Which Powerheads are considered "the Best"?

[Puff]

its going to be time to buy a powerhead soon and im just wondering which ones have the best reputation, but arent going to break the bank.lol

it will be for a 55 gallon.

is it better to get 2 smaller ones, or one bigger one?

how much are these "wave maker" things? and is it worth to get one? or should i just stick with powerheads?

i want one with a bit of a wider output so it isnt concentrating all the force in a small area, but will spread out the temperature more efficiently.

also, how many GPH should i be looking for out of a powerhead for my sized tank (55 gallon)?

thanks for all input :D

[FragFactory]

Maxi Jet powerheads are virtually indestructible, cheap and offer great flow, but it is concentrated and not spread out.

Tunze's are also very reliable, and throw out a lot of soft, wide flow but they will break your bank :)

I should have some Tunze's on sale this canada day weekend :)

Mike

[SerLunchbox]

I personally have a Seio 1100 in my 50 gallon right now ... i am really liking it myself. Mid range compared to Maxi-Jet and Tunze

[G1GY]

I personally have a Seio 1100 in my 50 gallon right now ... i am really liking it myself. Mid range compared to Maxi-Jet and Tunze

I'd second this opinion.

The Seio's offer the best bang for the buck IMO.

[TheReefGeek]

As for one or two, I would go with two smaller seio's, one in each back corner pointing upward towards the middle top, intersecting each other, for turbulent flow.

[Puff]

so maybe 2 Seio 620s or 820s??

620s probaby?

i assume the number is the GPH rating or something...possibly...maybe... :( lol

[TheReefGeek]

Yes, 2 620s would be awesome flow for your tank.

[Molino]

I've got two Seio 620's in my 55 gallon and am very happy with them so far.

[Mike Olson]

A friend of mine is using mj-1200's with those Hydor diffusers on them.....very cool and creates alot of mixed flow

[Delphinus]

What's a Hydor diffuser look like? Sorry, I guess I should know this, I just don't remember and I didn't find any useful hits in the 10 seconds I alloted myself to google it.

[G1GY]

What's a Hydor diffuser look like? Sorry, I guess I should know this, I just don't remember and I didn't find any useful hits in the 10 seconds I alloted myself to google it.

http://www.petsolutions.com/Images/100/51307280.jpg

I think it might be the little flat thingy on the outlet.

[niloc16]

i have a 55 gallon and i use a mj1200 and 2 mj600 and i get really good flow.

[Mike Olson]

What's a Hydor diffuser look like? Sorry, I guess I should know this, I just don't remember and I didn't find any useful hits in the 10 seconds I alloted myself to google it.
Big Als has them and I have seen them at Pauls Aquarium in Surrey. They are a separate attachment that can go on powerheads or even returns. They look like a miniature version of the Tunze stream front and they revolve 360 degrees. THEY are not the little flat piece that come with the maxijets.
Hydor is the manufacturers name
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_wavemakers_filters_hydor_bioflo_bio_flo_a erobic.asp?CartId=

[midgetwaiter]

I mucked around with the bio flos on my return lines when I setup my new tank, I wasn't really impressed. I found them difficult to attach to the pvc and they blocked a lot of light. I also broke one of them somehow, broke a tooth off one of the gears, I have no idea how.

However in my 12 gal I stuck one on the end of my powerhead because my anemone wouldn't settle down. It takes up a big amount of space still but it did get the anemone to relax.

I don't think I'd recommend them to most people though, by the time you get a maxijet and the flo you are about $5 shy of a sieo and have nowhere as useful. That wide output on the sieo is very effective.

[DanG]

I have 2 620's in my 40, and if the chance came up I would swap them out for a pair of 820's. More flow the merrier. They do have flow restrictors on them, so if you did go with 820's and found it to be too much, you could slow it down a bit.

[Puff]

yeah, im leaning towards two 820s or 1 820 and one of the larger ones.

i might get a chance to upgrade tank sizes to a 75 gallon once we're done renovations.

would that setup work for a 75gallon if i got a chance to upgrade?

[Chad]

if you are good at DIY, make a Maxi-stream. Its basicly a tunze but all you do is buy a MJ-1200 and some extra parts, maybe 10$ worth. And you have something that blows the tunzes away.

I've made a few, amazing things for next to nothing.

Take a look at this thread, its a great resource to build one of these.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=871507

[demon666]

damn that is a long thread...... split 4 times after 40 pages per split........ great info.....

[TheReefGeek]

Care to summarize for us? :mrgreen:

I have lots of maxijets kicking around I could play around with. I read that thead a long time ago, but wasn't sure where to get the propellers.

[GMGQ]

I got mine from BA online (cheaper than in store, go figure):

http://www.auphanonline.com:8080/gallery/images/uploads/1/l_060511184310_432_1_2.jpg

They fit perfectly onto my 3/4" round nozzle loc-line on my return. They're cheap and effective.

Big Als has them and I have seen them at Pauls Aquarium in Surrey. They are a separate attachment that can go on powerheads or even returns. They look like a miniature version of the Tunze stream front and they revolve 360 degrees. THEY are not the little flat piece that come with the maxijets.
Hydor is the manufacturers name
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_wavemakers_filters_hydor_bioflo_bio_flo_a erobic.asp?CartId=

[OCDP]

Would those work on a Seio? :neutral:

[Chad]

Care to summarize for us? :mrgreen:

I have lots of maxijets kicking around I could play around with. I read that thead a long time ago, but wasn't sure where to get the propellers.

you can get the props at any hobby store.. In fact you can get everything you need there except the pipping. Its really quite simple. And depending on how much flow you want, you can use your 400 , 600, 900 or in my case a 1200.

apparently the 900 is best for watts used vs flow. But I am using the MJ1200 with a 1.75" prop.. the power the comes out of it is unreal. I may need to use a smaller prop cuz its just too much flow for my 50 gal.

[TheReefGeek]

Would those work on a Seio? :neutral:

The seio already has a difused flow like that, so it would be redundant wouldn't it?

[tomini]

wow! those seios offer a lot of flow.
Where is the point where a lot of flow becomes detrimental?
I have a 75 gal, standard size and was considering 2 seio 800 series.
im currently using 4 aqua clear 201

[OCDP]

But it says that these rotate 360 degrees?? Wouldn't that be different from a Seio??

I think the only way flow can become "too much" is if it's harming corals that don't require a high flow. SPS would love it. That's why SPS keepers try to cram in as much flow as possible.

[midgetwaiter]

tomini it is difficult to compare the flow from a sieo directly with a classic powerhead like the maxijet. There is more water moving, hence the gph figures but the output is spread across a much lager area. Feels about the same when you stick your hand in there. There is no question that the larger streams are often much better for reef tanks though.

[tomini]

thanks for your imput guys =)

[reeferaddict]

wow! those seios offer a lot of flow.
Where is the point where a lot of flow becomes detrimental?
I have a 75 gal, standard size and was considering 2 seio 800 series.
im currently using 4 aqua clear 201

Try to imagine 30 tons of water being displaced every 5 seconds or so... (a SMALL wave in comparison to the big picture), then think of what goes on in our tanks... the powerheads being referred to offer very different flow patterns - the Maxijets almost straight sheer flow, which wouldn't be good if pointed directly at ANY coral. Seio's & Tunze's offer a wider sweeping swirling vortex kind of flow aimed more at volume than being directional, a much more natural "current" solution.

As for the money, you get what you paid for... period, the end. Maxijets are a good value for the $$$ and you can run them on a wavemaker. Seio's move way more water (read FEWER ph's = MORE flow), in a very natural way, again are good value for what they cost but you can't use them on a wavemaker.

Tunze - well, I already said it, you pay, but wow... :surprise: With a six foot tank, they're not too obtrusive, and they are remarkable in what they do. Instead of just steady laminar flow or back & forth like with a wavemaker, these amazing powerheads make my reef come alive. I will have flowing motion one minute, then a gentle pulsing the next before a new flow pattern emerges. Every portion of the tank gets "sloshed" with a good current, and I couldn't imagine being without now. The ones I have are controlled and variable speed, (6100), but there are cheaper ones. Pro's - they're simple, easy to install and provide amazing natural water flow. Cons - Price of course, maybe a little on the big side but something this good has to be built right as well at the prices.