which return pump for me???

i need a new return pump, asap! for the past 3 years i have been running a Quiet One 3000 (older model). the shaft broke and is now giving me problems. I have been doing some research and dont know which pump i should buy. I have 55 gal DT with a 20L sump. I have aproximatly 5ft of head loss to the return lines. 2 90's, a check valve,and then split to squid. All running through 1/2" pvc. return line is through an overflow with a 1.5" drain.

I am contiplating on buying another Quiet one 3000, a mag 7 or 9.5, but i have also read that the eheim 1250 or 1260 are good as well. Im looking for right around 500 gph turnover after head and friction loss (which should be about 8x-10x of my total volume). Of course i want something quiet and reliable. I dont want to worry about startup failure. I have a chiller, so too much heat is not that much of an issue, but if i can buy the right one the first time with the right gph, reliabilty, less heat, and less power usage, I would be happy.

I have been happy with the quiet one 3000. it has been extremely reliable, until i broke the shaft.

Please help me figure this out. thanks in advance.

 

The total volume suggestion is for the sump volume not DT or system. But since you are using the squid you should stay where you are thinking IMO.

 

Really?? my sumtp volume is probably only about 10 to 15 gallons....that doesnt seem right to me....but thats why im asking. i was under the impression that i wanted to turn over my my volume about 5x-10x per hour.

 

Water movement

An example of a closed loop water circulation system
Water movement is important in the reef aquarium with different types of coral requiring different flow rates. At present, many hobbyists advocate a water turnover rate of 10x: 10 x aquarium capacity in gallons = required flow in gallons per hour. This is a general rule with many exceptions. For instance, Mushroom Coral requires little flow and is commonly found in crevices near the base of the reef. Species such as Acropora and Montipora thrive under much more turbulent conditions in the range of 30 to 40 times more flow, which imitates breaking waves in shallow water near the tip of the reef. The directions which water pumps are pointed within an aquarium will have a large effect on flow speeds. Many corals will gradually move themselves to a different area of the tank if the water movement in its current area is not satisfactory.

 

You want the lower volume to give a longer dwell time so your skimmer can pull more out. If you have the flow matched to the nominal volume of your sump that seems to be OK.

I think the squid has a minimum flow rate that you need to meet.

 

FWIW, SCWD's work best with pumps over 500 gph. I've used them for years, and have them on every one of our DT's.

A little late, but to be honest, I set up our systems so I get the right amount of flow in our DT's (no dead areas) and let the sump flow take care of itself. I do generally run closed-loops on our larger DT's as well since I HATE looking at equipment (such as powerheads) in my tanks.

If you change brands, go with the Eheim 1262 or a Sicce Syncra Silent 4.0.

 

I have had the quiet ones, mag drives, and eheim. In my experience, the eheim blows them all out of the water. Much quieter and mine has never quit in 2 years. My old mag drive was great for about a year then would periodically just stop working. The quiet one was awful and not even reliable for circulating my water change tub for 24hours. Also not at all quiet compared to the eheim. Just my experience though.