Return pumps

mfinn · 2026-11-13T20:41:36-0500

RobertK said:
I bought a pair of Red Dragon 5 ECO 25W DC pumps for my 110. Yes they are expensive but I wanted German made pumps. I wanted DC for quietness, reduced heat, speed control, and to reduce the possibility of getting electrocuted by my aquarium. I love the pumps, they are dead silent, but I'm not crazy about the controllers. What I do like is having two return pumps for redundancy instead of one (I also have two independent circuits to plug them into). That way if one of the GFCI outlets trips I still have flow through the sump.

I also was not crazy about the RD5 controller. Maybe it's just not what I'm used to and unable to learn new.
I love my RD3's.
I would kill for a 150 watt.

BeanAnimal · 2026-11-13T20:43:14-0500

I would guess that Scott Lief is no longer with them or they don't keep a USA presence anymore. He hasn't logged on in exactly a year as of today.

RobertK · 2026-11-13T20:45:46-0500

BeanAnimal said:
I would guess that Scott Lief is no longer with them or they don't keep a USA presence anymore. He hasn't logged on in exactly a year as of today.

I emailed Scott in August to get a replacement part for my old skimmer (which is no longer in production), and he had Torsten send me the correct part from Germany.

BeanAnimal · 2026-11-13T20:46:25-0500

mfinn said:
I also was not crazy about the RD5 controller. Maybe it's just not what I'm used to and unable to learn new.
I love my RD3's.
I would kill for a 150 watt.

I think I ahve a 130 or 150 that I could maybe let go. It could need parts though.

I got a few used ones and one of them binds up when I tighten the volute, but I can't remember which one. No clue why and I took it apart and put it back together and plumbed it in 5 times under duress, water everywhere, me approaching meltdown mode. No joke, it still sits partially assembled on the floor where I left it a year ago, too lazy to un-fish the umbilical out of the wire trays or put it on the bench and figure out what was wrong with it.