MORE INFO ON PUMPS

Choosing a Main System Aquarium Pump
There are three critical factors when choosing an aquarium pump: the desired flow rate, the amount of head pressure and cost.

Desired Flow Rate
The optimum tank "turnover rate" is approximately 3 to 4 times per hour for saltwater fish-only tanks, 9 to 10 times per hour for saltwater reef tanks and 2 to 3 times for freshwater tanks. To approximate a aquarium pump's flow rate in a closed system, subtract 25% from the pump's maximum rate flow to compensate for filter and plumbing restrictions. For example: using the multiple of 4 times per hour, a pump with a maximum flow rate of 375 gallons per hour (gph) would be appropriate for a saltwater fish-only tank of about 70 gallons (375 * .75)/4)=70.31).

If you want to be more exact about the degree to which the filter and plumbing will compromise the flow of the pump, you can calculate the head pressure.

Head Pressure
Generally, the head pressure is the distance from the inlet of the aquarium pump to the discharge point in the display tank. As the head pressure increases the gph will decrease.

Along with the distance from the inlet of the aquarium pump to the discharge point in the display tank, a number of factors effect head pressure:

• each 90-degree bend in the plumbing will add about one foot of head due to friction
• as a result of friction, each 10-foot horizontal run of pipe will add a foot of head pressure
• Any time a pump discharge is shunted off, perhaps to a protein skimmer, this will also rob the display tank of flow

So, using an example of the Rio Aqua Pump , if the distance from the inlet of the aquarium pump to the discharge point in the display tank were five feet and there were two 90 degree bends in the plumbing and five feet of horizontal pipe, then the head pressure would be approx. 7.5 feet.

There is a limit to the head an aquarium pump can handle. For example the the Rio 600 when the head feet reaches 4, the gph is reduced to zero. Many pumps at  www.oceanreeflections.com  have listed the head height where the Shut Off point is reached.

Cost
"The best advice I can offer is this: Even if you are on a tight budget, do not scrimp on the pump. This is the most important component of the system, and its failure can spell disaster. "
John H. Tullock, BOOK - " Natural Reef Aquariums"

www.oceanreeflections carries a large selection of pumps and power heads listed below, you may also find the pump you are looking for under wavemakers, for any more help we would be more then happy to answer any questions at service@oceanreeflections.com.

IWAKI (magnetic drive)
CORALIFE (turbo-sea)
MDM INCORPORATED (sequence pumps)
ECO-TECH (vortech propeller pump)
Tunze (pumps with and without controllers)
AQUARIUM SYSTEMS ( maxijet, minijet, microjet)
LITTLE GIANT ( "Q" series) RIO (aquapump and hyperflow)
HYDOR (koralia pumps)
QUIET ONE PUMPS RIO SEIO (pumps and controllers)

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