DIY Red Dragon Pumps, gathering ideas.
- Thread starter hahnmeister
- Start date
- Status
wife no likey
New member
Regarding the Eheim and an air pump, that's what I've been running on my skimmer for the last year. 
I use a meshwheel 1262 w/ a coralife sl-38. Pushing about 40cfh.
I use a meshwheel 1262 w/ a coralife sl-38. Pushing about 40cfh.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
I think Euroreef still sells them on their online store, ATB might sell you one direct as well. The thing is, yes, they are $$$. $300 is about right, and that is a pretty fair price as well. Eheim 1262/1260s are well into the $120-170 mark, and the stock impellers cost $80 from eheim, so selling the needlewheel for $100 isnt unfair. When you add it up, paying $250-300 for one is pretty much on the mark. Its what makes the Laguna 1500 attractive... you can pick on up on ebay for $100, and then rather than all the little mods you have to do on the eheim pumps, you just make the new volute, and it doesnt need the shaft support on the intake either. You can simply cut the blades off the impeller, just like when you mod a Sicce pump, because there is a central disk left that you can then strap your mesh to. Or, you could see if ATB will sell you one of the 1500 Needlewheel impellers (I really dont know where Victor stands on this) or even a complete pump conversion if you want. It will make 2x the air as an eheim, costs less, runs quiet, silent (IMO, Lagunas are built better), and for less wattage with a pretty easy mod. Then again, it is a 1500gph pump that can do 2250lph (or more) of air.
The alita pump you pick depends on how much air you want to force. You can also always go a little larger, and use a 't' with a valve to bleed off the extra. The Alita 20, 30, and 40 seem to be just right for most people... just check out the pressure/flow charts on their website.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
ATB has one now, contact Victor.
reef bloke
Member
Hahn im not sure if your emails are being junked by my spam filter so ill post here.
Have you any idea which airstar pump would be a direct swap for the BK2000 recirc pump on the BK 650 skimmer.
Many thanks tony
Have you any idea which airstar pump would be a direct swap for the BK2000 recirc pump on the BK 650 skimmer.
Many thanks tony
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
Doesnt really exist. The airstars use smaller motors to get higher outputs. The match for the BK motor would be the motor on the Airstar 2000-2400-2900. I suppose... a good part of the difference is the needlewheel vs. meshwheel, so if you stuck to the needlewheel, it would be about the same. Its the pump ATB uses on the new XL skimmer (up to about 3600-4000 lph)
reef bloke
Member
Cheers hahn,a friend was showing me a pic that looked like the BK pump on a ATB skimmer.I suppose it may well have been a red dragon as it had a lime loop,do the airstars have that loop?.There are so many pump options on the ATB's lol.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
The ATB's used to run on Red Dragons, yes. So that might explain the anti-lime loop you saw. The ATB pumps dont have this.
reef bloke
Member
Cheers Hahn,looks like i have to do a bit more digging.Ive offered to mod a Laguna for my friend but the lack of lime loop worries him with regards to heat.
Regards Tony
Regards Tony
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
Well, if you dont throttle the motors back so much like the RD's do, you will incur less heat buildup. If anything, the best solution is to just soak the impeller/motor in vinegar every few months. The anti-lime loop is a bit of overkill, in that these motors are waaay cooler than most of whats on the market in the first place.
reef bloke
Member
Thanks for all your help Hahn,ill pass that on.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
The 5000 is what the 1500 has replaced, unless you are talking about the EU 5000, which means 5000lph.
The 900, if you know how to do it right, does about 1200lph, although this pump has not been worked with as much as the others because it has a shaft that needs double ended support (shaft in the inlet). It is very likely that this pump could go up to about 2000lph.
The 1500 is the next one to consider, and it can be scaled pretty high. It is what the Red Dragon minis are based on, but you can actually get the 1500, with enlarged volute, up to 2500lph of air, or quite possibly over that even.
The 2000 (same motor as the 2400 and 2900), is what all the other Red Dragon pumps are based on, and can be made to do just over 4000lph of air.
The next one up is the 4200, which no mfg has redone into a skimmer pump... until now. When the work is done on it though, it will most likely be in the 6000+ lph range, for about 100 watts, although I bet it could be made to go up to 8000lph.
The 900, if you know how to do it right, does about 1200lph, although this pump has not been worked with as much as the others because it has a shaft that needs double ended support (shaft in the inlet). It is very likely that this pump could go up to about 2000lph.
The 1500 is the next one to consider, and it can be scaled pretty high. It is what the Red Dragon minis are based on, but you can actually get the 1500, with enlarged volute, up to 2500lph of air, or quite possibly over that even.
The 2000 (same motor as the 2400 and 2900), is what all the other Red Dragon pumps are based on, and can be made to do just over 4000lph of air.
The next one up is the 4200, which no mfg has redone into a skimmer pump... until now. When the work is done on it though, it will most likely be in the 6000+ lph range, for about 100 watts, although I bet it could be made to go up to 8000lph.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
The pump in the pic doesnt look like a 5000, the 5000 has a centered discharge for the outlet. The 5000 was replaced by the 1500 (both about 1500gph), so their performance should be similar.
If you read the thread, you would see on page 2 a listing of all the model numbers, new and old, and how their model numbers line up over the years...
If you read the thread, you would see on page 2 a listing of all the model numbers, new and old, and how their model numbers line up over the years...
Last edited:
billyzbear
Active member
That pump looks like the 2400.
Mojo Jojo
the pump you shown here look like the 2400 and the different between those 2 pump it's the cover . you can get the 5000 but for better result buy the cover (since the cover length better ) of the 2400 it will match to the pump or you can mod new cover like this one :
el aguila :
i run the laguna pumps for few month without any problem .
the pump you shown here look like the 2400 and the different between those 2 pump it's the cover . you can get the 5000 but for better result buy the cover (since the cover length better ) of the 2400 it will match to the pump or you can mod new cover like this one :
el aguila :
i run the laguna pumps for few month without any problem .
- Status
Similar threads
