Powerhead upgrade suggestions

b4tn · Jul 15, 2016

This is an older picture but the rock work is the same 4 ft 75 gallon. Xenia is gone and I have a few more SPS and LPS scattered around. I have an RW-8 as seen on each side corner in W1 pulse mode. Not in the picture I have an RW-4 also in W1 pulse mode center top on the back wall. I have had the Jebao's for almost a year and have had all of them stop several times but have been able to tweak them back to working again. I think I want to go ahead and start upgrading to a more reliable power head, one at a time as budget allows. I am actually very happy with the output of the RW-8 so what is a good middle ground pump with stand alone controller comparable to the RW-8 in flow and function? Vortech is just too dang expensive!

jsker · Jul 15, 2016

I went with 2 gyre 130's and move a lot of water. I do have a mp 40 2/3 down in the tank to move water down low also. I had a bunch of hydor's and switched. I know you are on a budget and the gyre's might be out of your range but I thought I would suggest it

b4tn · Jul 15, 2016

I was actually looking at one of those. If I had a bare bottom I think a 150 would be perfect! But I have a shallow sand baed and feel like it would just blow sand everywhere. My thinking is that 3 or 4 power heads strategically placed would work better for sand beds.

b4tn · Aug 3, 2016

Pulled the trigger on a Gyre 150. Hopefully it will work ok for my application. It was a little spendy.

jsker · Aug 3, 2016

b4tn said:
Pulled the trigger on a Gyre 150. Hopefully it will work ok for my application. It was a little spendy.

Just start slow with your settings and bump them up to were you have sand movement then bump it down one.

Salty1962 · Aug 3, 2016

It took me a little while to get mine dialed in but with my SPS colonies I have it @60% pulsing every second. Great pump.

adestafi · Aug 3, 2016

How do you like the gyre vs the jebao? My WP8 just died after a year end I'm expecting the second one to go next so wanted to get the gyre 150 too

jsker · Aug 3, 2016

adestafi said:
How do you like the gyre vs the jebao? My WP8 just died after a year end I'm expecting the second one to go next so wanted to get the gyre 150 too

Pat924 · Aug 3, 2016

Used gyre or mp 40 best way to go

b4tn · Aug 9, 2016

Salty1962 said:
It took me a little while to get mine dialed in but with my SPS colonies I have it @60% pulsing every second. Great pump.

I put it in yesterday. I have it set to 60% in full mode. The randomized flow is great on the half of the tank where the Gyre is located, but not so much at the other end of my 48" tank. I put one of the RW8's on that side and it helped. I think I will probably get another for the other side of the tank one of these days but for now all is good as is. I may just need to tweak it a little and play with rock placement.