return pumps?

i was curious as to what everyone thought about using pond pumps vs a nonpond pump such as a rio or any other brand.. i am talking about using them either as a return pump or for a skimmer. pros and cons? let the debate begin

 

Pond pumps are a huge no-no. Most of them contain copper or bronzed based bushings/seals. These alone will leach enough copper into a tank to wipe out corals and inverts.

 

well i am glad i asked then just one of those things i just didnt think about. good think i asked. thanks for the incite...

so what are some of the better pumps to use? any good pumps that can be used dry?

 

IMHO the best pumps can be used dry
What kind of flow rates are needed? I take it you are building a manifold to drive the other sump equipment from your first post?
I went with Little Giants for my 200 build.

 

well since my diy over flow is supposed to get around 600gph i want something a little stronger than that i can control everything myself with a ball valve. and i am guessing maybe 300-500 gph for my diy protein skimmer. how much is too much with a diy protein skimmer?? was hoping that i could run the pumps dry so that i could save room in the sump/fuge i want to build.. thanks for the all help and info

 

Well, I have no idea with the DIY skimmer. But, you can always throw a valve before that as well. Run two valves, one on the return side to the tank, and one right before the skimmer. Now, for those two, I would actually suggest running PVC gate valves instead. The gate valves are a lot more accurate and will make it a heck of a lot easier to dial in.
What type of head space are you running? Single or dual returns? Are you going to run reactors (carbon, phosban)?

 

you are correct about the gate valves!! so they will definately be going on both sides. i think i am looking at about 4 feet of head space. i really would like to run dual returns with a scwd wavewaker. i think it will add a nice variety to the water flow

 

+1 on the gate valves. The other issue with ball valves is that they sometimes tend to get stuck! And you find out their stuck when you really need them to not be stuck.