Return Pumps question

[Reefer1978]

Hello reefers. I am building my new Red Sea 850 SPS Reef (https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/guess-whos-back-back-again.949314/) and I am looking for advice on return pumps. Here's the options I am considering:

Option 1: Single Vectra L2

• Pros
  • Hard-plumb Aqua UV 57 Watt so all return water goes through the UV
  • Run in closed-loop mode to generate some random flow
  • Less hardware, more wires
• Cons
  • No redundancy

Option 2: Double Vectra M2

• Pros
  • 2 pump redundancy in case one fails, or needs to be taken down for cleaning
• Cons
  • More hardware, prob need a second EB832
  • What to do with the UV?!?

 

[Uncle99]

Depends on the length of time your away from your tank and the pump fails.
I’m never more than 8 hours, so I just keep a second hand pump on hand, if the main failed. It would take only minutes to change.
Maybe if I regularly went away for a week, two might make sense, but uses more power.
I run only Jebao, clean once per year, running 5 years now.
Other sits in a box.

 

[nuxx]

Ran two pumps and had one fail... so option two...

 

[Reefer1978]

Depends on the length of time your away from your tank and the pump fails.
I’m never more than 8 hours, so I just keep a second hand pump on hand, if the main failed. It would take only minutes to change.
Maybe if I regularly went away for a week, two might make sense, but uses more power.
I run only Jebao, clean once per year, running 5 years now.
Other sits in a box.

I travel every 6 weeks or so for work, but, I also used to only run Jebao, and never had a pump fail. I do like some of the features of vectra that Jebao simply didn't catch up on yet, thus I am considering it for this build. Funny thing is that I never even cleaned my Jebao, and the backup is still sitting in the garage in a new box.

Ran two pumps and had one fail... so option two...

Backup is not my only concern, never had a pump fail, and I will have backups.

 

[SpyC]

How many return outputs does your tank have?

 

[Reefer1978]

How many return outputs does your tank have?

Tank has 2, and it already has the plumbing to split it up into separate pumps.

 

[SpyC]

I would do two pumps. One going directly into the tank and one to a manifold with the uv sterilizer going to the other output. Best of both worlds imo. Can contrl the flow for the uv and have a backup along with a manifild for reactors or anything else.

 

[Reefer1978]

I would do two pumps. One going directly into the tank and one to a manifold with the uv sterilizer going to the other output. Best of both worlds imo. Can contrl the flow for the uv and have a backup along with a manifild for reactors or anything else.

If I am not going to put a UV on the entire return, I might as well just keep it on a separate pump with reactors all together.

 

[blaxsun]

First and foremost, I'd get the new Red Sea return pumps, since they've upgraded Sicce SDC models and you can incorporate into the ReefRun scheme. I'd run one on your return and a smaller one for the UV so you can control both (or to run your manifold).

I have a similar setup for my 750XXL v3 (only with the actual Sicce SDC pumps).

 

[SpyC]

From what I saw you have to also buy a co troller for full functionality and you never want to be an early adopter of new products.

 

[blaxsun]

From what I saw you have to also buy a co troller for full functionality and you never want to be an early adopter of new products.

It's a Sicce SDC pump - they've been out for years. The controller will be a variation on the Sicce WiFi controller as well - with the added benefit that you can control 2 devices. Each pump also has a disconnect 1m into the cord so you can easily remove the pump for cleaning and maintenance.

 

[SpyC]

It's a Sicce SDC pump - they've been out for years. The controller will be a variation on the Sicce WiFi controller as well - with the added benefit that you can control 2 devices. Each pump also has a disconnect 1m into the cord so you can easily remove the pump for cleaning and maintenance.

But the controller being used is new. Would still avoid being an early adopter.

 

[Reefer1978]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, but I can figure out the pumps. I would love to keep this thread to 1 pump, or 2. Plus I am not a huge fan of sicce, I had too many impellers break over the years.

 

[Dburr1014]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, but I can figure out the pumps. I would love to keep this thread to 1 pump, or 2. Plus I am not a huge fan of sicce, I had too many impellers break over the years.

1 with 1 backup?

 

[blaxsun]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, but I can figure out the pumps. I would love to keep this thread to 1 pump, or 2. Plus I am not a huge fan of sicce, I had too many impellers break over the years.

1 pump for your return (use the Y-split) and 1 for your UV/manifold. Don't rule Sicce (or Red Sea) out until you've tried the new SDC pumps. They're really impressive quality.

 

[Reefer1978]

1 with 1 backup?

Yes, that would be option number 1.

1 pump for your return (use the Y-split) and 1 for your UV/manifold. Don't rule Sicce (or Red Sea) out until you've tried the new SDC pumps. They're really impressive quality.

I used a lot of them over the years. good pumps. But I am thinking vectra for this one. Do you know if the SDC has the feed mode that's not a complete OFF, still runs the pump slowly?

 

[ShepherdReefer]

My two cents, we have two pumps for the return...well, our tank can run one pump or the other. One pump is for the primary return, and the other is for the UV, but we installed a valve in case one of the others fails. The pumps are DC pumps that can increase or decrease the flow.

 

[blaxsun]

I used a lot of them over the years. good pumps. But I am thinking vectra for this one. Do you know if the SDC has the feed mode that's not a complete OFF, still runs the pump slowly?

I don't believe so, no. I run my Sicce SDC pumps through my Apex with IOTA - which allows me to throttle them down to 1% (etc.) with various feed modes, programming, etc.