Best return pump brand?

[bugsy714]

Hello to all,
I am wondering what you think is the best brand of return pump. Are there any you love? Any you hate and would avoid? I need one rated in the 700-2000gph range (I know it's a large range). Any advise would be much appreciated!

[lavann]

aquamedic ocean runner's have a good reputation here in the uk.
the ocean runner 3500 does 3500 l/h 900 gph
the ocean runner 6500 does 6500 l/h 1700gph

[Rikko]

Having no personal experience, I can only regurgitate others' testimonials in saying that the Quiet Ones pumps have had several instances of failures or even meltdown. It's no Rio, but I read enough to make me want to avoid the brand.
I think Iwakis are the current hobby darling.

[Leviathan]

I voted for the magdrive.

I have been using a mag12 on my main return for my 90 for 6 months now, and think it works great. There are however many other pumps that will do the same job if not better. Hope you get enough feedback to make an informed decission.

[bugsy714]

good stuff, keep em coming!

[Phoneguy982]

I love my blueline. Pretty quiet and runs smoothly.

[Scuba Dog]

curently I have a quiet one, and it has done well for me, but when I set up my new monster reef, ill use external sequence pumps of the reefflow line, the dart and hammer head...for close loops, not sure yet on the sump pumps....might go external on those as well...want to reduce the heat as much as possible...

[capnskunk]

If you want the Cadillac of pumps go with Sequence. I have the 3600SEQ12 model and couldnt be happier. My pump runs super quiet. I have a Mag 5 on my skimmer that is louder than my sequence. And the sequence puts off very little heat. I can hold the back of my hand to any part of the pump and it doesnt burn. Try that with an Iwaki. Dont get me wrong Iwakis are nice pumps but IME way louder than the Sequence. And they put off a lot more heat. And they use less electricity than an Iwaki of similar size. The Sequence will cost more upfront but you will save more in the long run. They are definitly at the top of my and many other reefers pump lists.

[jeffbrig]

Another vote for Sequence. I plan to use a pair of 3600SEQ12's, one for the sump return, one for a closed loop.

[ReeferAl]

The "best" pump will vary with your requirements. For a tank with basement sump a pressure-rated pump such as the Iwaki or spin-off Blueline would probably be best. For a really large tank the Iwakis do not provide as much flow as the Ampmasters or Sequence pumps. For a small tank either of these might be over-kill. So, IMO, there is no right answer to the question.
Allen

[R33f3r]

For submersibles, I like mags. For externals, I like sequence. Avoid rio's like the plague.

[drblank1]

Mag drives are awesome. I have accidentally run mine dry a coulple of time, and no problems.

[bugsy714]

yea those rio's are horrid, I'm going to check those sequence pumps out. I currently have a genX mak4 on my tank and I was thinking of bumping that pump to the prop tank and upgrading the 80 gallon. The feedback has been great, keep em comin!

[Rendos]

Velocity pumps are extremely quiet. I am also using Waterways pumps on a couple of tanks...the Iron Might and Tiny Might models. They are almost completely silent. The Iron Might does 2400 GPH, and the Tiny Might does 1200 GPH.

[AnemicOak]

On the recommendations of some local reefers I'm going with an Ocean Runner pump for my return.

[Dz99ls]

mag drives for us as well

[Kent E]

I have a velocity. It is literally silent. No noise from it at all. Period. They do put out heat, so you need volume to compensate or have a basement sump.

[RonSF]

Here are some speed reviews of most of the pumps I've owned:

Mag5, Mag9.5: reasonably quiet, reliable, but prone to fouling cheesy system of removing the volute. I stripped the screws into plastic on my Mag5

T3: extra quiet, extra hot running, another easily fouled impeller and a far more secure, but difficult process to remove the head. I run mine on my small Koi pond now because of the heat transfer

OceanRunner 3500: a very well designed and build pump, also nearly silent. This one is bulletproof and never seems to need cleaning, which is ironic because it is ridiculously easy to open up. So much so, with only a quarter turn or less, that I worried about it accidently coming apart for the first month or so that I ran it. These pumps remind me of better designed and built Mag pumps and seem rather underrated in reputation.

I'm building a custom 170 tank right now, and have decided, after a lot of research, on a Blueline 55HD/Panworld 150PS (same pump) for my return, powering a pair of eductors. For a closed loop, I plan on a Sequence ReefFlo Dart.

-Ron

[rufio173]

I'm a big fan of the Mak4 pumps as I think they deliver possibly... the best price to performance ratio... they have beefy impellers and draw fairly low wattage for what they deliver. I liked my first Mak4 so much that I got another one. In a cabinet and some rubber padding for the PVC that is touching hard surfaces they are almost silent. I know some people have had some loud ones, but I guess I got lucky with my two as they are pretty quiet in a cabinet stand.

I've also heard good things about the oceanrunner pumps, but I think there is somebody on here who has had horrible luck with them... but I think that is the only bad review I've ever seen of them.

Peace,
John H.

[ErikS]

Submerged - OceanRunner, over a year in use & nary a problem. FAR better than a Mag.

[bugsy714]

after pricing and shopping I have decided to go with the sequence reeflo dart, now I just pray my 1.75" bulkhead can handle 2700 gallons of love! Thanks to all of the contributing writers!

[bpowder]

Avoid rio's like the plague

Seems no one likes rio. I have used mine for a long time now with no problems. What dont you guys like about them? Do they fail alot or run hot or something. I do notice between a 1 and 2 degree temp increase in my system when my skimmer is on with its rio pump. If there is a brand that will run cooler I will get it replaced but I havent seen any problem with them as of yet.

[svb57]

I you like Iwaki's then you will love the Blue line pumps....Made by an engineer that left Iwaki...They are queit, cheaper, and come with a power cord!!

[3twenty5]

I am going with a Panworld, used Mags previously..not bad pumps or the $$ just want to try something else

[rufio173]

Originally posted by bpowder
Seems no one likes rio. I have used mine for a long time now with no problems. What dont you guys like about them? Do they fail alot or run hot or something. I do notice between a 1 and 2 degree temp increase in my system when my skimmer is on with its rio pump. If there is a brand that will run cooler I will get it replaced but I havent seen any problem with them as of yet.

They have been known to fail and then not only fail, but also melt and release toxic substances into your tank causing a tank crash. Also, many people have been shocked by them.... not to death, but still kind of scary.

I think the failure rate is higher when they are used in high pressure situations such as a tank return or as a skimmer pump. If you are having good luck with it, maybe you got a good one. I think quality control is more of an issue and some people will get good ones and some people will get bad ones. Almost all pumps will suffer from this problem, it's just Rios have a higher probability of this happening. Although this may be due to the fact that more people use them. Just know that when they do fail, you could have a serious problem on your hands.

Peace,
John H.