DC pumps vs. mag pump

[JMM744]

Recently saw a post were someone suggested another reefer ditch the mag pump on the lifereef skimmer and go DC. said the mag pumps are not efficient. I run a mag 36 on my lifereef 72 “ skimmer and it’s a beast with great performance as far as running the skimmer but I am curious what others might think about the comment and even suggest something that could replace my mag pump. My only complaint is the noise from it, that’s it and it’s in the basement so not a real issue.
Thanks, Jim

 

[reefwiser]

If your pump is working on your skimmer don’t change it. The amount of power the pump uses is a wash. If you are worried about cost of running an aquarium then you may not want to have an aquarium at all.

 

[GlassMunky]

If you are worried about cost of running an aquarium then you may not want to have an aquarium at all.

That’s kind of a stupid statement.
why not “worry” about how efficient your system is and how much electric you use?

a Tank running all MH/T5 lights with AC pumps for everything is gonna use a ton more electric than the same system using LED and DC pumps... you can easily save a few hundred dollars a year by actually caring.
or we could follow your logic and just burn our cash as a heat source for the tank. Lol

 

[GlassMunky]

That’s kind of a stupid statement.
why not “worry” about how efficient your system is and how much electric you use?

a Tank running all MH/T5 lights with AC pumps for everything is gonna use a ton more electric than the same system using LED and DC pumps... you can easily save a few hundred dollars a year by actually caring.
or we could follow your logic and just burn our cash as a heat source for the tank. Lol

Obviously I’m taking this to an extreme to outline a point, as this convo is about only 1 item but the logic still applies.

 

[JMM744]

Power consumption isn’t my biggest worry at all. If you reread my first post I stated that the mag pump was a bit noisy .
I run mostly dc powerhead , Mp40’s and 10’s and my favorites, the 350 and 330 gyres. So far my two return pumps are both ac units though. So are there DC pumps out there that would do the job of a mag 36 and be quiet?
My system is a 300 with a 120 reef and a 180 fish only. Sump is another 100 but rock displacement makes it all around 300.
Thanks for the replies.
Jim

 

[DCR]

A 72" Lifereef is going to need a pump with a lot of head. Any DC pump you are considering will need to deliver a similar amount of head to your Mag 36, so you will likely be operating it at a high speed. You may not save that much energy.

 

[jda]

Any DC pump that can do what the Mag 36 does is going to use the same electricity or it will not be able to do the same job. A 3600gph DC pump that uses less electricity is going to flow less with the back pressure and it will not be as good. Most DC pumps only save power on paper, but the typical person does not know enough to notice. Even the few that give off some heat will save your heater from running a bit, which is also a wash unless you have a tiny tank or it is the Mojave in the summertime.

IMO, the only pumps that could truly get close to handling the job would be Abyzz... run that CBA on initial cost and no wattage savings.

Just like lights, the only to really save money is to use less flow (or less output in the lighting case).