Best Method to Pump Water 40 feet?

[CammieTime]

So my aging water barrel is about 40 feet from my 75 gallon tank, and I need to get the water from the barrel to the tank. What is the best method of doing this? What pump do I need?

In a previous life I solved this problem by having a small water pump I bought at LFS and used 3/4 inch vinyl tubing, but I only had to pump the water 4 feet.

[Hart24601]

Is that distance vertical or just horizontal? If it's just 40ft long there isn't an issue as it won't be that big of head pressure on the pump. Now if it's 20ft horizontal and 20ft vertical that is an issue!

[Clawhammer]

My advice on a water change pump would be the same regardless of the circumstances. Buy the biggest one you can afford. There is no better investment in this hobby (besides good stock) than making your water changes quick and easy.

[RogueDiscus]

If there isn't much height difference, like Hart mentions, then I use a submersible magnetic drive pump from PondMaster. I use their #5 pump, but I'm considering getting their #7 just to be faster. I'm sure there are other brands. I had to go to the hardware store to get some pvc fittings and attached it to a drinking water garden hose. I also bought a remote switch to plug it into. Drop it in the barrel, plug it in, put the hose in the tank and use the remote to turn it on. Very easy.

[brewmaster15]

Is that distance vertical or just horizontal? If it's just 40ft long there isn't an issue as it won't be that big of head pressure on the pump. Now if it's 20ft horizontal and 20ft vertical that is an issue!
Agree here... We need a bit more info... its how high its pumping (head pressure) that really matters...

al

[CammieTime]

Agree here... We need a bit more info... its how high its pumping (head pressure) that really matters...

al

The tank is on a two foot high stand, and the barrel is on the floor. The top of the tank is about four feet high.

[RogueDiscus]

Then what I described will work. Here's a link to the pumps I just found.

http://www.petmountain.com/product/aquarium-water-pumps/11442-503230/pondmaster-pondmaster-pond-mag-magnetic-drive-water-pump.html

[atlantadiscus]

If there isn't much height difference, like Hart mentions, then I use a submersible magnetic drive pump from PondMaster. I use their #5 pump, but I'm considering getting their #7 just to be faster. I'm sure there are other brands. I had to go to the hardware store to get some pvc fittings and attached it to a drinking water garden hose. I also bought a remote switch to plug it into. Drop it in the barrel, plug it in, put the hose in the tank and use the remote to turn it on. Very easy.

I have the exact same setup,except use a submersible Rio 2500 pump.Pump rated for 782GPH at zero head or distance.In reality,after taking into consideration both head,which is 4.5 ft. in my case,and hose length {50ft} losses,I actually pump 211GPH {3.5GPM} So,as others mentioned get a pump rated for much higher flow than what you would think.

[Neptune]

I use the Lifegaurd 2200 rated at 10.7' head.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=23814&cmpid=03cseYY&ref=6194&subref=AA&cmpid=PLA_G_6194&gclid=COeS2O6g0dACFZA2aQod_J8KMQ

My aging barrel is about 10 feet lower on a different level of the house and about 20 feet away.

I have not had any problem moving water up to the tank.

I simply fill a bucket part way, start the pump for two or three seconds, unplug and the siphon starts.
When all the water is drained that I need, I just throw the pump over to the aging barrel and plug it in to fill the tank.

[CammieTime]

Then what I described will work. Here's a link to the pumps I just found.

http://www.petmountain.com/product/aquarium-water-pumps/11442-503230/pondmaster-pondmaster-pond-mag-magnetic-drive-water-pump.html

All of my vinyl tubing is 3/4 inch ID. Does that work with this pump?

[atlantadiscus]

3/4 vinyl tubing works perfectly with the pump I use and it would pump much quicker than my setup using 5/8" garden hose.https://www.amazon.com/Rio-Plus-2500-Aqua-Pump/dp/B0006JM0GM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480537638&sr=8-1&keywords=rio+2500+pump

[Jack L]

I use a sump pump

[RogueDiscus]

All of my vinyl tubing is 3/4 inch ID. Does that work with this pump?

The pump has threaded intake and output ports. I think they're pipe threads. You can buy a threaded tapered fitting that you could attach your hoses with, maybe a hose clamp, too.

Something like this.

http://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/Hose-Tube-Fittings-Valves/Fittings-Couplings/Tube-Fittings/Plastic-Tube-Fittings/Plastic-Multiple-Barbed-Tube-Fittings?navid=12105008

I think the pump openings are 1/2 inch.

[CammieTime]

I use the Lifegaurd 2200 rated at 10.7' head.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=23814&cmpid=03cseYY&ref=6194&subref=AA&cmpid=PLA_G_6194&gclid=COeS2O6g0dACFZA2aQod_J8KMQ

My aging barrel is about 10 feet lower on a different level of the house and about 20 feet away.

I have not had any problem moving water up to the tank.

I simply fill a bucket part way, start the pump for two or three seconds, unplug and the siphon starts.
When all the water is drained that I need, I just throw the pump over to the aging barrel and plug it in to fill the tank.

I currently have a QuietOne 3000 758 GPH and it cannot do the job. It CAN pump to the tank, but it takes forever...It is old and spent most of its life in very hard water that has destroyed Keurigs, so maybe that's the problem, or the distance and 4.5 feet head sucks the pressure out of it.

[DJW]

With 40 feet of pipe, even with 3/4" tubing, you are going to have a fair amount of head loss from friction, so you need a stronger pump to overcome the friction loss. The mag drive model 9.5 and model 12 both have 3/4" pipe thread fittings, which is appropriate for your tubing.

I have one tank on the other side of the house. Its supposed to be a display tank. I do WCs with 40 feet of 3/4" vinyl tubing, using a pump rated for 1000 gph (QuietOne 4000) and the flow rate at the tank is slower than I'd like. It has about the same rise as yours from barrel to tank, 2 feet when the barrel is full and 4.5 feet when the barrel is nearly empty.

If I needed a new pump for this I would try the mag-drive #12 rated for 1200 gph, or one similar. A pump that does less work will probably be a disappointment.

[Bud Smith]

FYI. I have a mag 18 and pump 25 ft. horizontal with a 10ft. head and it does ok but could be stronger. I get a medium stream of water in 3/4 PVC piping.

[bluelagoon]

I use a Laguna pump.2000 gph.Head height 11.5'.3/4" diameter vinyl tubing.From a closet to the living room that is approx. 30 feet and 4.5' high.This pump is much better and faster than the one I have with the 5/8" diameter,that I used with my python water changer.

[Hart24601]

Keep in mind 3/4" tubing is going to really slow down a lot of pumps. Even if a pump has a 3/4" outlet for max flow it's generally a good idea to use a step up to 1" right after the outlet, or larger. The old rule of thumb with mag drives (from the reef world) was for max flow to use pipe 2x the outlet size. It really makes a dramatic difference. Here is a post from another forum:

Mag says on the instructions to use no less than 1.5" pipe. According to the head loss calculator:

Mag 9
5ft head, 1 90* elbow, 1 45* elbow
no valves

Using the calculator....

.75" diameter: 616gph
1": 705
1.25": 746
1.5": 755
2": 762
2.5": 764
3": 765

Almost 150gph increase from 3/4" to 1.5" pipe. If that little (or much) flow is a big deal, then 1.5" is a good choice.

If you read the instructions for the Mag Drive pumps made by Danner, sizes 9.5 and larger, it states that the minimum
inside diameter tubing on the outlet of the pump needs to be 1.5". This allows
the pump to perform according to the published flow curve. Anything smaller, and
you will not get the flow rate out of these pumps they are capable of.