need some advice on return pump

ok...im going to buy a new return pump...so i am trying to decide on the brand...

mag?
ocean runner?


here is my wet/dry setup...it is the 150...
Pro Wet Dry

i want to maybe put the pump externally to reduce heat transfer to water...
how can this be done with one of these pumps...just run pvc pipe down in to wetdry?
so which pump brand would be the best?
thanks
Wade

 

Ocean Runner or Eheim would be my choices. I am tempted to buy an Octopus pump and try it, it appears they are built in the same place as the OR pumps so should be equal quality and the prices are much better.

I have personally had two Quiet Ones burn up on me, thats literally cook and electrify my tank. I have bought and sold five different Mag pumps from the #2 to the #9.5 and all were power hogs, ran extremely hot and rattled like crazy.

I have a Rio HF that had the magnet swell up so bad I could not get it out of the housing and the same with a Via Aqua 4900. I was disappointed as I had high hopes for the HF and Taam Rio would not cover it under warranty.

 

Reeflow pumps are super quiet for the amount of gph they move. Just remember to always oversize your pump to allow for head loss and possible expansion later on. Just put a t-valve after the pump to dial it back some, it will use less wattage that way.

Go for a external one.

 

ok..external...

so how would i do an external one...run pvc line to acrylic wet dry...

???

thanks
Wade

 

Drill hole in sump. Install bulkhead fitting in hole. Connect PVC between bulkhead and pump. Done.

 

run pvc

can you run a pvc line up and over the side of the sump??

thanks
Wade

 

External pumps have pros and cons. For larger high volume systems they are great as there are few submersible pumps that fit that bill. One thing you will find is they draw more power than a submersible in almost all cases, sometimes a lot more.
For most smaller to mid sized systems there are fewer advantages. For one, many smaller external pumps will still add heat to the water due to their design. Some pumps are product cooled meaning they circulate the aquarium water through water passages inside the motor for cooling so the heat gain is the same as if it were submerged. If they are not product cooled they may have an integral fan that cools the motor externally and those end up being quite loud compared to a submerged pump.

I have not found any advanatage to externals in the systems I have owned over the years and 3 had externals, a 120 and two 180s. I will stick with my submersibles as they add the same amout of heat whether I place the inside or outside the sump and they are much more energy efficient than a comparable dedicated external. If high head, like pumping from a basement to main floor or through eductors or high volume over 1000 GPH were a requirement I might think differently.

Up and over is not advised, it can be risky. Its best to drill the sump at least one size larger than the pump suction and run directly to the pump in a straight line with one fully open isolation valve for maintanance. This is called a flooded suction or positive suction head which is what you want.