Whats your opinion on the best powerheads?

[amzar123]

I have the same second hand return pump for years, however for the last two months I've been running a different pump and I'm amazed how far technology has come

What other good pump are there?

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/veGK7McQ0RQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[ezerasurfr]

For the price, I'm a big fan of the Maxspect Gyres. I'm waiting to see how well they hold up to time (and use,) but for now i have zero complaints.

[mcgyvr]

return pump or powerheads?

[Reef908]

I recently replaced several koralia power heads with one mp40qd and am amazed with the improved flow. Definitely going to replace the others on the other side of the tank with a second soon! However, quality wise, the koralia pumps are 4 plus years old, never failed and never have really even been cleaned thoroughly....

[Bent]

return pump or powerheads?

Yeah I'm confused about the question.

But IMO the best is the one you can afford.

[Sk8r]

After spending a bit on two highend powerheads, one of which refuses now to run and the other too tightly aimed for my liking, I'm quite happy with the Gyre 130 for my 100 deep wedge. I had dead spots galore, and corals were NOT happy. Now I have more power than I can use, but it's spread all over.

And one fairly inconspicuous bar with one cord high up in the tank is a whole lot better looking. You almost don't notice it. I would NOT get it while you're going through the hair algae stage, because algae in that could be a problem.

It really does keep food moving through the water column, which is what my enthusiastic eaters like: everybody gets some.

[Bent]

After spending a bit on two highend powerheads, one of which refuses now to run and the other too tightly aimed for my liking, I'm quite happy with the Gyre 130 for my 100 deep wedge. I had dead spots galore, and corals were NOT happy. Now I have more power than I can use, but it's spread all over.

And one fairly inconspicuous bar with one cord high up in the tank is a whole lot better looking. You almost don't notice it. I would NOT get it while you're going through the hair algae stage, because algae in that could be a problem.

It really does keep food moving through the water column, which is what my enthusiastic eaters like: everybody gets some.

I need one of those...

[C.Eymann]

Don't want to debate with anyone, but Tunze makes the best powerheads IMO, I have heard awesome things about the Gyres though.

[Dmorty217]

Don't want to debate with anyone, but Tunze makes the best powerheads IMO, I have heard awesome things about the Gyres though.

I would of agreed with you even 5 years ago but something is going on with the Quality Control since. Roger on the other hand is phenomenal! Power head wise I'm a Vortech guy, as far as a return pump I prefer Royal Exclusiv Red Dragon Pumps. Buying a RD3 230 watt in the next few weeks

[heathlindner25]

I would of agreed with you even 5 years ago but something is going on with the Quality Control since. Roger on the other hand is phenomenal! Power head wise I'm a Vortech guy, as far as a return pump I prefer Royal Exclusiv Red Dragon Pumps. Buying a RD3 230 watt in the next few weeks

You'll never get 230 volts out of your home.... you have to run it at 220v with a 10%loss in efficiency, unless of course you have a high leg Transformer.

[C.Eymann]

I would of agreed with you even 5 years ago but something is going on with the Quality Control since. Roger on the other hand is phenomenal! Power head wise I'm a Vortech guy, as far as a return pump I prefer Royal Exclusiv Red Dragon Pumps. Buying a RD3 230 watt in the next few weeks

Other than buying things like their coral gum, check valves and a larger 6201 output grate I havent ordered much since, Rodger is the man though, I agree awesome customer service.

I ran my tank with a MP40esw and a old school 6101 I have had for nearly a decade, will say swapping the old 6101 for another used MP40 I found on CL solved my heat issues, also, yes, the MP40s have a lot better controllability options, reliability wise though Tunze wins.


Love my MP40s but they can't be neglected like a tunze can IMO.

Both choices are awesome pumps though.

[marinelife]

Power heads I run nothing but Tunze, Older Tunze are better than the newer ones but they all are still great pumps. Even run a Tunze Skimmer.

I run a second gen Waveline DC Pump as my return. no issues so far but I have not had it that long.

[C.Eymann]

Also will mention many years ago, I nuked my tank with kalk and it caused my old school 6101 to sieze up, sent it to Rodger and all i had to do was pay for shipping he replaced the whole magnet assembly also he gave me a 24v fuse to use if I ever wanted more performance out of the pump.
simply amazing customer service.

[Bent]

You'll never get 230 volts out of your home.... you have to run it at 220v with a 10%loss in efficiency, unless of course you have a high leg Transformer.

He said watts not voltage. Voltage will depend on the amp draw.

[Drewl117]

I run 2 gyre 150's on my 210 and a Deep water dc 12000 return pump that also runs a 20 gallon frag tank, a smr1 pellet reactor and a brs dual reactor. Love all 3!

[daelie]

I run vortechs on one tank and tunzes on another, I personally enjoy them both and have no real brand loyalty, I'd love to give the gyre a shot on one of these tanks or possibly a third in the future.

[smatter]

I have been using Tunze equipment since it was brown.

[eastlake]

I've got a koralia 80 maybe? and a maxi jet mod. Reef keeping on a budget ha! seriously though, both have been running for years and I'm happy with the water movement. Friend of mine has mp60s and a gyre 150 and the control settings on both of those are amazing and the customer service from ecotech is wonderful from what he's told me.

[shifty51008]

I have been using Tunze equipment since it was brown.

i'm still running 2 brown 6000's. 13 years old and never skipped a beat yet

[Horace]

You'll never get 230 volts out of your home.... you have to run it at 220v with a 10%loss in efficiency, unless of course you have a high leg Transformer.

WATTS not voltage, and assuming the pump did run on 220v, it would be more efficient, not less. Reason being that the amps are significantly lower on a 220v circuit, thus resistance/heat are less of a factor.

[BrandonFlorida]

I run a cp-40 and two RW-15s and am happy for now. Not the best powerheads but the cheapest. Kid budget..

[Dmorty217]

You'll never get 230 volts out of your home.... you have to run it at 220v with a 10%loss in efficiency, unless of course you have a high leg Transformer.

230 WATTS, not volts... :D

[smatter]

i'm still running 2 brown 6000's. 13 years old and never skipped a beat yet

Hells yes!

[amzar123]

Sorry guys.... it was meant to say return pump... most people dont know this but i have a learning difficulty and I get things mixed up all the time!

It's also the reason I speak quite slowly in my videos! You may have noticed!

SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[C.Eymann]

Sorry guys.... it was meant to say return pump... most people dont know this but i have a learning difficulty and I get things mixed up all the time!

It's also the reason I speak quite slowly in my videos! You may have noticed!

SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well if price isn't of concern best return pumps are probably the Red Dragon series by RE.

[boxfishpooalot]

I like my eheim small return pump. Never cleaned it in 1.5 years and its still pumping! It does make an annoying humming noise though.

[Dmorty217]

Sorry guys.... it was meant to say return pump... most people dont know this but i have a learning difficulty and I get things mixed up all the time!

It's also the reason I speak quite slowly in my videos! You may have noticed!

SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If return pump is what you are talking about, its Abyzz. The 10 year warranty that comes with the pump ensures it is in fact the "best" from the simple stand point of longevity. It will cost you though, the 400 model will run you about $2,400... Royal Exclusiv is a very close second only because they lack the same warranty as Abyzz.

[billdogg]

I think it depends on what fits your needs. I have a eheim 1262 that I got used in about 1988. It had been used on a goldfish feeder tank in a LFS for years before that. I took it home, cleaned it (You ain't seen gross until you see something like that) and put it in service. I replaced the impeller in the mid 90's, and if I remember to, I clean it every once in awhile. It is going strong at this very moment. My best guess to it's actual age is 36+ years +- a couple.

hth

[dkeller_nc]

Amzar -

"Good" is of course very subjective. You could be referring to "best engineered, highest build quality, regardless of price", or "best features, most reasonable cost" and any combination of those attributes.

There's little question that the pumps made by Abyzz and/or Royal Exclusiv have the most advanced engineering, highest efficiency, and over-the-top build quality. But their cost puts them out of reach of most aquarists.

If one of the criteria is "fully submersible", that narrows the choices down to 3: eheim hobby pumps, sicce synchra silent pumps, and Ecotech's vectras. The eheims have the longest track record and strongest reputation for being bullet proof. The Sicces have equal build quality, and are slightly more efficient than the eheims. Ecotech's vectras haven't been on the market long enough to establish reliability, but their build quality is very high, the control options are sophisticated, and since it's a computer controlled DC motor with a monodirectional, shaped impeller, the efficiency is a good deal higher than an AC powered return pump.

If you consider external pumps, then the Pan-World and their Iwaki look-alike cousins have the best build quality and longest track record of very reliable operation (and not just with aquarists - they're widely used in industry). The Reeflo series also has a deserved reputation for reliability. Any of these choices, however, will be a good deal less efficient than a computer-controlled DC pump like the Abyzz, Royal Exclusiv Red Dragon, or Ecotech pumps.

Then there's the bazillions of brands of the inexpensive chinese-made clones based on the design by RLSS. Best to stay away from those.

[C.Eymann]

Amzar -

"Good" is of course very subjective. You could be referring to "best engineered, highest build quality, regardless of price", or "best features, most reasonable cost" and any combination of those attributes.

There's little question that the pumps made by Abyzz and/or Royal Exclusiv have the most advanced engineering, highest efficiency, and over-the-top build quality. But their cost puts them out of reach of most aquarists.

If one of the criteria is "fully submersible", that narrows the choices down to 3: eheim hobby pumps, sicce synchra silent pumps, and Ecotech's vectras. The eheims have the longest track record and strongest reputation for being bullet proof. The Sicces have equal build quality, and are slightly more efficient than the eheims. Ecotech's vectras haven't been on the market long enough to establish reliability, but their build quality is very high, the control options are sophisticated, and since it's a computer controlled DC motor with a monodirectional, shaped impeller, the efficiency is a good deal higher than an AC powered return pump.

If you consider external pumps, then the Pan-World and their Iwaki look-alike cousins have the best build quality and longest track record of very reliable operation (and not just with aquarists - they're widely used in industry). The Reeflo series also has a deserved reputation for reliability. Any of these choices, however, will be a good deal less efficient than a computer-controlled DC pump like the Abyzz, Royal Exclusiv Red Dragon, or Ecotech pumps.

Then there's the bazillions of brands of the inexpensive chinese-made clones based on the design by RLSS. Best to stay away from those.
+1 to all this
A good affordable starting point would be ehiem. Also mag drives have always served me well, not very efficient but fairly reliable.

[Sk8r]

If you've got a sump belowstairs where sound is not a problem, the best pump is the Iwaki---not submersible, noisy as all getout, but just about indestructible magnetic driven with an impeller that never wears out. Many fish stores use these to drive their big interconnected displays. I have one in the basement that pushes 2300 gph, and they come larger.

[oseymour]

I believe Vortech and Tunze are the best power heads . I am using Tunze 6095 now because I have to aim them but I had MP40s before.

I had the gyre 130 and maybe because it was the early versions but the cages broke, if you didn't clean it regularly it would have significantly reduced flow. I sold it and it would take some convincing to make me go back.

Vortech and Tunzes I've had go a full year between cleaning and still performing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Idal305]

Vortech is my favorite so far.

[Fissues]

I like the koralias. They're decent quality and fit my budget as a 13 y/o.

Sent from my SM-G530T using Tapatalk