Cant decide AI nero 5 or 7

[Vetekli]

So im going to replace my Jebao SLW-20 pumps with AI neros, but i cant decide if im gonna get two 5 or 7. The reason for replacing the jebaos is both for the programming part and that i feel the current pumps do not provide enough flow. I plan to run them alternating, so that only one pump is running at the same time. My tank is 80 gallon / 300 litre 4 feet / 120 cm long.

Here is a video of it: Im going for mostly high flow & light corals with some lower flow in the back or on the edges. Any input appreciated.

 

[TokenReefer]

No experience with the 7 but I have 2 5's on a 4 ft tank and it can get wild if they get turned up. My hunch says 7 might be too much but they can always dial back I suppose

 

[exnisstech]

I have 3s and 5s. I would probably go with 7s and dial them down. It's always better to have more than needed as long as it can be dialed down than wishing you had more.

 

[steveschuerger]

I have 2 Nero3 on the right(red) and scp 70 Jebao gyre on the left(white). Even the 3s are plenty strong in my 90

 

[Vetekli]

How is it with only one of them on? I want to have alternating currents and then some more chaotic periods mixed in.

 

[Vetekli]

No experience with the 7 but I have 2 5's on a 4 ft tank and it can get wild if they get turned up. My hunch says 7 might be too much but they can always dial back I suppose

How is it with only one of them on? I want to have alternating currents and then some more chaotic periods mixed in.

 

[TokenReefer]

How is it with only one of them on? I want to have alternating currents and then some more chaotic periods mixed in.

I'm not sure to be honest as I never had just one on this tank. I suspect it would be more uni-directional but enough to hit the other side at a high enough rate (will definitely move sand). I will say I had just one 5 on my 3 ft tank and it combined with the return combined with placement and schedule, was enough for chaotic flow that my nems, etc enjoyed. So maybe if I was to do just one I'd go for the bigger 7?

 

[Northern Flicker]

I have 2 Nero 3s on my 48" tank and they provide enough flow for SPS @ 40-50%.

 

[Northern Flicker]

How is it with only one of them on? I want to have alternating currents and then some more chaotic periods mixed in.

If you have 2, you can make one the child, and you can have it do exactly what you just said. You can make it alternate so one does the opposite of the other, then you can add a chaotic period, etc.

 

[steveschuerger]

Mine are just on 50% with pulse but they’re very adjustable with the AI app for any mix of flow patterns.

 

[Vetekli]

Yes i understand, i was wondering if a 5 is strong enough to create a good current with only one on. The jebao SLW-20 is slightly too weak for it in my tank imo, and i dont even have much coral yet.

 

[TokenReefer]

The SLW's don't compare size for size ime. The SLW 10's are physically similar to the nero 5's (I think) and don't put out nearly as much from what I've tinkered with. No official experiment though; didn't want to kill livestock lol

 

[Rappa]

I have 2 Nero 7's on my 6ft tank. They are an all encompassing flow instead of a narrow flow. IF you are trying to direct flow at something in particular, this may not work for you. If you are trying to move lots of water, these are the bee's knees! I think they are super underrated. The flow they put put out is basketball size approx 1"ft from the powerhead. I use them on the back glass as wave makers, and I use 2 Octo-Pulse 4's (one on each side of the tank) for directed flow across the entire tank. To be honest, I would probably just get 4 Nero 7's if I did it over again. I ran with just the 2 Nero's for a while, but do to my internal overflow box getting in the way and breaking up the water flow, I was getting some dead spots in the back corners. Then the Octo Pulse 4's with Wave-Engine LE went on sale black Friday for peanuts, so I grabbed those. Their flow is much narrower, so I used those for the sides, as they wouldn't do well on the back wall. I don't think you could go wrong with the 7's, even if you turned them way down.

 

[Northern Flicker]

Yes i understand, i was wondering if a 5 is strong enough to create a good current with only one on. The jebao SLW-20 is slightly too weak for it in my tank imo, and i dont even have much coral yet.

Tough to answer - coral ambition (SPS?) and rockscape will have impacts on our answers.

1 of the Nero 5s if definitely enough for a softie tank, or an LPS tank if you keep any torches closer to the source of flow. It will be one directional so you will still want to run the SLW-20 on the other side if possible (or a different source of flow).

 

[Vetekli]

So i decided to get the Nero 7, but i have to say im dissapointed with the noise level on this pump. I had similar complaints with the Nero 3 that i used to own and the kind of sound it makes is exactly the same. Anything above 50% and the sound is annoying. I will give it some time to run but if it does not get better i think i will sell it.

Maybe the orbit is better for me, since i did not have this issue with my Maxspect Gyre.

 

[Rappa]

So i decided to get the Nero 7, but i have to say im dissapointed with the noise level on this pump. I had similar complaints with the Nero 3 that i used to own and the kind of sound it makes is exactly the same. Anything above 50% and the sound is annoying. I will give it some time to run but if it does not get better i think i will sell it.

Maybe the orbit is better for me, since i did not have this issue with my Maxspect Gyre.

I thought the same thing when I first put mine in. Now I don't hear them at all really. They are dead quiet unless I have them on pulse at 100%. I almost sent one back because I thought it was broken due to the initial noise. I don't know why, but they do break-in and quiet down significantly. I would give it a few weeks and then decide. Let us know if they quite down? I'm curious!

 

[Vetekli]

I thought the same thing when I first put mine in. Now I don't hear them at all really. They are dead quiet unless I have them on pulse at 100%. I almost sent one back because I thought it was broken due to the initial noise. I don't know why, but they do break-in and quiet down significantly. I would give it a few weeks and then decide. Let us know if they quite down? I'm curious!

How long did that take? Im not very optimistic since my Nero 3 never got much better. The sound is exactly the same as well, only it starts earlier than on the nero 3. I can hear it at about 35 %, at 60% it starts to get annoying and ofc it just gets worse higher than that. I should say that my tank is pretty much completely silent otherwise so its really noticable.

I recorded a video comparing the Nero 7 at 75% and SLW-20 running at 100%. The background noise is an AC unit.

 

[Rappa]

How long did that take? Im not very optimistic since my Nero 3 never got much better. The sound is exactly the same as well, only it starts earlier than on the nero 3. I can hear it at about 35 %, at 60% it starts to get annoying and ofc it just gets worse higher than that. I should say that my tank is pretty much completely silent otherwise so its really noticable.

I recorded a video comparing the Nero 7 at 75% and SLW-20 running at 100%. The background noise is an AC unit.

Yeah I don't hear any of that with mine. That is loud I agree... I just took a video I was going to try and post it but the only thing you can hear is the water trickling into the overflow... Otherwise I do hear a slight hum when they ramp up, but I have to shut the TV off, and all the AC's in the house off... and then try hard to hear it. I do not remember them sounding as loud as yours sound, even when they were new. I'm sitting here writing this and Mobius says they are running over 3000gph (Random flow pattern up to 65%) and I can't hear them at all. I can hear my Octo's running though. They are doing a random pattern up to 80%, but I only hear those when they are really ramped up.

 

[Rappa]

Wait...... I just looked at your video again, and are you NOT using the inside magnets??? It looks you just have the power head vibrating off the glass???

 

[Rappa]

You gotta use the inside mount! You got the thing directly bouncing off your glass. This is why I have a hard time taking bad reviews of products seriously...