go back into the tank, 2 on near top, 2 on the near bottom.
Inside the tank on each is a loc-line Y with a pair of 1/2" fan nozzles creating flow in 8 different directs, all from a single pump.
The 3 lines in the middle are drain lines.

Very helpful explanation, thank you.