Ungodly heat from a return pump - alternatives?

[Anonymous]

Hi gang.

Well, running into my first issue with the new tank. Quick recap, it's a 40 gallon tank with an in-tank sump. A false wall seperates the last 5" of the tank from the rest of the aquarium. Water overflows that false wall into the rear sump comparment, and it pumped back by a Mag 9 hooked up to an SCWD current alternator. The SCWD is plumbed to a pair of returns, basically just plastic pipes that run along the top side rims.

The problem is the amount of heat this is adding to the system. The mag 9/SCWD alone is increasing tank temps by nine degrees.

I don't know that a chiller is really an option. The cost isn't a problem, but there's no way to run it remotely so I'd have the heat and noise of it in my living room. Also, I haven't the faintest idea how I could run an in-line chiller with the tank, considering it has an integral sump not a seperate one.

I can throw an air conditioner in the room and bring down the ambient temps, but by the time you factor in the heat from the return, the heat from the lighting, and the heat from various other small pumps in the system, I'd need to keep the room at 68 degrees just for the tank to run at 83. That really seems excessive.

Does a 9 degree temperature raise in a 40 gallon tank from a mag 9 sound right? Or does it sound like a problem with the pump? Or, possibly, is having to work with the SCWD causing it to heat up more then it otherwise would?

Suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Anonymous]

I am not surprised at the heat. Each watt of pump is equivalent to each watt of heat. A mag9 is almost 100W, so it will be like running a 100W heating on your tank 24/7. For a 40 gal, that is some heat there.

A inline chiller can be done with your setup, and you can put the chiller remotely. There will be some major plumbing involved, and you may want to consider using a smaller, more effieicent pump for water movement. In some of my previous setups, I purposely put a sump higher than usual, so that I can use a low wattage, high flow pump for return. Good luck.

 

[Anonymous]

I am not surprised at the heat. Each watt of pump is equivalent to each watt of heat. A mag9 is almost 100W, so it will be like running a 100W heating on your tank 24/7. For a 40 gal, that is some heat there.

I was expecting it to contribute a fair amount of heat to the system, but I'll admit I'm surprised by just how much we're talking here.

A inline chiller can be done with your setup, and you can put the chiller remotely. There will be some major plumbing involved, and you may want to consider using a smaller, more effieicent pump for water movement.

Apart from the major plumbing involved (and to be honest, I hate plumbing, even minor plumbing), the thing about a chiller is it'd have to sit in my living room, with no option of venting it out anymore. So I'd have a noisy box pumping out hot air into my 12x12 living room. That more then anything is why I don't like it as an option.

I may have to investigate using another pump.

 

[Anonymous]

Can you vent the hot air out? Can you put the chiller outside? Or they are not options for your situation?

4.1868_W*s == 1_calorie.
40_gal = 151.4 kg.
To increae a 40 gal tank by 1_C takes 151.4_kcal
Running a 100W pump for one day is about 2063.6_kcal

so it should raise your temperature by 13.6_C or about 25_F.

You only getting 9_F is pretty good, due to heat lost to the air, etc. If you insulate your tank very, very well, you should get about 20_F increase. Want to try that for fun?

 

[Anonymous]

Can you vent the hot air out? Can you put the chiller outside? Or they are not options for your situation?

Not really options, hence why it's not my first choice.

The more I think about it, the more I'm tempted to just make my powerheads do double duty. I can toss them all in the back (which has the advantage of getting them out of the main tank, anyway) and connect them up to some U-tube returns hanging over the false wall. I can do that, maintain the amount of current I want, and get away for around 40 watts total between them.

 

[Anonymous]

get rid of the mag. why spend the money on a chiller when you can easily replace the pump.

I know it's more money, but check out an Eheim 1260.

B

 

[Anonymous]

Actually, I went ahead and ordered up some u-tubes with directional output nozzles, clamps and hoses earlier. Going to try the powerheads-behind-the-false-wall route, since I'm using them on a wavemaker anyway. I'll let you know how it works in a couple of days once they arrive.

That, and I'm getting sorely tempted by the EcoTech VorTech. If I'm not happy with the amount of current I'll have I may just go ahead and get one. Won't be of any use as a return, but the powerheads will have that covered. I only have to use them to pump water up 6", so head loss shouldn't be a factor.

 

[Anonymous]

Any pics of the sump design? That sounds interesting.

 

[Anonymous]

Another powerful powerhead is the Hagen 150 (Used to be the 802).

Specifications:
For aquariums 100 gallons or more.
Flow Rate: 900gph
Watts: 62w
Inlet: 1 1/4”
Outlet: 1”

Size:
7" long (8” long with strainer) x 4 1/2" wide x 7 1/4" high

 

[Anonymous]

I'd offer to snap some pics, but you wouldn't be able to see much, just a top down view since the sides are covered. You can get a look at the design by going to http://www.oceanimage.net/ and clicking on where it says "360 View" right over the price, though.

 

[Anonymous]

Ah, so you purchased it that way?

 

[Anonymous]

Ah, so you purchased it that way?

With the in-tank sump, you mean? Yeah, it's how this tank is designed. It's basically a 30 gallon cube with an integrated 10 gallon rear sump, for a total system volume of 40 gallons.

I've never been much for plumbing, so to me it's a tremendous design advantage. Anyway, tank's covered in a bit more detail (including a few pics) in my thread in the setups forum http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=91649

 

[Anonymous]

Got the u-tubes and hoses last night, but turned out I'd ordered the wrong size of hose clamps

Did a quick test run last night with the powerheads + u-tubes on a wavemaker as the returns (I don't want to leave it hooked up and running til I've got the right size clamps on there, but I'm having them overnighted to me tomorrow) and it works beautifully.

Anyone know where I can get some suction cups that will clip to a 5/8" diameter u-tube?

 

[Anonymous]

Check Ace Hardware or some places like HD, etc. As for the hoe clamps, I usually get them from local hardware store and even auto part store. Good luck with the new setup.

 

[Anonymous]

cable ties will hold until you get the clamps.

B