# Best Wet/Dry for a 150g??



## jasien (Apr 1, 2007)

I am putting together my 150 Malawi Hap show tank and want to add a wet/dry filter to supplement my Eheim 2217 canister.

Does anyone have any recommendations on a specific wet/dry filter (not DIY) that has performed well?

Also, what should be the minimum flowrate for the wet/dry?

The tank is not drilled.

Thanks!


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## pupdawg (Jul 20, 2009)

I have an ESHOPPS WD-200 on my 125G display tank. Easy to set up and reasonably priced. However, if I could do it again I would have a sump built DIY and get the tank drilled with a drill/overflow kit from glassholes.com.

The drawback of the eshopps kit is that the drain is only 1" (dual 1" on wd-150/200 models). Obviously I had the "flushing toilet" syndrome when I first set up the wet/dry and the maximum real time flow rate of the overflow (model PF-1000) that came with the kit was closer to 600GPH than the rated 1000GPH. 1" bulkheads on the drain is only capable of draining 5-600 GPH MAX and with that you get the "flushing toilet sound" as you get closer to capacity, add the fact that the distance of horizontal run your drain lines need to go into the sump affect this number also. Water flowing straight down will "fall" faster than water that needs to travel horizontally.

If you like the Eshopps wet/drys then just go for the big one (WD-300CS) if you have the room for it. It comes with 1.5" dual drains (PF-1800 overflow box) and that will flow enough for you to not need the canister (you could use it on another tank now or later).

I have the wd-200 and ended up buying the PF-1800 overflow on sale from drfostersmith for under $80 shipped. I also ordered 1.5" bulkheads from them and enlarged the holes on my w/d, installed the 1.5" bulkheads and plumbed 1.5" PVC sch 40 drain lines. The pump is a submersed MAG 9.5 with 1.25" PVC return doing about 820GPH at about 3ft of head. I also added another siphon U-tube 1.5" to help get the water into the overflow drain. With the distance of horizontal run I have (about 4 feet) the single 1.5" U-tube was barely enough. Optimally I wouldve liked to place the sump with the drains straight down but there was no room with the other tank under there. I may move it or may not.

I used the overflow that came with the wd-200 on my other tank (90G) and made a cheap DIY sump out of those plastic drawers and run a MAG 7 with that. Works well enough.

For your tank I would opt for the WD-300 if space permits and maybe a pump that can move around 800 GPH.

If you have limited space then the smallest sump I would go with would be the WD-200 with a pump that can do around 600 GPH.

Remember that the head height affects the pumps output drastically along with the inside diameter of the return line. 1.25" at the biggest with the flow rates we need is sufficient and you can choke down the outlet if you need/want more water velocity. If you use the 5/8" hose and return jet that comes with the eshopps sumps a pump rated for say 1000GPH might only do 850 and thats not counting the head height. You lose roughly 60GPH with every vertical foot the water needs to travel.

Hope this helps.


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## pupdawg (Jul 20, 2009)

....sorry double post. (deleted)


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## jasien (Apr 1, 2007)

This definitely helps a lot. I especially appreciate the 60 gpm flowrate decrease for every foot of elevation rule-of-thumb.


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## pupdawg (Jul 20, 2009)

60 GPH not 60 GPM. Thats just a rough number.

Here's a link to a head loss calculator: http://www.reefcentral.com/calc/hlc2.php just to give you an idea of real time flow rates of various pumps. It is not 100% accurate but should be pretty close.


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## jfly (Feb 17, 2009)

build one out of a 30 gallon tank.. that's exactly what i use and its perfect for a 150. i use eshopps 800 hang on overflow box and a rio 2500 return pump and they are in perfect harmony :thumb:


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