Water Movers: What powerheads are you using and are you happy with them?

[revhtree]

Water movement in a saltwater reef aquarium is so important on many levels so using the right ones in the right configuration for your tank is a pretty big deal! But with so many choices out there it's sometimes hard to choose! Today let's talk about which powerhead(s) or water mover(s) you use and why!

1. What pumps or powerheads are you using to provide water flow in your aquarium and are you happy with them?

2. If you could choose any powerhead or pump on the market what would you choose?

 

[Dragon174]

MP40 in my 120 gallon and very happy with it. Reef crest mode

 

[ca1ore]

Long time vortech user here …. very happy with them! Expensive, but good value to me.

 

[ReefGrammie]

I have an old MP40 on the right side and also have a new Reef Octopus Octo Pulse 2 on the left side on my 90-gallon tank. I like the MP40, but don't like the fact that you can't angle it. The Octo Pulse 2 can be positioned in all different directions. I run it on random mode. The coral seems happy!

 

[windemerejack]

Always used mp40's in my tanks until Nero 5's came along and I tried one, I have since swapped all my mp40's to Nero 5's.

 

[revhtree]

I am currently using WAV, Vortech, Rossmont and Maxspect pumps.

 

[K7BMG]

MaxSpect Gyre.
The 200 series were are fantastic.
Exelent flow great magnets.

The 300 series nope.
See the review I posted on BRS site.
I talk about them in fair detail. The magnet is useless if you want to turn the unit at an angle off the mount.

 

[jerrod]

I’m still using three current USA wave pumps and I like them they’ve lasted 2 years and counting and were cheap. As soon as they break I’ll be upgrading to Vortechs as I like those but am cheap.

 

[Hydrored]

4 MP40's on a 120 gal, very happy with them

 

[Dr. Phil]

I currently use MP40s and love them.

 

[Streetdoc77]

I'm using 2 WAV pumps one mp10 and one mp40 on 120 gallon . I have always loved the versatility of the VorTech pumps The WAV pumps are a relatively new addition and time will tell but they are very strong pumps and move a lot of water !

 

[tehmadreefer]

2 jaebo ow50’s. Great power heads over previous ones. Best ones yet.

 

[Member No 1]

(4) MP40's in my 120, (1) MP10 in my 25g
Never have any issues.

 

[Greybeard]

2x Tunze 6105's + 1x Tunze 6040 (on Tunze 6105.5 Safety Backup + Battery system)

Quiet, easily attached to existing Apex system, moves a TON of water, small pump will run for a full day on the battery...

What's not to like?

Ok... so they're fairly large, but I can point them anywhere I like.

 

[ScottB]

6 X MP40s plus 2 spare wetsides
2 X MP10s plus spare wetside
2 X Gyres but a pain to keep clean & quiet

 

[gabrieltackitt]

Just got 2 Aqamai KPS, haven’t gotten them installed in my tank yet but testing them it a bucket they seem to push a good amount of water for their size.

 

[Entz]

A pair of Nero 5s . I am in the somewhat disappointed category.
- Amazing flow, quiet, app is mostly okay (likes to crash)
- Magnets kind of suck (fixed by AI in latest revisions)
- Snails get stuck in them easy, need to buy or make a guard (fish too apparently, though mine have never)
- Cant go below 900 gph so random is harder to achieve in a smaller tank
- No DC battery backup support without risking blowing it up (Till AI says 27-28v through the 24v port is fine no love). More and more this is becoming an important thing.

I have done Gyres, Jebao (good pumps crappy controller), Nero 5s, maybe Octo or Vortechs next. Powerheads are my crack

 

[jeffchapok]

I have 2 Current USA eflux 2100s mounted at the top of either end of my 60 gal, facing each other and angled slightly towards the surface. I run them in surge (gyre) mode on 90 sec intervals. I've experimented with every thing from 30-80%. Currently running 40% and everything seems happy.

I did have one head failure after about 4 months, but I bought them used initially, so who knows how old it really was. My LFS carries them for $116, so if I have to replace them every couple of years, no biggie.

They are very quiet and move plenty of water. I'm happy with them.

 

[Crustaceon]

I started with hydor koralia’s and they’re good for what they are. Reliable, quiet, cheap, but no controllability and not a lot of flow.

I then moved on to dual maxspect gyre xf250’s. Great flow but PITA maintenance, cost a pretty penny, not practical if you run a side-mounted overflow and the real killer for me was the constant “WheeeeOoooOoo WheeeeeeeOoOooOoooo” that could be heard across the room. No, it wasn’t due to cavitation. I was happy to trade them for a tunze 6214 wavebox that I’m currently refurbishing.

After that was a pair of Jebao pp-15’s and pp-4’s. The flow was great but one of the pp-15’s was a little noisy. Not as much as the gyres though. The price was great and I had very little trouble with them over the course of two years aside from some syncing issues between the controllers.

Then I went to dual sicce voyager 4 pumps on a hydor smart wavemaker and a single rossmont mover rated at 3000gph. The sicces were nearly silent even being constantly switched on an off all day. Flow was ok, fairly broad though. They aren’t the cheapest pumps either, but not bad. They have insanely strong magnets on them which was a plus. The big downside was their size and the fact that they’re hog ugly. The rossmont mover did just that. It had great flow but the impeller housing is really thin and comes off almost too easily. The pump cost about as much as one of my sicces. The downside to the rossmont was the loud droning noise it put out. It was as bad as the gyres.

Lastly, i’m currently running a pair of jebao slw-20’s. The price was right, they’re the quietest dc pumps i’ve owned and the flow is good. It’s a very broad flow pattern but i’m still seeing detritus being kicked up so, they’re working well. I have them installed opposed on my 55g and run them at 50% on else mode. My acros, birdsnest and montis love them. I can see why people are giving ai neros so much praise. It’s just an awesome design for a pump.

PS. The tank is getting a diy nano wavebox this weekend that’s based off of a tunze nano skimmer body and a jebao sow-4.

 

[dbowman5]

I have 2 Current USA eflux 1050gph on my 75gal with a Hydor Seltz vario AC 2400 return pump. the ATO is a lifeguard 800 pump.
I have 2 Sun Micro Systems JVP series 800 gph in my 30 gal bowfront with a Sicce Syncra Silent 2.0 return pump. the ato is a Tom pet Aqualifter.
I am using Imagitarium and Marineland power heads for my mixing brutes.
I am pleased with them all. Am I excused for thinking of adding a gyre to my 75?