DIY Group Project - Eductors

[Geoff]

you can do either seperate pumps or a single pump. finding a single pump might be easier.

if you went dual pumps i would suggest the Velocity T3 or T1. there is an off chance that you would need to valve back a T3. they seem way under rated. one would come close to pushing 2 eductors, but the total flow into the sump would not be as great as if there were 2 pumps.

having 2 pumps does cut give you an extra margin for error if things go wrong.

G~

[jenajet]

Who makes the Velocity pumps? I am having a hard time finding them anywhere. If I get the T3 what kind of flow would I expect if I ran both return eductors off it? Seeing the price of these large pumps I may have start with one and add the other later. What other pumps would you recommend. I know I will probably use a genx 55 with an mr2 skimmer. That's gonna cost more than I paid for the tank, unless I come across one used.

[fyrfytr1717]

Originally Posted by jenajet

Who makes the Velocity pumps? I am having a hard time finding them anywhere. If I get the T3 what kind of flow would I expect if I ran both return eductors off it? Seeing the price of these large pumps I may have start with one and add the other later. What other pumps would you recommend. I know I will probably use a genx 55 with an mr2 skimmer. That's gonna cost more than I paid for the tank, unless I come across one used.

I got mine from ReefGeek. They sell them for $159. I believe BlueLine is one of the names they are manufactured under. Although I have seen them with different names as well. ReefGeek advertises them as being manufactured by Laing Thermotech.

Geoff, I am also curious about running 2 eductors off one T3 pump. I have a 3/4" return adapted to loc-line with about 5 feet of head and only 1 elbow just before the nozzle. I was thinking of either running one 3/4" eductor off of it or splitting it with a loc-line Y into two 1/2" lines and running an eductor off of each to get flow in two different directions. Would this work?

[jenajet]

Thanks fyrfytr. What about using the t4 to run both eductors? It's the same price as the t3.

[Geoff]

the T4 IMO is useless. it can not handle the head pressure the T3 can. when dealing with eductors flow means a lot less than max head pressure. another strike against the T4 is that it uses barb fittings instead of MPT. just a pain in the bumm. go with the T3's.

the T series of pumps have been marketed by all kinds of people over the last few years. right now Blueline is distributing them.

you can run 2 eductors off of a T3, just not super well. i would run 2 if the return is in the middle of a largish tank. lets say a 5-6' tank. the flow would less enough that it would not make the corners absolutley crazy. if you want to run 2 eductors on the T3, go with a small inner nozzle. that way the pump is giving its max head pressure to the eductor. that will help spread the cone out. if not than the cone can kinda beam out of there.

get the MR2 with dual injectors. you will want as much flow through the skimmer as possible. the closer you can get to 1200gph through the skimmer the better. i think you will be pretty close to 800gph through the skimmer if you have dual injectors with a PCX 70. i am designing a dual eductor driven skimmer. i am thinking of powering it with a Mag 24-36 in order to get over 1000gph through the skimmer.

G~

[jenajet]

okay you just got pm about your skimmer design! How ironic. Now I may wait and see what the new skimmer design looks like. I figured I would try a diy skimmer, spend the money saved on that to run 2 t3's cause to me it just seems like it would be easier and give me a better return. You said it is possible to run eductors in the lock lines, but do you think it's better to just do away with the loc line and run a normal return? I like how the overflows are in both corners instead of the middle of the tank. On my 90 I have very little flow on the left side of the tank because of how the overflow is positioned, which is why I am looking into koralia's for that tank. I am really looking to not need any powerheads in the 175 which is why I want to get all the oomp I can from these eductors, another reason I think running two seperate pumps for each eductor is best.

[fyrfytr1717]

Originally Posted by Geoff

you can run 2 eductors off of a T3, just not super well. i would run 2 if the return is in the middle of a largish tank. lets say a 5-6' tank. the flow would less enough that it would not make the corners absolutley crazy. if you want to run 2 eductors on the T3, go with a small inner nozzle. that way the pump is giving its max head pressure to the eductor. that will help spread the cone out. if not than the cone can kinda beam out of there.

G~

I have a 4ft bowfront tank with the overflow/return in the back right corner. If I use 1 larger eductor, I was planning on aiming it towards the front left corner. If I use 2 smaller eductors, I was planning on aiming one at the back left corner and the other at the front center of the tank. Which do you think would be more appropriate with a SSB? I will also be flowing 2 Koralia 4's and 2 MaxiJets alternating on a wavemaker. I guess I should probably just try it and see what works for me...

[Geoff]

an eductor would really not be a good idea in a tank with any kind of a substrate. they move that much water!!.

what kind of return pump do you have?

do you have your K4 running yet? think of that X2 or 3. eductors are not for the faint of heart.

here is a pic of my tank when it was a DSB. this is with 2 eductors on a Mag 12. not really working properly, but did on OK job. notice the huge sand mounds in the tan. the tank itself is 22" deep. those mounds are over 8" tall. this is just from the flow of the eductors. the mounds would also move a touch during the day depending on which side was on.



G~

[jenajet]

Yeah I have heard the Koralia's alone pack some punch! I would go either with just the koralia's or just the eductors.
What about a ssb in a 27 inch deep tank? The tank is actually deeper but I measured by where the water line will end up being. I figured the sheer water volume alone would cut down on sand storms but the t5's can be dialed back if needed right?

[Geoff]

you can not really dial back an eductor. as you dial them back you reduce the back pressure in the eductor, making it work a lot less efficiently.

step away from the sand.

i will be bringing some of my test FSB samples to the picnic, if you would like to go that route.

G~