AI NERO 5 POWERHEAD

schooncw · Jan 19, 2019

Any experience or thoughts with the AI Nero 5 Powerhead? My gyre is crapping out and I was deciding between an MP40 and an Octo Pulse 4 and now this. I have a 4', 120 gallon mixed reef.

Flippers4pups · Jan 19, 2019

kkiel02 · Jan 19, 2019

From all the threads on here that I’ve read- quite a few are having trouble with the magnets not being strong enough.

schooncw · Jan 20, 2019

Thank you for your reply. I'll do a search and see what the buzz is. Never could figure out why a company would make a great, innovative product and just destroy it by using a cheap, crappy component. Reminds me of my Red Sea Skimmer many years ago, paired with the crappiest pump on the planet.

mich2599 · Jan 20, 2019

I just got my Nero Wednesday. It is quite powerful knocked some of my frags out of place.
Pros:
-Powerful
-Cheaper than MPs
-Can control with app
-Have some freedom pointing it to where you want it to

Cons:
-Seems cheaply made to me
-Hate the wire in the tank
-Afraid that overtime the wire will start to break just like the iphone charger
-Can’t control it from away needs bluetooth to connect to your phone

SDboatguy · Jan 20, 2019

I just put the Octo pulse 4 in my 60 x 18 x 20 - in a word ...SANDSTORM !! Have it running at 40% to slow the storm. It’s smaller than the Sicce voyagers I have and quiet , but does have the cord in the tank.

FLSharkvictim · Jan 20, 2019

Never can go wrong with a pair of EcoTech Marine Vortec MP40QWDs for the SCA150.

schooncw · Jan 20, 2019

So you like the octo pulse then....it looks like a solid unit.

Gonebad395 · Jan 20, 2019

I’ve read nothing but problems with the magnets hope they fix it

Rakie · Jan 20, 2019

Gonebad395 said:
I’ve read nothing but problems with the magnets hope they fix it

Similarly I've had nothing but problems with EcoTech pumps. Except it's them cracking and rusting, not the magnets

After trying every brand I could, I came to a simple determination -- Nothing beats Tunze. Best quality. Best warranty. Most reliability. Non-rusting magnets. STRONG magnets.

I would rather have a cord in a tank over another busted cheap vortech pump.

Gonebad395 · Jan 20, 2019

Rakie said:
Similarly I've had nothing but problems with EcoTech pumps. Except it's them cracking and rusting, not the magnets

After trying every brand I could, I came to a simple determination -- Nothing beats Tunze. Best quality. Best warranty. Most reliability. Non-rusting magnets. STRONG magnets.

I would rather have a cord in a tank over another busted cheap vortech pump.

I hear ya here is my mp10 wetside never again

Gonebad395 · Jan 20, 2019

Sorry here’s the pic @Rakie

Rakie · Jan 20, 2019

Gonebad395 said:
I hear ya here is my mp10 wetside never again

4/5 of my EcoTech pumps had that happen. I've been told I had the worst luck possible to have that many go bad -- still, never had a bad tunze!

Gonebad395 · Jan 20, 2019

Right as I said never again that’s why I was stoked for the Nero but waiting on the weak magnet fix to at least try them

Rakie · Jan 20, 2019

Gonebad395 said:
Right as I said never again that’s why I was stoked for the Nero but waiting on the weak magnet fix to at least try them

People say they are cheaply made.. I guess I can see that. The magnet is a problem for sure, they will fix that AI has usually been good with that. BUT, they move a TON of water in a very wide flow pattern. A guy in my club has a 120 gallon with 2 WAV pumps each at 4,000 gph, a sea swirl with 700 gph and his Nero outshines them all. I think he'd almost replace his WAV's with them soon.

schooncw · Jan 20, 2019

I'm leaning Nero but the octo pulse 4 is intriguing

Gonebad395 · Jan 20, 2019

Rakie said:
People say they are cheaply made.. I guess I can see that. The magnet is a problem for sure, they will fix that AI has usually been good with that. BUT, they move a TON of water in a very wide flow pattern. A guy in my club has a 120 gallon with 2 WAV pumps each at 4,000 gph, a sea swirl with 700 gph and his Nero outshines them all. I think he'd almost replace his WAV's with them soon.

Maybe with user feed back about cheaply made ai will look at better material and agree they will address the magnet for sure

Skynyrd Fish · Jan 20, 2019

If you go MP 40 don't soak the wet side magnets in vinegar. It eats into them and causes rusting. Theres a thread on this.

FLSharkvictim · Jan 21, 2019

Rakie said:
Similarly I've had nothing but problems with EcoTech pumps. Except it's them cracking and rusting, not the magnets

After trying every brand I could, I came to a simple determination -- Nothing beats Tunze. Best quality. Best warranty. Most reliability. Non-rusting magnets. STRONG magnets.

I would rather have a cord in a tank over another busted cheap vortech pump.

I'm sorry to hear the bad experience with your Vortech pumps even know they are no doubt one of the best powerheads on the market!! Anyhow, there is no doubt about TUNZE and how well and superior their quality is on there pumps but @EcoTechMarine w/ there Vortech line of pumps are also awesome built pumps. To be honest, I like the MP40's better b/c of how the pump is built vs your TUNZE pumps where you do have wires coming out of your tank.

I have owned both powerheads in the past and in my 25 yrs of experience either one you can't go wrong.

@Rakie - How many times did you clean your Ecotech Marine Vortech MP40's??

FYI, I will be also running my TUNZE Turbelle Nanostearms 6055 THAT Will be mounted to the back of my 150. Feel free to follow along with my new Tank Build thread below:
Vortech #MP40QWD & TUNZE Turbelle Nanostream 6055's