Who makes a good powerhead?

Cannoy

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I'm looking for a good set of powerheads for a 20 long sps tank. I've tried MP10's but it turned out they were a huge waste of money because the wetsides kept breaking so i sold them. After the MP10's i tried a set of Nero 3's but they're super loud. What should i try next?
 

vetteguy53081

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Tunze
Cobalt
Nero by Ai (model 3 and 5)
 
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Cannoy

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I was thinking Tunze but I i didnt know they made noise. And is reefbreeders and jebao the same?
 

vetteguy53081

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I was thinking Tunze but I i didnt know they made noise. And is reefbreeders and jebao the same?
Jebao is its own company. Theyre great WHEN they run
 
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Cannoy

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Jebao is its own company. Theyre great WHEN they run
I have heard Jebao doesnt last forever, and around 2007 i had a Jebao UV sterilizer that melted on the inside and let water get to the wires going to the bulb socket.

I was very disappointed with AI and Ecotech, i thought that buying a more expensive pump meant better quality but that wasnt the case.
 

nkyreef

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I've tried about six different brands of pumps. They all make some amount of noise or vibration. Tunze pumps are solid and perform well even when dirty. Maxspect and Ice Cap gyres are nice for moving water except when they need cleaned. For me they were also the loudest. I prefer dc pumps over ac but the larger hydor koralia are good pumps. I haven't had much luck on the smaller ones. Recently I took a chance on the jebao mlw pumps which are similar to the ai nero and reef breeders. While the app is garbage I like the flow and options. It's also the easiest to clean out of every pump I've owned. Time will tell whether they last but they're at a decent price point.
 
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Cannoy

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I've tried about six different brands of pumps. They all make some amount of noise or vibration. Tunze pumps are solid and perform well even when dirty. Maxspect and Ice Cap gyres are nice for moving water except when they need cleaned. For me they were also the loudest. I prefer dc pumps over ac but the larger hydor koralia are good pumps. I haven't had much luck on the smaller ones. Recently I took a chance on the jebao mlw pumps which are similar to the ai nero and reef breeders. While the app is garbage I like the flow and options. It's also the easiest to clean out of every pump I've owned. Time will tell whether they last but they're at a decent price point.
I have a Koralia that is about 15 years old that i just use for mixing salt now and i have a broken IceCap 1k gyre. I wanted something DC but i might just go back to Koralia, they seem to last forever.
 

Tyler Flynn

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My tunze 6015's are fairly quiet, the 6025's make a bit of noise, but you have to be trying to hear them.
if you want something quiet and controllable try the aqamai powerheads. I believe their app (hydor) is back up and running after the sale of the company
 

Roatan Reef

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I currently run 2 Slim Pro 1200's on a 40G Breeder.

Super Quiet, DC Pumps with App, it takes some tricks but you can sync them in the app, regardless of what Amazon reviews say, I have both in Sync on Gyre Mode turned down to 28%, pulsating every 5 seconds.

So far so good, one of the highest reviewed Wave Maker on Amazon almost 5 stars with tons of reviews.

And again...SUPER QUIET.

They have controllers with long cables, if you don't use the app, and wire hangers to mount controllers neatly underneath or on back of your tank.

Plus 3 different fittings for wave size.

$149 for the 1200 on Prime.

20220329_215644.jpg 20220329_215629.jpg
 

T-J

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I'm looking for a good set of powerheads for a 20 long sps tank. I've tried MP10's but it turned out they were a huge waste of money because the wetsides kept breaking so i sold them. After the MP10's i tried a set of Nero 3's but they're super loud. What should i try next?
I'm curious, how did your MP10 wetsides "keep breaking"??
 

GillMeister

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I see no mention of Neptune WAV powerheads. They could be some of the best if they fixed the reliability problems. I wonder if they've learned anything from all the repairs they've done that would lead to a fix?

I have an Icecap gyre as well and I agree they are impossible to clean. I get really frustrated watching the instruction video where he says "use your feengur" to push the rotor out of the body. I have to use a hammer and a special cap I made to get the rotor out. Only someone with hands of granite and the strength to crush a golf ball could do it with just a 'feengur'.
 

SlugSnorter

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I'm looking for a good set of powerheads for a 20 long sps tank. I've tried MP10's but it turned out they were a huge waste of money because the wetsides kept breaking so i sold them. After the MP10's i tried a set of Nero 3's but they're super loud. What should i try next?
Nero is quieter than my Sicce silent pump, what kind of sound is it making? have you tried cleaning it?
 

minus9

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For that size tank, a pair of Tunze 6040’s are perfect and will last a long time. I have two 6040’s that are nearly 7 years old and are still going strong. They’re super easy to clean and maintain. Also, they are controllable via Apex, Hydros, etc. Don’t waste your money on anything else.
 

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