mike_dani
Well-Known Member
So I saw some new pumps while I was up at Aquatic Critter (AC) in Nashville, they are the Sicce Voyager pumps.
First look I wasn't impressed and some what shocked by the price, but they looked different enough for me to open a box and look at them.
So the first thing that I noticed was a three year warranty..... Now I think that is awesome. I also was told by the guy there at AC that they make no start up noise from either hot start or cold start, HMMMM cant say that about the Koralia's that I have. So Sicce have also make a pretty solid statement that their powerheads are not plagued by the "standard" wavemaker issues associated with pumps like these.
Here it goes, I unpacked the Sicce 4 after dropping 82.00 on one (more than a Koralia but less than a Tunze or Vortec. The mount was nice I can see how the Sicce will be able to rotate 180 degrees in any direction, and uses a magnet like many others. The magnet is much stronger that a Koralia and I was happy with the mount.
I pulled the thing apart (sorry no pictures) and found that it is built similar to a Maxi Jet with the same style impeller. after putting it back together I put it in the "Lagoon" and started it up. I was amazed that this pump made no noise at all, other than maybe a small impeller noise.
Sicce has come up with an interesting way to control the flow coming out of the powerhead. Just cover up the holes, while not dynamically controllable it does allow you to set and forget it. If you have fine sand like me, you will need some amount of hole coverage or you will have sand a flying around. I found that the flow was really nice and somewhat confused or swirling once I cover up the holes or first click.
Size is nice around the same size as a similar Koralia with more flow, see the below comparison chart. I have also played with them on my Reef Keeper and set them up on the wavemaker circuit and found that they in fact have no issues starting and stopping. This leads me to conclude that they will work with any wavemaker.
Korilia 1 400 GPH $34.95 3.5 Watts______ Sicce 1 600 GPH $44.41 8 Watts
Korilia 2 600 GPH $44.95 4.5 Watts______ Sicce 2 800 GPH $51.95 7 Watts
Korilia 3 850 GPH $49.95 6.5 Watts______ Sicce 3 1200 GPH $59.83 10 Watts
Korilia 4 1200 GPH $54.95 8.5 Watts_____ Sicce 4 1600 GPH $84.34 14 watts
All prices were puller from Aquacave as of 29 Mar 10
The Voyager 4 is the NEW stream pump for marine aquariums, reef aquariums, and fresh water aquariums, with flow rates up to 1200 gallons per hour. Thanks to the exclusive magnetic support, it can be positioned anywhere: on the sides, behind the tank, and around the aquariums corners. Its support permits it to reach the widest angulations: up to 180 degrees vertically and 360 degrees circulatory with endless orientation possibilities. The Voyager's versatility in movement and positioning makes it possible to hide it anywhere, always assuring optimal performances. The rotation of the front ring nut allows you to regulate the flow, recreating faithfully the effect of marine currents and satisfying even the most particular of your corals needs. And with the most durable rotor and shaft, the unique bidirectional design of the rotor assures that the pump always starts in the correct sense, avoiding the annoying noises provoked by an inversion of the sense of circulation. The rotor and shaft of the Voyager are wear-resistant beyond compare! Most suction cups applied in a salt water tank become stiff with time, compromising their hold and causing the pump to become unstable. The exclusive magnetic support for the Voyager is long-lasting and reliable and is ideal for glasses of 15mm width.
The Voyager can be used in fresh water aquariums. In fact, it can be used to raise the deposits from the bottom of the tank for better filtration, contributing to cleaner and clearer water.
Maximum inclination, flexibility, silence & reliability - all in one unit!
Features:
- 1,600 gallons per hour
- 14 watts
- Dimensions (excluding bracket): 3 5/8"L x 2.5" W x 3" H
- CE & UL listed
- 3 year warranty
- 360 degree pump rotation
- Adjustable pump body, rotates and tilts
- Support w/ magnets and suction cups
- Water capacity regulator
First look I wasn't impressed and some what shocked by the price, but they looked different enough for me to open a box and look at them.
So the first thing that I noticed was a three year warranty..... Now I think that is awesome. I also was told by the guy there at AC that they make no start up noise from either hot start or cold start, HMMMM cant say that about the Koralia's that I have. So Sicce have also make a pretty solid statement that their powerheads are not plagued by the "standard" wavemaker issues associated with pumps like these.
Here it goes, I unpacked the Sicce 4 after dropping 82.00 on one (more than a Koralia but less than a Tunze or Vortec. The mount was nice I can see how the Sicce will be able to rotate 180 degrees in any direction, and uses a magnet like many others. The magnet is much stronger that a Koralia and I was happy with the mount.
I pulled the thing apart (sorry no pictures) and found that it is built similar to a Maxi Jet with the same style impeller. after putting it back together I put it in the "Lagoon" and started it up. I was amazed that this pump made no noise at all, other than maybe a small impeller noise.
Sicce has come up with an interesting way to control the flow coming out of the powerhead. Just cover up the holes, while not dynamically controllable it does allow you to set and forget it. If you have fine sand like me, you will need some amount of hole coverage or you will have sand a flying around. I found that the flow was really nice and somewhat confused or swirling once I cover up the holes or first click.
Size is nice around the same size as a similar Koralia with more flow, see the below comparison chart. I have also played with them on my Reef Keeper and set them up on the wavemaker circuit and found that they in fact have no issues starting and stopping. This leads me to conclude that they will work with any wavemaker.
Korilia 1 400 GPH $34.95 3.5 Watts______ Sicce 1 600 GPH $44.41 8 Watts
Korilia 2 600 GPH $44.95 4.5 Watts______ Sicce 2 800 GPH $51.95 7 Watts
Korilia 3 850 GPH $49.95 6.5 Watts______ Sicce 3 1200 GPH $59.83 10 Watts
Korilia 4 1200 GPH $54.95 8.5 Watts_____ Sicce 4 1600 GPH $84.34 14 watts
All prices were puller from Aquacave as of 29 Mar 10
The Voyager 4 is the NEW stream pump for marine aquariums, reef aquariums, and fresh water aquariums, with flow rates up to 1200 gallons per hour. Thanks to the exclusive magnetic support, it can be positioned anywhere: on the sides, behind the tank, and around the aquariums corners. Its support permits it to reach the widest angulations: up to 180 degrees vertically and 360 degrees circulatory with endless orientation possibilities. The Voyager's versatility in movement and positioning makes it possible to hide it anywhere, always assuring optimal performances. The rotation of the front ring nut allows you to regulate the flow, recreating faithfully the effect of marine currents and satisfying even the most particular of your corals needs. And with the most durable rotor and shaft, the unique bidirectional design of the rotor assures that the pump always starts in the correct sense, avoiding the annoying noises provoked by an inversion of the sense of circulation. The rotor and shaft of the Voyager are wear-resistant beyond compare! Most suction cups applied in a salt water tank become stiff with time, compromising their hold and causing the pump to become unstable. The exclusive magnetic support for the Voyager is long-lasting and reliable and is ideal for glasses of 15mm width.
The Voyager can be used in fresh water aquariums. In fact, it can be used to raise the deposits from the bottom of the tank for better filtration, contributing to cleaner and clearer water.
Maximum inclination, flexibility, silence & reliability - all in one unit!
Features:
- 1,600 gallons per hour
- 14 watts
- Dimensions (excluding bracket): 3 5/8"L x 2.5" W x 3" H
- CE & UL listed
- 3 year warranty
- 360 degree pump rotation
- Adjustable pump body, rotates and tilts
- Support w/ magnets and suction cups
- Water capacity regulator
