quietest return pump

[The Codfather]

I agree with Kevin Super Dart Gold, Mine is very quiet, the DC fans above my aquarium are louder.

[sphelps]

It appears that some suppliers are listing the Dart Gold as discontinued??

The problem with Reeflo pumps is that they are notorious for break downs. I used two darts on my previous tank, one on the closed loop and the other on the return. The closed loop pump was fine the entire time I owned it, other than being a little noisy and requiring significant maintenance I never had a problem with it. However the return pump was replaced 3 times due to the seal leaking and causing the bearing to fail. The first pump only lasted a couple months from new. A quick search will show I'm not the only one with such problems, many owners have gone through this. In fact it was such a common issue Reeflo now requires you to handle all warranty issues through the manufacturer because all there distributors got sick of dealing with them.

The other problem I see with the Gold series is the price, over $400 for the Dart. Sorry but I can't see it being worth that much. A RD doesn't cost that much more in comparison and will actually last. There are no seals to fail, uses less power, better bearings, better shaft and impeller, much quieter and it's got the reputation to back it all up. I would honestly bet you'll need at least 2 darts to match the reliability and lifespan of an RD, that easily puts them at the same price. Remember you'll need a back up pump if you use a reeflo

[lastlight]

If you compare the number of Sequence customers to the number of Red Dragon owners though and then take into the account that there are plenty of people who've had issues with the RD pumps then I'm not so sold on the idea of paying a lot more for a RD that has the same flow.

Just take a peek at the Proline forum on RC. I've had issues with my RD and with my Dart running I can def hear it when I fire it up. This was after I swapped motor blocks, impellers you name it. Ive only run it in FW and have heard they will run differently in it but I'm not 100% sold on the pump quality myself. There was even a large recall recently. It was the RDII line but still...

Bad news if the Gold series is discontinued. I'm hoping seals etc will still be available!

If I did it over again I'd likely just buy a pair of large Eheims. Definitely quieter than the Dart (even the Baldor Gold) and maybe quieter than the RD pump I have.

[Canadian]

Originally Posted by Parker

I have three darts on my tank and they each put out various levels of noise, but for the most part they are pretty quiet.

Obviously there are different schools of though on this but I don't see the point in running a return pump at a rate greater than what your skimmer can accommodate. It would be a complete waste of hydro. I'd run the smallest return pump you can to meet your head loss needs to keep up with your skimmer and only use propeller pumps for flow in the display and even one in the sump to keep detritus from collecting.

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by Canadian

Obviously there are different schools of though on this but I don't see the point in running a return pump at a rate greater than what your skimmer can accommodate. It would be a complete waste of hydro. I'd run the smallest return pump you can to meet your head loss needs to keep up with your skimmer and only use propeller pumps for flow in the display and even one in the sump to keep detritus from collecting.

A good point but I see more to a sump than a skimmer. A higher return increases tank flow and reduces the demand for supplemental in tank flow, a big plus in my books. Also more flow increases surface tension and reduces scum build up in the display, it will also keep things suspended longer and filter more out of the display sending it to the sump quicker. Sumps can also hold mechanical filtration like socks and floss and chemical like carbon. These can benefit from higher flow. Finally things like heaters and pumps will work better with an increased convective heat transfer effect.

You don't have to run high flow but there are certainly benefits to it.

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by lastlight

If you compare the number of Sequence customers to the number of Red Dragon owners though and then take into the account that there are plenty of people who've had issues with the RD pumps then I'm not so sold on the idea of paying a lot more for a RD that has the same flow.

Just take a peek at the Proline forum on RC. I've had issues with my RD and with my Dart running I can def hear it when I fire it up. This was after I swapped motor blocks, impellers you name it. Ive only run it in FW and have heard they will run differently in it but I'm not 100% sold on the pump quality myself. There was even a large recall recently. It was the RDII line but still...

The RDIIs have been recalled, it was brand new to the NA market and obviously there was an issue adapting the pump to fit NA requirements. It's unfortunate but being innovative enough to provide the first DC controllable return pump to NA from another country is bound to have some drawbacks, proper testing is virtually impossible. Other than that a quick glance at the forum shows no indication of a problem with regular RD pumps. Sometimes you get faulty products but any distributor of such a pump should stand behind it. If there is an actual problem with the pump you should get a full replacement.

Also I wasn't aware you were running an RD return pump, of course a RD skimmer pump will make some noise because of the air but it is common knowledge that it's still quieter than most alternatives.

[globaldesigns]

I use a Ocean Runner 6500 by AquaMedic. It is very powerful and runs my 300G setup and is whisper quite. I don't hear a thing, can't say that for my skimmers though, but oh well.

[Parker]

Originally Posted by Canadian

Obviously there are different schools of though on this but I don't see the point in running a return pump at a rate greater than what your skimmer can accommodate. It would be a complete waste of hydro. I'd run the smallest return pump you can to meet your head loss needs to keep up with your skimmer and only use propeller pumps for flow in the display and even one in the sump to keep detritus from collecting.

Originally Posted by sphelps

A good point but I see more to a sump than a skimmer. A higher return increases tank flow and reduces the demand for supplemental in tank flow, a big plus in my books. Also more flow increases surface tension and reduces scum build up in the display, it will also keep things suspended longer and filter more out of the display sending it to the sump quicker. Sumps can also hold mechanical filtration like socks and floss and chemical like carbon. These can benefit from higher flow. Finally things like heaters and pumps will work better with an increased convective heat transfer effect.

You don't have to run high flow but there are certainly benefits to it.

My number one reason for running a large return pump is I have enough flow from one pump to drive my entire mechanical system sans skimmer from one pump. My dart supplies my carbon and phosphate reactors, calc reactor, UV filter, fuge and tank return. Also, if your running your skimmer passively in your sump ( your return isn't plumbed directly into the skimmer ) your not skimming the entire contents of water flowing through that chamber, I don't think how fast or slow the water is flowing past the skimmer makes much of a difference. The skimmer still processes the same amount of water.

My second reason for running two additional darts is astetics. If I can avoid seeing mechanical devices in my display tank it's worth the extra noise, electrical costs and plumbing cost to me. As you mentioned people have different schools of thought.

[lastlight]

Yeah it's a RD2000 and is a skimmer pump.

I was under the impression the pumps were practically noiseless and myself and others have been suprised to find this isn't always the case. The issues I've read about may have primarily been skimmer pumps I can't recall. But the userbase is super small and I've personally read of enough issues in the forum to question the over-hyped quality (imo) of their pumps.

[robert]

Poseidon Pumps, formerly known as the "Velocity Water Pump" are for sure most silent pumps at the market. I used to own PS4 model, and it was dead silent. I had to put my hand on it to see if it runs. The only problem is that largest one runs only about 1000 GPH at 5' head. Getting 2 would be an option, especially if you are noise freak as I'm. You may read more about the pump here.

Cheers!