View Full Version : good powerheads?
Wrench
11-13-2006, 8:24 PM
Looking for some info on what kind of powerheads everyone reccomends. I have a Rio 2100 in my sump for the return but I've heard they are junk and leech oil into the tank so I'd like to upgrade it. I also need another powerhead or two for in the tank to move the water. Any suggestions?
Fishieness
11-13-2006, 8:44 PM
as far as value, the magdrives are great for the price. but if you want somethign higher quality, try a little giant or iwaki.
for powerheads, use maxi-jets.
jojo22
11-13-2006, 9:54 PM
I would look into a good pump and a closed loop manifold.
The little giant is great & the iwaki is also...We have also tried the Gen-X which is cost effective...You might think that they are not working...But the need primed. Not to much work...
Lib's
Reefscape
11-14-2006, 4:14 AM
i have found a lot of joy through MaxiJet powerheads....you get a few mounting options available with them in the box and very easy to control the water flow through them...Great bit of kit..
Niko
Wrench
11-14-2006, 9:44 AM
thanks for the suggestions. It's a little too late for a closed loop manifold since I've got my substrate and some live rock in there already. Had I known about them earlier I would have absolutely set one up. I've had others suggest the Maxi-Jets too so I got a pair of the 900's.
Reefscape
11-14-2006, 10:08 AM
You wont go wrong with them Wrench, as long as they can give you the correct water turnover you need..
Niko
Wrench
11-14-2006, 10:05 PM
The 900's are rated at somewhere around 200gph so with my 45g that's around 5 times an hour and I've got two of those plus another brand powerhead I've already got that is 180gph not counting the Rio that's in the sump. I think I'm going to replace that with a Maxi Jet 1200.
Sonicblast12
11-14-2006, 10:17 PM
Stay away from the Aquaclears. Mine just constantly floods the tank with microbubbles. It's maddening.
Wrench
11-15-2006, 10:00 AM
yeah nothing with the aquaclear name comes in this house. bad times with some of their stuff a few years ago.
wastememphis
11-16-2006, 4:16 PM
MJ's are good. You can modify them (www.mjmods.com) and make a MJ1200 comprable to a Tunze6060 (2000gph). I'm going to try this for my new tank. You can do a closed loop without drilling your tank if you want. Just have two tubes say 1" going into your tank, cap the bottom off and drill a few dozen intake holes all the way around it... have both pipes go over the back of your tank and merge into a 2" hole and you can get a very large pump like a sequence and then have it pump back up into your tank. Looks pretty good too, it's an alternative to drilling your tank.