Hi Francis,
I really like the Speedwaves. I prefer submersible pumps because I like to have things effecient where I can.
Speedwave pros for me:
-lower electricity usage
-submersible means that the heat that is generated is transferred to the aquarium water
-simpler plumbing hookup (barbed connections for flexible hose that's contained in the sump so if there's a leak it stays within the system)
-soft start, so when the pumps start up in the middle of the night there's no splashing noise
Dart cons:
-higher electricity usage
-external, attracts dust with their cooling fins so exterior needs to be cleaned often
-more complicated hard plumbing, need to drill access holes in sump. Leaks are not contained within the system
I am using 1 Speedwave externally, because of how my closed loop is configured. No cooling fans on the Speedwave to attract dust.
I'm just going to clean the Darts and store them away. They work fine. They've been operating steady 5 hours on/6 hours off without a problem for a couple of years.
I've also changed my sump turnover rate to 1 X system volume/ hour. I'm going to increase the circulation only within the main display itself with powerheads and the closed loop. That saves some energy.
( that I can put into those T-5's, lol)
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Mitch
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