Any experience with Dolphin Pumps

[buff1]

Are they quiet? Reliable? I am specifically considering the new model 2100. Any feedback is appreciated.

 

[reefland]

I think the jury is still out on if the new seals work better than the older seals. But they are still excellent pumps. If they can fix the seal leaking every 12 to 18 months it will be a fantastic pump.

 

[DJ88]

Very very very quiet.. I have an ampmaster 3000.

I agree with Rich on the seal thing. Mine is leaking after only a month and a half. As a closed loop with minimal backpressure I can't see a prob. Mine is running a Bullet 3 and I am guessing the backpressure has popped the rear seal. :x

 

[buff1]

I hope it is no more than a dribble. I would hate to have to fix it every year. Thanks for the info.

 

[K77]

I hope it is no more than a dribble. I would hate to have to fix it every year. Thanks for the info.

A very stead drip! My seal had to be replaced after less than a month, but so far the new style seal has held. I'm beginning to think a backup pump is in order though.... But other than that hitch, my 3600 has been superb for preassure, silence, and flow, etc. The main nicety is that there is no audible level noise from them, IME.

 

[M.E.Milz]

I am using a 3000 for my skimmer and a 4500 for my return pump. The 4500, which is a high-rpm pump, is many, many times louder than the 3000. It sounds like a large blow drier. Both pumps have only been running for a few weeks, so I don't have an opinion as to how they will last.

 

[reefland]

What kind of skimmer do you have the 3000 unit on? Considering most skimmers use 1 inch feeds, seems a 3000 would be overkill for that. I was thinking about a 3000 on a dual 1 inch feed beckett skimmer.

 

[wade1]

I have the 2100 model and it has a nice layer of dried salt leading up to the seal now after only 3 months of operation. Anyone know which buttons to push to get them to send me a new seal? Its about time to pull it off and clean it anyway...

Thanks,
Wade

 

[Minh Nguyen]

I have two AquaSea 4700 (since 1999) run continously for more than 2 years now. I have no problem with them. One for a cloose loop and the other is the return pump for my aquarium (400 g)
The 4700 was the biggest low rpm that they have at the time. I am not sure how they number their pumps at this time. Anyway, I am very happy with these pumps.

 

[Dewman]

I just bought a DP1200 for use as a return pump to my 75 gal.
it is a pretty quiet pump. Maybe not as quiet as a Rio, but from what I've heard, much more reliable. It has a two or three year warranty, so I'm not worried.

 

[M.E.Milz]

What kind of skimmer do you have the 3000 unit on? Considering most skimmers use 1 inch feeds, seems a 3000 would be overkill for that. I was thinking about a 3000 on a dual 1 inch feed beckett skimmer.

One of Andy's at MyReef Creations. I forget the model, but it is his largest model with dual Becket injectors, although the riser tube has been cut down a few inches to fit inside my stand. So far, I have been very impressed with the skimmer/pump performance.

 

[Derek]

I tried an AmpMaster 3000 on an Aerofloater 830. Not sure how close it is to what you are using. I thought that with a Beckett it might work. Wrong, it didn't do a very good job. I went back to the GRI520 that is much, much better. The 3000 is sitting in the garage. I think restricting the line down to the 1" input to the Beckett reduces the flow to the point where the skimmer just didn't skim very well. Maybe if they had 1.5" Beckett nozzles.

Derek

 

[brokekyle]

this is kinda off topic
But I'm runing a dual beckett skimmer with a mag 24.at 30"head.
At 30" I estimate the flow at 1700 gal/hr
In my opinion.. my skimmer is under driven.. so much so that I'm considering removing one of the becketts.
If I added another Mag 24 my skimmer would be kick ass for
300 gal + system.. would one dolphin 300 be a better choice??
I get the mags 24 for $111

 

[Jeff Hood]

I am also using an Ampmaster 3000 on one of Andy's skimmers. Mine is one of his largest duel beckett skimmers. Its 42 inches high and has an 8 inch first riser and 6 inch second.

I measured the flow out of the skimmer at 1400 Gallons per hour with the Ampmaster 3000. I have the pump split down to two 3/4 inch union connectors, one to each beckett. Its not bad but I have always wondered how much better it may perform if I bought a high RPM pressure pump like the 4700. Would it pump the water through the skimmer too fast to be of any good?

Jeff

 

[M.E.Milz]

I am also using an Ampmaster 3000 on one of Andy's skimmers. Mine is one of his largest duel beckett skimmers. Its 42 inches high and has an 8 inch first riser and 6 inch second.

I measured the flow out of the skimmer at 1400 Gallons per hour with the Ampmaster 3000. I have the pump split down to two 3/4 inch union connectors, one to each beckett. Its not bad but I have always wondered how much better it may perform if I bought a high RPM pressure pump like the 4700. Would it pump the water through the skimmer too fast to be of any good?

Jeff

Yea, I have the same skimmer set-up, but the riser tube has been cut down to reduce the overall height to 31.5". If I used any bigger pump, it would just force water out the top of the skimmer. So for my skimmer, the Ampmaster 3000 works fine.

On a related note, I am discovering that the heat generated by my pair of Dolphin pumps is becoming an issue. The problem is not that the pumps transfer heat directly to the water, but that the pumps generate so much heat that the air temperature under my stand is very hot, which heats up my sump, and in turn, heats up the water. I may have aggravated the problem when I added styrofoam to the inside of the stand for sound-proofing purposes. Of course, this won't be a problem for those that can locate the pumps away from the stand (like in the basement). But I live in a condo, and everything must be located inside the stand.

My only option is to:

1) remove the styrofoam from the inside of my stand and replace it with some other type of sound absorbing material that won't insulate the stand as much;

2) add numerous vent holes along the upper perimeter of the stand; and

3) add fans underneath the stand to pull air through the vent holes and then direct it up the back of the tank and into the room where it can be dealt with by my air-conditioner.

Any other suggestions? Perhaps I shoul start a different thread.

 

[SPC]

Mike, I tried to tell you to locate the sump and equipement in an adjoing closet :lol: .
The vent holes and fan sound like a good idea (if you can stand some more noise). Also, is there any way you can get an AC diffuser to go under the tank, of course I don't guess this will help in the winter .
Steve

 

[M.E.Milz]

Mike, I tried to tell you to locate the sump and equipement in an adjoing closet :lol: .
The vent holes and fan sound like a good idea (if you can stand some more noise). Also, is there any way you can get an AC diffuser to go under the tank, of course I don't guess this will help in the winter .
Steve

I have no adjoining closet, so this really wasn't an option. What is an AC diffuser? BTW, heat and AC are covered under our monthly assessment, so I really don't care how much additional heating/ACing I need to use to keep my condo comfortable.

I did, however, find some soundproofing material that is designed for soundproofing music studios that should work. The stuff comes in 12"x12" squares and can be glued to the inside of the stand (in place of the styrofoam. This stuff should also take care of the noise from the fans that I will be adding.

As far as the vent holes go, I should be able to place some baffles adjacent to the holes that will absorb most of the sound without impeding the flow of air therethrough. It will take some work, but I should be able to get the sound and heat problem under control.