Ecotech S2 Return Pump feels slow

[reefpunk]

Hello and thank you for taking the time to read this!

I upgraded from a 80g to my current 140ish gallon system back in September and bought a bunch of new equipment including a S2 return pump. I run it at 100% and it pushes water up about 4ft before it enters my DT. Is this pump a good size for my water volume? To me it seems like the pump is not generating a lot of flow and I feel that I may need a larger pump. Before I go ahead and purchase a new pump I'd like some opinions on if this S2 is fine for my system or if I should go get a larger pump.

I should also mention that I feel that it did slow down a bit since September. I've noticed that my overflow has almost an inch worth of water missing compared to 1-2 months ago. I am thinking this is because my pump needs a clean which I plan on doing tonight.


Any opinions and suggestions welcome. Thanks everyone.

 

[OfficeReefer]

I had a similar issue and found out how bad it was once I put an Apex flow sensor on the return. I ended up making some plumbing adjustments, which removed two feet of pipes with two angles that were really making my flow too low.

 

[bushdoc]

If you look at flow graph of S2 you will see that at head of 6ft it will be around 600-700gph, probably not enough for your system. I know that you are pumping 4 ft high, but every turn and elbow is adding too. If you run reactors, chiller etc that your pump will definitely not be pumping enough.
I run Vectra L2 @ 55% on my 150 gallon system, which is probably overkill.
M2 seem more like choice for you if you wanna stick with Ecotech.
I definitely recommend disassembling pump and cleaning it, there may be something obstructing flow too.

 

[mfinn]

Hello and thank you for taking the time to read this!

I upgraded from a 80g to my current 140ish gallon system back in September and bought a bunch of new equipment including a S2 return pump. I run it at 100% and it pushes water up about 4ft before it enters my DT. Is this pump a good size for my water volume? To me it seems like the pump is not generating a lot of flow and I feel that I may need a larger pump. Before I go ahead and purchase a new pump I'd like some opinions on if this S2 is fine for my system or if I should go get a larger pump.

I should also mention that I feel that it did slow down a bit since September. I've noticed that my overflow has almost an inch worth of water missing compared to 1-2 months ago. I am thinking this is because my pump needs a clean which I plan on doing tonight.


Any opinions and suggestions welcome. Thanks everyone.

I'm assuming when you say 140 ish system, that you display tank may be around 120-125 gallons?
For a display tank that size you really only need 600 or so gph.
So IMO the pump is enough ( at 100% ) as long as you don't have a whole bunch of fittings or other devices the water flows through.
Cleaning a pump almost never hurts.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

I agree with @mfinn , unless you're relying on your pump to perform double duty (tank turnover and flow). Your turnover rate through the sump seems good.

As for the concern with it slowing down, a good cleaning might be in order. I have an S1 in my sump and I don't clean it as often as I should, but anytime I notice performance slipping, a good soak in a mild acid and a little elbow grease it's good as new.

 

[reefpunk]

I had a similar issue and found out how bad it was once I put an Apex flow sensor on the return. I ended up making some plumbing adjustments, which removed two feet of pipes with two angles that were really making my flow too low.

I don’t have any angles with my return plumbing. It’s just straight up into the tank with no elbows or anything.

If you look at flow graph of S2 you will see that at head of 6ft it will be around 600-700gph, probably not enough for your system. I know that you are pumping 4 ft high, but every turn and elbow is adding too. If you run reactors, chiller etc that your pump will definitely not be pumping enough.
I run Vectra L2 @ 55% on my 150 gallon system, which is probably overkill.
M2 seem more like choice for you if you wanna stick with Ecotech.
I definitely recommend disassembling pump and cleaning it, there may be something obstructing flow too.

I don’t have any turns or elbows with my return plumbing. It’s just straight up into the DT and out. I did clean it out last night and it seems a bit better. I think I might just need a stronger pump. I was thinking of going for the M2 if I were to purchase a new pump but maybe I just go big and get grab the L2 and call it a day.

I'm assuming when you say 140 ish system, that you display tank may be around 120-125 gallons?
For a display tank that size you really only need 600 or so gph.
So IMO the pump is enough ( at 100% ) as long as you don't have a whole bunch of fittings or other devices the water flows through.
Cleaning a pump almost never hurts.

My tank is 140 72x30x15 and then I have a 60g sump. So 200g of water give or take a bit. The plumbing is just straight up into the DT nothing else, no elbows or anything.

I agree with @mfinn , unless you're relying on your pump to perform double duty (tank turnover and flow). Your turnover rate through the sump seems good.

As for the concern with it slowing down, a good cleaning might be in order. I have an S1 in my sump and I don't clean it as often as I should, but anytime I notice performance slipping, a good soak in a mild acid and a little elbow grease it's good as new.

Thank you for reply. I gave it a good clean and it seems a little better.

 

[mfinn]

I don’t have any turns or elbows with my return plumbing. It’s just straight up into the DT and out. I did clean it out last night and it seems a bit better. I think I might just need a stronger pump. I was thinking of going for the M2 if I were to purchase a new pump but maybe I just go big and get grab the L2 and call it a day.

My tank is 140 72x30x15 and then I have a 60g sump. So 200g of water give or take a bit. The plumbing is just straight up into the DT nothing else, no elbows or anything.

IMO you really only need 450 to 700 gph at the tank ( 3x to 5x tank volume)

If you wanted to go bigger and have a little extra pump power down the road, a M2 would be plenty.

I used a M1 on my 240 for 4-5 years before switching brands.

 

[FSP]

Pipe diameter also plays a big role. Smaller returns like 3/4" are popular these days, but they really kill flow rate.

Does the return go through the bottom of the tank? I'm struggling to see how it's getting to the tank without elbows. I don't think elbows are a big deal, just curious

 

[reefpunk]

Thanks for all the help and suggestions but I've ran into a major problem. During some cleaning my new puppy decided to chomp my leg and I cranked my return line with my elbow. Now my bulkhead that is connecting my tank and return is leaking pretty bad and I dont have the equipment or space to drain and redo everything.

Has anyone every tried using flex seal as a temporary solution? I'd need at least a month to prepare to drain my tank and re do my bulkhead so im looking for any solutions.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Thanks for all the help and suggestions but I've ran into a major problem. During some cleaning my new puppy decided to chomp my leg and I cranked my return line with my elbow. Now my bulkhead that is connecting my tank and return is leaking pretty bad and I dont have the equipment or space to drain and redo everything.

Has anyone every tried using flex seal as a temporary solution? I'd need at least a month to prepare to drain my tank and re do my bulkhead so im looking for any solutions.

Is the bulkhead cracked? How is it leaking can you loosen it and retighten it ? It's hard to understand maybe some pictures would help.

I wouldn't put any flex seal on it that stuff is nasty if your going to "redo" it eventually, I would fix it right the first time, but maybe you can drain it down by using a brute trash can and fix it the put the water back, bandaids and reef tanks usually don't go good together.

Still hard to understand the no 90° fittings and having a bulkhead .

 

[reefpunk]

Is the bulkhead cracked? How is it leaking can you loosen it and retighten it ? It's hard to understand maybe some pictures would help.

I wouldn't put any flex seal on it that stuff is nasty if your going to "redo" it eventually, I would fix it right the first time, but maybe you can drain it down by using a brute trash can and fix it the put the water back, bandaids and reef tanks usually don't go good together.

Still hard to understand the no 90° fittings and having a bulkhead .

here is a video of the leak and bulkhead and a picture of my tank. So there is one 90 degree elbow but it’s at the very top(hard to tell in the picture) but other than that my return goes straight up.