Return Pumps, Am I expecting too much?

[Dom]

A good thought but there's little to nothing in the return. I don't keep a very deep sand bed, what I have is more coarse and doesn't tend to get stirred up. When I do my water changes every 2 weeks I have a 1/4" siphon I use to clean between the baffles, in the corners and all around the pumps. There's just goo around the magnet when I take the pump apart. Both of them cracked the same way. I don't run them high, usually at 1.4.

That impeller looks melted along the crack.

 

[Generator]

I just lost a Hydor return that had run nonstop for over 4 years. Never an issue. That being said, I'm a Sicce guy. I trust them enough to buy them lightly used. Great value and reliable. I replaced my return with a Sicce.

I like sicce pumps, I have one for my fresh water tank but I wanted something with a controller. I know it's silly, I only need it for flow and a feed button it just makes things easier. I know the SDC has one, but it's an expense for tech I don't need. I figured I'd might need to considered them if these don't hold up.

 

[Generator]

That impeller looks melted along the crack.

I thought the same thing. Not having looked hard at it before it took a dump I didn't know if it was a production flaw or if it's some weird thing that could have happened over time from stress and wear. I'm leaning towards flaw but I don't know what weird things might be able to happen.