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Re: pumps



> Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2000 11:49:52 -0400
> From: Dave Gauthier <gauthier at VIMS_EDU>
> 
> I'm in the process of building (well, actually, playing around with) a 
>sump-type filter for one or more of my tanks.  I'm shopping around for a water 
>pump for this setup, and am looking for something that will pump around 200-300 
>gph at a 5 foot head.  With my budget, the Rio pumps and the Mag Drive pumps 
>look like about the best bets, and I was wondering if anyone could give me some 
>recommendations/horror stories about either one.  I'm a bit leery of the Rio 
>because of its common description as a water pump/power head, but anyone has 
>used it to successfully pump water to a 5-6 foot head, I'd like to hear about 
>it.  

We used powerhead type pumps when we first tried trickle filters and eventually 
became discouraged. We first used a Hagen 802 powerhead (came with the filter) 
then switched to some kind of Rio powerhead when we wanted more flow to keep the 
siphon clear of bubbles. 

Both pumps exhibited the same problem - sometimes after stopping them to change 
water, it would not restart on its own. It looked like the rotor was in a funny 
electric field because you could see it vibrating instead of spinning. Maybe the 
4' head was too much for it to get started. We would have to jiggle the 
powerhead and maybe bounce it up and down to get it to start. Very frustrating. 
And a problem if you're in a area with frequent power outages. 

We now use Quiet One pumps exclusively. We have three that have been running 
between 5 and 10 years with no problems. They are dead silent, unlike other more 
popular brands of pumps, such as Iwaki. The pump is direct drive (I believe) 
hence may heat the water a little bit if that is a concern. They can easily pump 
lots of water - 1000 gph at 0 head, less at higher heads. We have to throttle 
ours back to get 360 gph at a 4' head. BTW, restricting the outlet with a ball 
valve actually reduces the power requirements. 

George Booth in Ft. Collins, Colorado (booth at frii_com)
  http://www.frii.com/~booth/AquaticConcepts