best internal return pump

[demonclownfish]

i now need an internal return pump so ive been looking at a few. so far ive found the quiet one 4000, mag 9.5, mag 12, eihem 1262. opinions on any of these pumps? experiences?

[cephalotus]

I would go with the mag 12, yeah mags put off some heat and use electricity but are cheap and they last forever.

[MyNemesis]

I've had the Mag pumps and currently have an Eheim as a sump workhorse. The Mag 24 I had put out a LOT of heat, use a LOT of power and was a LOT of loud. I didn't need a heater on my tank the whole time I was using the Mag 24, keeping the water temp at 76 degrees consistently in the winter, but summers were a challenge. My tank is in my dining room so it was very noticeable. The Eheims don't pump that much water quantity for a return pump for what they cost, but they are very reliable. I got an ATB Flowstar pump last summer in a group buy Tanglovers organized and the flow is less than the Mag I had (like 1500 gph at 5' head), but they are dead silent, use much less energy, and don't put off the heat. They can be use internally or externally, and it was a couple bucks well spent. The new Sicce pumps look good, too, but I haven't checked them out carefully. Tanglover's whole system after the addition of his new 520 gallon tank is run by the Flowstar pumps.

[Manoj's Reef]

+1 on mag generating heat. They are not very efficient , but are cheap and a good way to get into the hobby.

+1 on ehiem reliability. I have been using it for the last 1.5 hrs with no probs.

[BlackGrandPrix]

I really like the Maxijet Utility pumps. They use considerable less wattage than the Mags.

[binford4000]

You might want to look at hese

Water Bluster Water Pumps (http://www.aquacave.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=858)


They're built just like the red dragons are very quiet and efficant.And put out a ton of water for the buck

[180wall]

I second the water blaster they are about as efficient as you can get.

[Wy Renegade]

I use the Quietones, and have used the Mags in the past. I would definitely use the Quietones over the mags, no question. Personally I would look at the 4000 highhead as well, depending on the application you are using it for.

[bigbill]

i run a mag 12 b on my 80 and yes the only real draw back is the heat but my tank is in the basement so it kinda acts like a 3rd heater thus makeing my normal heaters work less so the heat is good for my tank but can cause problems in the summer with others

[CalmSeasQuest]

I've been running a WaterBlaster HY5000 for about 6 months - It's been perfect so far. Good output and efficiency and it has always restarted.

[AZDesertRat]

The best affordable return pumps would be Eheim or Ocean Runner in my opinion based on a series of tests I did a few years ago. They are both very efficient, do not inflate their capabilities, are quiet, create little heat and do not have restart problems. I have owned and tested Mags, Quiet Ones, Via Aqua, Rio both regular and Hyperflo and several others and none came close. The Mags are extremely hot, use more watts per gallon of flow and are noisy as all get out. I only use them for mixing water in winter months now. I had two different Quiet Ones literally go up in flames and electrify my tbesides running so hot I could not lay my hand on them and would not restart when the power went off so they went in the trash and the Via Aqua and Hyperflows both had impeller problems within the first year so they are trash too.

The blasters look nice but man they are expensive, I doubt I would ever recover the cost difference in power savings.

[demonclownfish]

The best affordable return pumps would be Eheim or Ocean Runner in my opinion based on a series of tests I did a few years ago. They are both very efficient, do not inflate their capabilities, are quiet, create little heat and do not have restart problems. I have owned and tested Mags, Quiet Ones, Via Aqua, Rio both regular and Hyperflo and several others and none came close. The Mags are extremely hot, use more watts per gallon of flow and are noisy as all get out. I only use them for mixing water in winter months now. I had two different Quiet Ones literally go up in flames and electrify my tbesides running so hot I could not lay my hand on them and would not restart when the power went off so they went in the trash and the Via Aqua and Hyperflows both had impeller problems within the first year so they are trash too.

The blasters look nice but man they are expensive, I doubt I would ever recover the cost difference in power savings.

what size eihem or ocean runner would you reccomend for a 120g dual overflowed?

[AZDesertRat]

OR 3500 or Eheim 1262. I use the 3500 myself and its been great for 7 years now, never had a problem with it yet. I also use the OR2700 on my skimmer and had another 3500 on the closed loop before I shut it down.

[rmalone]

Im running a flow star 1500 not cheap but excellent.

[demonclownfish]

ya not so cheap :(, so idk should i get the OR3500 or try to save up for an eheim 1262?

[demonclownfish]

found this pump called an eheim+3000 anyone know if its any good?- Eheim Compact Plus 3000 (http://www.saltysupply.com/Eheim-Compact-Plus-3000-p/eh11044.htm)

[tankdude]

I used to run a mag 12 on my 110, I always had heat issues in the summer and it was loud. I have never used Eheim pumps and have heard great things about them, I would recommend one if you can afford it.

[AZDesertRat]

Shutoff head on that Compact 3000 is only like 7 feet so the GPH will drop off dramatically and will probably be pretty low at the normal 5 os so feet most of us have including height, line loss and fittings. Eheim and OR are both conservative on their numbers though and it may actually do a lttle better than that. Its not as energy efficient as their other pumps or the OR pumps though, my OR3500 draws 58 watts maximum on a Kill A Watt meter at zero head and full GPH of around 1000 and 53 watts in my system as a return.

[demonclownfish]

ok i doubt ill even have this setup for 5 years before i went bigger anyways. i guess im gonna go with the OR3500 :)

[demonclownfish]

just making sure this is the right one lol?- Ocean Runner Universal Pump (http://www.bigalsonline.com/productDetailsPage.mtw?productId=7981057&source=ComparisonShopping_Google&CAWELAID=520697260)

[AZDesertRat]

Yes, thats the one. I bought two of mine from Custom Aquatic but they are slightly higher and out of stock. Prices have gone up in the last few years, mine were like $75 at the time which made them an even better deal compared to the Eheim which was always over $100. Now the prices are close on the OR3500 and Eheim 1262 and both are good pumps.

EDIT, I take that back, I just checked on a Eheim 1262 and they are almost $200 now!

[demonclownfish]

ya the 1262 is anywhere from $60-90 more than the OR3500

[AZDesertRat]

You know what, Premium Aquatics has the Water Blaster HY-3000 for $179, lowest I've seen and it only draws 32 watts, I've never tried one but lots of good things are being said about them. If I were starting over I might go that direction.