[RonD]

this is what sequence/reeflo had to say about pipe size. the only thing that has changed since I talked to them is adding in two 90's. as for the intake side, it will be a straight shot to the intake.

Hi there,

I am the proud owner of one of your Dart pumps. Had it for a few years now and still going strong. Currently it is powering my 300 gallon reef set up. The head on the pump is about 5 feet before it enters my display tank.

I am looking at lowing a portion of my system (sump etc) into the basement directly below where it is now to cut down on pump noise.. this drop would add about 9-10 feet of head to what I already have. I am looking at the Hammerhead and the 5800SEQ23. Which one will work better for me? I presently run a 2 inch pipe on the intake and 1.5 on the out. I see both the pumps I have chosen to replace my Dart are 1.5 on each end. should I stay with that or will it help me to continue with the 2" on the intake with which ever pump I choose. The run up to the tank is a straight shot with no bends until it gets up to the tank. I am hoping to get similar pressure to what I have now. ideas, tips ???

Thanks Ron D
Victoria BC Canada
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Hi Ron,
Glad to hear that you are enjoying your Dart.
First of all, if you already have the 2" piping setup to go into a pump, I would encourage you to stay with it. All you need is an adaptor to increase the pump intake hole to 2". Running the 2" will give you slightly more flow and slightly less head pressure, so using the 2" on the intake will benefit you.
Second, the Hammerhead and the 5800SEQ23 are actually the same pump. The 5800SEQ was originally part of the watergarden line so it comes standard with freshwater seals. The Hammerhead was mirrored off of the 5800 for the ReeFlo series and comes standard with saltwater seals. As i am sure you have noticed, you can order the 5800SEQ23 with saltwater seals, but that is why you are seeing a difference in price between the 5800 and the Hammerhead. There is an extra labor charge with the 5800 cause the seals need to be switch to saltwater. So the best pump to go with is the Hammerhead because they cost less cause they are made for saltwater use.
From what you said in your email, it sounds like you will be at about 15-16ft of head pressure. You will not be adding much additional friction loss as long as you stick with the 1.5" piping on as much of the discharge as possible. The Hammerhead will give you about 3300gph at that head pressure, which will work very well for a 300gallon tank. If you find that you are getting a little too much flow, it is safe to valve our pumps down on the discharge side and that is not harmful to the pump. A quarter valve down can actually save up to 10% on watt draw.
Please let me know if you have an further questions or concerns. Thanks,
Beth Franklin
ReeFlo Inc.