Not the normal aquarium pump

[project5k]

ok, so heres what i'm thinking, i found out that harbor freight sells these little mag drive fountan pumps... they come in different sizes, one is 66gph on is 145gph and one is 190gph
now the 66 and 145 impellers ride on a chromed shaft.
the 190 is riding on a ceramic coated shaft and has silicone grease on the impellor housing o-ring.

i know this because i contacted the manufacturer of these pumps, and asked them.

the chromed shaft is a mild concern in a salt tank, but i've had one running in a bucket of old salt water for over 2 months now, and i cant see any wear on the shaft.

the 190 is a new pump to me. i've ran it in a bucket with a pretty high concentration of vinegar and rodi water, and then i ran it in a bucket of salt water for about a week. as of right now i cant see that there is any wear inside the pump, nor of the ceramic, and as far as i can tell none of the grease has disolved into either the salt water or the vinegar water.(theres no skum on the surface of the water after leaving stagnant, nor can i see where any of the grease has been removed from the plastic surfaces inside the impeller housing)


my question is this. what effect, what risks, what are your thoughts about useing each of these pumps in a salt tank?

my plan is to use the 190 as the fuge pump(to move water from the sump into the fuge. at 190 gallons per hour, i figure thats about 3x tank vol of flow...

then the others, like the 145's i was thinking aof using them like powerheads...

ready... set....GO!

 

[yote]

I dont see no problems running those pumps.As long you can get parts if needed.Like if an impeller breaks,or a shaft does get rusty.

 

[project5k]

they're on sale pretty regularly for ~$10, just get a new one.

do you really think that the silicon grease(if that really is what that is) is gonna be safe?

 

[Rcpilot]

A Max Jet pump has a chrome shaft inside too. We don't ever hear anyone wondering if it's reef safe. Most powerheads have an exposed chrome shaft.

The grease would be a concern to me. It'll break down eventually and it'll leak into the tank. How much damage that causes or if the skimmer will pick it up -- who knows?

 

[project5k]

thoes are the kids of things i'm sittn here wondering...

glad to hear the confirmation on the chrome shafts... that makes me feel better about useing them...

 

[dcantucson]

$10 wow! Give up the link. One can't have to many pumps around for mixing or transferring water, etc..
I have often thought pumps for the aquarium trade were overpriced. Pond pumps are always cheaper, but I think they make us fear them so we'll pay more! Just like skimmers. Overpriced.

 

[project5k]

thats exactly why i did the research i did with thiese little pumps. I've been using them for years for different things, and after examining the innards of a rio 2500 i have i noticed that they all look about the same on the inside..

i'm just getting them at harbor freight.. just watch and catch them on sale..
oh, and pay attention to the specs, they have a kinda low cutoff.. i think i remember its around like 5 feet for the smaller pump

190 gal/hour(this is the one with the silicone grease inside on the impellor housing o ring)
- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

145gal/hour
- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

66 gal/hour
- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

oh, and heres a pic of them IN MY TANK

 

[ccCapt]

I wouldn't be concerned. Silicone grease is totally safe. I've been using it on the o-ring on my skimmer for well over a year with no problems at all. In fact, the manufacturer recommended using it on the o-ring.
If the pump is strong enough, I see no problems using it. I don't see a head loss chart, but it says 59" lift. I assume that means at 60" you will get nothing.

 

[dcantucson]

Interesting. You've used them as powerheads. Huh. I was thinking of them for mixing saltwater, etc.

 

[bjohanson1234]

Sounds like a good deal.

You would be hard pressed to find any pump that small having much of a lift IMO

Brian

 

[project5k]

yea, at about head height to me(and i'm about 5'6" you only get a trickel out of a hose.. so yea, thier not super lifters, or massive volume movers, but if you need a little flow, and wanna do it cheaper than a knano, then this might be an option.. if that silicon grease really is safe, then theres you a 190gph power head for 10-12 bucks.

i'm actually thinking about useing the 190 to be the flow pump from my sump to my fuge...