Pump Size and Brand for 540 Gallon Tank
- Thread starter lawrencewheaton
- Start date
I'm having a little difficulty figuring out which Reeflo pump is which. What is the Hammerhead, and what is the Hammerhead Gold? Do you have a model number or something? I can find the Hammerhead Gold, but not just a Hammerhead. I'm searching around and finding that some of their models have been discontinued. I'm also trying to figure out what pump I need for my tank and setup. Trying to figure head pressure is a little difficult.
The Reeflo Hammerhead is the "older" model. Max flow at 0 head is 5800 gph. 3 Amp motor/350 Watts. Maximum head 23'. $399.99
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/sequence-reefflo-hammerhead-5800gph.html
The Reeflo Hammerhead Gold is a newer model with max flow at 5555 gph (who's going to quibble about 245 gph). It's a more efficient pump with average wattage 272 Watts. $499.99
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/reeflo-hammerhead-gold-pump-5555-gph.html
So while the Hammerhead Gold costs $100 more, you'll use less electricity running it.
What I found interesting is that when you compare the Barracuda to the Barracuda Gold, the Gold is more powerful than its predecessor.
There are a whole slew of Reeflo pumps, and I'm sure that there is one to meet your needs. In choosing a pump, you need to know the maximum head, and the gph you want. In my planned setup, I chose pumps that would give the recommended flow rate for my Ultima II filters and 120 Watt UV sterilizers at 6-8' head height...turned out to be Barracuda Golds. I went with a Reeflo Tarpon pump for the Clarity CL-3 I want to use.
In your case, you are pumping up 8' and then another 6' to the top of the tank?? Are you looking at about 14' head?
With a Hammerhead pump, at 14' head, the flow rate would be 4200 gph (1/3 HP motor).
Here's what our Hammerhead pump does in our 300 gallon tank, necked down to 1" pipe, approximately 6' head:
[YT]7v2Vyr5NbNs[/YT]
In retrospect, having just written this, I probably should have gone with the Hammerhead Gold for the savings in electricity. I really don't think you could go wrong with either of these pumps....if they will meet your needs. Keep in mind that Reeflo has a whole line of commercial pumps for pumping higher distances. You'll just have to figure what kind of flow rate you need.
I cited Bulk Reef Supply only for the descriptions of the two pumps.
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/sequence-reefflo-hammerhead-5800gph.html
The Reeflo Hammerhead Gold is a newer model with max flow at 5555 gph (who's going to quibble about 245 gph). It's a more efficient pump with average wattage 272 Watts. $499.99
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/reeflo-hammerhead-gold-pump-5555-gph.html
So while the Hammerhead Gold costs $100 more, you'll use less electricity running it.
What I found interesting is that when you compare the Barracuda to the Barracuda Gold, the Gold is more powerful than its predecessor.
There are a whole slew of Reeflo pumps, and I'm sure that there is one to meet your needs. In choosing a pump, you need to know the maximum head, and the gph you want. In my planned setup, I chose pumps that would give the recommended flow rate for my Ultima II filters and 120 Watt UV sterilizers at 6-8' head height...turned out to be Barracuda Golds. I went with a Reeflo Tarpon pump for the Clarity CL-3 I want to use.
In your case, you are pumping up 8' and then another 6' to the top of the tank?? Are you looking at about 14' head?
With a Hammerhead pump, at 14' head, the flow rate would be 4200 gph (1/3 HP motor).
Here's what our Hammerhead pump does in our 300 gallon tank, necked down to 1" pipe, approximately 6' head:
[YT]7v2Vyr5NbNs[/YT]
In retrospect, having just written this, I probably should have gone with the Hammerhead Gold for the savings in electricity. I really don't think you could go wrong with either of these pumps....if they will meet your needs. Keep in mind that Reeflo has a whole line of commercial pumps for pumping higher distances. You'll just have to figure what kind of flow rate you need.
I cited Bulk Reef Supply only for the descriptions of the two pumps.
Here's a sticky: How to size a pump to your tank
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...05-How-to-size-a-pump-to-your-tank-(1-Viewing)
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...05-How-to-size-a-pump-to-your-tank-(1-Viewing)
The Hammerhead Gold at 13' head will have a flow rate of 3800 gph (compared to the Hammerhead at 14' with 4200 gph), while the Barracuda Gold at 12' flows at 3100 gph.
BTW, the pictures in the chart are of the old pumps. The gold series are actually gold colored pumps.
Here's brich999's I LOVE GOLD thread:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?404743-I-LOVE-GOLD
From the top of my tank to where the pump would sit on a shelf in the basement is about 10 feet. So, I'd have 10 feet of head for that. My question becomes how much head pressure does a canister filter add? I am planning to use 3 Ocean Clear filters to polish the water. I plan on having the water flow T off 3 ways after the pump, and then merge back together before it gets to the tank. I know that the filters add head pressure, I just don't know how much.
You are very right about the cartridge type filter adding head pressure. For mine, the gage reads 5 psig mid-week which equates to 11 ft head. I quote mid-week because a fresh clean filter will give you good flow and as the days go by it builds up and flow reduces. This is in addition to your 10 ft pump to tank height.
Teeing it off as you stated may be a good thing because the flow can go around the clogged filter requiring a not so big pump.
Teeing it off as you stated may be a good thing because the flow can go around the clogged filter requiring a not so big pump.
I have a reeflo hammer head pump on my 540. Great pumps excellent customer service. Reeflo pumps last forever...........GL
Something to keep in mind--the recommended flow rate through Ocean Clear filters is up to 1200 gph. The Ocean Clears also have 3/4" inlet/outlets, while Reeflo pumps have 1 1/2" ports. Your pump has to be close to the recommended flow rates. T-ing off and necking the pipes down may make a big pump work for the Ocean Clears, but then how is it also going to pump 10' up? I'm not sure about the physics involved here, but it seems that by the time the water went through the Ocean Clears (if you went with the recommended flow rate), you will be starting at 3600 gph at 0 head to be pumped 10' up.
Looking at a pump with flow rate of 3600 gph at 0 head, at 10' you would have 1520 gph at the tank, or a turnover rate of almost 3 times/hr. Will that be enough flow in your tank? What would happen if you exceeded the recommended flow rate through your Ocean Clears? If you want a higher flow rate in your tank, is your sump big enough to have the Ocean Clears drawing and returning the water to the sump via a smaller pump, and then have a Hammerhead Gold returning the water from the sump to your tank without any flow restrictions, except the 10' head?
