What powerheads do you use and recommend or not recommend?

[bubblemytip]

I have run vortechs, but found the lack of adjustment (in terms of direction) a bit frustrating in a small tank or a tank with corals growing more densely. They also don't look as good on the sides of the tank as they do on the back.

I now run x4 tunze with a 7096 multicontroller (x2 stream 3s, a 6055 and a 6095) in my 90-gallon tank, each hooked up to a 12Ah SLA battery. The stream 3s are great for generating gyres, and if the 6055 and 6095 are placed nearer to the bottom and pointing up at the surface, they also generate a more diffuse gyre flow. The ability to aim the flow up and over corals is great.

 

[Keith Burns]

I've only recently gotten back into the hobby so I really don't know the latest tech, but I like the current USA eFlux wave kit. I have two eFlux 660 pumps connected to a controller that lets me set them to wave, surge or stream flow and they alternate back and forth based on my settings. The 660s are their smallest pumps, my tank is only 38 gallons. they have two larger sizes. I can control the flow rate from 5 to 100% of power. At 75% power they move my corals pretty good. They have run 24/7 for five months now, are super quiet and no maintainence. Also, the pumps were quite small for amount of water they move.
In doing my research I found cheaper options but these were very reasonable for 2 pumps and controller with remote $150 On Amazon. The larger pump options were not much more.

 

[Jet915]

I also have 2 current led strips along with a current return pump and 3 current wave pumps (1090s) for a 100 gallon reef. Lights and pumps are all programmable from a single remote which is nice. Lights need to be supplemented by some retrofit T5s to grow sps but pumps are at 40% a
seem to provide nice flow.

 

[Punchanello]

I am running 2 x Tunze 6105. You'll have to take other people's word for their reliability as I'm new to reefing and have only been using them for 4 months. I can say that I chose them over Vortechs because they are directional and over Jebao because of their proven reliability over many, many years. I also like their design in terms of functionality and aesthetic.

 

[Shooter6]

I had the current wave makers in a qt tank. I was not impressed. One never produced the flow that the other one did, and randomly would stop working.
I am running two jeabo cp40s gyres on my 180 gallon. They produce so much flow even at the lowest setting i had to buy the hydor short time controller to switch one on and one off every 15min

 

[Borsalino]

2 x Tunze 6095

 

[easily_fishstracted]

i have a single MP10 that I just sent in for repair/replacement, as it kept going out of synch, clanking around and falling off the glass. I will be able to judge customer service based on this - in the meantime i got a Rossmont Mover M3400 as a spare/sump powerhead. seems to work quite well and is quiet, but it's i don't have it hooked up to the controller they offer so just constant movement.

it's hard for me to justify the 250 euro price difference between the two right now to be honest, but i am trusting people who know more about these things that the variation from the vortechs is good for the fauna. i will say that the fact that there are no wires visible from the vortech is pretty cool.

 

[Rich Klein]

Since I only hear about vortechs and gyres 90% of the time figured I'd ask around. What does everyone use? What are the up and down sides of that pump? Is it quiet? How's the customer service? Etc.

Stay away from the MaxSpec Gyres. I had to service them every 3-6 weeks when they would seize expectantly. Totally unreliable. I bought them for redundancy with my Wavs. I have now eaten the $500 for the Gyres and purchased Vortec MP 40s - really like them so far.

 

[drblakjak55]

Jebao cheap, reliable, very powerful blow across 90g tank. Buy four for price of one mp40

 

[Punchanello]

I don't understand the argument that you can't see the wires on a vortech. Of course you can. Not only that, you need to hitch the cable above the drive unit making them even more visible and intrusive.

 

[reefermom750]

We have two max specs a 150 and a 250 in a red sea 750, neither one is run at 100%, other than minor maintenance run 24/7 without issues for a year now. Great flow throughout the tank.

 

[easily_fishstracted]

I don't understand the argument that you can't see the wires on a vortech. Of course you can. Not only that, you need to hitch the cable above the drive unit making them even more visible and intrusive.

yes this is true, so it depends on the placement. in my case I have a red sea reefer and the MP10 on the back wall. because of the darkness on that wall and the fact that I can't see behind the tank, there are no wires visible (as opposed to wires looping over the rim).

 

[jda]

My 12-14 year old Tunze pumps are still running like they are new. I only take them out every few years to clean the coralline off of them.

I have larger tanks now and some of these will not even make a dent - 10x3x3. MP60 fizzles out at 4-5 feet. Gyre (even the long one) does about the same. Tunze 6200 and AquaMedic EcoDrift 20 are the only flow pumps that can make a dent. A Mag 12 as a powerhead offers the best

AquaMedic EcoDrift are a nice pump near the price point of patent stealing Chinese stuff, yet are made in Europe and have EU and US locations. These are good pumps that last for a while too - I have had some going on 3 years with no issues... so no idea about Tunze reliability so as me again in five more years.

Caveat: I do not use patent stealing, harming America & EU, Jeabo pumps, so maybe some of these work for big tanks too... but I pay the bit of extra money to support a company that does R&D and does not have anti-american and patent/IP stealing policies.