Pump sizing

[roshi719]

I am getting a new skimmer from Jon at warner and need a new pump to run it. My question is can I run my return and skimmer off of just one pump or do I have to have separate pumps?

The skimmer is one of his beckett style skimmers and needs 1500-2000 gph of pressure water to run. My returns for the display and frag tanks are around 2000 gph total. I was thinking that I could feed all of it with a reeflo hammerhead. I would run 1.5" all the way to the skimmer and reduce it down at the fitting. Is this going to give me enough to run the skimmer effectively or should I just run it on its own pump?

 

[Blackhawk Fan]

Any idea of your head loss? You might be better off with a Manta Ray or to just run it on it's own.

 

[roshi719]

Head loss would be 5.5' on the display, 4' on the frag tank, and about 4' on the skimmer.

 

[Blackhawk Fan]

Should work just fine. You might have to cut a little back on what goes through the display or the frag tank. If you can live with that, that's what I'd do.

 

[roshi719]

I can always throw an extra korallia in the frag tank. I think I'm gonna get my hammerhead ordered then.

 

[Blackhawk Fan]

You could have had mine cheap....

 

[roshi719]

I know but I wasn't sure which way I was gonna go when you got rid of it.