Advice on skimmer and return pump for 180G

[veselym]

need inputs on what skimmer and return pump to run on a 180G with 75G sump

I was thinking a DC12000 with 3/4 line but I don't know if that will be enough flow? I have 2' PVC for my intake

 

[tigerdragon]

For rtrn to keep flow up step line up to 1". Personally for my pvc i use sched 200 instead of sched 40 bigger id. Skimmer go +1 on size if its rated for your tank go one bigger. Since tank is 180 i would go to rating of at least 360.

 

[veselym]

so do 1' line up to the tank? what GPH for a pump should I be using

 

[tigerdragon]

The dc12000 will be sufficient it flows up around 3000 gph

 

[Bluelobstor]

+1 on having a super sized skimmer but turnover thru sump doesnt need to be so high 5-10x is all that is required although having flow equal to the skimmer would be ideal

 

[Bluelobstor]

Are u planning a in sump fuge

 

[veselym]

yes, I am building a custom 48' acrylic sump with a refugium

 

[jschultzbass]

Whoa, that's a huge return pump. Unless you have a closed loop there is no reason to run a pump that big. Technically you don't need any more flow through you sump than your skimmer can handle. I used an Eheim 1262 for my return on my 180 and after head loss it probably pushed about 700 gph and that was plenty. Having that much flow is going to make your sump very noisy as the water rushes through it and you'll probably have a lot of microbubbles because the water is rushing so fast they don't have time to settle out. I would highly recommend you reconsider how much flow you want through the sump.

As far as the skimmer, I really like the SRO3000INT if you want to go a little cheaper. I had one on my 180 and liked it a lot. If you have some more money to blow I would recommend the Reef Dynamics INS180E. It's a few hundred bucks more but well worth it in my opinion. I have the INS350E on my 300 gallon and absolutely love it. Very quiet and pulls a ton of skimmate.

 

[jschultzbass]

Are you planning on having the refugium on one end, fed separately or in the middle so all the flow through the sump goes through the refugium?

 

[jschultzbass]

As far as flow through the sump I recommend anywhere between 600 - 900 gph will be more than enough

 

[Bluelobstor]

+1 to what jschultzbass said. I see no beneficial reason to run that large of a pump. A smaller pump will also be easier on the wallet and less heat. If you are wanting the larger pump to achieve your total flow for the tank then there are better ways to do that. You def don't want that much running through your fuge

 

[Bluelobstor]

Some say that 3-5x the sump volume is enough

 

[veselym]

I have plenty of flow for the tank, I know some people go crazy on return pumps for bigger tanks...I can go smaller, maybe a DC6000 or Sicce 5.0

 

[Bluelobstor]

How much head pressure

 

[tigerdragon]

Another thing to think about are you going to manifold the rtn to ron reactors

 

[Eric B]

Any of the DC pumps the poster is talking about using are adjustable and he won't need to run them at 100% and are cheaper than ehiem pump. I run a DC pump on a closed loop and love it as it is dead silent, adjustable flow and produces little to no heat to the touch. I have had the Jebao DC12000 running on this closed loop since it was out on the market with no problems at all. I would just look at the flows of the DC pumps you are looking at and get one with more flow than you need then just dial it back on the controller. If at a later date you choose to add more stuff (Reactors, etc.) you can always dial the flow up more to feed these. I think Jebao makes a DC9000 so you might want to look at that one also and not just the DC6000 and DC12000.

 

[Bluelobstor]

I think Eric B hit the nail on the coffin. Just like chess you should always plan several moves in advance. Start with end result in mind and work backwards from there.

 

[Bluelobstor]

Eric B thanks for the input I thought about using dc pumps when I setup my larger tanks

 

[veselym]

it will be a closed loop and prob 4 feet of head pressure

 

[tigerdragon]

If running closed loop shouldnt have that much head press.