# Pump choices



## krazypara3165 (15 Dec 2012)

Just a quick one, i use a 100l drum for water changes. i was wondering if anyone could reccomend a suitable pump to pump the water into my tank (guestimating the rim of the top of the tank to be 2m from the floor)

i have been looking at a few but they seem pricey and i have no idea what im looking for....


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## anttthony (15 Dec 2012)

I picked up a maxi jet 750 I have a short length of 12 16 pipe attached to the outlet that fits inside a standard hose pipe. They also do a 500 and a 1000 they are quite expensive I think the green machine sells them but i got mine from a hydroponics place by work for about 25 quid think they have an online shop if you want a link

ant


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## krazypara3165 (15 Dec 2012)

if you have the link that would be ace!


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## Antipofish (15 Dec 2012)

You could contemplate a used Eheim Compact or Newjet as well.  Im not sure if the maxijets would be grunty enough for a 2m head, though will be honest and say I am not familiar with their specs.  Remember that LPH is nothing on its own though. It has a lot to do with how far the pump has to push the water.


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## anttthony (15 Dec 2012)

http://www.growandharvest.co.uk/?conten ... ater-pumps
It's in the Wirral
Don't no if the pumps any good for you think thers a section on the green machines website about using them for water changes




ant


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## krazypara3165 (15 Dec 2012)

surrey pet supplies do the 500 one delivered for around 17 quid. only problem is that there is no info on the distance the pump can move water up......


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## anttthony (15 Dec 2012)

Mine is about a meter off the floor when in the tank, it goes up and over the side of the tank about 10 foot through the kitchen, and up out through the kitchen window into the garden. I must add my birds at work while this is going on! 

ant


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## Antipofish (15 Dec 2012)

krazypara3165 said:
			
		

> surrey pet supplies do the 500 one delivered for around 17 quid. only problem is that there is no info on the distance the pump can move water up......



Im thinking it wont be man enough.  Why not email them and ask though.. The maxijet boxes have info about max head height etc.  Bear in mind the closer to the max it works to, the lower the output will be.  500lph (or in real terms, 12 minutes to move your 100L of water) would be based on zero head. You might find it drops to only 100lph at a 2 metre head, thus taking an HOUR to shift that water.  Thats not necessarily a bad thing as you wont get any substrate displacement at such a low flow rate


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## krazypara3165 (15 Dec 2012)

jeez thats some distance! haha iknow what you mean tho, at the moment i have to rig a hosepipe from the kitchen through the hall and into the living room for my water changes! if yours can pump that distance id imagine it would be fine pumping from a container next to my tank.


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## anttthony (15 Dec 2012)

Iam doing a change tomorrow il time it and see if it's any good for you it might be abit slow if it's your 4 foot tank I only change 100 litres a week 

ant


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## krazypara3165 (15 Dec 2012)

Antipofish said:
			
		

> krazypara3165 said:
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tbh, i wouldnt mind if it took an hour as you said my substrate will remain intact. the barrel will be sat next to the tank anyway so i could just turn it on and get on with the housework for an hour as my tank should be fine for n hour without the filter on.


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## anttthony (16 Dec 2012)

I've just done my water change I changed 50 percent about 70 litres it took just under 15 minutes 

ant


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## Antipofish (16 Dec 2012)

anttthony said:
			
		

> I've just done my water change I changed 50 percent about 70 litres it took just under 15 minutes
> 
> ant



How high up does it have to pump the water ?


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## anttthony (16 Dec 2012)

Hi it goes up the side of the tank about a foot. over the side about a meter down then about 7 foot along the floor then up about 5 foot out of a window to the garden

ant


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## Antipofish (16 Dec 2012)

anttthony said:
			
		

> Hi it goes up the side of the tank about a foot. over the side about a meter down then about 7 foot along the floor then up about 5 foot out of a window to the garden
> 
> ant



Lol never mind all that. Whats the difference in height between the highest point the water reaches and the lowest point it comes from, in a vertical plane.


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## anttthony (16 Dec 2012)

O right probably around 4 foot 

ant


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## Antipofish (16 Dec 2012)

anttthony said:
			
		

> O right probably around 4 foot
> 
> ant



OK so thats just under 2/3 the head that KP has.  Considering there is probably an exponential drop off in performance as head increases, whilst it works for you, it might be very slow for KP, which was the point I was trying to make.  I think a bigger one would be better for him IMO.


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## anttthony (16 Dec 2012)

O right nice one

ant


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## krazypara3165 (16 Dec 2012)

ironically ive just found a 500lph pc water cooling pump that i used to run in a high powered P.C. just had a quick re wire and a test and at around 1m high it ran at 100lph. going to test again and if it works, ill use it until january, and consider getting a better one then.


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## anttthony (16 Dec 2012)

Happy days

ant


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## Antipofish (16 Dec 2012)

krazypara3165 said:
			
		

> ironically ive just found a 500lph pc water cooling pump that i used to run in a high powered P.C. just had a quick re wire and a test and at around 1m high it ran at 100lph. going to test again and if it works, ill use it until january, and consider getting a better one then.



100lph would drive me bonkers (before *Whitney* pipes up, MORE BONKERS !, lol)


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## krazypara3165 (16 Dec 2012)

haha well im still testing it, but if it does end up like that, i'd be happy as i can turn it on and do some chores for an hour whilst it fills. it also means it wont blast my substrate everywhere and will have less chance of spooking my discus.


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## Antipofish (16 Dec 2012)

krazypara3165 said:
			
		

> haha well im still testing it, but if it does end up like that, i'd be happy as i can turn it on and do some chores for an hour whilst it fills. it also means it wont blast my substrate everywhere and will have less chance of spooking my discus.



Aha  Every cloud has a silver lining then, sweet as


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## foxfish (17 Dec 2012)

Purpose submersible pumps are as cheap as chips really! 
You can just add a valve to adjust flow....  http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalo ... CGoQ8wIwBA


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## krazypara3165 (17 Dec 2012)

No idea why but after shifting the first 100l in an hour I couldnt get the 500lph pump to do it again. Foxfish, that link does not seem to work, but would that pump work in-line as the barrel only has a hole big enough for tubing to fit into.....


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## Antipofish (17 Dec 2012)

krazypara3165 said:
			
		

> No idea why but after shifting the first 100l in an hour I couldnt get the 500lph pump to do it again. Foxfish, that link does not seem to work, but would that pump work in-line as the barrel only has a hole big enough for tubing to fit into.....



The link works for me but not it would not work inline mate it has to go into a bucket or whatever.  Its a submersible pump.


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## krazypara3165 (17 Dec 2012)

ahhh i was on before on my smartphone, just been on my laptop and seen it. ideally id like one inline so i wouldnt need to cut the top of my barrel off.


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## foxfish (18 Dec 2012)

So you are trying to place a length of pipe into the barrel through a small hole, then you want to connect a small pump that suck out the water!
If that is the case you will need a vacuum suction pump = good luck finding one!
You might be able to start a syphon from the barrel into a pump or you could use a barrel with a tap on the bottom that would gravity feed the the pump.
Certainly a lot easier to use an barrel with a decent sized hole!


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## krazypara3165 (18 Dec 2012)

the pump was naff. managed to get a 3000lph pump that was reccomended by a friend. it should be here by the end of the week


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