I was back and forth on a new return pump as my Reeflo Dart isn't cutting it with the 11' height I am dealing with. I was thinking Reeflo Barracuda or the Vectra L1 but decided I wanted to have complete control since I have the Profilux 3 controller. I know the Speedy 3 150 watt pump is pricey so is this pump actually worth it's price? I guess what I am asking is, is this a trustworthy product? I would hate to replace the pump in a few years at this cost. Thanks in advance.
Experiences/Reviews on Royal Exclusiv Speedy 3 pump?
- Thread starter lg2725
- Start date
reefkeeper2
Premium Member
I have the 230 watt also. Excellent craftsmanship and pump.
I think I have seen Slief post on this forum in the past. A few weeks ago someone mentioned this pump when I was thinking of the Reeflo and Vectra. At the time I said to myself, "Damn that's pricey!!". Then after thinking about it for a bit I figured I'd do some research. Couldn't find anything on Youtube or other sites about experiences though. Thanks for the response.
Do you have it hooked to a controller or are you at full power all of the time. What's your height??
wishntoboutside
professional snow flake
Great product. Great support with scott as well. Honestly you can not go wrong with these
Vinny Kreyling
Premium Member
I know Scott is their rep and has them on his tank now.
However Scott is man enough to tell you what works & what does not, even if it is not in his product line.
However Scott is man enough to tell you what works & what does not, even if it is not in his product line.
reefkeeper2
Premium Member
It runs at full power all the time. I have 13 feet of head from the basement up to the display.
reefkeeper2
Premium Member
I've heard about high head pressure impellers coming out before. Hope it happens soon!
slief
RC Sponsor
Thanks for the kind words guys. It's very much appreciated! Marco and I are both longtime hobbyist's and as hobbyists, we know how important service and support is. My theory has always been, do or die for the customers because without them we would starve. It's a philosophy I've held with my computer manufacturing business and it's the same model we honor with RE's support and service.
Obviously I am somewhat biased but I was a Royal Exclusiv user long before I got directly involved with Royal Exclusiv. For what it's worth, I paid for all my equipment and made those acquisitions before I took a role with RE. I have a pair of RD3 230's (one for my return and one for my closed loop) on my main display and make no mistake, there isn't a snowballs chance in hell I'd run them if I didn't have 1000% confidence in them regardless of my role with the company. The RD3 230's replaced Superdart Golds on my main system. I've been running them since they were first released a couple years ago and they haven't skipped a beat. My main tank been up and running at this house since 1997 and has tens of thousands in livestock alone. I don't take chances when it comes to my tank and don't cut corners when it comes to my equipment. I've never had a catastrophic failure as a result of my equipment but as I said, I don't cut corners and I only use what I honestly feel is the best whether it's my pumps, lights, calcium reactors, skimmers etc. I also have a Supermarin 250 skimmer with an RD3 50 on it which I've had since that model skimmer was released with the RD3's and it too has proven to be a terrific skimmer and the pump has been a work horse. On my 100 gallon tank, I run an RD3 80. Aside from their quality, noise and heat transfer were considerations for me. These pumps are the quietest pumps I have ever run or installed. They are also the coolest running pumps I've ever used.
I'm a pretty honest person and really try to be open minded. I often recommend products that aren't Royal Exclusiv branded whether it's Fluval SP series pumps, Reeflo, Iwaki, Life Reef Skimmers, ATB or what ever. Different strokes for different folks. Obviously cost is always a consideration when it comes to anything in this hobby so I have to bare that in mind when helping others make decisions or when I am spec'ing in an equipment list for an install. I do a fair amount of custom installs and its pretty rare that the customer are prepared to spend that kind of money. Especially when people that are new to the hobby make new tank decisions based on cost and you are bidding against other companies. As such, I get my hands on all kinds of equipment though I'd never recommend anything I don't have confidence in. That said, it's hard to fault the RD3's. As for the pressure impellers or pressure rated RD3's, that is still a work in progress. I wish we had an ETA but Klaus has been pretty tight lipped on it and we can only wait patiently..
Obviously I am somewhat biased but I was a Royal Exclusiv user long before I got directly involved with Royal Exclusiv. For what it's worth, I paid for all my equipment and made those acquisitions before I took a role with RE. I have a pair of RD3 230's (one for my return and one for my closed loop) on my main display and make no mistake, there isn't a snowballs chance in hell I'd run them if I didn't have 1000% confidence in them regardless of my role with the company. The RD3 230's replaced Superdart Golds on my main system. I've been running them since they were first released a couple years ago and they haven't skipped a beat. My main tank been up and running at this house since 1997 and has tens of thousands in livestock alone. I don't take chances when it comes to my tank and don't cut corners when it comes to my equipment. I've never had a catastrophic failure as a result of my equipment but as I said, I don't cut corners and I only use what I honestly feel is the best whether it's my pumps, lights, calcium reactors, skimmers etc. I also have a Supermarin 250 skimmer with an RD3 50 on it which I've had since that model skimmer was released with the RD3's and it too has proven to be a terrific skimmer and the pump has been a work horse. On my 100 gallon tank, I run an RD3 80. Aside from their quality, noise and heat transfer were considerations for me. These pumps are the quietest pumps I have ever run or installed. They are also the coolest running pumps I've ever used.
I'm a pretty honest person and really try to be open minded. I often recommend products that aren't Royal Exclusiv branded whether it's Fluval SP series pumps, Reeflo, Iwaki, Life Reef Skimmers, ATB or what ever. Different strokes for different folks. Obviously cost is always a consideration when it comes to anything in this hobby so I have to bare that in mind when helping others make decisions or when I am spec'ing in an equipment list for an install. I do a fair amount of custom installs and its pretty rare that the customer are prepared to spend that kind of money. Especially when people that are new to the hobby make new tank decisions based on cost and you are bidding against other companies. As such, I get my hands on all kinds of equipment though I'd never recommend anything I don't have confidence in. That said, it's hard to fault the RD3's. As for the pressure impellers or pressure rated RD3's, that is still a work in progress. I wish we had an ETA but Klaus has been pretty tight lipped on it and we can only wait patiently..
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I've been running an RD3-230 for around a year and a half with my basement sump. The pump hasn't missed a beat with probably 12-15 feet of head.
:beer:
:beer:
slief
RC Sponsor
I went back and double checked my build thread to see when I installed my pumps. I've had my two RD3 230's running for 21 months now. The RD3 50 skimmer pump has been running for 32 months. Not exactly long term but still a good amount of time. These pumps are nothing like your typical DC pump though. They run a much higher voltage and the impellers alone on an RD3 230 weigh nearly as much as a typical DC pump. The RD3's are very heavy pumps and very solid. Their motors are much more powerful. They also have the AKB tube which sends water from the pressure side of the block to the magnet cavity which not only keeps the magnet cavity cool but it also reduces friction and virtually eliminates calcium buildup inside the magnet cavity.
Scott/Fellow Reefers
I appreciate your responses and will take a few questions over the Royal Exclusiv forum as it specifically pertains to the Red Dragon pumps. I know some people do not see a benefit of having a controllable pump but since I have a controller, I'd might as well take advantage of as many as it's features as I can.
Thanks again.
slief
RC Sponsor
Very glad to help.
I will state one thing here since others may wonder.. While both of my RD3 can be controlled via a controller be it Apex or Profilux, only my closed loop takes advantage of 0-10v control. I am not a fan of external control for return pumps. It just adds one more point of failure should the 0-10v or controller fail. If the 0-10v voltage is lost, the pump will shut down when it remote mode. Both situations are not common but IMO, a return pump should be set it and forget it. Dial the flow in for the plumbing and leave it alone is my theory. Plus the RD3 controller adds much finer control over flow rates and as such, fine turning flow via the controller is much easier than tweaking profiles or 0-10v output. I also see no reason to slow or shut down a return pump during normal operation once it's setup. Some people slow their flow down for feeding but I like that flow to distribute the food to the fish and corals. Plus, reducing flow raises the sump level which impacts the skimmer and I don't ever shut my skimmer down unless I am doing maintenance. My closed loop is a different story. I run lower flow at night to save power and keep things a bit more calm when the fish rest. During the day when the lights come on, the flow increases substantially. When my Tunze's go into their flush mode which is a program I use via my controller to suspend detritus, my closed loop kicks way up to eliminate anything that may have settled under my rocks where my closed loop line dumps out via the closed loop manifold below my live rock.
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