Manny Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 OK guys. It is time to start looking for a new return pump. My mag 7 is starting to get really noisy and I feel it is at the end of its life. I will be purchasing a sicce return pump from BRS especially since right now they have them on a black Friday sale. I need help choosing the right one for my aquarium. How many GPH do I need? My tank is 75 gallons and there is about 15-20 gallons of water in the sump. I was thinking somewhere along the lines of 500-650 GPH. Is this accurate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 The sicce 3 would be comparable flow to what you currently have. They're adjustable though so you can reduce the flow a bit without an external valve. It would have around 500 gph at full flow with 5ft of pump head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny Posted November 21, 2014 Author Share Posted November 21, 2014 Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Following cause I'm in the same boat...been noticing lower flow and it's started making noise after about 2 1/2 yrs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny Posted November 21, 2014 Author Share Posted November 21, 2014 Originally I remember someone had told me that I wanted 3x turnover of my tank size per hour so that would put me at 450GPH but I don't think that's enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard L Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I like to go a little bigger than I need so I have extra flow to supply future needs like reactors. I plumbed in a bypass with a valve so that I can bleed off any excess flow and return it into my sump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 It doesn't hurt to throttle it either. As long as you don't throttle something crazy like 80% of pump flow, it shouldn't have any effect on the performance or longevity of the pump. You can buy inline ball valves for pvc or for vinyl tubing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I have a Reeflo Hammerhead Gold I can sell you bud. 5,550 gph, it'll be awesome! Trust me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny Posted November 21, 2014 Author Share Posted November 21, 2014 I have a Reeflo Hammerhead Gold I can sell you bud. 5,550 gph, it'll be awesome! Trust me! You mean the one that has a tendency to squirt the owners in the face until they plug it up with their finger? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I have a Reeflo Hammerhead Gold I can sell you bud. 5,550 gph, it'll be awesome! Trust me! You mean the one that has a tendency to squirt the owners in the face until they plug it up with their finger? That's just part of the hazing process before you can be a Reeflo pump owner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny Posted November 21, 2014 Author Share Posted November 21, 2014 I'm sure that is probably way too much flow for my tank and out of my price range plus I hate getting wet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I'm sure that is probably way too much flow for my tank and out of my price range plus I hate getting wet. 75x hourly turnover is a lot of fun in a reef tank. Gives a whole new meaning to high energy reef. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I've been using the Mag 18 and was going to get another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Can you imagine if a pipe disconnected or sprang a leak? It'll be like hitting an artery... your tank would be empty in like minutes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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