Time for a new return pump

[ca1ore]

I've never used one, but for over double the cost of a 1262 the vectra better be a really good pump. ($159/$359)

Well it's a 'smart' pump .... well worth the premium. Wonder if those of us that bought one will end up being 'smart' buyers :lol:

In all seriousness, I bought mine to use in a closed loop where the ability to ramp the pump up and down has real value. As a return pump .... not so much.

 

[MG98]

so I went back to my Eheim 1262. The Eheim will put out a hum but as long as you use some silicone tubing, it is pretty darn quiet.

The Reef Octopus Varios series seem, to me, to be the best option out there that balances price with quality and features.

These are the 2 models I am gravitating towards. The varios appear to be a little quieter than the eheim and use less power but not a lot of data as far as reliability.

Does anyone know how long the varios models have been on the market?

 

[Zalick]

I have the Vectra L1 for my return. Its under the stand in the middle of my living room about 5' from my couch. Its dead silent. I had a sicce 5.0 powering my UV and I could hear it on the couch. I now have an M1 powering the UV/skimmer line.

The Vectra is worth every penny and then some.

I also have the VarioS (with needle wheel) powering my skimmer. Its dead silent as well and would be a great choice I'm sure.

 

[f3honda4me]

I'm switching to the varios and selling my vectra now that I have an apex and WXM module.

 

[Zalick]

These are the 2 models I am gravitating towards. The varios appear to be a little quieter than the eheim and use less power but not a lot of data as far as reliability.

Does anyone know how long the varios models have been on the market?

I've been running the VarioS on my skimmer for about 6 months. Not sure how long they've been on the market but my experience over the years with reef octopus has been very good. CoralVue has great customer support as well.

 

[MG98]

Well I shopped around today and found the Fluval SP4 on Amazon for under $150 so I pulled the trigger. I was very tempted by the varios but since I will just be using it as a return pump I don't really need the DC controllability for an extra $100+.

I was worried the eheim 1262 might not quite give me the flow I need for a 120g and the SP4 claims around 1200gph @4-5ft of head pressure which is where I'll be. This pump and my gyre should put me at 30x flow inside the tank and 10x through the sump hopefully alleviating the need for another pump/power head.

 

[ksed]

You'll be very happy with the Fluval.

 

[ktownhero]

Well I shopped around today and found the Fluval SP4 on Amazon for under $150 so I pulled the trigger. I was very tempted by the varios but since I will just be using it as a return pump I don't really need the DC controllability for an extra $100+.

I was worried the eheim 1262 might not quite give me the flow I need for a 120g and the SP4 claims around 1200gph @4-5ft of head pressure which is where I'll be. This pump and my gyre should put me at 30x flow inside the tank and 10x through the sump hopefully alleviating the need for another pump/power head.

Nice, well let us know how you like it.