Thoughts on Varios vs Blue Line vs Pan World return pumps

[mlb75]

Need to replace my return pump which has been a Blue Line 70 and looking for pros cons or other pumps I should consider.

The Blue Line was running for several years without the first bit of maintenance but died from a power outage so now is the time to make a switch if I'm going to. The only reason to switch is to go to something controllable and more efficient since I need to get something.

Whatever I get will be run external and will run 24/7 I don't adjust it for feeding etc, the only time it's turned off is during water changes.

I was originally looking at the Vectra L1 but I've seen to many reports of them dying to take the plunge on a pump that expensive. I know they stand by their product and have great customer service but I'm looking for a pump that doesn't require customer service. I haven't heard of the same issues with the Various which is why the 8 is in the running, it's more efficient I'm just concerned with it's longevity and noise, the Blue Line I couldn't hear running if the cabinet doors were closed and only heard a slight hum if they were open when standing in front of the tank.

I could get another BL but the places I buy most of my stuff through carry the Pan World, are they the same pump? It looks like the PW 200 is the exact same as the BL70, can anyone confirm this? My concern is noise and longevity on this one.

Am I missing an great option? BTW display is a 300DD with roughly another 100G of sump. I'd rather oversize the pump and throttle it back than hope it moves enough water. The BL I had to throttle but I was fine with that, the only drawback to the BL is it seemed to generate a lot of heat since when I took it offline and put a Mag18 internal to run temporarily the tank temp dropped 2+ degree's.

TIA

 

[ca1ore]

Blueline and PanWorld are the exact same pumps, though the model names differ just to make things difficult apparently. Blueline 70 is the same as the PanWorld 200. FWIW, you should have gotten a lot more than 'several years' out of it. I've got PW pumps that are over a decade old and still going strong. Depending upon how much flow you want, you may be able to get away with the PW150. I'm getting 1,400 gph out of my PW200 against 14' of head pressure.

 

[mlb75]

ca1ore thanks for clearing that up I thought they were the same just wasn't sure. Oh I got a lot of use out of the pump, the current setup has been running since 2010 and it was running on the previous system and survived a flood. I've NO issues with the BL which is why I'd consider buying another just if there's a better option that wouldn't be as hot or is more energy efficient then I'm willing to make the jump.

I may even consider a Red Dragon but there would have to be a pretty compelling argument about why they're worth so much more money to get me over the price.

 

[outy]

I'm not sure the DC pumps are all that when dealing with head height. The cost of redline and the higher end pumps will never offset the electricity cost when you factor in how long these good ac pumps last. These high end DC pumps area gamble looking at a decade of use. Impeller replacement is also a factor.

I'm still toying with the idea of DC like you but cant pull the trigger just yet. If I did it would be a Jebao sine wave.

I just remember buying my used Iwaki md55 for a 100 bucks used over a decade ago, and I know it has another decade to go.

 

[alton]

I did not see a height of how far this pump will have to work? On my 300DD I ran a Pan World 50PXX and a Pan World 40PX. From 10 pm till 8 am I only ran the 50PXX. Saved on energy versus the 200 you are thinking about. What was really nice since the tank was in my living room, at 10 pm when the 40 PX would shut down the tank became very quiet with less water rushing through my sump and overflows. Both pumps where extremely quiet. What I have seen is Blueline seems to slap there name on all kinds of products.

 

[mlb75]

The way it's plumbed there seems to be VERY little head pressure judging by how far I've had to throttle my BL back. The way it is now it comes out of the pump 1.5" up 2.5 feet to a T that runs across the bottom of the tank and then use sweeps to the standard return plumbing of the tank (1" I believe) to go the last 25" up each back corner.

Not really interested in running two pumps but I agree I don't need as big of a pump as I had which is why I was looking at the more efficient DC pumps.

If I go with a DC or any other pump it wouldn't be a Jebao, I'm more than willing to pay for quality and piece of mind. My understanding is the Jebao's are decent at their price point but have had more than a few issues of leaks (100% not acceptable to me) and have a relatively high failure rate also not acceptable. Even the Varios I'm leery of on that front. The more I think about it the more I'm actually looking at the Red Dragon's VS the BL or PW. One of the best purchases I've ever made in my reef experience was a Bubble Kink Super Marin skimmer so I'm a believer that quality is a large part of value.

 

[ca1ore]

On my 300DD I ran a Pan World 50PXX.

That's a good point. Against minimal back pressure the XX pumps work really well. I use the 50PXX for my chiller circuit and it moves more water than the 150 did with much less electricity. Won't handle anything close the head that the 150 will of course, but in a low pressure application it is an excellent choice.