It really depends on the size of the tank if you ask me. Nothing beats a maximod in terms of flowrate per wattage used IMO. When you mod a maxijet it's watt consumption goes way down and its flowrate is INSANE. Think more like 1500-2000gph for a modded maxi 1200. Trust me, I made one. I couldn't use it in my 45g, it turned the tank into a freaking storm and it was so powerful I couldn't secure it.
If you want the best powerheads money can buy, go with Tunze. Next would probably the Hydors, followed by the Seios. But if you have a BIG tank (think 100+ gallons), go with maximods.
I would respectfully disagree with that. Modding lesser powerheads yourself is probably not the best thing to do considering the cost of a large tank. And how long will such a pump really last after an amateur has tinkered with it? For 100 gallons+ I recommend ditching half the powerheads and getting a wavebox.
20 gallon... i guess that rules out mj mods.....
Isnt the best money can buy vortechs? Not questioning your judgement (well i am but im not being hypothetical....)
Not when you consider the reliablity and insane energy efficiency of the Tunzes. I think Andywg has some Tunze streams that are well over a decade old and still kickin. Thats impressive.
Not streams, original Tunze Turbelle pumps. They are so old I can find no reference to them on the internet (they are the model 1001), but the fact they have "Made in West Germany" indicates production took place sometime before David Hasselhoff stood on the Berlin Wall in 1989. This gives an age range of 18+ years now.
The babies are on a timer now in my large FW tank to give some added flow in the day and help distribute food. They still fire up perfectly every time. That is reliability on a par with Eheim. I don't think many non-German manufacturers are going to be able to match that sort of longevity. To give an example, on another forum they asked all the FW people how old their filters were. Eheims were still alive and kicking well into their teens (and quite a few of them too). There were almost no other brands in double figures.
So, on to how I voted:
I had to vote Tunze. The Hydor are very good, but I don't like the front. In a power cut it would be very easy for something to get into the assembly. They also seem to cost a similar amount to the Tunzes, and you just can't beat Tunze reliability. Also remember that larger Tunze (either the 5,500 LPH nano 6055 or the full size 6101, and 6201) are controllable from the excellent multicontroller that even incorporates a light sensor and a lunar phase moonlight. Even the 6301 is controllable, but I don't see anyone on here really needing a 30,000 litres (or 7,925 US gallons) per hour powerhead, even if it does only pull 64W.
I am not a huge fan of Seio as they are very large and are made by Rio. A little search on powerheads will tell you about the dangerous failures that Rio pumps suffer (hence why the Seio have not been sold under the Rio name).
