Energy Efficient Return Pump Recommendations

[hwttdz]

I'm in the planning stages of what is likely a 75 gallon reef tank, and I'm quite stuck on the return pump. My priority is long term cost efficiency (gph/watt), and I'm also leaning towards submersible pumps (although the lower heat added to the tank of external pumps is appealing).

Pumps I have considered are the
mag 7 (seem ultra reliable, not terribly efficient, 700 gph at 70 watts, 10 gph/watt)
rio hyper flow 12 (I've found a few forum posts that are very negative to rio, but most seem to be of their older pumps, this is appealing because it has both low initial investment and it's efficient at almost 19 gph/watt)
gen-x 4100 (I think that's the right number, I saw an awful review where the insides totally rusted out)
I've come across something called a tornado magnetic drive pond pump, the 800 gph model draws a very reasonable 35 watts.

Anyone have any strong preferences among these, or for one I'm not considering.

 

[Playa-1]

Eheim 1262 will serve you well.

 

[markandkristen]

ditto ditto ditto.. used that same pump on a 220 gallon and it worked like a champ... very little heat transfer to the water...

 

[celano]

Like Playa said Ehiems are great pumps but they will set ya back a few bucks.
Outta the three that you listed the mag is prolly your best bet. They do get hot and they may not be the most energy efficient but they're damn reliable pumps. If you cant spring for the Ehiem take a look at the Pondmaster pump series. They are the same thing as the Magdrives but they dont cost quit as much.

 

[shag26272]

oceanrunner 2500 38 watts

 

[alpha0r]

all of the reeflo are energy efficient.

I have a mag7 I would not recommend it. They run very hot; it is like have a 200w heater in your tank all the time. They are very difficult to seal if you try to run externally. They are a bit noisy.

If I could do it over I would go with an external reeflo.

 

[kau_cinta_ku]

I agree out of the 3 you listed the mag. will prob. be your best pump.

I run a mag. 9 on my 75 and it is very quiet. the heat don't bother me just saves the heaters from kicking on more than they have to but my tank runs on the cold side anyway.

 

[cdbias2]

I went from a mag. to a QuietOne 4000 and lowered my 90g tank temp 3 degrees!

 

[snorvich]

If cost were no object, I would get Red Dragon. Otherwise Eheim.

 

[hwttdz]

I'm a little surprised about the eheim, it does consume 80 watts. I wonder where all that power is going, my first assumption is that power always goes into heat??

 

[Allanira]

I have a Rio hyperflo 17. It dies put heat in the tank but is more energy efficient that others that I had seen. Also lower initial cost. There is just 1 thing that I dont like about it. You have to keep it extremely clean for it to be energy efficient and to lower the heat of it. I dont have a heater in my tank/ sump right now cause it is warm very very warm here in NM so that way I save money on it coming on. Also I just googled energy efficient aquarium pumps and saw this one Rio Pond Pump - Model 2500
I found it on http://www.pondandgardenwholesalers.com/servlet/the-224/aquarium-efficient-energy-pond/Detail
Hope that helps. It doesnt say what the wattage is though but it flows at 700gph. Good luck.

 

[hwttdz]

Looks like that one is 65 watts, it also has a rather steeper flow rate falloff with increasing head. Perhaps the rio hyper flows draw more power than advertised, because if they're only drawing 35, and doing 9 watts of work (its about that to move however many gallons it had at 4 feet of head up four feet in an hour), then it only has the possibility of putting 26 watts of power into the tank.