Rio Powerhead

[tyesmithND]

Hi,

I was wondering if you could answer a question I have had for a while now. I started a thread a little while ago

http://reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=103466&highlight=broken+rios

Where over four pages of people talked about their broken rio pumps.

I am just curious why companies (CPR, Aqua C etc..) sell their products with the RIO brand pumps. I know most bussiness decisions come down to money but it seems like a huge amount of RIOs break and thus make the companies product seem faulty.

Any thoughts?

 

[jasonfrey]

Hi,

That is a very good question, actually one i've thought about myself. Probably not a bad idea asking the manufactures direct about this one. I'm not sure if it's because of cost, the availability of the pumps, or performance.

I do know that rio offers a very powerful pump for it's size and looks and that is probably why it's the most popular to the consumer, but you are correct, we get many complaints on rio's and we prefer to not sell them. It's so popular and packaged in so many skimmers and other items that we have to carry them. I think it would serve the manufactures to offer alternatives.

If you check out our website, you'll notice we offer maxijet upgrades whenever possible on skimmers with a venturi kit we put together. We even got AquaC (a very customer responsive company) to sell us there skimmers without a pump so we could give end users the chance to get an alternative pump. IN the small skimmers, it's not a bad deal. maxijet 1200 is similar in size as a rio800 and only cost a little more. Problem gets into the larger ones, where they use a rio1400, closest option is a Mag350 which is a much larger footprint and cost quite a bit more, so people are still getting rio's often in those cases.

Hopefully rio can figure out why there pumps do not last long, it seems 80% of the time it's impeller related.

thanks

jason

 

[KJHawley]

Jason-

I hope you don't mind if I hijack this thread, but I have a similar question for you. I recently got a used Bak Pak, and it's really LOUD. I'm pretty sure that the Rio pump (or at least its impeller) is the problem. Rather than buying a new impeller for the Rio, I'd rather buy a new pump from a different brand. I've heard that you guys have a "modification kit" to fit a Maxijet to the Bak Pak, but I didn't see such a thing on your site. What would you suggest? Also, I'll be placing an order with Premium Aquatics for some live rock within the next few days- probably 40 lbs. of cured Fiji. Would you be able to include a small pump in the live rock box, or would that have to ship separately?

 

[jasonfrey]

Hi,

Yes, you need item code MJ-VENT maxijet turbo venturi kit. Makes a Maxijet 900 or 1200 into an RVT like the rio, where it sucks air into the impeller. You can use a MJ900 or MJ1200 on the bakpak, MJ900 is sized closest to the Rio600RVT, some people like going over sized a little with a MJ1200.

40 pounds of rock is usually a pretty tight fit, good chance we could squeeze it in the box, but might get busted if they toss the box around too much.

thanks

jason