1 return pump or 2?

[cyberwollf]

So my return pump on my 75 has been a Mag7 for the last few years.  I have been wanting to up the flow through the sump for some time and soon as I have the new skimmer running I will have an extra Mag7.

So do i run 2 mag7s for return or possibly sell one and buy something bigger??  I know Mags use alot of power, but im also cheap and dont want to spend alot of money on the swap.

From my 2 seconds of research:
So 2 mag7= 1400GPH=~100w=free
Looks like most ~1400GPH pumps  dont run much less power than 2 mag7s, and would cost ~$130

Any disadvantages to just using 2 return pumps?

[HUNGER]

i would go bigger less heat from 2 pumps and most likely less eletrc

[Reefinmike]

if you have two return pumps and one fails, its not the end of the world, if you have just one return pump and it fails... it may be bad.

[HUNGER]

thats why everyone should have a spair pump

[Blown76mav]

If I may, why do you want to up the flow through the sump?  If the water passes through the sump too fast the skimmer, cheato, etc... won't have time to export the nitrates.  At least that's what I've been told by Marc Levenson (Melev) and a few others.   Its kind of like removing a thermostat from a car in the summer, a lot of people think that car will run cooler when in fact the opposite happens and they can't figure out why, because the water doesn't stay in the radiator long enough to cool.

 I've always been under the impression that you want water movement in the display tank via powerheads and the pump was just to rotate the water in and out at a steady slow rate.  Besides only running 1 Mag 7 will save money and reduce heat.

[HUNGER]

well said

[Reefinmike]

I too like running very little flow through the sump, my 20g tank with a 20g fuge has less than 100gph running through it.

[cyberwollf]

If I may, why do you want to up the flow through the sump?  If the water passes through the sump too fast the skimmer, cheato, etc... won't have time to export the nitrates.  At least that's what I've been told by Marc Levenson (Melev) and a few others.   Its kind of like removing a thermostat from a car in the summer, a lot of people think that car will run cooler when in fact the opposite happens and they can't figure out why, because the water doesn't stay in the radiator long enough to cool.

 I've always been under the impression that you want water movement in the display tank via powerheads and the pump was just to rotate the water in and out at a steady slow rate.  Besides only running 1 Mag 7 will save money and reduce heat.

I havent looked at the mag7 flow at several feet of head, but its not much.

My skimmer will be fed from overflow throttled to about 100GPH.  My "sump" is just a filter sock and several chambers for growing chaeto.  I'd like to crank up the flow to get it to tumble and I've always had issue with detritus buildup in the sump.  This will solve all those problems, and now allow me to T of one of the return pumps to run a RDSB and GFO reactor. As far as heat and power, I am currently running both mag7s now (one return, one skimmer)  This new skimmer is already going to eat up some power running 2 OTP-2000s, but they are external so not much heat.

And it gives me some more flow in the tank..

[jungliztkruger]

Less flow through and more flow within. You have to give it time to process and with the money you save not buying another pump you could buy a cheaper nano pump or powerhead to stir the macro.

[slandis3]

Here's is what I have done, buy 2 pumps. 1 main pump and 1 backup encase the main pump fails. Providing you have unions in place if the main pump goes out you could be back up and running within minutes.

[cyberwollf]

Here's is what I have done, buy 2 pumps. 1 main pump and 1 backup encase the main pump fails. Providing you have unions in place if the main pump goes out you could be back up and running within minutes.

I have 2 lockline returns, but only have 1 hooked up.  i would like to hookup the other one and run some other stuff off a T.