Need an ATO Pump

[Rosco's Reefs]

How big does a decent ATO pump need to be?  I bought an obviously too small of a pump and it's no better than a doser.  What are your thoughts?  Thanks!

 

Roscoe

[epleeds]

What ato system are you using? I have a maxijet mini tied to my avast ato and a Tunze ato on another tank.

[John Ford]

Im using a Toms aqua lifter pump currently which is kind of small but works fine for me on  my 75 gallon. In the past I used a 1200 maxi jet and a rio 200 and I had no complaints.

Is yours going into a sump or do you have to worry about head pressure?

[Rosco's Reefs]

I'm a Reef Angel junkie so it's custom built by me using their float valves to a 4 gallon reservoir and I need a pump to push water thru 1/4 tubing.  It has to push water about 30 inches.  The pump I bought is a Toms Aqua Lifter but the water just drips out. Too much head room? Too small pump?

[John Ford]

Those pumps should push about 3.5 gph. That's not a lot but should b more than dripping out.

Has it been that slow from day one? Did it ever run dry?

[epleeds]

If you can wire it up, go with the Tunze pump. It's like 25 bucks.

[WheresTheReef]

I use aqua lifter as well. However, despite its name it can't lift water very well. I'm not surprised it's not working for you @ 30".

[Rosco's Reefs]

I use aqua lifter as well. However, despite its name it can't lift water very well. I'm not surprised it's not working for you @ 30".

 

That is my thought as well.  I'm going to pull it out and do the testing I should have done. Thx all.

[Bruleyii]

Ive just used the cheap pond pumps from HD and they have worked fine for me. I dont have to go 30" though.

[Rosco's Reefs]

tested. It has everything to do with head room.  Won't push water that far.  Going to see how much closer I can move that pump.

Edited October 21, 2016 by Rosco's Reefs

[madweazl]

Those pumps should push about 3.5 gph. That's not a lot but should b more than dripping out.

Has it been that slow from day one? Did it ever run dry?

Aqualifters are designed to be run wet or dry. That being said, 30" of head is asking a lot for this pump (max rated head pressure). I run an Aqualifter on my 75g off the Reef Angel (floats and timed) but it only has to lift 22". Flow at that distance is pretty good. One of these days I'll get a nice res but in the mean time, a plastic jug it remains.

[Origami]

Here's what I did years ago to adapt a maxijet to 1/4" tubing for ATO use on a Biocube 29. (Wrote it up as a DIY post.)
 

[epleeds]

I did that same thing using a maxi mini 606.