Power head suggestions

[Sleepydoc]

I have a 120 gallon tank with 2 Tunze powerheads. I need to replace the power head in my mixing reservoir and I’m trying to decide is if it would be worth getting a pair of controllable power heads for my tank. I’d kind of like to get something I can control with my Apex but am trying to decide if it’s worth the extra money.

Is it worth paying the extra money for controllable power heads or should I just stick with the cheaper A/C ones? What would controllable powerheads to people recommend? I looked at the WAV’s but their reliability seems to be sub-par.

 

[CasaReefer]

Radions.... MP40's or 60's... I have the 40's and there Great. I love Them... Not literally ... I guess I just like them a lot..

 

[Jon Fishman]

I have MP40’s..... 5 have the wireless chip, one does not......

Honestly, I finally (today as a matter of fact) connected them to my Apex.....


I don’t think powerheads are something that really “needs” to be controllable..... I’m sure someone will disagree, but I have had great growth, no dead spots etc without them being controlled.


Edit: It is worth the extra cost for low-profile look and no cords in the tank though!

 

[Mical]

I currently have a 120 w/a pair of MP10s both controlled off my apex and it's worked out brilliantly. But I'm in the process of upgrading to Mp40s as I'm adding SPS and need the additional flow. The MP10s have worked great for LPS & softies & my nems. I like the adjustability to program different modes throughout the day.

 

[Homebrewer]

I have a 120 gallon tank with 2 Tunze powerheads. I need to replace the power head in my mixing reservoir and I’m trying to decide is if it would be worth getting a pair of controllable power heads for my tank. I’d kind of like to get something I can control with my Apex but am trying to decide if it’s worth the extra money.

Is it worth paying the extra money for controllable power heads or should I just stick with the cheaper A/C ones? What would controllable powerheads to people recommend? I looked at the WAV’s but their reliability seems to be sub-par.

I was asking myself the same questions this time last year. Was between 2 MP 10s or 2 Nero 5s. I ended up with the Neros due to slightly cheaper price, integrated bluetooth control (I don’t have an Apex), and overall total GPH being higher.

These are my first controllable pumps so I can’t really give you a comparison among the class, but I’m very pleased with my purchase. I love the custom cycles and the feed mode. Plus I went from 4 small pumps to these two, so I decreased my overall in-tank footprint by 50%.

 

[Hemmdog]

Mp40’s or 60’s

 

[Perpetual Novice]

There are plenty of cheaper powerheads that come with their own controllers.

Jaebow is super cheap. They will lose about half their power after a couple of months so I assume half the advertised gph, but I have found they are very reliable and maintain performance after that point. They are a great value once you accept that defect.

My favorite brand is icecap. their gyre powerheads come with a highly customizable controller. They are reliable and compact and completely quiet when running below 70% power in my experience. The interface is not the most intuitive is my main complaint.

I think buying an apex controller is a good move if you have a huge tank and are installing many powerheads in different positions that need coordination. a universal controller like that is also good if you want to potentially add more or different powerheads down the line. but for what it does I think controllers are very overpriced, at least in most cases when a couple of powerheads with included controllers do a great job at a fraction of the cost. Also if you are just exploring the benefits of varied flow try dipping your toes in with something inexpensive while you learn how to apply it to your tank and figure out if you want a more complex system and what that might look like.

I have found my corals really appreciate the varied flow. They used to grow lopsided and awkward until I switched to a controllable powerhead. now the growth is faster and much more natural. so I do recommend some kind of varied flow powerhead.

 

[mtraylor]

Its well worth the money. You will learn that your aquarium will be healthier and the random flow promotes growth

 

[ReefingwithO]

I love Tunze 6095s - they are on sale for $187 now. They are controllable with or without an Apex - and you can get a cable and sync them without the need for a separate controller.

If you can stretch the budget then MP40s are very nice pumps - That's what I'm using now although I still miss being able to aim the 6095s

I have started to move away from having my Apex controlling every aspect of my tank including ramping my pumps up and down. Last year while traveling for business my Apex failed and my pumps and DOS dosing pumps didn't work. My wife still hasn't forgiven me for having her run cables across the living room to get the tank running.

 

[45ZoaGarden]

Just get the ecotechs. Probably mp40’s for that tank because the 60’s will be overkill LOL. I have two mp10’s on my 45 gallon cube and love them. Both connected to my apex. I like being able to schedule ramp ups/ downs and being able to change the different modes of the pumps for different times of day such as lagoon for night time and short pulse for the day. They’re Dead silent and have the benefit of no wires in the tank. I like the wave action gyre pumps give but I don’t own one so I can’t comment on their performance.

 

[mike550]

Newbie here. I’m running a 120G reefer and started with MP40. After watching this group I saw the pattern of how folks “buy up” and improve their equipment along the way. Figured I’d learn from history.

 

[Sleepydoc]

Thanks for all the feedback - right now the only control I have is on/off via my Apex EB832, so the controllability is really attractive. I suppose I could still have the Apex control on/off and use the pump control to do the other stuff. That would still be a big improvement from what I have. No wires in the tank is really attractive, too. I'm just having a hard time swallowing $700 for a pair of pumps (plus another $125 if I want to run them through the Apex.) ;Greedy

BRS has the Tunze 6105 on sale for $225 right now, so that may be a good compromise...

 

[45ZoaGarden]

Thanks for all the feedback - right now the only control I have is on/off via my Apex EB832, so the controllability is really attractive. I suppose I could still have the Apex control on/off and use the pump control to do the other stuff. That would still be a big improvement from what I have. No wires in the tank is really attractive, too. I'm just having a hard time swallowing $700 for a pair of pumps (plus another $125 if I want to run them through the Apex.) ;Greedy

BRS has the Tunze 6105 on sale for $225 right now, so that may be a good compromise...

Maybe try a gyre for now. They’re controllable through apex and you can get one for the same price as the tunze