return pump strong enough?

[Poolshark]

Hi,

I just bought an Eheim 5000 compact which claims to pump up to 1320 gph. I plan to use it to "Y" off my return line.... one way directly to my display tank and the other through a JBJ 1/4 HP chiller and back up to my display tank through a U-tube return. Both hoses will need to travel 4 ft to the top of my tank.

I dont know much about the physics behind this but i figured that once the water hits the Y, it should split to approx 650 gph each way and then by the time each hits the top of my tank the gph will probably lessen by about 200 gph (4 ft head) on each hose....and finally each return will spill into the tank at around 400ish gph. Are these calculations accurate by any means!? BTw, my chiller needs a gph of 480 to 1920 so Im assuming i will meet the minim flow requirements.

Will this work?

thanks

92 gallon corner "reef ready"
20 gallon sump
Reef octopus skimmer 160s

 

[arnaldolex]

i dont think its enough from my understanding the tank should pass threw sump like 10 times a hour to be a good flow as to for the skimmer and other stuff you got down there you have 112 gallons of water total so it should have been 1120 gph but then motors say something and then you gotta read the spec because the height of the tank and also your gonna split the line. i dont know the exact math but i would have went one thing higher on the pump just to be safe i think that after you put everything on the flows gonna be very slow. you should get a separate pump for your chiller or a stronger pump to run everything

 

[Poolshark]

Thanks. My problem is that I dont have enough room in my sump to get a bigger pump.Im currently running a danner mag7 . The only reason the eheim works out is because its the compact model and that's the strongest they make. As for running the chiller on its own pump, there is a possibility of fitting the eheim in the first chamber of my sump where the filter socks are. it will be a tight squeeze but I think it will fit without getting in the way of the socks. I have the aqueon proflex model 3 sump.... Other than that, I dont think I would want to put it in my refugium (middle chamber). Right now it only contains LR.

 

[Poolshark]

ok, what if I plumbed my chiller off my return using a "Y" and instead of spilling the output of the chiller back into my sump, added another "T" after the "Y" and bring the output of the chiller back to the same return line and up to the tank. I would be using flex hose for all of this and because Im dealing with a small amount of space the length of hose between the "Y" and the "T" might be only two inches. Obviously I would have to hose clamp this like crazy but I think it would work.... this way i I would definitely have enough power in the eheim 5000. Any thoughts??

 

[Nottick]

You don't need to turn your tank over 10x and hour. You'll be fine with what you have.

 

[annanymous]

It's better to have 5x the turnover thru the dump do that all ur reactors and skimmer have longer surface contact with tank water. If u need better flow within the tank for the corals, ur better off with power rads.sump returns not a good flow creatir

 

[annanymous]

Meant to say sump ( I hate the spellcheck!)