Return pump brand insight for new 220

[FishyFishy!]

Originally Posted by whatcaneyedo

Geez how quiet do you need a pump to be? Tank in the bedroom? My Hammerhead and Dart compared to the fridges, freezers, furnace, fans, washer, dryer and dishwasher don't even land in the top 5 for noice producing sources in our house and most of our stuff is less than 10 years old.

I get that you may love them. I do to. However if you actually look at the list of wants he posted, the reeflo's would literally only fill one of those needs. Reliability. Sorry, but they are not quiet, efficient or have variable settings.

- extremely quiet
- reliable
- effiecent
- variable settings would be nice

[Myka]

Since you didn't post a budget, I'll go all in and say the Abyzz will be top choice with a 10 year warranty. I'm assuming you do not want to spend over $2000 on a return pump though, so I digress...

For DC, I vote for the Ecotech Vectra. Provided you're not wanting to run a UV sterilizer on your return line, or a manifold, or any type of reactor. The Vectra doesn't handle pressure well, so it's best used in straight-run situations. These are handy if you want wireless control and connectivity with Ecotech or Neptune products. This pump will be over $600. Reliable? Not sure, they haven't been out for long.

For AC pump, I also vote for Sicce for the size range required. They are adjustable in the sense that there is a built-in valve on the intake basket to control flow. The pump itself is not controllable. These pumps are silent and reliable.

Assuming your sump will hold around 30 gallons of water which will offset the displacement of the rock in the tank, assuming you're going to have about 5 feet of head pressure, assuming it will be a dedicated return line (no manifolds, reactors, etc), then I would suggest the Sicce Synchra 5.0. The 5.0 will barely have you covered though, you'll probably be looking at about 4x turnover through the sump with that pump wide open. That would be my preference - I don't like choking pumps back. The next step up is the 10.0 and that's going to give you close to 10x flow through the sump wide open which is much more than I would want so it would need to be choked back, plus the 10.0 has a bit of a hum - it's a pretty big pump. There's a 50% price jump between the two as well if that's a consideration. This pump will be under $300.

[whatcaneyedo]

Originally Posted by FishyFishy!

I get that you may love them. I do to. However if you actually look at the list of wants he posted, the reeflo's would literally only fill one of those needs. Reliability. Sorry, but they are not quiet, efficient or have variable settings.

- extremely quiet
- reliable
- effiecent
- variable settings would be nice

Agree to disagree. Opinions are like A-holes; everyone's got one. On my +300gal system the Reeflos are quieter than the skimmer, cooling fan and exhaust fan so the amount of sound they produce is negligible.

Reeflo Dart 3600gph Maximum Wattage: 105w/0.8 amps
Jebao DCS 12000 MAX 3000 gallons per hour at 80W?

Do tell me more about how super efficient these DC pumps are! LMFAO

These DC pumps have only been popular in the aquarium industry for a few short years. One of my reeflos has been running for over a decade. I bought it used, for $100. I won't put my trust and the lives of my captives in a tech that hasn't stood the test of time.

Shaft driven external equals no heat transfer.

[smokinreefer]

Under tank sump?
I'd go with a DC.

I'm setting up a display with remote sump and the DC just won't cut it.

Probably overkill, I'm going with a Reeflo hammerhead gold.

[dino]

I have found the Dc pumps quite but a little less reliable. But it's a trade off because of the controllability aspect. I also find the impellor replacement is cheaper on the Dc I own for some reason .