Help picking a new reeflo pump

[rocko918]

Right now i am running 2 reef flo pumps. really like these pumps and would like to continue to use them. I need to replace my Marlin, but i am having a very difficult time using reeflo's website to decide which pump to replace it with. Can anyone help recommend a new pump.

 

Right now the marlin is supplying the main tank 210g, 50 frag tank, 20 gal fuge, deltect skimmer, calicum reactor and a small carbon reactor. maybe about 10 feet of pipe between the main tank and pump. I do have it dialed back just a bit. I believe the pump is about 4 years old. I have sent it in once to get the seal replaced. The pump is extremely loud now. Over the years it has just gotten louder. I have a barracuda that i can hardly hear.

 

So i would like to know which pump would be best.

[overklok]

If you call the guy at reeflo, he will guide you through the selection of a pump. He will help you with any questions.

[rocko918]

I sent him an email last week. I guess calling is the next step.

[scott711]

I really like my barracuda pump. Have had no issues with it since I got it over years ago.

[Origami]

Bob, are the pump and the tank on the same level of the house (that is, you're not lifting water between floors, are you)? The Marlin is a pressure-biased pump with a shutoff head of 37 feet and a flow of 2,222 gph at 0 feet. It also draws a considerable amount of power (233 - 350 W). If you're not having to work against a lot of head pressure, there may be better options that are as effective but cost half as much to operate (saving you anywhere from $100-$250 a year in operating costs).

 

Also, what size is the majority of the pipe to and from the pump?

 

Any idea why the pump is so noisy? Is it the seals or bearings? The motor itself? Talk to them about it while you've got them on the phone. Four years seems to short for their products.

[rocko918]

Pump and tanks are all on the same floor. the pump is behind the wall and only goes up about 6 feet only to reach the fugee. Yeah its a hog but it feeds alot of things and i wanted to make sure i had enough pressure to get to everything. The pump goes into a manifold, then from there to the frag tank, main tank, skimmer, fuge. All pipe coming off the pump are 1 inch. Not sure why its so noisy, i had the seal replaced by reeflo and ask them to "tune it up" and that did not make a difference.

 

Here is an old pic.

 

you can kind of see the manifold in this pic.

 

Edited January 4, 2011 by rocko918

[flowerseller]

Bob,

I use a hammerhead and love it and the noise it doesn't make.

Mine also feeds, 220g, 60" DD skimmer, 90g frag, 60g, Afarm, 20g fuge, carbon reactor, and Ca reactor.

Now, that said, it is all in the diameter of the tubes and how it's run. I use 2" tube almost to the device and use several valves

to accomplish this without effecting flow to other devices. The hammerhead is NOT a pressure rated pump but the 2" tube gives more flow.

 

 

btw, cute pic of Grace on "trampoline"

[Origami]

I have a similar setup. My 180 is in a living space in the basement. My 100 gallon sump, 50 gallon frag tank, 20 gallon DSB/Refugium, and a smaller 15 gallon tank are all plumbed into the system. My main pump is a single Reeflo Dart, drawing 135 Watts. I was running a Reeflo Wahoo (pressure pump) at first, dropping back to an intermediate state using a Barracuda for power savings while I awaited a Dart.

 

The Dart can push 3600 gph at 0', and 2160 gph at 8' of head pressure. The next step up is a Barracuda, but the power consumption is higher.

 

My main plumbing, though is mostly 2" PVC until I get to the manifold, which has 5 legs coming off at 1" each. Two legs go the the display, one to the frag tank/DSB pair, and one goes to the 15 gallon tank and small system components, including the calcium reactor and two media reactors. One leg off the manifold is unused (for now!).

 

(I saved over $200 a year in operating costs moving to the Dart from the Wahoo. That was my motivation. The pump has already paid for itself. Whatever you do, consider your setup, requirements, and operating costs. After all, your return pump operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Consideration of efficiency makes sense.)

[rocko918]

they have all these new pumps, uni , gold and something else. I was wondering if 1 of those would be better if so which one.

 

do they make the hammerhead or dart anymore?

[Origami]

The Snapper, Dart, Barracuda, and Hammerhead are on their Hybrid Pumps page. (It's more difficult to find their product with this new page design, isn't it?) Here's where I found them:

 

http://www.reeflopumps.com/hybridpumps.html

[scott711]

yeap:

 

http://premiumaquatics.com/aquatic-supply/reeflo.html

 

It looks like it is just the impeller that is different. They ship both impellers.

[rocko918]

thats the part i dont get,

 

whats the difference between the hybrid pumps, the uni pumps and gold?

[Origami]

Call the guy over at Reeflo. I can't make sense of it either. The Gold pumps at PA seem to have a different motor that also has a finned casing. They also move more water for the same impeller-volute combination. The Dart that they're showing almost looks like it has the old AO Thomas motor (I may be wrong on that). For improved reliability and quieter operation, I'd go for the Baldor motor. It's larger, but runs cool and quiet. In either case, talk with the guys over at Reeflo. They've been more than happy to answer any questions that I've had in the past.

 

Hey, BRK's a dealer. John should know all of this, shouldn't he?

[xabo]

"The pump is extremely loud now. Over the years it has just gotten louder. I have a barracuda that i can hardly hear".

 

Most likely your bearings are in need of replacement. There's a place in Fairfax (I beleive) that Johnny of BRK referred me to that's an authorized repair shop.