Return Pump Recommendations

[oceangirl2009]

I'm taking down my tank to move it into our new home. Since I have to tear everything down, I figured this was a good time to replace my 5 year old return pump. I think it's been losing power anyways.

What do you all recommend for a good return pump for a 57 gal tank with a 20gal sump?

 

[jurgenph]

i really like the DC controllable pumps, like the Tunze 1073.050

But there are others. it depends on how much head pressure you've got to work with, and how much flow you want through the sump.

J.

 

[jda]

Just clean up the old one and use it. If it is losing power, then it is from buildup that you can get rid of.

BTW - you won't find many people who have had 5 years of luck out of most DC pumps. For that kind of reliability, you have to go AC, tunze, ehiem, fluval, lagual, etc.

 

[mfinn]

I'm taking down my tank to move it into our new home. Since I have to tear everything down, I figured this was a good time to replace my 5 year old return pump. I think it's been losing power anyways.

What do you all recommend for a good return pump for a 57 gal tank with a 20gal sump?

For a ac pump I really like my sicce 3.0 that I use on my 50 gallon tank.
When I set up my 66, I will be using a Vectra S1.

You might consider a good vinegar soak and a new impeller on your old pump.

 

[jgaepi]

I'm just starting up my new 60g (38+22) and purchased a Viper 3.0. Looking forward to bringing it online next week. Good reviews on it.

 

[Westside Guy]

You should take a look at the Vectra S2 DC pump.

Vectra - M1 & L1 Return Pump

EcoTech Marine has set new standards for equipment in saltwater aquariums. The Vectra is no exception. The world’s smartest return pump can be run on a schedule, wirelessly give you updates on the operation and be automatically configured to work with your specific aquarium setup.

ecotechmarine.com

All of the larger online websites sell it for $299.

 

[Water Dog]

I have that same tank, custom drilled (non reef ready version). I prefer the reliability of an AC pump. I’m using the Sicce ADV 5.5, valved back about 15% feeding two 1/2” return lines with RFA nozzles. It’s running nice and quietly (much quieter than Sicce’s Syncra line) at a mere 32 watts according to my Apex power monitoring.