Experience vs. Cost

[Nokiaec11]

Does it do any better to buy expensive hightech wavemakers or powerheads as opposed to buying the$40-$80 one's? I know water movement is important, but does one really need to spend $300-$700 for highend powerheads to have a thriving reef tank?...The main question is will money make up for lake of experience?

 

[Mr.Asbury]

I have the cheap powerheads in my freshwater tank(for ~2yrs, had to buy replacements at 1yr) and have the more expensive ones in my reef tank(~3months). Two main things that have been very obvious to me so far is the quality of the more expensive ones and the flexibility of the more expensive ones.

Most of the cheaper pumps do not have an option to change the intensity of them - they're either on full blast or off. With the more expensive ones, you're able to change that setting to what you need for your specific livestock as well as put different settings into them to create varied flow throughout the day. Also, my $40 pumps need cleaned out several times a month or they clog up and shut off, where my more expensive ones have not run into any issues in the 3-4 months they've been running. Finally, even though my more expensive pumps are much more powerful, they don't stick out as far into the tank as my cheaper powerheads do in the freshwater tank, and they are mounted much more securely with the magnets rather than with modified suction cups.

I'm sure more experienced people on here will have more detailed reasoning, but that's what I've noticed so far!

 

[lapin]

What you want to watch out for is 120V AC going into the tank. If the seal for the cord should ever fail and with cheapos it will. You might not want to stick your hand in a tank with a live 120V cord. 12V dc would be a better option or no cord at all like with the MP40

 

[ca1ore]

Let's assume that more sophisticated = more expensive. A reef tank benefits from chaotic flow, often something that cheap powerheads cannot accomplish without 'help'. That help typically comes in the form of some kind of switched outlet device. That used to be the only way to generate chaotic flow; largely now supplanted by more sophisticated pumps with integrated controllers. Can you have a successful tank without these sophisticated pumps? Of course, just look back at the history of this hobby. Do the more sophisticated pumps work better? Yes, they do. Whether they are worth the cost is ultimately a choice you must make (though keep in mind that cheap often also means they will break sooner).

 

[tsav87]

Many people use the cheap Jebao pumps with multi year success.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=jebao+ow

I know you can be successful with either cheap or expensive. I have had cheap, and now have expensive (ecotech). The ecotech offer better aesthetics and safety (no cords in the display) they also offer superior randomization of flow (reef crest and lagoon modes). That said, if it isn't in your budget to get somthing more expesive, don't beat yourself up over it. It can be done successfully with a cheaper option like jebao.