# Iwaki Water Pump for 180G



## euphr (Aug 9, 2015)

I am building a 180g acrylic tank. The tank i am looking at comes with two corner overflows.

I am planning to use the Proflex Model 4 Sump and looking at the IWAKI External Water Pumps. Below is the one i am looking at. Is it too much or is it within the right range for this sized tank. MD-100rlt.

Flow rate: 2000 gph
Max head: 39.0 feet
Amps: 3.4

Kind of worried about the noise, and potential heat increase affecting the water.

Let me know your thoughts


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## Narwhal72 (Sep 26, 2006)

Way too much.

I would go with the 30RLXT. I am actually using one of those to run 2x 120 gallon tanks on a central system.

You really don't need a ton of water flow for a freshwater system. A smaller pump will maintain the same quality of water but be quieter and more energy efficient.

Andy


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## euphr (Aug 9, 2015)

okay i think i would go with the MD 40 then; this give me about 1200GPH.

any thoughts on the Pan World 100PX-X Magnetic Water Pump. I was talking to the FishTankDirect and they say that they are cooler thank the IWAKI.


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## Narwhal72 (Sep 26, 2006)

You don't need a high pressure pump if you are only running a sump. Unless your sump is in your basement and you are going up a flight it would make more sense to get an RLXT model to save some cost. The 30RLXT will give you a slightly higher flow rate, is less expensive, and uses less electricity than the 40RLT.

Panworlds are good less expensive pumps in general. I used to use the Coralife version on a central system I had in my old place and it worked very well for years.

Andy


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## fltekdiver (Sep 27, 2015)

Flow rates depends on your pipe sizes and bulk heads the water goes through, and if your running full siphon etc or not


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## Narwhal72 (Sep 26, 2006)

Yes. Head pressure and friction in the lines will reduce the water flow. But probably not a lot if you are running a minimum of 3/4" tubing for the returns and the pump is directly under the tank.

fltekdiver, I am assuming you went/are attending my alma mater too. FIT '94 here. Nice to see a fellow alumni here!

Andy


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## fltekdiver (Sep 27, 2015)

Hey Andy, not me 

Most people that run high flow through their system go with 1-1/2" return pipes

A 1" line if I remember has a 600GPH flow rate, 3/4" even less

On my SW Reef tank, I ran a DC pump and ran 1-1/2" return line up over the back

I was running a full siphon on the drains

It's not recommended to have high flow through sumps

Why not add a power head or two in the tank?

On my 90G Cichlid tank I'm setting up now, I'm going to use a Jabeo DCT6000 return pump that's adjustable, and power heads in the tank

I'll dial back the DCT6000 I'm sure to slow down the flow through the sump, and pick up the flow from power heads in the tank


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## Narwhal72 (Sep 26, 2006)

Sorry about that. I see someone with a name like fltekdiver from Melbourne, Fl. and I automatically put you as a Florida Tech student/alumni. No problem.

I know of very few setups where 1.5" pipe is used for a return line. Generally I would only install these on 3000gph plus systems. Not saying there is anything wrong with that. Just that its not common.

Most aquariums are plumbed with 1" drain lines (although a 1.25" pool hose is often attached to the bulkhead and sump) and 3/4" return lines.

The 600 gph flow rate refers to drain lines only. This is because the pressure on the drain lines is limited to only the force of gravity. On return lines, the flow is determined by the torque of the pump. With a pump of sufficient torque you could flow 5000 gph through a 1/2" line. Of course, going to a larger diameter return line will reduce friction which will increase flow rate when comparing two setups with pumps of identical torque.

I wholeheartedly agree with you that there is no reason to run a ton of water flow through the overflows and sump. It won't make the water any better quality and just makes it noisier and less energy efficient.

A moderate amount of water flow through the sump with maybe a power head in the aquarium for more current (if necessary) is all that is needed.

Andy


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## RandyS (Feb 6, 2015)

> It's not recommended to have high flow through sumps.
> 
> Why not add a power head or two in the tank?


Why is this not recommended?

One reason for not using power heads is to minimize clutter within the tank.


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## fltekdiver (Sep 27, 2015)

Because if the flow rate is to high, the bacteria don't have time to colonize, and stay in the sump

For a sump to work, you have to be able to grow beneficial bacteria in the sump and not in the tank ( is the idea )


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## Narwhal72 (Sep 26, 2006)

I agree that you would minimize clutter in the tank by not using powerheads.

However:

The flow/electrical usage of a powerhead vs. a return pump is very strongly in the powerheads favor as it does not have to fight head pressure or friction. Plus the modern propeller style pumps can move a tremendous volume of water compared to a centrifugal pump.

The more flow you push through the overflows and sump the louder they get. The constant din of rushing water can be a bigger distraction than a powerhead in the aquarium.

As fltekdiver already said, if the flow is too high it will wash the bacterial film off of the biological filter media or overwhelm the mechanical filter media resulting in more bypass and less filtration efficiency.

Andy


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## fltekdiver (Sep 27, 2015)

Andy you been doing this for a while 

Randy you can see here, on my 180G SW tank, I designed the sump myself. I teed off the return line to control the flow through the refugium area, to slow it down from the over all tank flow rate

I also ran Herbie style plumbing, which is a full siphon

On a SW tank, the skimmer oxygenates the water volume. On a fresh water tank, if you ran a full siphon you would have to oxygenate the water

Here's my SW set up :


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## RandyS (Feb 6, 2015)

Wow bud. You could moonlight as a journeyman plumber. That looks pretty cool.


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## fltekdiver (Sep 27, 2015)

RandyS said:


> Wow bud. You could moonlight as a journeyman plumber. That looks pretty cool.


Thanks Randy, I just looked at my other video plumbing of my 120 Gallon SW tank, it has 37,000 + views, LOL

I may have to make one now of my FW sump and plumbing, lol !


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## euphr (Aug 9, 2015)

Okay i am hoping i don't need that much plumbing. So the consensus for 180 gallons is about 1000 to 1200 GPH?


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## fltekdiver (Sep 27, 2015)

euphr said:


> Okay i am hoping i don't need that much plumbing. So the consensus for 180 gallons is about 1000 to 1200 GPH?


No, your GPH is determined by your weirs and hole sizes for your bulk heads

If you use 1" bulk heads, they have about 350GPH each unless you do a full siphon, then they max out at 600GPH , but really if I remember at even a full siphon I wasn't at that

You could have. 300 gallon tank with the same set up, it wouldn't matter because your restricted to the GPH through the bulk heads unless you have a custoum tank

Most manufacturers restrict the flow by putting to small of holes in the weirs for drains

If you went to a full siphon , you have to use the other 2 pipes for emergency drains, and go over the back with the return


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## euphr (Aug 9, 2015)

This is for a pre drilled dual trapezoid overflow.

According to the company i plan to order the tank from they typically use the Pan World 100PXX pump for this size and i was looking at the Proflex model 4 for a sump


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## Narwhal72 (Sep 26, 2006)

A standard 1" bulkhead can handle 600 gph easily with a simple Durso overflow drain. I have actually pushed a measured 1000gph down a 90 gallon Megaflow with a single 1" drain. But it's so noisy and the water line was higher than the teeth in the box so that it wasn't surface skimming any longer that I wouldn't recommend it.

A 1" siphon tube in a hang on overflow box will max out at appx. 350 gph. This is because this siphon has to actually go up higher than the water level in the aquarium (to get over the tank rim) and then back down. It's this feature that slows it down.


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## fltekdiver (Sep 27, 2015)

Siphon such as herbie style are lower then the actual tank water
Yes, a box above the water for siphon wouldn't be beneficial 
Dual 1" bulkheads in siphon using herbie style, I couldn't run my return pump at high speed, the drains would not keep up
I was using 1-1/2" pipe return up over the back also

I have never heard of a 1 inch return bulkhead at 1000 GPH


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## Narwhal72 (Sep 26, 2006)

Yes. But a Herbie requires a valve to restrict the water flow to back it up so that a siphon forms. A Durso has no restriction.

By their very nature, Herbie overflows restrict flow rate to make the drains quieter.


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## euphr (Aug 9, 2015)

fltekdiver

that doesn't make sense. I talked with Randy here and he has a single overflow running 1100gph with a Proflex Sump that can do well over 1200 GPH.


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