Received my new chiller - How should I hook it up?

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Nickeleye

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Apr 13, 2004
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Yesterday I received my Pacific Coast Imports CL-280 chiller. I have not hooked it up yet as I was wondering the best method for me to do this. Currently I've got a ViaAqua 480 powerhead in the tank, but that will not produce enough GPH for what I need to do. The recommended GPH for the chiller is 300 to 600. I'm leaning towards the 300 GPH end of the spectrum. In any case, I was considering using the small Via pump to get water out of the tank and then hooking up another in-line pump before the chiller with a higher output and running the output from the chiller into the tank. Then I was told that doing this would actually create a lot of friction on the pumps as hooking up two pumps in-line would create a vacuum, which I don't want (obviously).

So now I'm trying to figure out the best way to do this. I only have a 40g tank that measures roughly 36" x 15" x 16" and a pump with higher output would take up a big chunk of the inside of the tank.

I was considering using an external pump, but again, I'm looking for suggestions. It would probably actually be nicer to have an external pump because then I would have more room in the tank since I could take out the smaller powerhead all together.

Can anybody help? :confused:
 
For a similar situation, I got a Danner Mag-Dive pump and used as an external pump. If you're trying to keep heat down, the last thing you want is another pump in the tank.

Maybe get a Mag 7, and split off 300 gph to the chiller.
 
A small mag drive pump would probably be the best solution besides adding a sump to your system. There is no need to have a pump in the aquarium for the chiller. As was mentioned, it just add heat to the aquarium. Since you have a plex tank, you might start thinking about adding a sump which get rid of al that stuff you have in the tank.
 
I decided to go with my eheim 1250. I remembered I had one under my bed that I used in a long time. It's rated at 317 GPH at 6 ft. so I should be ok. I hooked everythig up today and so far so good. No leaks and looks like air bubbles are almost all out of the circuit. I also bought a new fan shaped blower to create current in the tank. Things seem to be loving the current in there now. The VIA pump I was using was only pointed at the surface for surface agetation. That brings me to another question though. Should I take the VIA pump out? I was highly considering it, but if I do, I will lose that surface agetation.
 
Nope, leave the pump in.

You mention that your ehiem is rated at 6'. It wont make difference because you are actually at 0'. Reason being is that you are pulling water from your tank and putting it back at the same level. This equals zero pressure.
 
But the pump is at ground level and it's got to pump water up approximately 3-1/2' back into the tank again.
 
If the water comes out of the tank over the edge down to the ground and back over the topr of the tank you are a 0' head. You could take a hose start a siphon and the pressure of the water would raise it right back to the same level it started. Only if you were drawing from a sump then up to the tank would you have any head.
 
Its the law of physics.

If you are pumping water from ground level, then you have head pressure to raise the water from its intake point to its outlet. You are not doing this correct? You are taking and exiting water from the same hight. by taking water form the same hight as you are returning the water you are applying pressure to the pump on the inlet side. This pressure will cancel out as the water goes up the return line (pump off) to the tank in wich it will stay at the same level as the water inside the tank until you turn the pump on. Therefor creating a zero pressure situation at the pump. You could have that pump 100' below the tank and it will pump the same amount of water (except for the added friction caused by the length of tubing) as it would if you were to have it 1' below the tank. This is ofcourse if you are pulling and returning water from the same level. If you are taking water from a level that is lower than the return, then the water will only go up as far as the level in the lower tank (pump off). Now you have a head pressure (return side) because you have to push the water higher than its zero pressure level (level of the water in the lower tank.

Does this make sense?
 
Yeah, I get it now.
Thanks.
 
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