What's the Difference

Dador · 01-10-2007, 12:49 PM

Just ordered a 180gal!!! I want to put 1 pump for each return at about 800gph each. I was looking at Iwaki and they list pressure and circulation pumps??? What is the difference? Any other pump suggestions??

Matt Rogers · 01-13-2007, 10:04 AM

Pressure pumps are designed to handle a pretty big head like say pumping the water back up from your filter room in the basement. Circulation pumps go for high GPH. I have used Iwaki pumps before. They are quality pumps. I'd go with the quieter version that they make as some are fairly loud. EDIT - oops I was thinking of Little Giant here.

Congrats on the new tank!

Tangster · 01-13-2007, 10:10 AM

I'd have to ask why would you want to run two return pumps ? Double heat transfer double sound and double electricity usage. Also double drilled holes into the sump and double the chance of a leak from seal failure.. But its doable I'd go with 2 mag drive 2400's if I was doubling up on pumps.. Personally I run one pump and also feed the ETSS skimmer with it aswell on my 180 we set up..I did use a Mag to run internal circulation the 3600 mag is a kicker. Best and strongest pump I ever found $4$

Dador · 01-13-2007, 09:37 PM

Thanks. What are Mag 2400s? I wanted to reun 2 primarily for redundency. One will be tee'd with a valve for the refugium the other to the chiller. I was looking at 2 of the Iwaki MD-30RLXT. What do you think.

Tangster · 01-14-2007, 06:21 AM

I think you are way over doing it .. Why now just get a Mag Drive 2400 or 3600 and let that one do it all. As for the refugium I just feed mine with a tee from the overflow to the line to sump from the tank . s for a chiller ? where do you live is it tropical .. I never had much need for a chiller on a small tank like a 180 .. I have one now with no chiller just a fan.. Chillers are very expensive to operate very inefficient and usually not really necessary a Item I'd let go. A MD-100RLT Iwaki Pump will deliver 2,000 GPH I'm running a 180 now with a WMD-40RLXT and it also feds the smaller ETSS tower skimmer and Mag Drive 2400 for the open loop for internal circulation and I'd have used the Mag drive 2400 for my main pump had I not already had a brand new Iwakie setting in a closet never used and 6 yrs old.. A Mag Drive 3600 will leave a Iwakie 1000 in the dust no problems . Just options to look at as I fine most would be better off using less .
As for trying to run two pumps from a single bulkhead and on a tee will never work one will fight agianst the other in a suction struggle and cavitation will become a huge problem and also hot pump motors. I run a 135 now with just a mag drive 1800

Big Wally B · 01-14-2007, 10:51 AM

I hate to go against such learned minds but I am not sure you will have any major problems. Why you are doing it is not important to me. Experimentation is sometimes a good thing. If your sump is large enough, and the pumps are seperated, you should not have cavitation problems. If you use check valves on the outlet of the pumps and one fails, the other could conceivably make a difference. Especially, if hours go by before you find it. A single large pump will in fact be more efficient than two smaller pumps but only to the tune of a couple of percent (3 max). Same would be true of related electric usage & noise. Everything in engineering new systems is a trade-off. If some peace of mind is worth more money, then its probably worth doing, if done right. On the other hand you will find gads of knowledge here, and someone has probably done it before. I have learned to revere these opinions the hard way.

Big Wally B · 01-14-2007, 10:52 AM

I hate to go against such learned minds but I am not sure you will have any major problems. Why you are doing it is not important to me. Experimentation is sometimes a good thing. If your sump is large enough, and the pumps are seperated, you should not have cavitation problems. If you use check valves on the outlet of the pumps and one fails, the other could conceivably make a difference. Especially, if hours go by before you find it. A single large pump will in fact be more efficient than two smaller pumps but only to the tune of a couple of percent (3 max). Same would be true of related electric usage & noise. Everything in engineering new systems is a trade-off. If some peace of mind is worth more money, then its probably worth doing, if done right. On the other hand you will find gads of knowledge here, and someone has probably done it before. I have learned to revere these opinions the hard way.

Dador · 01-15-2007, 09:09 PM

Actually I ordered the tank with two overflows so I'll have two seperate returns.

Dador · 01-15-2007, 09:23 PM

Actually I ordered the tank with two overflows so I'll have two separate returns and the sump with bulkheads for 2 return pumps, a CR, and one for my protein skimmer outside the sump. I wanted the chiller to insure I didn't get too hot with the lights, pumps, etc. I ordered retrofits with four 175W MH and four 110W Actinics. They are being constructed as two 4 foot sections. The tank is 96x18x24.