Author Topic: Sump/Wet Dry Filter Help  (Read 4807 times)

Offline hensenshenchmen

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Sump/Wet Dry Filter Help
« on: June 06, 2014, 07:46:34 PM »
I recently purchased a 120 gallon drilled aquarium with a corner overflow and sump and wet dry filter inside the stand. The sump is keeping the aquarium at 86 degrees. I'm keeping some Rio Cazones, convicts and a few oscars in the tank for now. Is this temp too warm for my fish? Should I buy a different water pump (not an actual sump pump, maybe a pond pump) that doesn't create that much heat. My fish seem extremely lively and are eating like champs but I obviously don't want sick or dead fish. Thanks for the info

Ian

Offline cranialdisturbance

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Re: Sump/Wet Dry Filter Help
« Reply #1 on: June 06, 2014, 08:01:17 PM »
Do you have any heaters going in the tank?  If so I would check there first. I find it a little hard to believe that a water pump is heating 120 gallons of water many degrees above the ambient temperature.
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Offline hensenshenchmen

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Re: Sump/Wet Dry Filter Help
« Reply #2 on: June 06, 2014, 08:20:38 PM »
I don't even have a heater in the tank or filter, let alone a malfunctioning one. I can touch the pump and it'sphysically warm to the touch, like probably 100 degrees or warmer. I thought about installing an exhaust fan in the cabinet that houses the pump and filter but I'm not sure if it would make a difference. It's a newer pump so I doubt it's failing or faulty.

Offline jkeeler

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Re: Sump/Wet Dry Filter Help
« Reply #3 on: June 06, 2014, 10:57:02 PM »
I was using a sump in a pond for a few years, but I figured out it was very costly to run 24/7.  You may want to consider looking on your energy use  on your various options.

Offline Ron

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Re: Sump/Wet Dry Filter Help
« Reply #4 on: June 07, 2014, 07:31:59 AM »
Is the pump exceptionally hot due to relatively high head pressure/restriction? For example, if you have ball valves to control the return rate to the tank that you've mostly closed off to reduce the flow rate, it could be resulting in the additional heat.

Another possibility is if the return line is too small of a diameter. Or if you have a spray-bar return added that isn't large enough and causing a restriction. While smaller lines provide greater pressure, they also limit volume. Most pumps best regulate their heat through heat transfer to the liquid they are passing.

Adding an exhaust fan to the cabinet may help. Is the sump sealed up well or is it an open top? If it's not an open top, you may need to do that for a significant impact if the fan alone doesn't do it. You'd be combating the heat by allowing evaporation to occur and using the exhaust fan to both pull out warm air and lower the moisture within the cabinet, which would also help increase evaporation. The biggest downside would be needing to add water back to the sump more often.
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Offline hensenshenchmen

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Re: Sump/Wet Dry Filter Help
« Reply #5 on: June 07, 2014, 03:03:19 PM »
The system has 3/4 inch return lines, but the valve is opened all way. The pump is moving water about 4 feet up and 4 feet parallel to the ground. The pump is sealed in the cabinet pretty good, with very little air movement. After looking at the pump it says it is a 175 watt version. Looking at Ken's fish I found a deep blue pump that pushes a slightly higher rate of water, while only using 60 watts so I'm thinking of upgrading to a more energy efficient pump that hopefully doesn't produce as much heat

Offline mightieskeeper

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Re: Sump/Wet Dry Filter Help
« Reply #6 on: June 07, 2014, 09:07:07 PM »
You have to big of a pump for your setup. A pump 800 to 1000 gph will be plenty of water flow. Low watt pumps save money for the long haul.
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Offline Bremmon

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Re: Sump/Wet Dry Filter Help
« Reply #7 on: June 07, 2014, 10:21:41 PM »
175w is a enormous pump..

Offline Bremmon

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Re: Sump/Wet Dry Filter Help
« Reply #8 on: June 07, 2014, 10:55:24 PM »
I just looked at my 750 gallon per hour pond pump and its only 5w

Offline danielratti

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Re: Sump/Wet Dry Filter Help
« Reply #9 on: June 08, 2014, 08:22:23 AM »
175 watts would be the equivalent of a mag 12... While I am here I'll say this any internal pump that you run inside the sump will get warm ad raise the temp some more so than others. External pumps do not warm the water and if they do it's only a few degrees like 1 to be honest. You could put fans in the tanks stand to help some but it will not do too much. 86 is kinda high for a pump to get a tank up to I have a mag 18 on mine and the room cab be 83 and the tank is 77.

Do you have glass tops on your tank?

Offline hensenshenchmen

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Re: Sump/Wet Dry Filter Help
« Reply #10 on: June 08, 2014, 03:43:48 PM »
I've been looking online for water pumps and I cannot find anything that runs at 7 watts, or to be honest I can't find anything even close. The lowest wattage I can find is 40 watts for an 850gph pump. What brand is this pond pump you're talking about?

OK, after much research I figured out this is not a sump pump, it's more like a hot tub or a pool pump. It's an inline pump, not a submersible Pump.

Also I do have a Plexiglas top on the aquarium and there's a Plexiglas top on the wet dry filter. I installed a couple 12volt computer fans inside the cabinet and removed the top from the filter. I've got the temperature to lower to 83 overnight so I think I'm on the correct path.

Thanks for all the advice and opinions

Offline mightieskeeper

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Re: Sump/Wet Dry Filter Help
« Reply #11 on: June 08, 2014, 06:07:38 PM »
Mag 9.5, quiet one 4000, ca3000,  eheim pump. Lots of good pumps.
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Offline danielratti

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Re: Sump/Wet Dry Filter Help
« Reply #12 on: June 08, 2014, 06:31:50 PM »
Take of the tops off the lids hold in heat

Offline GrizzlysDad

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Re: Sump/Wet Dry Filter Help
« Reply #13 on: June 10, 2014, 02:10:24 AM »
This might sound silly but since you mentioned it possibly being a hot tub pump and it being rated at 175w, is it possible that it is a combination inline water pump/inline heater for a hot tub?
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Offline Ron

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Re: Sump/Wet Dry Filter Help
« Reply #14 on: June 10, 2014, 06:56:20 AM »
This might sound silly but since you mentioned it possibly being a hot tub pump and it being rated at 175w, is it possible that it is a combination inline water pump/inline heater for a hot tub?
Sounds silly.  ;D J/K

If it were me, I'd replace the pump with a proper aquarium-related pump that is size for the tank/GPH needed.
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