help me pick a return pump

[BowieReefer84]

Ok, I am setting up a full siphon over flow with 1" bulkheads. Will have three 1" drains, with a gate valve of full siphon. Return is 3/4"

 

Sump will be 40gal breeder directly below overflow (under stand).

 

Will a eheim 1260 or 1262 be my best bet for return pump? It will NOT be powering any reactors etc. It will function as return pump only. I don't want to go bigger than needed.

 

OR, let me know of another pump you think would be a good fit.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Der ABT]

look at the coralvue waterblaster pumps....energy savings above almost all others and a 3 yr warranty....not sure if a hy3000 would work for you but the 5000 is the next stup up and ive heard some really good things about them...thats the route ill be taking.

 

otherwise ehiems are proven..

[BowieReefer84]

look at the coralvue waterblaster pumps....energy savings above almost all others and a 3 yr warranty....not sure if a hy3000 would work for you but the 5000 is the next stup up and ive heard some really good things about them...thats the route ill be taking.

 

otherwise ehiems are proven..

 

 

Yea, I have a bubble blaster 3000 on the skimmer I picked up. They kick butt! It is on a reef octopus 200 body...

 

Back to topic, I am not sure I want to go that route with my return pump.

 

What about this pump http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/review/product/list/id/1608/

 

It also has a 3 year warranty, and is adjustable.

[Coral Hind]

What size tank is it going on? How many feet of head pressure on the pump? Just curious, why not the waterblaster 5000?

[roni]

Yea, I have a bubble blaster 3000 on the skimmer I picked up. They kick butt! It is on a reef octopus 200 body...

 

Back to topic, I am not sure I want to go that route with my return pump.

 

What about this pump http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/review/product/list/id/1608/

 

It also has a 3 year warranty, and is adjustable.

 

I love the eheim pumps and have never had one go bad. A 1260 fully open would be perfect imo.

[BowieReefer84]

What size tank is it going on? How many feet of head pressure on the pump? Just curious, why not the waterblaster 5000?

 

 

Tank is 120+/- a few gallons. For head pressure I would say a little less than 5'. The tank is 22" tall, and stand is 34" tall.

 

I would consider the waterblaster 5000, but haven't been able to find the flow charts w/ head pressue. Probably didn't look hard enough...

 

Would the 3000 be better? The 5000 has 1" out plumbing and looks like a LOT of flow to me. The 5000 is also a lot more than a 1260 eheim.

Edited March 26, 2012 by BowieReefer84

[Der ABT]

hy5000 is perfect. ill be putting mine on a 120 with approximate same height (few inches higher for me but) i should be able to run a few reactors off it as well.

here is a good RC thread HY7000 thread basically he shoulda gotten the 5000 cause the 7000 is over powered

 

 

from the coralvue site coralvue website

Water Blaster 5000

[BowieReefer84]

hy5000 is perfect. ill be putting mine on a 120 with approximate same height (few inches higher for me but) i should be able to run a few reactors off it as well.

here is a good RC thread HY7000 thread basically he shoulda gotten the 5000 cause the 7000 is over powered

 

 

from the coralvue site coralvue website

Water Blaster 5000

[Der ABT]

run the tubing as big as you can as high as you can then use a reducer....simple piece of pvc reduces it down from 1 in to 3/4...im goign to use flexi pvc an dthen a reducer prior to going into the bulk head unless i decide to just run the pvc up the back of the tank (mine is an oceanic so it has 4 drilled 3/4 holes that ill probably use 3 for returns

[ErikS]

If you want the waterblaster just get a Laguna - it's their motor block. Coralvue is simply re-branding.

 

Laguna = $123 for the 1300gph (1500 actually) - WB = $210.................your call.

 

Don't forget the Eden pumps..........sold as Eheim Compact & Tunze return pumps (the one you linked to @ BulkReef is the Eheim/Eden).

 

Also there's the old standby the Eheim Hobby's - nothing as yet has come close their reliability. Can't think of their warranty but given I don't think I've ever heard of one lasting less than a decade I don't think it matters much.

[Coral Hind]

ErikS, Do you have a link on the pump that matches the water blaster? I didn't see anything that looked like it.

[Der ABT]

from the limited research i did a while back, its the same base motor and then the union attachments, volutes, and base are what turns them in from the laguna maxflo pumps to the others (waterblaster, reddragon pumps etc)

 

but would be very interesed in seeing a link.

[Chad]

Not too long ago, I did a cost/efficiency comparison for myself of a bunch of different pumps for a similar setup to what you are talking about.

 

From an overall cost (initial/ownership/reliability) point of view, I came to the conclusion that the tunze silence or the water blaster were best choices. Not the most inexpensive up-front, but when you consider the return pump runs 24-7, it is a good place to spend a little extra and have less monthly contribution to the electric bill. Between the two, I will choose the tunze when the time comes because I hae only limited experience with the water blaster and am not an early adopter (though much of what I hear about it is good).

[BowieReefer84]

Not too long ago, I did a cost/efficiency comparison for myself of a bunch of different pumps for a similar setup to what you are talking about.

 

From an overall cost (initial/ownership/reliability) point of view, I came to the conclusion that the tunze silence or the water blaster were best choices. Not the most inexpensive up-front, but when you consider the return pump runs 24-7, it is a good place to spend a little extra and have less monthly contribution to the electric bill. Between the two, I will choose the tunze when the time comes because I hae only limited experience with the water blaster and am not an early adopter (though much of what I hear about it is good).

 

 

If water blaster is as good as bubble blaster you will be happy.

 

What specific Tunze model do you plan on purchasing Chad???

 

Check out this foam...

skim by mteske1, on Flickr

[Chad]

The silence pro, but I was looking at a little bit more flow than you are. For what you are talking about, if going tunze, I would choose the silence 1073.05.

 

Numbers wise, the WB looks pretty good, mid-cost, low wattage to flow, etc.

[ErikS]

ErikS, Do you have a link on the pump that matches the water blaster? I didn't see anything that looked like it.

The 1500 is the closest match to the 5000, they come in similar sizes..........but no exact match. The real trick is findind the headloss chart - they are used as pond gyser/sprinker pumps.........which is why you see them in the "hamburger". Much like the Darts in the beginning they're used in ponds - I bought my first Dart from a pond company, weren't carried in any aquarium shop. BRK had some for the Koi end of the business

 

We have to remember CoralVue started (with the current line) with the bubble blaster - a commercialization of the RC DIY thread making a custom volute for Askoll/Laguna motor blocks (cloning RD). Since they had the motor - a water pump was a no brainer. No before anyone gets annoyed I don't view this as a negative - smart IMHO. They moved away from the cheaper import pumps that had caused many a lot of grief *cough* Euro-Reef *cough* & tword a proven product = good business.

 

My only .02 is $100 for their volute & impeller is a bit steep.........just my .02.

 

........... Not the most inexpensive up-front, but when you consider the return pump runs 24-7, it is a good place to spend a little extra and have less monthly contribution to the electric bill.

Which is exactly why I'm still running a 1262.......not the most efficient but it's close to 10 years old & will likely out live me - it never fails. Cheap up front always seems to bite one in the butt........especially in this hobby.

 

The silence pro, but I was looking at a little bit more flow than you are. For what you are talking about, if going tunze, I would choose the silence 1073.05.

Interested to hear how that goes. Nice to reduce electric AND remove one more 120v device from the water!

 

It may seem funny but so far there are only a few reliable (by my standards, 5+ years w/o a hitch.....and fewer still who have even proven that) pumps -

 

Eden (Tunze AC, Eheim Compact) = we'll see

Askoll/Laguna (Water Blaster, RD, Laguna) - good so far

Eheim Hobby - proven, the gold standard

Hydor Seltz - tough little pumps......not available for higher flow rates (max is 740gph)

 

Ya think there'd be more

 

I should learn to actually answer a question...........

 

Will a eheim 1260 or 1262 be my best bet for return pump? It will NOT be powering any reactors etc. It will function as return pump only. I don't want to go bigger than needed.

I can't say for the 1260 but a 1262 will easily overrun a 1" drain.........even after the "Up & over" to the tank - you'd be running on 2x1" drains full time.

Edited March 26, 2012 by ErikS

[BowieReefer84]

Erik, thanks for all the great comments. I will be running the 1" at full siphon with 2 other 1" drains as backup.

 

I have read a 1" full siphon can run over 2,000 gph easy... SO, I think the 1260 fully open would be fine. And could even do the 1262 if I wanted?

[astroboy]

Erik, thanks for all the great comments. I will be running the 1" at full siphon with 2 other 1" drains as backup.

 

I have read a 1" full siphon can run over 2,000 gph easy... SO, I think the 1260 fully open would be fine. And could even do the 1262 if I wanted?

 

 

I suspended my 1260 from the underside of my stand with wires, and it was completely silent; couldn't hear it at all even with your ear right next to it. Being out of the water there was no issue with it heating the tank. Ran for two years with no problems at all, and which point I moved so I dismantled the tank and consolidated into a smaller one. Eheims get my vote.

 

 

[ErikS]

Erik, thanks for all the great comments. I will be running the 1" at full siphon with 2 other 1" drains as backup.

 

I have read a 1" full siphon can run over 2,000 gph easy... SO, I think the 1260 fully open would be fine. And could even do the 1262 if I wanted?

I'll take your word on that....I don't really know it's full siphon capability If 2K is right you'd have plenty of room.....I'd guess my 1262 pushes in the neighborhood of 700 - 750gph that's maybe 4' up, 1" split into 2x3/4, and the usual "U" over an overflow box............or about one & a quarter 1" drains (not siphon). Though as mentioned @ 80w it ain't the most efficient pump on the planet.

 

........... Being out of the water there was no issue with it heating the tank...............

Just a FWIW - magnetically coupled pumps (most of those we use) are water cooled = little or no difference in heat transfer whether internal or external.

Edited March 27, 2012 by ErikS

[Chad]

...Interested to hear how that goes. Nice to reduce electric AND remove one more 120v device from the water!

 

Exactly my thoughts!

[ErikS]

Exactly my thoughts!

I've been eyeballing that once since it came out.......low voltage, controlable (night mode, 7096...) - sadly now I'm in the position of hoping/waiting for a reason to replace the 1262.........like that's going to happen

[Chad]

^LOL.

 

You know, those eheim pumps both have a high resale value or work great as water mixing pumps!

[BowieReefer84]

Ok, the three finalists are:

 

1. Water Blaster 5000

2. Tunze silence 1073.05

3. Eheim 1262

 

This will be on a 120 with 40 breeder sump powering NO accessories w/ 5' head. I know any would be a good pick, but figure one last check here.

[Chad]

Pumps..................flow......max head...watts..cost.....rank...gph/dollar..rank..watt/cost..rank...ownership/yr...rank

 

WB 5000................1300 gph..12.8 ft....60.....$210.00..2......$6.19.......1.....$0.29......2......$57.82.........2

 

Tunze Silence 1073.05...792 gph..12.1 ft....43.....$214.00..3......$3.70.......3.....$0.20......1......$41.43.........1

 

Eheim 1262..............900 gph..12.0 ft....80.....$187.00..1......$4.81.......2.....$0.43......3......$77.09.........3

 

 

Small writing so it displays nicely. This is the group of numbers that I put together to stare at when I was doing it so I spent three minutes digging up the nubmers for the pumps you mention. The WB does quite a bit more flow than the other two for comparable wattage, cost, and good efficiency so it throws the first two ranks off. If you add up all the things I ranked, it goes WB, tunze, eheim. I think any of the three would be a great choice.

[Der ABT]

Holy crap the tunze only runs 43w....thats freaking looooow energy....but the reviews im reading compares its flow at 4 or 5 feet to the HY3000 and not the 5000 or 1262..aka the tunze doesnt handle head pressure well.

 

what is the flow at 5 ft for the tunze...having trouble finding it in gph and dont feel like doing math right now.

 

 

also with running a manifold to feed reactors etc im thinking the tunze wouldnt be able to give the pressure i need, could be wrong and if i am i would be very open to trying it...i know my tunze pumps are VERY old and still work great.

seems like the first year of running the waterblaster evens out the cost difference from the eheim...but down the road who knows.

 

 

so far this is a good discussion though....