Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Low wattage pump for marine tank?

  • 15-03-2012 4:23pm
    #1
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭


    Im on the lookout for a low wattage water pump for a marine tank.

    The pump has to be capable of flowing 2500 litres of water per hour and be able to pump to a height of 6 feet (sump up to tank),as thats the height of the tank.

    Ive looked at alot of aquariam websites and pet stores,but all the pumps that are suitable are 65-66 watts,which seems alot to me.

    The external filter for my 500 litre Discuss tank is only 8 watts.So a 65 watt pump seems alot to me.:(



    Does anyone know where I can get a suitable pump,that will be low wattage and also suitable for salt water??

    Thanks.:)


Comments

  • #2
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    anybody??


  • #3
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    paddy147 wrote: »
    anybody??

    Has the filter got its own pump?

    65 watts does not seem overly high for pumping 2500 litres of water an hour.


  • #4
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    robbie7730 wrote: »
    Has the filter got its own pump?

    65 watts does not seem overly high for pumping 2500 litres of water an hour.


    Its a marine tank,so the live rock in the tank and then the reactor and skimmer in the sump below are the filters.

    Theres no actual filter,like you would have in a tropical tank.

    Pic of the Eheim external filter in the Discuss tank.


  • #5
    paddymick
    Registered Users Posts: 227 ✭✭paddymick


    Hey Paddy I think I know the layout and construction of your house now at this stage more than my own house with all the pictures you have.:D:D

    Im also a bit shocked a thorough man like yourself would have a socket hanging off the wall like that:)


  • #6
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    paddymick wrote: »
    Hey Paddy I think I know the layout and construction of your house now at this stage more than my own house with all the pictures you have.:D:D

    Im also a bit shocked a thorough man like yourself would have a socket hanging off the wall like that:)


    Socket was losened off for painting on the day prior to the Discuss tank arriving.

    The Discuss tank then arrived the following morning,and we started to install it in stages..

    This is how it looks now.

    Socket back in place too.:)


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    anyway,if anyone knows of a low wattage pump that will work with salt water,then plese do let me know.

    65 watts is too much for my likings.


  • #8
    paddymick
    Registered Users Posts: 227 ✭✭paddymick


    Wow I have to give it too you that tank looks great thats my favourite type of tank layout with all the wood and plants,it makes my 180L tank look like an old goldfish bowl:(


  • #9
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    paddymick wrote: »
    Wow I have to give it too you that tank looks great thats my favourite type of tank layout with all the wood and plants,it makes my 180L tank look like an old goldfish bowl:(


    Well its my girlfriend who got me into fishkeeping ansd aquariams.

    She has a large koi carp pond in her back garden,also a frog pond,and several tropical and Tanganyikan tanks in her house.


  • #10
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    paddy147 wrote: »
    anyway,if anyone knows of a low wattage pump that will work with salt water,then plese do let me know.

    65 watts is too much for my likings.

    Why do you think you will get a head of water (sump to tank), 2500 litre pump much under 65 watts? Are you just basing it on what the filter uses?

    65 watts does not seem much for that 5 times an hour tank turnover of a 500 litre tank, with a head of water from the sump down at floor level.

    €17 euro per bill though, if it is using 65 watts.


  • #11
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    robbie7730 wrote: »
    Why do you think you will get a head of water (sump to tank), 2500 litre pump much under 65 watts? Are you just basing it on what the filter uses?

    65 watts does not seem much for that 5 times an hour tank turnover of a 500 litre tank, with a head of water from the sump down at floor level.

    €17 euro per bill though, if it is using 65 watts.


    I just have a feeling that there are more eco friendly pumps out there,that will pump 2500 litres per hour and will pump to 2 meters in height.

    Ive just got to keep on searching and looking around for one.


  • Advertisement
  • #12
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    paddy147 wrote: »
    I just have a feeling that there are more eco friendly pumps out there,that will pump 2500 litres per hour and will pump to 2 meters in height.

    Ive just got to keep on searching and looking around for one.


    You have to consider the pump is moving 2 and a half tons of water an hour.

    It could be roughly like this.
    2500kg x 9.8m/s/s x 2meters = 49000 joules to move that 2500 litres in an hour up 2 meters.

    49000 joules/3.6Mj = 0.014kwh or 14 watts for an hour.

    So it would seem a lower wattage is the outcome. That 14 watts would be the power at 100% efficiency to move the water.

    But the 65 watt pump may be using a fair bit below 65 watts. Its not pumping a 2 meter head in reality anyway.

    You would need to test with an ammeter to get a good idea.


  • #13
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    robbie7730 wrote: »
    You have to consider the pump is moving 2 and a half tons of water an hour.

    It could be roughly like this.
    2500kg x 9.8m/s/s x 2meters = 49000 joules to move that 2500 litres in an hour up 2 meters.

    49000 joules/3.6Mj = 0.014kwh or 14 watts for an hour.

    So it would seem a lower wattage is the outcome. That 14 watts would be the power at 100% efficiency to move the water.

    But the 65 watt pump may be using a fair bit below 65 watts. Its not pumping a 2 meter head in reality anyway.

    You would need to test with an ammeter to get a good idea.


    Forgot to say that the pump will have to be on 24/7 all he time.Especially vital for a marine tank.


    Well stone the flamin crows (to quote Alf Stewart from Home and Away).....

    I think my girlfriends dad may have found a much more effiecent pump than 65 watts,that pumps 2500 litres per hour and pumps to 2.2 meters.:)

    I,ll get more info in the morning as its rather late now.


  • #14
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    paddy147 wrote: »
    Well stone the flamin crows (to quote Alf Stewart from Home and Away).....

    I think my girlfriends dad may have found a much more effiecent pump than 65 watts,that pumps 2500 litres per hour and pumps to 2.2 meters.:)

    I,ll get more info in the morning as its rather late now.

    I thought it was "a good kick up the kiber" he used to say

    But here is one. A rc glider i have has a 750 watt motor in it. That means its capable of outputting 750 watts.

    Its only taking about 350 watts though.


  • #15
    Bruthal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,422 ✭✭✭✭Bruthal


    paddy147 wrote: »
    Forgot to say that the pump will have to be on 24/7 all he time.Especially vital for a marine tank.

    That makes no difference to the pump wattage. The €17 euro per bill was for 65 watts 24 hours a day for 60 days.

    If you already have the pump, id be testing to see its actual usage rather than simply assuming its a full 65 watts usage.


  • #16
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    robbie7730 wrote: »
    That makes no difference to the pump wattage. The €17 euro per bill was for 65 watts 24 hours a day for 60 days.

    If you already have the pump, id be testing to see its actual usage rather than simply assuming its a full 65 watts usage.


    I dont have any pump yet.

    I was nearly buying a Hydor 2800 litre per hour pump,but when I saw 65 watts,I held off buying it.

    My girlfriends dad stumbled accross something in a fish/aquariam shop that he buys alot of stuff from,so I,ll chat to him later on today about it.

    He mentioned it to my girlfriend and my girlfriend said something to me about it only being 30 watt but pumping 2500 litres per hour.


  • #17
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    Bingo,found a suitable pump (thanks to my girlfriends dad).

    It only uses 30 watts,and it pumps 2500 litres per hour and pumps to a height of 2 meters.2 year warrenty too.This is exactly what I was after.:)

    Suitable for marine and fresh water tanks too.

    Pics on the way.:)


  • #18
    paddy147
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    The pump is marine safe indeed,after checking with Keelan and Darragh from Seahorse Aquariams.

    Its only 30 watts and pumps/flows 2500 litres per hour and to a height of 2 meters.

    Perfect for my new tank.

    Sorted.:)


  • #19
    2011
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,602 Mod ✭✭✭✭2011


    Interesting question.

    I had a look at Robbie's calculation as his answer appeared to be very low, but it is correct.

    When doing a calculation such as this there is a great free iPhone App called "MultiConvert" that makes it easy to convert all units to SI units.
    This shows that 6 feet is equal to 1.83 meters.

    There is a handy potential energy calculator here.
    This shows that 4480.75 Joules of energy are required to pump 2500 liters to a hight of 1.83 meters.

    Divide the answer by 360 to get Joules per second (watts).
    This gives an answer of 12.5 Watts for the output of the pump and motor combination (the input would of course be higher)


Advertisement