M1 dying. How long can tank go without return pump?

[Texas Reefer]

The last month or so my Vectra M1 return pump has just randomly stopped. I bought a new power supply, but it didn't solve the problem. I cleaned the pump, and it operated correctly for a couple weeks. Then today we've had to restart it at least 6 or 7 times, then restarting only worked for a minute. I took the pump out and found what looks like deposits on the magnet of the impeller. I'm soaking it in a vinegar/water solution, as the deposits don't come of my easily scrubbing, and I don't want to scrub too hard and damage the magnet. I bought a replacement today, a Sicce Syncra sdc 6.0 from an online vendor, but of course it won't get her for a week probably. How long can my tank go without a return pump? I'll move the heater into the display tank. Maybe put my chaeto into an acclimation box in the DT. Drain the sump and replace it when the new pump gets here. I might need to just soak the m1 overnight and get it running again for just one more week, hopefully. Will the tank be ok overnight? It's a 6 foot tank, about 30?" tall, with 2 mp40s giving surface agitation, and 2 tunzes at the bottom back for bottom circulation . Thinking about adding an airstone and heater to dt for overnight. The house should stay about 68° tonight.

 

[ZoWhat]

Ive done an airstone in FRONT of my MP40 a bunch of times.... I'd do that so the air bubbles flow across 6ft

 

[MNFish]

The last month or so my Vectra M1 return pump has just randomly stopped. I bought a new power supply, but it didn't solve the problem. I cleaned the pump, and it operated correctly for a couple weeks. Then today we've had to restart it at least 6 or 7 times, then restarting only worked for a minute. I took the pump out and found what looks like deposits on the magnet of the impeller. I'm soaking it in a vinegar/water solution, as the deposits don't come of my easily scrubbing, and I don't want to scrub too hard and damage the magnet. I bought a replacement today, a Sicce Syncra sdc 6.0 from an online vendor, but of course it won't get her for a week probably. How long can my tank go without a return pump? I'll move the heater into the display tank. Maybe put my chaeto into an acclimation box in the DT. Drain the sump and replace it when the new pump gets here. I might need to just soak the m1 overnight and get it running again for just one more week, hopefully. Will the tank be ok overnight? It's a 6 foot tank, about 30?" tall, with 2 mp40s giving surface agitation, and 2 tunzes at the bottom back for bottom circulation . Thinking about adding an airstone and heater to dt for overnight. The house should stay about 68° tonight.

Personally I think as long as the heater is moved to the DT you should be okay, I would add an air stone as well just to be safe. This is assuming you have live rock which will do a large percentage of your filtration. Just as a note do not put the air stone near the heater I did that once and it caused the heater to run longer than needed.
Good choice on the Sicce pump by the way I have really been happy with all my sicce products.

 

[Texas Reefer]

Thanks for the replies! I'm also curious if anyone else has run into this problem with a Vectra? I'm posting a pic of the deposits.

 

[gentlefish]

I have been using a small old return pump that connects with a tube to the display. Keeps at least a bit of flow through the sump. Had to replace the Vectra by a Cor 15. Same story.....

 

[Texas Reefer]

And does anyone have these bumps inside the pump?

 

[Texas Reefer]

I have been using a small old return pump that connects with a tube to the display. Keeps at least a bit of flow through the sump. Had to replace the Vectra by a Cor 15. Same story.....

Do you still have the Vectra laying around? Is it smooth inside the magnet area? I don't know what it's supposed to look like new, but I'm wondering...

 

[Texas Reefer]

Personally I think as long as the heater is moved to the DT you should be okay, I would add an air stone as well just to be safe. This is assuming you have live rock which will do a large percentage of your filtration. Just as a note do not put the air stone near the heater I did that once and it caused the heater to run longer than needed.
Good choice on the Sicce pump by the way I have really been happy with all my sicce products.

Thanks, yes I do have lots of live rock!

 

[zalick]

My L1 melted due to issues like it appears in your photos.
And you can go forever without a sump and return pump. Heater in DT. Plenty of people have done so for decades, myself included in the past.

 

[gentlefish]

Similar here.

 

[Guttersnipe]

My vectra died after only a 2 years.
went back to sicce.

 

[JCM]

I think you'll be fine, just make sure you're getting enough oxygen into the tank.

Kind of off topic but all these DC pumps sure seem to be unreliable considering how superior everyone seems to find them.

Sicce, eheim, panworld, iwaki... all these pumps can run decades without a hitch but their not cool anymore? Not directed at you OP, just an observation. I'm sure you'll be happy with the new sicce, good choice.

 

[Buckster]

If my pump stopped for my 180 I would run the air stone or two. I would also put the heater in the DT. The steps you are performing is what I would recommend.

I have the Abyzz A100 (pump A) and it is super quiet and reliable. I have a Sicce (pump B) for backup which has identical plumbing attached. I would unscrew the coupling and remove pump A. Pump B would go in the identical spot and tighten down the coupling. Literally I can do this in less than a minute.