Intake guard for cor pumps

[Norcalreef]

@Terence when are you going to make/include a intake guard for the cor pumps. I recently purchased a cor15 and it has been nothing but a headache.

I run triton method and occasionally a piece of macro will make it past the guard on my fuge. It then ends up in the pump and stuck in my 2” flow monitor! I had to shut the pump off today and didn’t notice some macro had made it out of the fuge when I turned the pump back on. Suddenly I hear a ton of noise and flow had dropped over 500gph! This is what came out when I turned the pump off.

I think it’s absolutely crazy a $300 pump doesn’t come with a intake guard and you guys don’t even offer one for purchase. My $75 jabeo did. Finally got in a intake for a vectra l1 today because I thought I read it would fit. Well it didn’t! And I had to jerry rig one of the fitting that came with the cor to make it work.
After waiting almost 3 months for this pump being plagued with nothing but sporadic flow is a HUGE let down.

 

[stahlja]

I’m following along here too. I got a COR-15 installed recently on a new triton build. So I’m in the same boat.

 

[Norcalreef]

I’m following along here too. I got a COR-15 installed recently on a new triton build. So I’m in the same boat.

The ecotech vectra was not a direct fit. I manage to jerry rig to work though. Been a world of difference since doing it though

 

[User1]

I don't know what they thought if truth be told but overall it seems like a pretty good deal on a pump and what is actually included. Maybe this is just one of those deals that a choice needed to be made and that is what was left off. No idea, but this is what I was thinking of trying to use: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/low-profile-bulkhead-overflow-strainers.html

I'm not sure if it would restrict flow or not. Ironically I just placed an order from BRS earlier in the week, it arrived today, and I forgot to actually buy it - doh! What a dork. Anyway this is what I'm going to try.

 

[drtrash]

Red dragon pump is $700 and no screen over intake so Neptune is in good company

 

[gcarroll]

I think it’s absolutely crazy a $300 pump doesn’t come with a intake guard and you guys don’t even offer one for purchase. My $75 jabeo did. Finally got in a intake for a vectra l1 today because I thought I read it would fit. Well it didn’t! And I had to jerry rig one of the fitting that came with the cor to make it work.
After waiting almost 3 months for this pump being plagued with nothing but sporadic flow is a HUGE let down.

I have seen a lot of products over the years and it seems to me that the more expensive the pump, the less likely it comes with a guard.

I have used several pumps without a strainer and never had anything like that happen. Rather than calling out @Terence , why not fix the problem and prevent the algae from getting in the return pump area?

 

[Norcalreef]

I have seen a lot of products over the years and it seems to me that the more expensive the pump, the less likely it comes with a guard.

I have used several pumps without a strainer and never had anything like that happen. Rather than calling out @Terence , why not fix the problem and prevent the algae from getting in the return pump area?

I think it’s crazy but that is my opinion. Maybe just move on if you don’t agree with it?

And FYI it is impossible to contain all the macro to the fuge. Do your pumps without guard use their flow monitors on them? Because that is what clogs. I have two guards in place before the pumpand pieces still make it through. Since they say their pump should only be run with 1 1/4” why not get rid of the other useless fittings and include a intake guard?

I also got a brand new dos that didn’t work right out of the box. I live 2 hours from them, it’s been over a week since I sent it in and I still do not have a replacement. That dos was the last piece of Neptune equipment I will buy

 

[Fritzhamer]

Your Jebao intake guard is a direct fit on the Cor pump.

 

[Norcalreef]

Your Jebao intake guard is a direct fit on the Cor pump.

That is incorrect. Trust me I tried. The L1 guard is working good. The occasional piece of macro still makes it through and into the flow monitor. Have to take the guard off and turn the pump off. It back flushes it out.

 

[Fritzhamer]

The Jebao cover fitting the Cor is pretty well documented. The Cor nut (included one inch Union) holds it place. Here it is in my system for skeptics:

 

[Norcalreef]

The Jebao cover fitting the Cor is pretty well documented. The Cor nut (included one inch Union) holds it place. Here it is in my system for skeptics:

Did you have to cut it at all? Which jebao pump did you have? Mine would not fit over it is smaller

 

[Fritzhamer]

The dcp 5000. I opened the cover placing the flat part over the intake. I then tightened the Cor Union over the flat Jebao part and then snapped the rest of the cover onto the flat part.

 

[Norcalreef]

The dcp 5000. I opened the cover placing the flat part over the intake. I then tightened the Cor Union over the flat Jebao part and then snapped the rest of the cover onto the flat part.

I forget which jebao I have. But I tried that and it wouldn’t fit on mine. That’s sweet it worked for you though. The jebao is a great back up pump. Thanks for sharing, hopefully it will works for others.

 

[Fritzhamer]

That’s weird, Jebao has a HUGE intake and output on their pumps. Even the small ones. If you remove the Union from the COr on the intake it’s a really small threaded piece. You should be able to slip your Jebao intake over the threaded piece and then tighten the Cor nut back onto the threaded piece, holding the Jebao cover in place. Unless your Jebao was the 3500, even the 4000 should fit iirc.

If it was the 3500 it isn’t fair to compare it to the Cor. I used a 3500 to power my reactors and replaced it with a maxijet 1200. The Jebao 6500 would be a closer comparison to the Cor-15. The larger to the 20.

 

[Muttley000]

Perhaps there is no guard because as it clogs it could damage the pump? Hydraulic pumps we use at work do not include a strainer because dirt passing through is less problem than a clogged strainer. I don't know if that is there thinking, just an idea. It seems to me that chunks of algae that size getting on the strainer would not be good, although much easier to clean off than once it is lodged inside of something. Does your flow meter alarm you when the pump output is reduced? If so I personally would feel better about the strainer I guess.

 

[GK3]

The COR also has a built in clog detection, does it not? You just have to program the apex to use it I believe. Could be wrong tho.

 

[Norcalreef]

Perhaps there is no guard because as it clogs it could damage the pump? Hydraulic pumps we use at work do not include a strainer because dirt passing through is less problem than a clogged strainer. I don't know if that is there thinking, just an idea. It seems to me that chunks of algae that size getting on the strainer would not be good, although much easier to clean off than once it is lodged inside of something. Does your flow meter alarm you when the pump output is reduced? If so I personally would feel better about the strainer I guess.

I ended up taking a piece of 1” and t cutting it so the l1 guard would fit over it.

You can see the relief cuts in the last pic.

All my fittings that came with my cor had poor crafstmanship. They looked beat up and needed trimming. Like they never trimmed them after they came out of the mold. Could only find one pic of the 1 1/4” union.

I own just about everything Neptune makes. Most have been great but more than one piece did not work properly or at all right out of the box. It’s my personal opinion that with the premium they charge, their quality control and customer service could use some improvement. This is just my opinion and I know it upsets some people. Maybe I just expect to much? I recently put in a few orders from @uniquecorals and they were amazing on every front. Corals I bought were the biggest, nicest frags I’ve gotten from anywhere so far. I had an ICP test show up with no vials and a elements bottle burst during shipping. Both times they had a replacement to me in 2 days. They’re 6 hours further away from me than Neptune but somehow the replacement dos hasn’t made it back to me in over a week. My corals has taken a hit because now I must hand dose.

 

[Norcalreef]

The COR also has a built in clog detection, does it not? You just have to program the apex to use it I believe. Could be wrong tho.

Yes the flow monitor sends alert. But who wants an alert every day when it could be avoided with a simple guard?
Idk I was just giving a honest review on a product. Besides the lack of guard and sloppy fittings the pump has done its job. It is nice to be able to adjust pump by 1% also.

 

[Fritzhamer]

For sure the pump should have included a cover. I think that was a miss on Neptune’s part. I also think the 1.25” union is silly with a 3/4” output. It would have been nice if they copied the Jebao model of having a huge output with one collar and several union fittings that used the same collar.

 

[tastyfish]

I think a strainer would be an obvious inclusion. Especially for a pump which will shutdown if it detects debris.

The Sicce Syncra SDC which the COR is based on comes with a strainer, so perhaps you could source a spare as should be a direct fit if you can find the equivalent sized pump. https://s3.amazonaws.com/brsinstructions/brsSicce/syncrasdcpskinstructions.pdf

Alternatively someone even 3D printed one on R2R recently

Obviously in an ideal world you wouldn't have migration of macro algae, snails etc etc into the return section of the sump. But in the real world, these are reef tanks and you do.