Return pump size?

[Jayguerra909]

Hey guys, ill be picking up either a uns r90 or r120 shallow in a few days. I would like to know what size return pump should I aim for. Ill be going with a Controllable dc pump and it looks like the jebao mdp line. Total volume for both tanks is 58 and 82 gallons total volume.

 

[exnisstech]

Does the manufacturer have a recommended flow rate for the return? I use all DCP jebao returns and have been very happy with them. They don't have wifi but are DC with a controller. Mine are silent and my oldest ran for 6 years and was never cleaned. I love that they're also cheap enough I buy two so I have a back up or spare in case I do decide to clean one I can just swap them out.

 

[fish_collector]

^^^Agreed. I personally use 2 return pumps for redundancy. About 5 times turnover an hour is enough, more if you want but it's not critical. In my 100g display tank I use 2 jebao 3500's running at 100%, with one of them pushing water through a chiller. I think the 3500 is a good size, if it's too much just slow it down with the controller. I clean the return pumps less often than once a year. Jebaos are workhorses imo.

 

[Jayguerra909]

^^^Agreed. I personally use 2 return pumps for redundancy. About 5 times turnover an hour is enough, more if you want but it's not critical. In my 100g display tank I use 2 jebao 3500's running at 100%, with one of them pushing water through a chiller. I think the 3500 is a good size, if it's too much just slow it down with the controller. I clean the return pumps less often than once a year. Jebaos are workhorses imo.

I was initially trying to go for overkill to set the pump at its lowest setting to try and stretch out the pump life. I mean they are $100 pumps so maybe that wont even matter all too much. I know I just dont want to go over board and have too much flow. Ive been debating the 3500 and 5000. I feel the 3500 is likely best.

 

[fish_collector]

I've never understood the need to have one's return pump connected to wifi, I use the DCP for no frills and less money, the pumps are identical except the color. As I mentioned I'd use 2 and as budget allows buy a 3rd as a spare, that would apply even if you were going to use a $4500 Abyzz.

 

[exnisstech]

A 3500 is the one i referred to above that ran for 6 years never being cleaned on a reefer 170. I still have the pump on a shelf since there's nothing wrong with it. I have a 5000 on my reefer 300 3+ years and a 15000 on my WB 330.7 2+ years. All DCP versions. I don't know why people spend huge money for a name brand with an app as it just adds another point of failure IMO. I'm lazy and don't clean my return pumps as a scheduled maintenance and these Jebao pumps just keep pumping. If I spent big money a pump I'd feel obligated to clean it lol.

 

[UncommonSense]

I was initially trying to go for overkill to set the pump at its lowest setting to try and stretch out the pump life.

Controllable DC pumps are typically designed to run best around 80% throttle! That is, minimizing noise/vibration, and getting maximum GPH per-watt consumed!

 

[fish_collector]

Controllable DC pumps are typically designed to run best around 80% throttle! That is, minimizing noise/vibration, and getting maximum GPH per-watt consumed!

Where does that information come from?

 

[UncommonSense]

Where does that information come from?

It’s been discussed around here at least a few times I’ve seen, though I didn’t think to bookmark the threads!

 

[Seregus]

Sicce SDC 7 for R120, and SDC 6 for R90

 

[fish_collector]

It’s been discussed around here at least a few times I’ve seen, though I didn’t think to bookmark the threads!

I'll take your word for it. Most DC pumps are darned near silent even when running at 100%. I'm sure there becomes a point where spinning it faster gives you less and less increases in volume, and that's probably based on the size of the suction and discharge piping. You never want to restrict the suction side of a pump.

 

[Seregus]

My 2cents - all motors are designed this way. If you push full throttle on your car (either electric or fossil fuel) your consumption sky rockets but you getting 10% or 20% more power. So true - if you want efficiency do not run full throttle.

 

[Austinchao98]

I've heard rule of thumb is 10-20x functional tank volume per hour.

 

[Seregus]

UNS R120 is 350L display and ~100L sump. Sicce SDC 7 rated 7000l/h, but at 1.8m rated 4500l/h, which makes it real full proper 10x of system volume if run full power.

For me it should be display volume, so running 80% probably will be around 10x of display volume, which is to me - perfect, going Sicce SDC 9 would be over kill for R120, but could be an option if needed

Also in my experience, not always, but most of the time people tend to use maxed value from pump rating to state how many times they cycle they system volume, so using this formula you would be 15x turnover with SDC 7 and 20x for SDC 9.

Just my opinion…

 

[Jayguerra909]

UNS R120 is 350L display and ~100L sump. Sicce SDC 7 rated 7000l/h, but at 1.8m rated 4500l/h, which makes it real full proper 10x of system volume if run full power.

For me it should be display volume, so running 80% probably will be around 10x of display volume, which is to me - perfect, going Sicce SDC 9 would be over kill for R120, but could be an option if needed

Also in my experience, not always, but most of the time people tend to use maxed value from pump rating to state how many times they cycle they system volume, so using this formula you would be 15x turnover with SDC 7 and 20x for SDC 9.

Just my opinion…

I will run the shallow models not thw full size. The display capacity are smaller on the shallows.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I've never understood the need to have one's return pump connected to wifi, I use the DCP for no frills and less money, the pumps are identical except the color. As I mentioned I'd use 2 and as budget allows buy a 3rd as a spare, that would apply even if you were going to use a $4500 Abyzz.

I would like mine to be so I could know if it is actually working or not when I am not home. I had a GFCI trip from a cheap powerhead, and the only way I knew it when away was that the inkbirds signled low temp alarms over wifi.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If the return is also powering in tank flow, it needs to be higher, but if not, then the old recommendations are overkill and 2 x per h may be plenty in many tanks.

 

[X-37B]

I've heard rule of thumb is 10-20x functional tank volume per hour.

You only need 3-4x turn over in a sump. 10-20× is the in tank flow for acro systems.

I run Tunze AC pumps on 2 returns, sicci on 2, and a dc on my 112.
The 112 is a mightyjet 11. It runs on level 2.
I also a run Jebao dc on my venturi skimmer.
Always have a spare pump on hand for every system.

 

[BryanM]

I settled in on around 3x DT->sump turnover as I have large powerheads in hte display doing the vast majority of the work.

I assume return pumps are quite similar to in display powerheads, to which I would also recommend no more than 75-80% power, as they do get noise.

 

[UncommonSense]

Where does that information come from?

I actually managed to dig up the thread where I first had this explained to me in a way that made sense! (Post #7)

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/how-hard-do-you-work-your-return-pump.1112262/#post-13590290