Anyone use a Red Dragon 3 Mini Speedy Pump 50 Watt?

[kinetic]

Anyone have a Royal Exclusiv Red Dragon 3 mini in the 50 watt flavor?

Red Dragon 3 Mini Speedy Pump 50 Watt (1321 GPH) - Royal Exclusiv

Powerful, reliable, and incredibly quiet. Red Dragon pumps set a standard that few can compete with. Red Dragon produces high performance aquarium pumps for closed loop or return pump applications. They have earned a repuation for being some of the quietest, most powerful, and most solidly...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

I'm considering using it as a return pump for my new system. I want a slightly oversized (gph) DC pump so I can run it at a lower speed (for less noise if any, and efficiency?).

I have a bunch of almost new VarioS-4 pumps, so I was going to use that, but I'd probably need to run them at 100% to get the gph I want for the new system. Though these pumps are basically silent even at full power, I was thinking of getting a VarioS-6 instead... then I went down the rabbit hole of Abyzz and the Royal Exclusiv line.

I'm really splurging on this tank, because I want this thing to last a long long time. The plan is to stay in this house for a very very long time, so I really want a tank that has the best. Splurging, however, doesn't mean I will through endless money at it (I don't have that), but I will save up and make sure I get a high quality pump.

The reason why I hesitate with another VarioS is, (a) curiosity, (b) I'm not sure if the varios is that consistent.

I've heard DC pumps can create slight fluctuations, much more than AC. I'm not sure if it's my Reefer 170 stock plumbing being finicky or if it's the pump (I got two VarioS-4's to test, they're the same, and I have one backup, hence having 3 of these things), but my overflow is very inconsistent. Every few days it changes. I've cleaned the plumbing and the pumps but I still get variations.

I'm wondering if I got a really nice Royal Exclusiv, I wouldn't have to sit around with all these pumps just in case, and spending more than actually just one pump anyway. So, long story short, who has a RD3 mini and would recommend it?

 

[Corallus]

I have an RD mini speedy 50watt that I bought in 2016, that I was using as the return on my 70g system. In hindsight, I unnecessarily upgraded to a RD 3 100 watt for my 125 system and am now running the 50watt on my venturi skimmer. They’re both great pumps and have given me no issues and have never failed. My one gripe with the 50watt version is the bulky controller and the pump itself are hardwired together so you can’t decouple them. It makes cleaning annoying, but I only do that once a year, so it’s not a deal breaker. The 100 watt version can be disconnected from the controller. I did run a vectra S, that I bought new, for a while in an aio tank, and it was horribly unreliable. If the power went out, it would not start back up again, you had to do the reset sequence on the controller every time. I’ll never run a vectra again.

As a word of caution, I would not buy one of these used. Before I bought my RD 3, I picked one up from a fellow forum member, tested it, took it home, dried it off and stored it for a couple of months. I must not have dried it enough and the impeller magnet corroded, swelled and froze in the housing. I also saw another member here post a pic of a corroded impeller magnet. But the 2 I’ve purchased new have been flawless.

 

[kinetic]

@Corallus Thanks a ton for your insight. It is kind of goofy that it's hardwired to the controller. If the controller dies or the pump does, it seems like both have to be replaced at the same time! Though I guess controllers themselves usually don't have issues (my maxspect controller did though).

 

[rygh]

Interesting about the DC pump variation. Never experienced that myself.
FYI: I simply use dual cheaper pumps. Redundancy over quality. Various pros/cons, so each to their own strategy.
I have had many brands fail, including the RD on my skimmer (controller failed).
I will say that Royal Exclusive quickly sent a new controller for free, unlike other cheap brands.

 

[kinetic]

Interesting about the DC pump variation. Never experienced that myself.
FYI: I simply use dual cheaper pumps. Redundancy over quality. Various pros/cons, so each to their own strategy.
I have had many brands fail, including the RD on my skimmer (controller failed).
I will say that Royal Exclusive quickly sent a new controller for free, unlike other cheap brands.

Yeah, I have three VarioS-4 pumps for backups + 1 I thought was dead, but after a nice citric acid bath and cleaning it's working perfectly. I think if I'm in an emergency to swap out the pump, I can just stick the VarioS-4 in there. Or maybe I'll just pickup two RD3 Minis? They're so expensive, lol, it's like buying a whole new tank.