Powerheads circulate water throughout the reef tank. Circulation is an important factor in the well-being of a reef tank. Powerheads often include a spinning propeller powered by a turbine that moves water from one section of the tank to another. This movement helps oxygenate tank water and deliver this oxygen-rich water to the fish and coral of the tank. Water movement also helps keep organic waste suspended and moving so that it can be filtered out.
Powerheads are usually run continuously and are a piece of equipment where reliability is an important factor. If a return pump goes out, a single working powerhead can go a long way in sustaining life in a reef tank. Powerheads can even be connected to a backup battery that triggers in the event of a power outage. Another thing I look for is the ease in cleaning and maintaining powerheads. I find that powerheads get dirty relatively quickly and need cleaning more regularly than other equipment. Here are some of the powerheads that have worked well for me in that I recommend.
Maxspect Gyre XF350
Situation: I wanted a quality powerful powerhead to move water across my large 210 gallon Marine Reef tank. I was looking for sufficient flow with the least number of powerheads in the tank, quiet operation, and the ability to randomize flow.
Background: My 210-gallon mixed reef tank is an Aqueon glass tank with dual mega overflows. The tank measures 72Lx24Wx29H. I have a mix of fish and mainly LPS coral. After thorough research on powerheads, I choose the Maxspect Gyre XF350 powerhead to provide flow in my tank. The Maxspect Gyre is a large controllable powerhead capable of a max flow rate of 5280 GPH. It is recommended for use in aquariums 80-800 gallons. The pump is DC-powered and efficient at 52 watts. The pump works by shooting a sheet of water across the tank where it is possible to hit the other end of the tank creating a flow back towards the pump or a gyre water motion. These pumps can be used in conjunction with other pumps to create awesome flow patterns in the tank. Included with the pump are a controller, power supply, spare bushings, flow directors, and protective mesh covers.
Assessment: At the time of this writing I’ve run the pump on my 210-gallon tank for about 6 months and have liked the performance. The pump is nearly silent and other equipment like my return pump and skimmer drowns out any sound. One of my favorite things about the pump is the minimalist look to the pump. I have the pump near the top of the tank and the cord can hardly be seen as it goes directly out the top and runs to the power supply. Most other powerheads have to be run lower in the tank and the cord runs up the wall of the glass either on the inside or outside of the tank. I’m currently running a single XF350 on the entire tank and flow is more than sufficient. I do find that there is a dead spot directly below the powerhead and if I had more coral in the tank especially SPS, I would probably need more directed flow. The operation of the controller is not very intuitive but is not bad once you get the hang of going through the various programming options. Another awesome feature in this 3rd generation model is the inclusion of flow directors. These snap onto the pump and allow you better control of where you direct flow from the pump. These also allow you to keep the pump near the top of the water sending strong flow across the top of the tank and a gentler flow as it gyres back to the pump.
Recommendation: The Maxspect Gyre XF350 is a feature-packed pump that has worked well for me in my 210-gallon reef tank. I would recommend the unit for high flow needs in a large tank. The only issue I had with the pump was when I first received the pump it was missing the mounting bracket for the controller and the instruction manual. Maxspect was responsive and took care of the issue quickly sending me the pieces in the mail.
Maxspect Gyre XF350
The Maxspect XF350 Gyre Flow Pump w/ Controller is the pinnacle of pump design, performance and control. This third generation version incorporates all of the amazing features of the original Gyre pumps and improves on them.
