Humor me here...

[jawbox]

I'm getting ready to set up an Oceanic 58RR and I had a few questions i'd like to run by you folks.

First off, I'm planning to run a closed loop. I had the overflow drilled for a 1" BH about half way down and i then had the pre-drilled 3/4" hole inside the overflow enlarged for a 1" BH. I'm going to be using an Amp3k for the closed loop pump feeding either a 1" SS or 2 3/4" SS, I haven't decided yet.
Will a 1" BH be enough flow to feed the pump even if I plumb with all 1" pipe? or should I tell the guy who's drilling the tank to drill me a hole for a 1.5" BH in the back of the tank? Does any of this sound like overkill on this size tank?
I just got the Amp3k delivered today and I had no idea it was so big!! lol
Should I stick with it or return it for something smaller?

Thanks!

 

[Len]

Hey jawbox,

It does sound like overkill to me. I can only imagine how turbulent and force the flow will be in a 58 gallon ..... it's 3,000 gph we're talking about!

To be honest, I don't know if it's a good idea. If you can return the Amp3K and get a smaller pump (say, Iwaki 30RLXT which is more then plenty), that's what I'd do. If you insist on using the Amp3K, I'd drill out the input to accept 1.5" BH or even bigger. The more narrow a pump input, the stronger the suction. Stuff floating by will be sucked against the strainer like hair to a clogged sink Keep the output at 1" ..... it will limit the flow of the Ampmaster to something more reasonable (yes, the pump's output can be reduced to 1" or less without damaging the unit). But since we're not using the pump's full potential, why not just get a smaller pump to begin with?

 

[jawbox]

Thanks len,

I've decided to return the amp3k (don't know what the heck i was thinking!) 8O I think i'm gonna go with a 40rlxt and a 1" SS. sure a 40 maybe more than I need but at least i can throttle it back.
What really sux is now i have to pay a 20% restocking fee :x

 

[ChrisRD]

If you have room for a 2" intake, or two 1.5" intakes (which you probably don't) and two or more 1.5" outlets you could keep velocities reasonable with the AM3K (about 4-5 FPS). You sure wouldn't need any powerheads with that setup - LOL! :wink:

 

[bashcraft]

Just plumb in a bypass so some of the water from the output of the pump returns back to the intake side of the pump. Use a gate valve so you can adjust the flow.

 

[jawbox]

Great idea bash! I got a new plan now, looks like i'm keeping that pump!
Thanks!