[wastedincome420]

Thinking about getting an Ampmaster 3000 as a return pump for my 105g tank(want to run atleast 2 spraybars and maybe some SeaSwirls in the future). My question is how strong of an over flow would I need to run the pump a optimal level?? I have one 1 1/4" hole that uses a 1" line, if I add another one=2 1" over flow lines would an Amp be OK with that

[naser]

my ampmaster was originally half throttle with a 1.5 inch line ...that was pushing it.

[wastedincome420]

Huh......
So whats your thoughts on me useing 2 1inch which I would think will equal a 2" drain. Think I would still need to throttle it back.
Is it possible to also run a 3/4" line of the return to runmy skimmer??
The amp 3000 comes with 1 1/2" in/outs right??
To all Ampmaster 3000 owners!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do you think the pump is worth the money??Would you buy another??? Are they really "good" on the electric bill??

[Ninong]

Originally posted by wastedincome420

Thinking about getting an Ampmaster 3000 as a return pump for my 105g tank(want to run at least 2 spraybars and maybe some SeaSwirls in the future). My question is how strong of an over flow would I need to run the pump a optimal level??

Depends on what you mean by optimal level? If you are thinking of maximum level, then two 1" lines will not be enough.

I have one 1 1/4" hole that uses a 1" line, if I add another one=2 1" over flow lines would an Amp be OK with that

Two 1" lines would be better than a single 1" line but NOT equal to a single 1.5" line and nowhere near as much flow capacity as a single 2" line. Remember that the AM-3000 is designed to flow through 1.5" plumbing to achieve maximum flow rates.

Look at it this way: Remember the area of a circle is Pi (r squared), so the flow cross section of a 1" pipe = 3.14159 x .5" x .5" = 0.7854" and two 1" pipes = 1.571"

A single 1.5" pipe has greater flow than two 1" pipes because 3.14159 x .75" x .75" = 1.767"

To make matters worse, your overflow is powered by gravity, not pressure, so you will need more capacity than the pump's output plumbing to fully handle the maximum flow. And you have to calculate the area of the weir that receives the flow from the tank--in other words, how large are your corner overflow walls.

To adequately handle an AM-3000 pump, you would need either two 1.5" drains (3.14159 x .75" x.75" x 2 = 3.534") or a single 2" drain (3.14159 x 1.0" x 1.0" = 3.142").

If you decide to go with two 1" drains, you can figure on a maximum overflow capacity of somewhere in the range of 1700 to 1900 gph. That would still be a LOT of flow for a 105-gal tank. You can use valves to reduce the outflow from the pump to match your capacity.

If you decide to go with one 1" drain and one 1.5" drain, your maximum flow capacity would be in the range of 2700 gph, provided that your overflows have sufficient weir area to handle the flow. This would be a ton of flow for that size tank.

I am giving you rough estimates of the maximum flow potential that are based on utilizing a Durso type standpipe, which increases the flow compared to a standard standpipe. You can read about Durso standpipes on Rich's site: http://www.rl180reef.com/frames.htm

You can get lots of info on Dolphin Amp Master pumps here: http://www.dolphinpumps.com/index.html

BTW, my tank is 120-gallons and I have a single 1.5" drain--wish it were a single 2" drain, but that's another story. The builder suggested a 2" drain but I changed it to a 1.5" drain because I wanted to be able to use a Durso standpipe. Turns out that even a 1.5" Durso standpipe takes up a LOT of space so I had to go with a Stockman modification (same principle): http://www.rl180reef.com/pages/stand...n_stockman.htm I fully expect to be able to get 2000 - 2200 gph through that drain. I have an AM-3000, two 3/4" SeaSwirls and a 1" return at the rear of the tank that may be plumbed into a spraybar. That is still a ton of flow for that size tank and will present considerable challenges in designing adequate sump capacity, especially when considering space limitations in my stand's cabinet area. This is a project that I hope to start in the next few months.

Good luck,

Ninong