Return Pumps for Redundancy and Flow.

[Mirror222]

So I can't find an experienced Nano-Reefer to copy, so any feedback would be helpful. I have spend months planning and think I am to the point of over thinking this. 

 

20g Long Display drilled.

10g Standard as refugium in-stand (I also have another 20g Long and a 20g High in basement if a better option). At least 1 unused tank will get quarantine duty.

Goal is natural filtration + water changes. I know me and I need closer to ULM, I accept this limits choice, plus I am odd and inverts are my main drive followed by softies. 

 

I have 2 returns drilled 1/2", both on back glass but at opposite ends of DT.

For redundancy I plan on doing 2 separate AC pumps, one dedicated to each return line instead of having one pump and a backup. The pumps being quiet is very important, I looked at a single DC but 2 smaller AC looks to be a better idea and cheaper.

All the calculators I can find say head should be 3' 2" on line 1 and 3' 3" on line 2.

 

Idea 1: Size for 100-200 GPH and put a powerhead in the display when the time comes (2x Eheim 1048 or 2x Sicce 1.0, powerhead MP10, Could I get away with 1046 or 0.5 at that height?)
Layout for Idea 1: |return area - refugium - pump area|

Idea 2: RFG nozzles on both lines and return pumps provide all the in tank flow as needed. (so 2x Eheim 1250's or 2x Sicce 1.5, maybe even bigger models?)

Layout for Idea 2: |return area - pump area - refugium|

 

I am not tied to those brands, they just look like good choices in my flow range and quiet pump needs.

 

Thanks!

[mcarroll]

If you are putting all your "flow eggs" in one basket, then the dual pump idea is a good one.

 

But if you do powerheads in the tank for flow, then I'd consider doing a more traditional single-pump setup for the return just to keep it simple.  

 

Quiet One is another good brand to consider for its silence.  (Designed by Sicce...until recently also sold by Sicce.)

 

 

 

 

[Mirror222]

What I purchased after thinking about this all weekend.

 

Single Return Pump: Reef Octopus Varios-2

Single Powerhead: EcoTech MP10

 

Thoughts:

I REALLY wanted as quiet as possible, so DC won out. With this pump and powerhead combo I can still survive a single failure. I plan on adding some kind of battery backup to the powerhead and maybe pump as well. To the DIY forum for building my own battery backup!

With the equipment finally decided my sump is getting setup as:

| DT Return Area | Refugium | Pump Area |

[jservedio]

If you are regularly away from your tank for long periods of time where a failure of your return pump would be catastrophic to your tank and you simply can't mitigate the risk, that's where dual return pumps would come into play. However, you can do stuff like putting a 2nd small heater in the DT and running dosing lines directly to the DT when you are away from the tank for more than a week. When I'm gone for more than a week (normally twice a year), I typically just have a friend stop by once or twice to make sure the autofeeder is working and all the pumps are on. Less than 10 days I don't normally bother.

[mcarroll]

On 6/8/2020 at 11:44 AM, Mirror222 said:

I REALLY wanted as quiet as possible, so DC won out.

That's a little bit of myth fueling your FUD.  You can't get more silent than silent...and those other pumps you (and I) named are silent...as well as bulletproof-reliable compared to DC pumps.  😉

 

On 6/8/2020 at 11:44 AM, Mirror222 said:

With this pump and powerhead combo I can still survive a single failure.

I see it the other way...you're single-threaded vs failure in two ways now.  

• mp10 wet side poops out and (some/all of) the corals asphyxiate from lack of flow.  
• DC return poops out and they freeze to death because your heater is isolated.

In your shoes I would trade out the mp10 for something that you can afford two of OR switch back to the dual-return pump strategy.

 

$300 (cost of one mp10) will get you a pile of nice AC pumps, which go for as little as $40....check out Tunze's Nanostream line and pick one of the small ones.   Even a pair of controllable 6040's will only run you $280, but that's even more massive overkill for a 20 Long than the mp10 is.

 

I do like the idea of having a small (right-sized) heater in each tank on your system including the display, BTW....not just in the sump.  (This is how I ran my multi-tank setup.)