Ac/dc

[TonyB13]

So I know what Ac and Dc mean kinda, but what is the difference in which one i choose to run on my aquarium return and skimmer? I have been looking but I really haven't found a good clear answer.
I think but I am not sure, you can use battery backup on DC motors and they use less power and they are controllable?
Thanks

 

[Dmorty217]

More about ease of being controllable. As for a skimmer it really nice to have one that works off a DC pump. As far as a battery backup goes if you have been in this hobby any amount of time at all you will have a generator as a power backup. It will only cost you a fraction of what you have in your tank

 

[dpulve]

Is the ability to control a DC pump why they say they are so much cheaper to run to? To me that appears to be way everyone is going that route.

 

[Dmorty217]

Is the ability to control a DC pump why they say they are so much cheaper to run to? To me that appears to be way everyone is going that route.

They in general use less energy then their AC counterparts. As far as the skimmer goes a DC pump allows you to to control the skimmer thru the pump instead of a valve that can be very touchy. I have a waveline DC 12000 as a return pump for my tank and at full power it only uses 150ish watts at 3100gph, I have a AC pump that puts out 3500gph and uses a little over 230w. The DC pumps however don't like a syphon pushing against them when trying to start up from a power outage. Check valve will minimize that risk.

 

[TonyB13]

More about ease of being controllable. As for a skimmer it really nice to have one that works off a DC pump. As far as a battery backup goes if you have been in this hobby any amount of time at all you will have a generator as a power backup. It will only cost you a fraction of what you have in your tank

Thank you for the explanation, what is your favorite external return pump forgoing about 30 feet in a horizontal direction?