how should I change things

[marinelife]

I am thinking of redoing the pumps on my tanks, I feel I am running way to many. I have two pumps running two closed loops on my 300 rubbermaid tub and I am thinking of changing those out for either 2 6100s streams or 1 6200 stream.
Here are my pumps
Blueline 70 (1750gph)- closed loop on 300
Panworld NR-250B (1900gph) - closed loop on 300
Iwaki WMD-30RLXT (960gph) - return from sump to 180
Iwaki WMD-40RLXT (1200gph)- Chiller
Mag 7 (700gph)- Return to refuge then to 300
Eheim (large unknown model) - flow in 100 refuge

So my thoughts are remove the closed loops and replace with streams,
Use the Panworld for a return to 180 and 300, also T off this to run water to my CA Reactor and remove the maxijet 1200 that feeds it

I would then sell the Blueline, Iwaki WMD-30RLXT, Mag 7, Eheim, and maxijet 1200

My only thought on this is that the return pump will control both tanks and that could be a problem if it goes down.

I could also just remove the closed loops and replace with the streams and call it a day

The other thought it to run the panworld and T it to the the chiller and return to the refuge, this would get rid of the Iwaki 40, Blueline, Mag 7 and eheim and I could even maybe make another T and feed my CA reactor

The main thing I want to do is use less electric, I just feel I have to many pumps

What does everyone think???

 

[LakeEd]

Marinelife,

What type of tanks are you running? SPS dominated? LPS dominated? Softie? Combination?

I'm asking this, because the difference makes a world of difference in what people will suggest to you for flow requirements.

Not knowing what you are running there though... I would think it would be very possible to cut down to a couple larger pumps, and do everything you are wanting with just those.

For instance; A Sequence Barracuda for both sides of your closed loop. This would give you a total of about 4500gph flow, which should work nice. Well, that is unless your 300 is a SPS dominated tank... then perhaps a Hammerhead would be a better option.

2nd pump I would think about is the Dart. I would use that for a 2nd "Utility-type" pump. You could split that output in several directions... running your returns, chiller, fuge... and still have room for other uses also.

Of course, as you mentioned... using fewer pumps, makes your systems more dependant on those pumps... and that is something you will need to figure out for yourself. Hopefully this will help with some ideas at least.

 

[marinelife]

The 300 has a few softies and some SPS frags, lots of Live Rock. Currently the two pumps and the return are getting me 4000GPH, if I take the CL off and add two streams I would be at over 4000GPH at over half the electric used, I am 100% that I am swapping them out, I guess my main problem is the return and all the pumps, I want to go down to using a little as possible. I think I am going to use one pump (panworld) to return water to both tanks and just T the output. My is SPS with a wavebox and two 6100 streams so the return does not matter.

Any thought on splitting the return from one common sump to two seperate tanks other than if is goes out I am screwed until I get another one

 

[LakeEd]

Other than as you say... being more dependant on that single pump... you should do fine with a split return. If the two tanks are already sharing a common sump... I don't see a problem doing this at all.

 

[marinelife]

yeah they already share a common sump, I am just not sure I like the idea of depending on one pump for both