Can the EHIEM 1250 be used as return pump

[StrategicReef]

1250 Hobby Pump
320 gph with a max head of 6.5 feet at 28 watts. Input 16/22 mm, output 12/16 mm.

1260 Hobby Pump
634 gph with a max head of 12.1 feet at 65 watts. Input 25/34 mm, output 16/22 mm.



The 1250 have 300 GPH, the overflow is rated at about 900, I thought a slow sump flow through is a good idea, but what happens when it is this slow? Figure like 100 GPH after head loss, will it by noisy or the water level won't be noticably lower?

[salth2owannabe]

I'll chime in but I'm not an expert by any means.

Short answer - it depends on your system, and what your trying to do.

I would go with a little larger pump and cut it back with a ball valve. Your're pushing water through your system so the pump will dictate the flow, and what your return to your sump is. I've got an Ehiem pump as my return and love it. I've split my return to feed my fuge and also my skimmer, they come together in a return and my Ehiem pumps it through my UV set-up back to my tank. I have a ball valve after he UV filter and throttle it back a little to get the flow I want. The Ehiem is pretty much silent.

[kslick]

I use the 1250, I choose not to use a ball valve, I know sometimes this tends to cause a little overheating. Then again, my tank is only a 75.

[StrategicReef]

Originally posted by kslick
I use the 1250, I choose not to use a ball valve, I know sometimes this tends to cause a little overheating. Then again, my tank is only a 75.

Did you get enough flow after the head loss with the 1250?
How high are you pumping the water?

[beanoil]

I had the 1260 on my 58 with 4' of head and the flow through the sump was too much (my perception). I downgraded to the 1250 and it's nowhere near enough (again, my perception). It's just a trickle. I was hoping for 3-5x turnover. I don't have any way to accurately measure, but I don't think it's close to that.

Kslick--I'm amazed your 1250 moves much water at all in your 75.