converting 90 to 220 - questions about pump and plumbing

[Bret888]

Hi all,

Planning to convert 90 to 220. the 90 is currerntly very stable. We have a yellow Tang, a blue hippo, 3 fire fish, a few other small fish, several brital stars, a few mushrooms, star polyps are growing pretty well in several places. It currently has a protein skimmer and a ultraviolet sterilizer

for the 220 I plan to build my own cabinet. I have a 55 gallon tank that I was thinking to use for a sump. I have not plumbed a tank before, so looking for any and all advice. I plan on purchasing a Marineland corner flow 220 gal (72x24x30).

For now I am the process of buying the hardware, pump, protein skimmer, and so forth. My main concern is with the plumbing. And my main question for now is [u] what type, size, and so forth pump would be good for this type of setup?[/u]

Thanks in advance for your ideas and thoughts

Bret

 

[Anonymous]

You want to get a pump that is compatible for your overflow, and have other characteristics such as cost, noise, electrical and heat output that match you expectation. There are a lot of mid-size pump that will work with your 220. I would get one that is energy efficient, quiet, and have a good reliability record. What is your budget for the pump, and do you have any specific one in mind yet?

 

[Anonymous]

I've never been lucky enough to have to buy a pump for a system that big so I can't give you a recommendation but I do know that in reefkeeping to buy the best equipment you can afford. It saves a lot of hassles later

 

[Anonymous]

Best in terms of reliability, but not over spec it. Too big of a pump is going to burn a lot of electricity, and it will be more noisy. At any rate, go for ceramic shaft, or titanium. Stainless steel won't do you much good here. Sealed bearing too. I hate to have to grease mine every few months.

 

[Bret888]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. Sorry for my late return, I have been too busy at work

I have not yet picked out a pump. Is there any recommendations anyone has for specific brand and model?

Thank you again

Bret

 

[Anonymous]

If you plan on a submersible pump, then I say MagDrives. They are work horses and very reliable. You need to find out what the overflow is rated for. Then you can calculate the head loss due to vertical plumbing and bends.

 

[Anonymous]

I went thru 10 MagDrive pumps. Usually they last for two years each, top. External pump is much more durable, but they are more expensive if you want a quality one. MagDrive is cheap, so I always have extra around just in case it won't start after I turn it off. I think one of the main reasons they don't last with my tank because I do very infrequent cleaning on them.

 

[Anonymous]

I went thru 10 MagDrive pumps. Usually they last for two years each, top. External pump is much more durable, but they are more expensive if you want a quality one. MagDrive is cheap, so I always have extra around just in case it won't start after I turn it off. I think one of the main reasons they don't last with my tank because I do very infrequent cleaning on them.

I have had my Mag 18 on my tank for 7 years. I clean it every six months and am about to change the impeller for the 4th time. I also have a Mag 3 that is on my bro-in-laws pond, that was my main pond pump for 11 years, and was a saltwater return pump when I was 18. The pump is 20 years old and is still running. IMO they are one of the best submersibles you can buy. External pumps are best(less heat transfer and GPH per watt).