Return Pumps: How long has yours been running? Which has been BEST for you?

[Streetcred]

Return: Laguna Maxflo 16500L/hr, 16 years, cleaned 5 times and it never missed a beat. Just retired it and put on 2 x Vectra L2's.
Circulation: Reeflo Hammerhead, +16 years, never cleaned ... still going strong.

 

[HJ99]

My Iwaki 70 has been running about a month. Rather loud but it's in the basement. From what I hear, it may outlast me. A lifetime guarantee has a different meaning to a 68 yo man. LOL

 

[KingTideCorals]

I had the worst pump running on my lagoon that constantly ticked.. and I just would not change it... Why? I do not know.. but I finally did make a plunge a little while back and it has been so amazing ever since.

 

[snorklr]

danner mag 5...i've had it so long it came with the used wet dry i bought at least 15 years ago...didnt start once about 10 years ago...pulled the 4 screws , checked the impeller...everything looked fine...put it back together and its been running ever since

 

[Mkissane]

I’ve been running Reeflo Darts for many years and they usually last between 3-5 years before the bearings go. The seals are the normal issue with them,but with 6-8 month cleaning they will last. However I got a deal on the Gold version and had to dial it way back. It’s been running flawlessly for the last 7 years. I think between dialing it back and routine cleaning has contributed to its longevity....

I also use the Reeflo Dart hybrid. Has been running for over 2 years without any issues since a big move. I did swap it out last week when I redesigned my return manifold just because it was easy to do at the time. The old pump was still in great shape. I cleaned it up and stored it for a emergency. I love these pumps and since I have a dedicated fish room in the garage opposite side of the wall and the tank in the house I don’t need to worry about noise or space. That said, the pump is not very noisy though.

 

[JPT12345]

Aqua medic ocean runner.

ran for 10 years, never cleaned it.

Replaced with aqua medics dc runner for 3 years never cleaned or maintained and still working perfectly.

 

[Pinky80]

LOL, I've two Jebao DCP-8000's running for over 2 years now and no problems. Just keep them clear of crap and they keep on going. And I LOL this, because I know a lot of people hate this brand. I just like to keep reefing affordable.

 

[arod0814]

I’ve owned a ecotech marine vectra M1 for about 2 1/2 years. I have not encountered any problems so far And I don’t think I will.
Well all I’ve known is vectra M1 so I can’t really give you a comparison on who’s best but, I got the M1 because of great reviews and people say it’s the best. So in my opinion Vectra is the best.
I do have a sicce pump running water to my UV light and never had a problem with it either.

As far as maintenance every 9 months I take it apart and give it a good cleaning, just because I want to not because any flow has been affected.

 

[Phiilip]

I’ve had the same sicce 3.0 running on my 120’s return since 2015. It’s been going non-stop. I replaced the impeller once probably 3/4 years ago, but other than that it’s been bullet proof. I’m starting to detect a little noise from it however so I’m considering replacing it.

 

[Sleepydoc]

I have a Cor20 that I got January, 2018, right after they came out. The only problem was the power supply fried about a year ago. I also have a Fluval SP4 and a Varios 6 - zero problems with either of those.

For straight forward reliability, I'd probably recommend the Fluval - it's an A/C pump so there are no power supplies or controllers to deal with and it's a solid pump. For DC pumps, both the COR20 and Varios have been good. No matter what I recommend having a backup pump.

I try to do a citric acid soak every 6 months but cleaning pumps is kind of like flossing - you intend to do it more often than you do! Realistically I probably do it every 9-12 months.

COR 20, been running since March of 2019. I've vinegar soaked it once. The power brick failed last night (first failure of any kind), and I had a 2nd one running my water mixing station so I was able to swap it out.

I had the same problem - makes me wonder if Neptune needs to improve the design of their power supplies.

COR-20 working great for about a year now. Probably going to buy a spare soon, but $300+ for something to sit in a bin is hard to stomach.
I wonder what kind of redundancy can be built in for a return pump failure while on an extended vacation.

A return pump is something you should have a backup for - even if it's a more rudimentary backup. The easiest solution is to have an identical pump that you can simply swap out, or have one with the same fittings. I have my pump on a union so I can just connect the spare pump to the same union and be on my way in a few minutes. Makes cleaning easier, too.

 

[jpas]

I have been running a Reeflo barracuda for the last 4 years nonstop with not issues. I do a visual check on the seals every few months with no issues. I have an extra set of seals and a new backup Reeflo just in case.

 

[jpas]

I forgot to mention that I also setup two Cor20 pumps three years back and one had died and the second is starting to show signs of dying. Very disappointing. These were running a Life Reef skimmer and a UV.

 

[spacedcowboy]

I have two Reeflo Dart Golds plumbed in as the return, though I only ever run one at a time. The other is a "hot spare" waiting to be turned on. The idea is that I can't lose my return pump - I just switch to the other and replace the faulty one at leisure.

The thing is, I set that up 9 years ago, and I've never needed to flip the ball-valves over to the other pump. The Dart Gold has just gone on, and on, and on. Some day I may be glad I went to the extra trouble you see above. Today is not that day.

 

[Buckster]

I had a sicce that was 4 years old with no problems but changed over to the abyzz a100. It's been about 6 months and quiet is wonderful! Great to have a timed feed mode!

 

[X-37B]

A Tunze pump that was on my nano for over 3. Same pump now over a year on my 45 frag.

 

[Rosh225]

Return pumps keep the water flowing from crucial areas and through crucial pieces of equipment all the while helping provide oxygen exchange and even flow! So safe to say they are pretty important to the life of our saltwater reef aquariums. So important that many people keep a spare just in case theirs quits working. With that in mind I would like to ask you a couple questions regarding your return pumps today! Let's GO!

1. How long has your current return pump been running without issue?

2. What has been the best return pump (brand) you have ever used?

3. Do you have a regular maintenance schedule for your return pump? This will play into how long they run without issue!

I love my Neptune COR20 and COR15. I have been running the COR20 since I setup my tank 4 years ago. I was a little to powerful for my Red Sea XL625, so later when I got a backup pump I bought the COR15. I clean the COR20 monthly and run the COR15 once a week for an hour.

 

[Squidward]

Running a used Mag pump on my 300g. Almost 2 years now no issue.

 

[AdamNC]

1. How long has your current return pump been running without issue? 4 years 23 days

2. What has been the best return pump (brand) you have ever used? Sicce Syncra 2.0

3. Do you have a regular maintenance schedule for your return pump? Nope

 

[Crotalus]

Jebao 12000 running over 4 years at 50%. I never touch it. I do have a second one running in parallel. It's been running for 2+ years.

 

[Chas J]

Iwaki for the win! My iwaki is on its second system, about 15 years of continuous use. It has never been cleaned. It still runs flawlessly. The only drawback is that it's an energy hog.