125 Build

capnjack · Apr 22, 2020

Upgrading to a bigger tank , purchased a 125 megaflo tank, so far picked up a 36" trigger sump a reef octopus 150 int protein skimmer next I need to figure up what size pump to get for it, sump will be directly under tank pump will be roughly 3' under it , have ran mag drives and lifeguard for years, would there be anything a little more energy efficient or better than those ? also how reliable are DC pumps ? Thanks

lpsouth1978 · Apr 23, 2020

Welcome to the insanity, and R2R!

That will be a great tank given the right setup. The biggest issue with them is the Single Durso drain in each overflow box. I know some are using the return as a drain and running the return over the trim of the tank using PVC. Others are setting the drain in one overflow as primary (full siphon) and the other overflow as secondary, effectively making it work like a herbie overflow.

I stopped using Mag drive pumps years ago because they always seemed rather loud and transferred a lot of heat to the water. I would look into a DC pump. I know that the Ecotech Vectras and Reef Octopus Vario-S get great reviews, though they are not the cheapest pumps available. I use Jebao DCP pumps for my returns and have had GREAT success with them, and they are a lot less expensive (though they can be a bit of a hot topic around here). No matter which pump you end up getting, I always recommend having a backup in case something goes wrong.

capnjack · Apr 25, 2020

It was suggested I go with a return pump with a 1500 gph flow also should I run the 1" piping through out the system far as plumbing goes , and is it better to use gate valves or ball valves for controlling the flow and drains ?

Cwentz758 · Apr 25, 2020

capnjack said:
It was suggested I go with a return pump with a 1500 gph flow also should I run the 1" piping through out the system far as plumbing goes , and is it better to use gate valves or ball valves for controlling the flow and drains ?

Gate valves for drains/controlling flow

ball valves for places you want to have control of turning water of completely