Water pumps..

[machine77]

im looking at getting a rio water pump which will only be used for pumping water from my holding tank into my fish tanks when doing water changes.. my question is, which one should i get, i need something that will pump a steady flow through 10 feet of hose or so, but wont be over doing it as far as flow into the actual tank, in other words, to much current, pushing my fish around and what not. thanks :)
nolan

[nesser]

I have a sedra 500gph on a 50' hose pumping 72" head and I find it's good for me.I dont know what you would gain for pressure on a short hose but how high youre pumping will be a factor,maybe 250 gph pump would work.

[rickztahone]

i have a rio 1400 and it gets the job done fairly well. it takes about 5 minutes to pump about 30 gallons though. if i had a choice i'd go one or two series above the one i have. they are not that pricey either

[rickztahone]

i see your close to me, i'd be willing to sell it for cheap if you'd like, pm me

[KDodds]

How much of that 10' is vertical? It's likely you could get away with simply using a large powerhead.

[machine77]

i have a aqua clear 805 power head pumping my water now, i do at least 75 gallon water changes and thats just 1 tank, and it takes for ever! it would be nice to pump at least 8 feet above for me new higher tanks, i was looking at getting the rio 2500..

[adamsite]

I have a Odyessa 1000gph that I got for $30 pumping from my basement to the ground floor with 40ft of 1/2" hose. It's pretty slow, but limited current, I can do a 60% WC on my 46g in about 10 min.

[Jhhnn]

Pump manufacturers often publish charts or tables that show flow at different "heads"or heights above the water level of the reservoir. Pump performance drops off radically with small hoses, tight bends and increased head, and it usually drops off very fast as the total max height is approached. It's also important to remember that "head" increases as the reservoir is emptied.

For example, I started out with a pondmaster 9.5 pump, 1/2" hose, and a total head (empty reservoir) of 14'. I took an hour to pump 50 gallons, which was unacceptable.

I hadn't done my homework properly. So I dug into the pondmaster site, found the applicable chart, and made some changes. I built a 2' tall platform for the aging barrel, increased the hose size to 5/8"- I would have used bigger hose if I could have found it and the fittings for a reasonable price. Now it takes 15 minutes to pump 50 gallons, which is acceptable.

It's important to position the hose outlet above the water level of the tank, or to provide a large enough vent hole at the desired water line to prevent back-siphoning- the potential for disaster being remote, but catastrophic... a check valve would serve, too, at the price of slightly increasing total head...

The same principle applies to canister filters- pop a hose, come home to find your tank empty and the house flooded...

[Darrell Ward]

I've been using ViaAqua pumps for changing water and other utility duties. They are dirt cheap as far as pumps go, and work well enough for utility duties. I got a several in different sizes when Petsolutions had them on sale. I would get the biggest one I could find at a reasonable price. It's not like it has to power your tank or anything.

[Eddie]

I've been using ViaAqua pumps for changing water and other utility duties. They are dirt cheap as far as pumps go, and work well enough for utility duties. I got a several in different sizes when Petsolutions had them on sale. I would get the biggest one I could find at a reasonable price. It's not like it has to power your tank or anything.

I too use a viaAqua1800 pump to pump water into my juvie tank, its a champ. I also have a rio2100 thats collecting dust. No use for it at the moment but I will again one day.

Eddie

[machine77]

i just went out and bought a rio 2100 and it works way better then that crappy power head i was using, i can pump 60g of water in just 15 minutes and that even with unplugging it to lift it out and into the next drum! thanks guys for your help! hey eddie, i heard you have tips on painting tanks! would you be so kind as to share, you can pm me and let me know! :)

[Eddie]

i just went out and bought a rio 2100 and it works way better then that crappy power head i was using, i can pump 60g of water in just 15 minutes and that even with unplugging it to lift it out and into the next drum! thanks guys for your help! hey eddie, i heard you have tips on painting tanks! would you be so kind as to share, you can pm me and let me know! :)

;)

[big mike 13]

are you guys only using the pumps to pump water INTO the tank? can it be used to be pumped out as well? draining 3/4 of my 46 takes like 15 min or so with a regular python, bit long.

[Darrell Ward]

I hook a pump to a water hose, and pump the waste water right out the door. A python is no match for a good pump at removing water.

[Jhhnn]

I hook a pump to a water hose, and pump the waste water right out the door. A python is no match for a good pump at removing water.

Absolutely. Pumps really work great when pumping downhill, assisting siphon action- really gotta watch it, or that gurgling noise when the pump runs out of water means your fish are flopping around in the bottom of the tank... might flood the sink, too, if the drain is a little slow...

Jehmco sells a gizmo to prevent sucking the tank dry- haven't tried it, myself...

[big mike 13]

how do you guys go about having multiple tanks? do you have a pump for each tank to drain? i read how a lot of you dont cross contaminate anything.