what brand of water pump?

I did not have good luck with a mag9 on my return.

It failed after a couple years of use, and I have replaced it witha QO3000. believe it or not, but he 780gph rated QO3000 puts out more flow than the mag9 did at 950 gph, and it even is on the exact same manifold/ return piping as the mag9 was. I did have to take out the 1" to 3/4" reducer, as the QO is 1" mpt, and the mag was 3/4" mpt.

Usually the mags are reliable, but mine went prematurely and even new impellers won't fix it. The QO is less than half the watts of the mag9. Granted, this is far from a cheap hobby, but ATM I am not employed, so I try to cut costs like electricity bills when I can.

The only issue I hear about QO pumps is the larger ones are not so quiet.

 

Mags draw more watts per gallon of water pumps thus are less efficient, create more heat due to the inefficiencies and are noisy by comparison. Unless you have run all of them side by side its hard to fathom. I sold off every Mag pump I owned. I did run them side by side for a true comparison and found the OR and Eheims both to be twice the value at any cost.

 

I'm running a mag 9.5 on my skimmer, and mag 12 on my return. Both have been reliable and relatively quiet ("relatively" because I haven't used another pump to compare it to). The main reason I picked the mag pumps was their compact overall size. My cabinet isn't that large, and even though I modified it to increase the overall interior volume, I just couldn't fit that large of a sump in there. So I had to go for pumps that were slightly more compact.

 

You could go with the Ferrari model, the Red Dragon pumps.
Red Dragon Pumps

 

I've heard that if you buy a Red Dragon they will actually throw in a Ferrari.

 

Yeah, but with the Ferrari you at least feel like you are getting what you pay for. the red dragons are just overpriced rebadged laguna pond pumps.

This reminds me of the 2nd gen hyundai tiburon that was red and all hyundai badges taken off, and replaced with ferrari badging. Yes, the an italian firm did the designing ion that tiburon, but I don't know who he / she was trying to fool.

 

anyone who says "pump X is the best" and hasn't used every single pump currently or ever made is at best misinformed, and at worst wrong.

I have a Eheim for my marine return, and have used many other brands of pond and industrial pumps over the years, and my experience says that for readily available pumps, parts, and quality Eheim is a pretty good brand. I have used the Mag Drive pumps, Maxi-jet, Little Giant, and a host of pumps sold at home improvement stores and I just feel the Eheim has given me good bang for the buck compared to those I've used.

My position on pumps is not to skimp. In general you will get what you pay for in a pump, and anything that members here speak highly of that fits your budget will probably serve you well. The efficiency of a pump is important, but I would say quality construction, brand reputation, and ease of maintenance are all more important. Also, I found that the Eheim pump was heating my water up about 3 degrees and I was happy to be able to run it external when I decided to, so that was a major factor in going with that brand.

-Doug

 

I've been using a QO 2200 for over a year now and after about 6 months it will not restart after unplugging it without cleaning it, It is also a PITA getting the front casing off I have already broken the front piece trying to get it off.

At first it was a very reliable pump but now its a flood waiting to happen.
just my 2 c's.

 

Watts aren't everything if it can't pump at a given height.

 

The only Red Dragon pump I would buy would be a replacement for my BK skimmer, to be honest. They are way too expensive. The lower energy draw is nice, but it will take a very long time for it to pay for itself in that sense. My Mags have been very reliable for me, I'm happy with them.