Quiet return pump for 130 gallon
- Thread starter Reefhabit
- Start date
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mcarroll
10K Club member
Sicce is probably the top choice that won't break the bank these days – you can't get more quiet than quiet. 
And I would expect them to last forever. 
A Quiet One pump should be nice too....theoretically still a Sicce design, but they aren't made by Sicce anymore. (To complicate matters, Sicce also still makes the old Quiet One line of pumps under a non-Syncra brand name.)
I also still like Mag pumps. They don't have the same reputation for being quiet, but I've used them fairly extensively and I'd be hard pressed to hear one running in a normal, running reef. The upside is that they seem to be stronger pumps...no doubt the reason for the higher watts. (@Brew12 recently posted an article about AC vs DC pumps that explains the designs of both pumps if your curious about this.)
Here's my specific recommendations (pricing from marinedepot for my convenience; I assumed your return is 5' high; all are correctly sized). I'd predict total happiness with any of them:
And I would expect them to last forever. A Quiet One pump should be nice too....theoretically still a Sicce design, but they aren't made by Sicce anymore. (To complicate matters, Sicce also still makes the old Quiet One line of pumps under a non-Syncra brand name.)
I also still like Mag pumps. They don't have the same reputation for being quiet, but I've used them fairly extensively and I'd be hard pressed to hear one running in a normal, running reef. The upside is that they seem to be stronger pumps...no doubt the reason for the higher watts. (@Brew12 recently posted an article about AC vs DC pumps that explains the designs of both pumps if your curious about this.)
Here's my specific recommendations (pricing from marinedepot for my convenience; I assumed your return is 5' high; all are correctly sized). I'd predict total happiness with any of them:
- Eheim 1260 ($170)
Hopefully I don't need to say a lot about this pump. It's quiet and bulletproof. The gold standard by which others are judged. - Sicce Syncra 3.0 ($110)
Just right. - Mag 9.5 ($115)
You could get away with a Mag 7, save about $25, and still be good, but it's less flow than the other options. - QuietOne 3000 ($62)
You could get away with a 2200, save about $10, and still be good, but it's less flow than the other options. This is a slight gamble so maybe try it if you can return it. The Sicce-made ones were rock stars, so these may well be just as good....but much like the DC pumps, these get a little hairy-eyeball just for being too new and china-made.
I have a sicce , and it was dead silent for a long time. It makes a little hum after 5 months, but I probably need to run it through vinegar. I ran it through bleach and that didn't help much . If I had to do it again for the price, flow and pressure , I'd still probably stick with the sicce , but up sized one more as I hadn't planned on running as much off the manifold . Also I believe over time flow decreases somewhat with gunk. I would reccomend the sicce, otherwise I'd consider the coralvue DC pumps as a cheaper alternative to the vectra .
