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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LarLarsLair

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Anyone use the current usa pumps? Just got a 3170 and can't decide if I wanna return it or not... Haven't even gotten it wet yet as I'm still building sump
 

Amado

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I have a mag 18. This pump use to be my backup pump for my koi pond. I had one running and this was in the shed in case my other mag 18 would die.

I decided to build a 6ft Discus tank in my basement so I used this pump as a return. The discus tank turned into a African cichlids tank. The African cichlids tank turned into my first saltwater tank. This pump has been running a 6ft tank for almost 5yrs.
I moved and I am now setting up a new larger system with frag tanks and a bigger manifold so I am going with a blue line pump. I sold my old house and the new owners are still running the mag 18 on the koi pond 7yrs.

The mag 18 I will use it in my salt water mixing station. I would love to use one of those fancy DC pumps as soon as this pump dies lol

By the way I also purchased a used frag tank
And the tank came with a jebao pump and that pump is also still running for 3yrs strong. Not bad for a $60 pump
 
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Amado

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Anyone use the current usa pumps? Just got a 3170 and can't decide if I wanna return it or not... Haven't even gotten it wet yet as I'm still building sump

I wouldn’t recommend current USA. I had the current USA loop lights and wave pumps and it was horrible so I sold everything at a huge loss
 

LarLarsLair

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Ya I have the loop lights and I already want to get away from their setup,(lights are too weak I hear and loop system generally not apex compatible) but the pump on its own as a product has pretty good reviews\ specs, and I think could be controlled on\off by an apex energy bar as long as not connected to loop controller. It's already been delivered but I started exchange process cause now I'm not sure, might get a jeboa an put the remaining towards a better skimmer...
 

robbyg

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I recently switched from reeflo to an abyss 400 on a 1200 gallon reef system. I went from pulling 1500+ watts to 270w. My temperature dropped 6 degrees over night and my temperature is easily controlled by ambient temperature. In 8 years I've had to buy 5 different reeflo pumps due to noise, leaks or other issues. Abyss has a 10 year warranty. I'm hoping this pump pays for itself in a year or two with energy savings. So if they stand by their warranty, this pump will pay for itself regardless of energy saving just in having to change a $400 pump 5 times in 8 years. The pump is amazing and dead silent!

I am trying to figure out how your using 1500 watts with the Reeflo since their largest pump draws about 345 watts and has a flow rate of 6000GPH at the head while the Abyzz is 4800GPH and draws 400 watts. I am assuming your using multiple pumps? I am guessing three at a time. That is a lot of Abyzz pumps to buy at $2600 a pop!

Second thing is how are you getting a 6 degree drop in temperature? Assuming the Abyzz is being run externally like the Reeflo they both should not be adding any significant heat. BTW for the price of the Abyzz 400 you could buy SIX Hammerhead pumps each with a 5 year warranty! Also why did you buy new pumps when they are still under warranty? Did they not want to honor the warranty?
 

GoVols

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Always loved RE and the Red Dragon line, but after buying an Abyzz A100 during a 20% off sale...

... an Abyzz is truly in a league of it's own.

But, for the best bang for the buck, the RO VarioS line, looks hard to beat.
 

Drewbacca

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Anyone use the current usa pumps? Just got a 3170 and can't decide if I wanna return it or not... Haven't even gotten it wet yet as I'm still building sump
Yeah, I've had three of them in the past 4 years. After first went...thought it was a fluke.. andcafter second.. I just wanted tank up asap & it's what my LFS carry's and just wanted to unscrew fitting and screw on new pump. Same controller the whole time..so it's just the pump. Not anymore tho. It's why I'm here now.. want to switch and have a backup plumed in that is told to turn on if the first stops drawing power.
 

shred5

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Pretty comical that the two most reliable manufacturers (Iwaki and Eheim) on this poll - combined - have lower results than Ecotech when they'll last 20+ years longer.


That is because most don't even know or been in the hobby long enough to have any idea. They vote what is popular not what is the most reliable. It all marketing and social media.
 

Kfactor

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If I had the money I would go red dragon or abyzz but for my main pump is cor20 but had it sitting in a box on the shelf for 2 years and for my manifold I use jacob 12000 works good and it was cheap
 

120reefkeeper

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That is because most don't even know or been in the hobby long enough to have any idea. They vote what is popular not what is the most reliable. It all marketing and social media.
If I voted from personal experience over the last 25 years , I’d vote Mag drive. I’ve got 2 of them that still run and have been with me from the beginning. They are my backup’s now. I’m not saying they are the best , but I can only speak from personal experience…. Not a popularity contest .
 

Clo

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I want more nano DC pump options!
 

Bruce Burnett

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Pretty comical that the two most reliable manufacturers (Iwaki and Eheim) on this poll - combined - have lower results than Ecotech when they'll last 20+ years longer.
Iwaki, eheim, mag drive will all last 15-20 years. Eheim never seen any big return pumps.
I am currently using Sicce sdc 6 wifi for return supper quiet and no heat. Iwaki is loud and mag dive run to hot.
Had an iwaki over 20 years a great pressure pump.
As someone else said many are too young or to new to the hobby to know. Nothing Ecotech for me.
 

jasonrusso

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Pretty comical that the two most reliable manufacturers (Iwaki and Eheim) on this poll - combined - have lower results than Ecotech when they'll last 20+ years longer.

That is because most don't even know or been in the hobby long enough to have any idea. They vote what is popular not what is the most reliable. It all marketing and social media.

If I voted from personal experience over the last 25 years , I’d vote Mag drive. I’ve got 2 of them that still run and have been with me from the beginning. They are my backup’s now. I’m not saying they are the best , but I can only speak from personal experience…. Not a popularity contest .

Iwaki, eheim, mag drive will all last 15-20 years. Eheim never seen any big return pumps.
I am currently using Sicce sdc 6 wifi for return supper quiet and no heat. Iwaki is loud and mag dive run to hot.
Had an iwaki over 20 years a great pressure pump.
As someone else said many are too young or to new to the hobby to know. Nothing Ecotech for me.

I said in this thread before, Eheim all the way. I have two 1262s on my 210 so if one fails (haha, fails) I don't have to worry about a flood or loss of life. I always recommend redundancy. I also would never trust a DC pump for life support. Too many failure points and an AC pump will take a finger off when starting.

These things just keep on cranking. 9 years and going as strong as day 1. Every once in a while I clean them, but it makes no difference. The hoses get dirty, not the pumps. I broke an impeller shaft cleaning it because the magnets are so dang strong!! Thankfully I bought an inoperative parts pump from a local that severed the cable.

Another added benefit, is these big Eheims also act as heaters. My heaters haven't turned on in years. The fan on the other hand......
 

monkeyCmonkeyDo

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All i cam do is chime in with my thoughts and exp. Out of the list i see on the poll i will say....
Blueline
Fluval sp series.
Sicce.
All great pumps. If i could afford it...i would try an abyzz one day.

I was actually contemplating and adding up the cost.last night of making my tank quieter.
New return sp6 pump. Same as im running. Down pipe and sock silencer.
Lol. So i will be replacing the sp6 with another sp6.
Faith.
D
 

Bruce Burnett

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I said in this thread before, Eheim all the way. I have two 1262s on my 210 so if one fails (haha, fails) I don't have to worry about a flood or loss of life. I always recommend redundancy. I also would never trust a DC pump for life support. Too many failure points and an AC pump will take a finger off when starting.

These things just keep on cranking. 9 years and going as strong as day 1. Every once in a while I clean them, but it makes no difference. The hoses get dirty, not the pumps. I broke an impeller shaft cleaning it because the magnets are so dang strong!! Thankfully I bought an inoperative parts pump from a local that severed the cable.

Another added benefit, is these big Eheims also act as heaters. My heaters haven't turned on in years. The fan on the other hand......
Well when you live in Arizona you don't need a pump adding heat. I have yet found a review on a Sicce SDC that has failed one of the few DC pumps I can say that. As far as I know it is one of the few DC pumps not made in China. I will never own another jebao pump of any kind. Abyzz is a multiphase pump and should last a long time as they have high starting torque.
I had so many recommendations on pumps but not many were for the Sicce, but 95 percent were for ecotech or reef octopus. I already knew most of the brands out there after asking reseller that recommended these brand I asked about the Sicce they said can't go wrong we don't have any real complaints but not our biggest seller. I did not want popular but reliable.
 

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