Best water movement device?

[dukey787]

What is the best pump on the market that can really stir up the aquarium water. Im looking for something with high performance for my aggressive fish tank. I need more movement, but most importantly, I want something that can last for a long time, but at the same time, be economical. What are you thoughts/experiences?

[Waxxiemann]

Check out the Vortech or Tunze power heads.

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumPage.aspx?PageAlias=powerheads_pumps_icecap_ecotech_marine_vortech_propeller

http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/details/pumps.php?product_ID=tz-ts6100

I've tried both and I like the Tunze. There are a lot of opinions on this matter.

[hahnmeister]

Well, Vortechs and Tunzes are the most effective, and very efficient and reliable... but you pay upfront for it. Im sure some will point out maxi-jet mods, but those are a DIY version of a Tunze and can be hit/miss as far as performance and noise go.

SEIO superflows are more economical, although top out at 2600gph. SEIO does have a Polario pump that is being released overseas this year, and should hit the states shortly after. They move alot more water than even the Tunzes... the largest tunze, the 6300, tops out at about 8000gph, and costs a small fortune.

One thing you may also consider are the Hagen Laguna Pond pumps. Their most recent series of Max-Flo and Power Jet pumps (model numbers range from 600-2900, not 3000, 5000, 7000, and 10000, those are older and contain brass) are saltwater safe, and can easily move loads of water, at pump pressures (meaning it will carry across a tank farther than a propeller driven pump), for about 100watts.

Best price? F&S...
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=12824&N=62728+113361

Also, note that these are what Royal-Exclusiv uses as the core of their $1000+ Red Dragon pumps. These things are quality that rival eheims for efficiency, longevity, and silent operation.

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Wow...they would definitely NEED to be modded. that is a seriously tiny output.:eek2:

[hahnmeister]

what do you mean... what is 'they'?

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

The Hagen pictured...its' output.

[RichConley]

Thats a 1" fitting.

[MarineGirl411]

Vortech's all the way. Maybe in conjunction with a closed loop. =)

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10319921#post10319921 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RichConley
Thats a 1" fitting.

If that output is 1" then the entire pump enclosure is ~7/8" in circumference?

[hahnmeister]

The outlets are more like 1.5". They include adapters to fit 1" hose however. The outlets are not 1" (unless a 600-900 model).

There is no way they could move that much water at that low a wattage otherwise.

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Then is that picture bunk? Because the output nozzle looks smaller than 1", looks like 1/2"?

[hahnmeister]

Thats the 900 model, so its outlet is 1". That picture looks about right. The pumps themselves arent small.

[bph0013]

if you're going for a ton of flow I would think a closed loop would be your best option.

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10327008#post10327008 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bph0013
if you're going for a ton of flow I would think a closed loop would be your best option.

Gonna disagree.


Say you want a 3000gph closed loop. You're looking at a $250 pump, $200 in plumbing fittings, 150w of electricity, and about 15 PVC fittings inside the tank.


Or you can buy a $129 Tunze 6080 and call it a day, and use only 20w of electricity.

[cayars]

More like $188 or so for the 6080. But that is only going to give you unidirectional water flow.

You really need at least two powerheads pointed towards each other to get something of a more random flow.

For 3Kgph you could also go with 3 Hydor Koralia #4s at $60 each and set them up for a much more random type effect. Each 4 is 1200gph and uses about 12 watts.

Powerheads will always win the watts war. Going with a closed loop is going to use much much more wattage but they have advantages too.

With a closed loop you can create your in tank plumbing is such a way that it would be very difficult to do with powerheads. You can for example run a pipe along the back wall and blow crap off the rocks. You can position nozzles inside the rockwork so it looks a lot better, etc...

$200 in PVC parts seems really high to me however.

You don't have to have a tank drilled to go closed loop. You can very easily go over the back of the tank.

You can also use devices like the WavySea or WavySea Plus and get 360 Degrees of rotation on your return if you want. It's pretty tough to get anything close to this with a powerhead. Combine this with an Eductor on your returns on a closed loop and increase your flow 2x-5x.

I actually went a little nuts on my reef tank. I used 2 WavySea Plus units with a Mag 36. I have an eductor on both WavySeas and the current is strong but not overly strong thanks to the eductors. Besides this I also have a MajiJet 1200 on each WavySea Plus (using bracket that comes with WSP). On the end of the MajiJet I installed the Rotating Hydor Nozzle. This rotating effect creates even more random flow as the MJ1200 with nozzle "cuts/slices" into the flow from the WSP as it rotates. The combination of this rotating (circular in a bottom to top fashion) while the WSP is rotating 220 degrees (what I set mine to) back and forth creates a nice wavy flow. Now combine two of these setups on the crossbars (1/3 in from sides of tank) set to rotate at slightly different speeds causes random "wave crashing" and "extra strong" flow when they point towards each other and when they are both pointing in the same direction due to the different speed settings.

Yep can get expensive but I think the current in the tank is more important to the corals then the light so...

Carlo