DC Pumps - Strongest Available So Far

[reefs4lifee]

So I've read a couple of threads about DC pumps and they seem very appealing to me. My biggest selling point is the fact that they are better on power and right now I could really use that. My current pump is a Reeflo Hammerhead which really guzzles up a ton of wattage, 300 to be exact. It is however on a very large manifold so I get a pretty good bang for my buck but from what I've read about DC pumps, they would probably be better, and quieter.

To make a long story short, I didn't want to hijack anyone elses thread to ask this question, so I would love to know if there is any DC pump out there right now that is close to the power of a Reeflo Hammerhead.

Thanks in advance.

[ganjero]

I think the closest thing (no so close) will be the DC12000 (I dont think is out yet) with 3170gph

[reefs4lifee]

Yeah I know, I was just looking at that Waveline 12000 but like you mentioned, not so close but I might still give it a try. My only problem is that my manifold is huge so I wonder if it could handle all that. And from what I'm noticing in terms of consumption, the 12000 @ 3,100gph is already maxing at 180w so I don't know if a stronger DC pump that put of 5,800gph will be any more efficient than the pump I already have @ 300w

[slief]

Keep in mind that these DC pumps don't do nearly as well with head pressure or restrictions compared to your hammerhead. They tend to drop off more rapidly. Also, the greater the head pressure or restriction on the return line, the more efficiently Reeflo's run unlike DC pumps. I too run a hammerhead thought it's the gold version and I am also very power conscious. I've done a lot in recent years to reduce my power consumption including upgrading to a Hammerhead Gold and a Dart Gold. I think the biggest thing in reducing my power bill besides getting rid of a couple external recirc pumps was reducing heat in my tank to the point of not having my chiller turn on in a couple years. I achieved this with light changes, pump changes and adding Apex controlled fans to my tank to cool it.

I too have looked into these DC pumps and while they are the new fad, long term reliability is really unproven. They also run hotter than many other pumps due to the smaller motor and the impeller being directly attached to the motor.

That said, I heard there was a DC20000 coming out which should be comparable but I given the pumps size, I would bet it will be very close in power consumption to that of the Reeflo will transfer much more heat.

If you are really looking for an upgrade, you should check out the Hammerhead Gold. I switched from the standard Hammerhead to the Gold version. My tank temps dropped by a couple degrees which was a huge factor for me. It's also quieter and a bit more efficient.

The only other DC pumps that I can think of that would be close would be the Abyzz Pumps and maybe the high end DC Red Dragons but I think those will have similar power consumption and greater heat transfer not to mention the fact that they are very expensive.

[reefs4lifee]

Slief, thank you very much for the great advice! I'll definitely look into the gold model.

[hibb304]

I swear my mag 7 has more flow than my speedwave dc3000. Not by much but does. The Mag handles the head pressure way better.