Submersible return pump for my 75g

[Dis 1]

[FONT=verdana, geneva, lucida, lucida grande, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]i need help on choosing a return pump for my sump on my 75g, I'm deciding from eheim, ocean runner, or sicce pumps. the main thing im looking for is which of the three is the quietest one.[/FONT]

Thanx!​

 

[huuta]

eheim

 

[roc5288]

eheim

+1. Eheim 1262. Great pump.

 

[Fragtastic Reef]

DC pumps are the quietest pumps there are out of all the ones I have used. Other good options that are ultra quiet that are not on the list are Tunze and Water Blasters.

 

[Dashiki]

Get a jeboa doc pump. Or the cheap dc pump from bulkreefsupply

 

[mcarroll]

I think the Eheim is a no-brainer if the price isn't an issue. No joke.

Otherwise, I'd second a Tunze (either DC or AC) or even suggest a Quiet One or Mag Drive.

I have all but the Tunze presently, and while the Eheim has the others by a nose (larger housing provides some sound dampening I suspect), the QuietOne 4000 I have as a return is so close...my head has to literally be in the sump and all the other pumps off for me to hear it. (And I have an open stand - no walls to make a pump seem quieter than it is.) Also have a Mag 7 that was completely inaudible over the other gear....probably a bit louder than the QuietOne, but also more durable, and better warranty.

Hope this helps! Lots of good choices out there!

-Matt

 

[Engloid]

The MagDrive pumps have been most dependable for me. I've never had one fail. I've gone through a couple eheim pumps on my calcium reactor, and until I find a different pump for it, I wont use it. It's ridiculous to pay $75 for a pump that only runs about 140gph and doesn't last for crap. I'd rather pay $20 for one at Harbor Freight and get a replacement warranty with it.

 

[Engloid]

I actually run a mag24 in my basement. 1.5in pipe... sumps in basement and tank upstairs. I have to throttle 8t back a bit with a ball valve because my overflow cant keep up with it. I bought it used and its been running nonstop for about 3yrs with no problems.

 

[RogerWilco357]

I too have only used Mag pumps for returns they seem to last the longest and once I drop them in the sump I forget I even have it there just an awesome pump also throttled back with ball valve .

 

[mcarroll]

Pretty strange to hear of Eheims failing. (Might even be a first. LOL.) Presumably you figured out what killed them? Did you try talking to Eheim after any of the failures? Just curious!

-Matt

 

[saltydad]

I love the Mag drives. Used them as return pumps from my sumps on all my tanks. Not ridiculously expensive, quiet and reliable.

 

[RNRatchet]

Eheim is a great pump but uses a lot of energy, 80 watts and @900gph. The new DC pumps like the Speedwave DC-3000 use 25 watts and pump @800gph at the max setting, or the DC-5000 uses 40 watts and pumps @1300gph at the max setting. Lower watts = less energy cost and heat transfer to tank. The DC's are very controllable too. I'm using the DC-5000 on my Elos 160 and have it teed off to 2 different reactors and still only have it on the 4/5 setting, so I'm actually using @30 watts. People have noticed quite a nice change in their energy bills with the advent of DC pumps and LED lighting.

 

[Rookie J]

I love the Mag drives. Used them as return pumps from my sumps on all my tanks. Not ridiculously expensive, quiet and reliable.

I second this. I'm currently running a mag 7 on my 75 but will be putting a mag 9.5 tomorrow.

 

[Dis 1]

Thanx guys for your input, and im gonna try the sicce syncra silent pump

 

[Engloid]

I assumed same as when their heaters failed....long delays without replies....then they want copy of receipt...and would ship another from overseas. By then I would have had dead f8sh. No more eheim for me.

 

[AZDesertRat]

Mag would be way down my list based on testing I did a few years ago. They were loud, ran very warm and drew more wattage to pump the same amount of water compared to an Eheim or an Ocean Runner. Quiet One was the absoolute worst and I literally had two catch on fire, sparks, flames and everything.

The new DC pumps semm to be a good value and are very efficient but only time will tell on the reliability. Eheim and Ocean Runners last forever, are very efficient, extremely quiet and the manufacturers of both are very conservative in their ratings, I found both to pump more flow and at a higher head than published pump curves showed. Others stretched the truth and did not live up to their claims.

In the past 6 months I swapped my Ocean Runner 3500 for a WaterBlaster HY-5000 and have been completely happy with it, I even had to throttle it back some or it outruns my overflow.

 

[Engloid]

Mag would be way down my list based on testing I did a few years ago. They were loud, ran very warm and drew more wattage to pump the same amount of water compared to an Eheim or an Ocean Runner. Quiet One was the absoolute worst and I literally had two catch on fire, sparks, flames and everything.

The new DC pumps semm to be a good value and are very efficient but only time will tell on the reliability. Eheim and Ocean Runners last forever, are very efficient, extremely quiet and the manufacturers of both are very conservative in their ratings, I found both to pump more flow and at a higher head than published pump curves showed. Others stretched the truth and did not live up to their claims.

In the past 6 months I swapped my Ocean Runner 3500 for a WaterBlaster HY-5000 and have been completely happy with it, I even had to throttle it back some or it outruns my overflow.

I have considered adapting my magdrive to work externally. Do you think that would reduce the amount of heat put into the water by much

 

[AZDesertRat]

No not at all.
Pumps such as the Mags and others that can be either submerged or external have cooling jackets or water passages inside the motor where aquarium water circulates around the motor windings to keep it cool, its a heat exchanger. It does not matter if it is submerged or in open air, the heat generated and transferred to the display is the same. I would leave it submerged if you have the room, it will be quieter and give you more room in the stand for other equipment.

 

[Engloid]

No not at all.
Pumps such as the Mags and others that can be either submerged or external have cooling jackets or water passages inside the motor where aquarium water circulates around the motor windings to keep it cool, its a heat exchanger. It does not matter if it is submerged or in open air, the heat generated and transferred to the display is the same. I would leave it submerged if you have the room, it will be quieter and give you more room in the stand for other equipment.

There are no cooling passages in the magdrives...only a wet impeller area. That said...thats prob where all the heat is generated....but I know the outer body gets a little warm. I may be able to pull it out and check its temp.

 

[AZDesertRat]

Yes there are cooling slots cut in the area where the magnet rotates. This is what allows water to circulate inside and cool the motor. It makes no difference whether it is submerged of dry, the heat will be approximately the same either way.