Red Dragon 3 or Mini for return on 126 gallon tank?

[kinetic]

I'm getting an ELOS 120XL and it's rated flow is up to 2,905 GPH and was wondering if I should use a Royal Exclusive Red Dragon 3 mini or the non-mini as the return pump.

I will have plenty of additional flow for the corals via gyres and powerheads, so this is purely just pushing water through the sump. In the past I've always run pretty slow flow through my sumps, but I've only had smaller tanks. The ELOS 120XL also has dual returns, one higher up and one at the bottom. Since I'm running the tank as a peninsula, I was thinking of plumbing the bottom return pretty far into the tank with the piping hidden under sand to help with some flow towards the end of the tank.

Another thing to take into account, I'll probably also be running an AquaUV 25watt in parallel with the return line.

Overall, I was thinking the RD3 mini would be just fine, but now I'm thinking if getting the regular non-mini, especially because it can still be run at lower speeds, and has that lime bypass/flushing mechanism (does that even work well?).

Any thoughts that should push me in one direction over the other?

 

[mfinn]

I think you will be fine with the RD3 mini ( 50 watt).
I use the RD3 100 watt as my return and a RD3 150 watt as a closed loop pump.

 

[ssdawood]

Price difference js too small to consider the mini.
I go 100w. This way if you ever add anything else you have pump.

 

[CasperOe]

I’d definitely go with the 100 as well! It might seem overkill at first- but its not. It’s just nice to have a bit of extra power should you need it.

I have a Cade 1200 and i use the 100 in there running two reactors and a UV off the manifold as well as serving as a return pump.

Go for it! I dont know the delivery time in the US though- over here in the UK i waited six weeks for it to arrive from Germany

 

[kinetic]

I actually think I'll go for the 100watt but the High Pressure model. I'll be running a UV and possibly my chiller on a manifold connected in parallel to the return. I'll have 3 flow meters, but I think the HP model will be perfect.