Which pump should I get Eheim 1262 or iwaki?

[Jeffrey NY]

I plan to setup a 57 gal reef tank with 30 gal sump. Which pump should I get it, Eheim 1262 or Iwaki MD55RLT Your advise is greatly appreciated. :confused:

[sjm817]

This is for a return pump? If so, neither. They are both too big, especially the Iwaki. They are also very different pumps, one being submersible, one is external and high head. Do you have a preference on submersible Vs external pump?

[Jeffrey NY]

Yes, I prefer external pump less heat transfer.

[sjm817]

Something like a Iwaki 20RLT, Panworld 40PX would be good.

[rmosqued]

I have the iwaki MD55RLT for my closed loop on my 75g. I've only used it for approx. 2 months. Now, I'm removing it and going with a Red Dragon 6.5 m3, mainly because of the noise. Don't be fooled with the iwaki, it may be reliable, but it's fan is loud and it heats up the water.

[itachi]

iwaki great pump , never breaks == NOISEY .... also it's a very high watt draw . Unless your running a beckett , no real point to using one

[itachi]

iwaki great pump , never breaks == NOISEY .... also it's a very high watt draw . Unless your running a beckett , no real point to using one

[Jeffrey NY]

OK. Iwaki too loud. rmosqued do you think I can get by with Red Dragon 5 m3?

[ackee]

Iwakis from 30 on down are quiet. Iwaki 40s, 55s, and up can be noisy for a living room. You don't need a circulation pump that large. An Iwaki 20 or 30 will do fine for your sized tank. Eheim 1262 is an excellent pump, quiet, reliable. Submerged, it will certainly add more heat than a smaller Iwaki external. I would opt for an Iwaki 20, and a couple of small prop powerheads for water movement. economical, simple, cheap to buy and to run.

Iwakis are better than the Blue Lines and other clones, despite claims to the contrary.

[dwilly]

On the Eheim you probably only need a 1260, not the 1262. Also, you can run it external or internal, it doesn't matter.

[rmosqued]

I would go with a Red Dragon mini 3.5, if you were going to just use it for just a return pump, especially for that size of tank. It's a little more expensive initially, but in the long run you'll be saving money with the amount of power it uses. One thing you have to remember is that if you have too strong a pump, you're going to be having problems with micro-bubbles and things of the sort, and use "ackee's" idea about power heads.

[BFG]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15205094#post15205094 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rmosqued
I would go with a Red Dragon mini 3.5, if you were going to just use it for just a return pump, especially for that size of tank. It's a little more expensive initially, but in the long run you'll be saving money with the amount of power it uses. One thing you have to remember is that if you have too strong a pump, you're going to be having problems with micro-bubbles and things of the sort, and use "ackee's" idea about power heads.

Been there, done that. When the dragon breaks down like mine did and you need to pay half of the price you originally purchased it to get it running again, you definitely will pull out some hair from your head! And it's a niche item, you can't get it anytime you want it kind of situation for spare part replacement, god knows I found it out for myself. In my own experienced opinion, get the Eheim 1250 or 1260 depending on your need. For my 4ft 120g setup, I went back to a Eheim 1260 for my return. My 2 year old Red Dragon 8 2m3 is sitting somewhere in a red plastic bag in the storage collecting dust. A fabled name is just that, a fable and every equipment will breakdown given time. It's how much time and money you need to spend when that happen.

So, go with the Eheim and get yourself an impeller set as spare for just in case situation. It's a workhorse and cheaper and easier than a dragon. Hope this helps!

[MrPike]

I wouldn't rule out an Iwaki 40 or 55 and utilize a eductor or penductor on the output.

[bergzy]

with the specified tank size, i would get the eheim on board as well. heat transfer is a reality but, imo, is not that big of a deal if you just use a fan across the sump for evap cooling.

i prefer reliability over anything...and eheim delivers that.

iwaki's are another solid name but, yes, they tend to be on the noisy side. but it also depends on your situation because all my equipment is located remotely in the garage...so, anything short of a freight train, everything is kewl!

i have heard of red dragons being spotty in reliability. for the price you pay, i want and expect perfect performance. if an eheim for 1/5 of the price is more reliable than a red dragon something isnt right. and if a quiet one 4000 (almost as reliable as an eheim) is about 1/10 the cost of a red dragon and uses almost the same amount of power with almost the same flow...then something is definitely wrong.

to not totally thrash red dragons...i wouldnt mind having one for fun. i would use it for a circulation pump rather than a return. eheims are just too reliable for that. but the return i use right now? a tunze master...rock solid as well...but noisy. ;)

[lth03]

I prefer the Eheim 1260 for your size of tank,just drop it in there and that it,with Iwaki as external pump,need to make room to fit it in and worry about leak???Unless your sump already drill for external pump.