Best return pumps in the industry: Who gets your vote?

Best Return Pump in the Industry

  • Abyzz

  • Blueline

  • Danner Mag Drive

  • Dolphin / Poseidon

  • Ecotech Vectra

  • Eheim

  • Fluval

  • Iwaki

  • Jebao / Jecod

  • Neptune

  • Pan World

  • Red Dragon

  • Reeflo

  • Reef Octopus VarioS

  • Sicce

  • Simplicity

  • Skimz

  • Waterblaster

  • Waveline

  • Other


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Andrew Mc

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If I was facing imminent cardiac failure and heading to MD Anderson in an ambulance for a heart replacement using an artificial heart -long term reliability (measured in decades not years) would be my only concern. My next concern would be whether the medical district was still flooded, but that's beyond the scope of the survey.

Uber alles Eheim.
 

DSC reef

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lol, you seem very bitter against Jeboa, did they touch you in the wrong place or something?
Why can't you understand that for certain peoples needs that they are the best, why should they go out and spend 399 on a Vectra when they can spend 100 on say a DCP4000 and it will do the exact same job just as well, maybe not for as long but don't forget you can buy 4 Jebao's for the same money and they are readily available.
Not everyone needs or wants the latest trendy label that's on the market.
I've been reef keeping on and off since 2000, i've bought expensive, cheap and middle of the road products. At the end of the day i use what works for me and honestly don't give a stuff what other people think.
I get your point about buying 4 jebao pumps over 1 vectra but what happens when that "affordable jebao" stops working when your not around and loose thousands of dollars when your tank dies? Kinda throws that whole value thing out the window doesn't it??
 

teller

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Jebao return pumps work fines so does Ecotech vectra ones.
There are some issues with jebao power heads longevity but most people I know also have to replace the ecotech wave makers wet side from time to time.
I have my eheim as return pump for 4 years and 2 jebao wp 10 still working in my DT for about 3 years now.
One of my Tunze 6015 with 4 years is still running in my open sump with siporax and chaeto. The other Tunze 6015 still works.
 

Wh00pS32

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I get your point about buying 4 jebao pumps over 1 vectra but what happens when that "affordable jebao" stops working when your not around and loose thousands of dollars when your tank dies? Kinda throws that whole value thing out the window doesn't it??

Why, do you think the Vectra's won't fail?, or do they only fail when people are around? no one knows as they have not been on the market long enough for anyone to know how reliable they actually are. They may be great and the longest lasting pumps on the market, if they are then fantastic and i would consider them myself.
Another question, how many people can afford to keep a spare Vectra around in case of failure?, probably not many but almost everyone can keep a spare Jebao.
People are taking my posts the wrong way, i'm not knocking the Vectra's (or any of the others tbh) i'm just not gonna knock the people that voted for Jebao either because for the money they are perfect for their needs. I own one and i also own others from manufacturers such as Eheim, Hydor, Aqua Medic etc.
 

DSC reef

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Why, do you think the Vectra's won't fail?, or do they only fail when people are around? no one knows as they have not been on the market long enough for anyone to know how reliable they actually are. They may be great and the longest lasting pumps on the market, if they are then fantastic and i would consider them myself.
Another question, how many people can afford to keep a spare Vectra around in case of failure?, probably not many but almost everyone can keep a spare Jebao.
People are taking my posts the wrong way, i'm not knocking the Vectra's (or any of the others tbh) i'm just not gonna knock the people that voted for Jebao either because for the money they are perfect for their needs. I own one and i also own others from manufacturers such as Eheim, Hydor, Aqua Medic etc.
Vectra is out of my price range and I'm all for what people can afford to enjoy this hobby. I've bought cheap stuff as well because it's all I could do. I was just making a comment on the affording to by more over the other and affordability versus reliability. In the end there are many great options.
 

scardall

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I have nothing against Jebao or what equipment people choose to use on THEIR setups or what people can afford. What I have a problem with is your wise-@** comments. You come off as an uninformed fanboy, making accusations of which you didn't consider the fact that people have been in this hobby for decades and have used multiple different brands. I started when I was 16, now I'm 39.

It seemed like it hurt your feelings that I said they're unreliable, because in the grand scheme of things, they are the bottom of the barrel as far as quality goes. Cheap Chinese junk IME. Their powerheads are doable, but a return pump is not something I want failing at the wrong time. I rather pay for a reliable model one time than have to keep replacing it.

I don't need the newest gadgets. Don't own an Apex, don't have $1,000 lights. I have almost nothing automated. What I need is equipment I don't have to replace or worry about constantly and gets the job done.

You obviously took this thread to mean what your favorite pump is because it was in the post. I took it to mean what the title said, the best pump in the industry. In actuality we're probably both wrong. Because Mag Drive pumps have been around for decades and work like a tank. So we'll agree to disagree and leave it at that.

If you disagree with something someone says, there's no need to be a tool bag with your response. That's what ticked me off, not Jebao.

My 2 cents on reliability. External pumps are the most reliable in general . Now their are many out there. Most are very good, but Mag drive pumps cannot be used externally. I had one melt down on me and it was suppose to be used either internal or external. For me these pumps: Iwaki, blueline and mine ((gen-x (19 years and going) )) plus others have a proven track record. ( remember external use ONLY) IMO if a pump model xxxx hasn't been running 10years min. it is hard to say it is the best on the market. Just remembered I also have a blueline(by panworld )that I also have now (In service since 2005). IMO : When it comes to reliability, External pumps are the best way to go. Now in the Internal side of the house, I cannot speak from experience and for me the jury is still out. Do you guys want to hear something funny?? As if I wasn't going to say it anyway. ha ha I have a backup Gen-x pump (new in the box and has never seen water) it is around 15 years old. When the time comes I hope it works.
 

Forsaken77

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My 2 cents on reliability. External pumps are the most reliable in general . Now their are many out there. Most are very good, but Mag drive pumps cannot be used externally. I had one melt down on me and it was suppose to be used either internal or external. For me these pumps: Iwaki, blueline and mine ((gen-x (19 years and going) )) plus others have a proven track record. ( remember external use ONLY) IMO if a pump model xxxx hasn't been running 10years min. it is hard to say it is the best on the market. Just remembered I also have a blueline(by panworld )that I also have now (In service since 2005). IMO : When it comes to reliability, External pumps are the best way to go. Now in the Internal side of the house, I cannot speak from experience and for me the jury is still out. Do you guys want to hear something funny?? As if I wasn't going to say it anyway. ha ha I have a backup Gen-x pump (new in the box and has never seen water) it is around 15 years old. When the time comes I hope it works.

Ahh, the pool pumps, lol ;) (just what I call them). But yes, external pumps without a doubt (strictly external) I think are the most reliable and built like tanks. TBH, I wasn't even putting externals in this category because, imo, they're in a category unto themselves. Most, if not all, are rated for super high head pressure, like a sump in the basement or a closed loop, right?

I say Mag Drives, but I was meaning internally. I didn't even know they could run externally. I know they are loud and create some heat if you're throttling it back, but they used to last a very long time when submerged. I haven't used one in over 10 years now though.

20 years ago those were the top of the line pumps, the one I couldn't come close to affording as a teenager. But they're still around and used for multiple purposes. Had to settle for Tetra or Marineland pumps back then, lol.

Eheim is another brand that I would say is extremely reliable. Though I've read that they changed something on their newer return pumps and have been having problems. Don't know if it's a wide spread thing, but their whole product line is usually top notch.

The thing is, once I switched to a DC pump, I could never go back to an AC pump. It's night and day. I like the fact that I don't have to restrict a pump, causing stress on it, plus with DC pumps, you're using only the electricity for the setting you're on. Whereas an AC pump uses a set amount of power. But good call on the pool pumps for reliability.

Makes me wonder if anyone has ever used an actual pool pump for their tank, lol.
 

Forsaken77

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Why, do you think the Vectra's won't fail?, or do they only fail when people are around? no one knows as they have not been on the market long enough for anyone to know how reliable they actually are. They may be great and the longest lasting pumps on the market, if they are then fantastic and i would consider them myself.
Another question, how many people can afford to keep a spare Vectra around in case of failure?, probably not many but almost everyone can keep a spare Jebao.
People are taking my posts the wrong way, i'm not knocking the Vectra's (or any of the others tbh) i'm just not gonna knock the people that voted for Jebao either because for the money they are perfect for their needs. I own one and i also own others from manufacturers such as Eheim, Hydor, Aqua Medic etc.

You can get a Vectra and keep a Jebao as the spare ;)
 

Sleepydoc

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I get your point about buying 4 jebao pumps over 1 vectra but what happens when that "affordable jebao" stops working when your not around and loose thousands of dollars when your tank dies? Kinda throws that whole value thing out the window doesn't it??

Reliability is part of the equation for everyone but the relative importance differs - if are rarely out of town and your system can handle the return pump being down for 15 hours, then having a cheaper, less reliable pump may be a good option for you. If you travel on a regular basis or have very sensitive livestock then you may need another option. Another part of reliability is how tolerant a pump is to poor maintenance - some people are better at cleaning their equipment on a regular basis than others. ;Meh I
 

Paul B

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I can't vote here because mine are made out of wood and the name, which was hand printed on parchment paper and stuck on with nails rotted off so I can't read the manufacturer. But it says something about root cellars, fire and brimstone. :rolleyes:
 

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I can't vote here because mine are made out of wood and the name, which was hand printed on parchment paper and stuck on with nails rotted off so I can't read the manufacturer. But it says something about root cellars, fire and brimstone. :rolleyes:
Priceless! I guess we can't argue about the reliability of that wooden pump that's still going....
 

Forsaken77

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I can't vote here because mine are made out of wood and the name, which was hand printed on parchment paper and stuck on with nails rotted off so I can't read the manufacturer. But it says something about root cellars, fire and brimstone. :rolleyes:

Man I wish they still made those. Best pumps ever. I think they came out right after the invention of the wheel, right? ;Wacky
 

Paul B

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Right about the same time :D
 

Paul B

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Whatever kind of pumps I have, some of them are from the 80s.
 

Tim Olson

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FYI, one feature I really like about the Vectra/Reeflink system is the peace of mind that if something is not working correctly the pump sends me an alert (via email or to my phone). Other "connected" pumps probably do that as well. I've never had the pump fail, but when I turn if off it sends me an alert that the pump has become disconnected, which is pretty cool. I don't have much other electronic stuff, but since I'm so paranoid about pump failure I thought it worth it. :)
 

SteadyC

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Ever since I've moved the sump to the basement, I've had Iwaki, Vectra, and now Sicce 9.0. The power consumption of the Iwaki's made me abandon them, hugely inefficient. With DC pumps, I can get just as much flow, for a fraction of the power consumption, and get control ability and software monitoring with notifications. Vectra's, one pump stalled and I had to get it replaced and two power supplies died. The pump died in the first year. I like the software and controllers, but I do not trust the pumps at this point. Had another pump start to over heat (thank you software monitoring and notifications), it was really kunked up inside after only a few months in use. Cleaned it out and it was ok again, but these pumps make me nervous, one dead one and another kunked up in a short time. Just put a Sicce 9.0 on a couple of months ago running externally. It runs cooler than the Vectra, and has more flow than the Vectra, and even uses less power than the Vectra. The software isn't as polished as the Vectra, but it will get there. Better than what I can get with an AC pump :)
 

jcl123

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Hello everyone, I just read through this thread and I am on the fence. So I thought I would share my reasoning here.

I voted for Iwaki, that has been my experience

I have been keeping freshwater tanks for decades, and I used to work in a fish store where we used Iwaki and pool pumps, that is mostly what I have experience with. Historically no one ever cared about electrical consumption, heat, or even noise within reason. I used these pumps with Rainbow Lifeguard modules after using Marineland Magnum's for years (still love those things), we even had a Diatom filter with those open motors.

My use case
I have a 135G and I want to go Triton, so I need to hit 1,350GPH+ or so, and my Iwaki 55RLT can't hit that, I would have to step up to the 70RLT. This is in my living room, and testing the 55RLT on a bucket it does not seem that loud, surprisingly so actually. But you would certainly hear it.

Iwaki issues, power consumption
The 55RLT uses 192W, but the 70RLT uses a whopping 336W, approaching double, and this would be somewhere around $30+/month in electricity - likely a fair bit of heat and noise as well. And the thing is, this will sit right below my tank, so maybe only 5' of head, and I will have as few elbows as possible. So I don't really need the pressure that the Iwaki can deliver in this case.

Ecotech Vectra
So, I look at the Ecotech Vectra. Ecotech has a very strong reputation as a company, they seem to have had a few bumps with the M1, not sure about the L1. I do like control and I will have an Apex, but it's $99 for a reeflink and I will also be getting two MP40's, so I am fine getting one. Then I can learn about the automation from different brands, I also hear what some people are saying that keeping it simple on your return pump can be a good thing, as the new Apex seems to be having some bumps as well. I kinda wish Ecotech offered a "no frills" option that was just on/off for a bit less money.

M1 vs. L1
So the M1 looks like it would hit about 1500GPH @ 5', and considering it's not made for pressure I will probably go with an L1 so I have plenty of margin, or maybe even use the spare for reactors and such. Also because those numbers tend to be exaggerated or under ideal conditions.

The L1 will hit 2000+ GPH @ 5' head, and I was thinking I would get one of those Apex flow meters to dial in exactly what I need.

L1 vs. 70RLT
The L1 uses just 130W, and that is full-on, so dialed down to what I need likely will be under 100W. Very quiet apparently, although I do see some mention of heat production (can anyone speak on that?), I do plan to use it external and I always make sure there is airflow around anything that produces heat. All this for about the same or a little more money than a 70RLT.

I have no doubt it would never out-live an Iwaki, but it seems to be a good match for my use case. If I get at least 5-6 years out of it I would be happy, by then something even better might come along, or maybe perfected version of some of the DC pumps. BTW, strictly speaking I don't think these are "DC" pumps, they are just low-voltage. Likely the driver is feeding it various different frequencies or using PWM to deliver different speeds with high torque.

Abyzz
Those Abyzz pumps look really nice. I could afford to buy one, but at triple the price of a Vectra L1 for the lowest model A100 I feel a bit uncomfortable. Yes, the reliability argument is good, certainly you would lose more than $1350 if your main pump failed at a bad time. But I also don't like the possibility of it being t more difficult to get support if you did have a problem... If it were only double the price I would say sure... I dunno. Hell, I could get two Vectra's and run them both for redundancy and still have money left over.

In any case, if I go with the Vectra, I have my 55RLT and a few others lying around that could get me by for a week or so while getting a replacement.

Anyone agree with this reasoning?

-JCL
 

SteadyC

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Hello everyone, I just read through this thread and I am on the fence. So I thought I would share my reasoning here.

I voted for Iwaki, that has been my experience

I have been keeping freshwater tanks for decades, and I used to work in a fish store where we used Iwaki and pool pumps, that is mostly what I have experience with. Historically no one ever cared about electrical consumption, heat, or even noise within reason. I used these pumps with Rainbow Lifeguard modules after using Marineland Magnum's for years (still love those things), we even had a Diatom filter with those open motors.

My use case
I have a 135G and I want to go Triton, so I need to hit 1,350GPH+ or so, and my Iwaki 55RLT can't hit that, I would have to step up to the 70RLT. This is in my living room, and testing the 55RLT on a bucket it does not seem that loud, surprisingly so actually. But you would certainly hear it.

Iwaki issues, power consumption
The 55RLT uses 192W, but the 70RLT uses a whopping 336W, approaching double, and this would be somewhere around $30+/month in electricity - likely a fair bit of heat and noise as well. And the thing is, this will sit right below my tank, so maybe only 5' of head, and I will have as few elbows as possible. So I don't really need the pressure that the Iwaki can deliver in this case.

Ecotech Vectra
So, I look at the Ecotech Vectra. Ecotech has a very strong reputation as a company, they seem to have had a few bumps with the M1, not sure about the L1. I do like control and I will have an Apex, but it's $99 for a reeflink and I will also be getting two MP40's, so I am fine getting one. Then I can learn about the automation from different brands, I also hear what some people are saying that keeping it simple on your return pump can be a good thing, as the new Apex seems to be having some bumps as well. I kinda wish Ecotech offered a "no frills" option that was just on/off for a bit less money.

M1 vs. L1
So the M1 looks like it would hit about 1500GPH @ 5', and considering it's not made for pressure I will probably go with an L1 so I have plenty of margin, or maybe even use the spare for reactors and such. Also because those numbers tend to be exaggerated or under ideal conditions.

The L1 will hit 2000+ GPH @ 5' head, and I was thinking I would get one of those Apex flow meters to dial in exactly what I need.

L1 vs. 70RLT
The L1 uses just 130W, and that is full-on, so dialed down to what I need likely will be under 100W. Very quiet apparently, although I do see some mention of heat production (can anyone speak on that?), I do plan to use it external and I always make sure there is airflow around anything that produces heat. All this for about the same or a little more money than a 70RLT.

I have no doubt it would never out-live an Iwaki, but it seems to be a good match for my use case. If I get at least 5-6 years out of it I would be happy, by then something even better might come along, or maybe perfected version of some of the DC pumps. BTW, strictly speaking I don't think these are "DC" pumps, they are just low-voltage. Likely the driver is feeding it various different frequencies or using PWM to deliver different speeds with high torque.

Abyzz
Those Abyzz pumps look really nice. I could afford to buy one, but at triple the price of a Vectra L1 for the lowest model A100 I feel a bit uncomfortable. Yes, the reliability argument is good, certainly you would lose more than $1350 if your main pump failed at a bad time. But I also don't like the possibility of it being t more difficult to get support if you did have a problem... If it were only double the price I would say sure... I dunno. Hell, I could get two Vectra's and run them both for redundancy and still have money left over.

In any case, if I go with the Vectra, I have my 55RLT and a few others lying around that could get me by for a week or so while getting a replacement.

Anyone agree with this reasoning?

-JCL
I have Vectra and Sicce DC pumps on my tank at the moment, I had Iwaki before, the olive green one which, can’t remember, might be the 70. Yes, my train of thought was similar to yours, when I made the switch, I can run two DC pumps at the same time and still use half the power of one Iwaki, I will say, I really like the Sicce over the Vectra. It has more head pressure, more flow, AND uses less power. And it runs cooler as well. The management software needs some improving, but the pump and controller are better.
 

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