New Aqueon Powerheads

Aqueon Circulation Pump

Aqueon, the parent company of Oceanic, All Glass Aquarium, and even Coralife, has released a brand new line of powerheads called the Aqueon Circulation Pumps. This new lineup has a whopping seven models, ranging in flow rates from 250 gph to 2500 gph. One model carries the Oceanic name and is apparently designed specifically for the Biocube, while the other six are listed under the Aqueon brand.

Oceanic Biocube Circulation Pump

Aqueon Circulation Pump 1650

The new pump has a similar design to other prop pumps (e.g. Koralia, Coralife), but adopts a more square shape and is slightly smaller than other pumps on the market. The propeller on the pump is still held in place by a titanium shaft and is designed to prevent back-spinning seen in previous generations of other popular powerheads.

Oceanic Biocube Circulation Pump Diagram

It attaches to the wall of an aquarium through a suction cup. This same suction cup can be found on the Coralife circulation pumps. I originally had my doubts about these suction cups, as I favor magnets, but after discussing the pumps with various aquarium store owners and employees, as well as end users, I feel that these suction cups are quite sufficient. Additionally, these suction cups hold an advantage over magnet-dependent powerhead mounts. The suction cup can function independent of the aquarium’s glass or acrylic thickness. The magnets are powerful and do a fantastic job, but their use is limited and dependent on the aquarium’s thickness.

Aqueon Circulation Pump

Aqueon has also made these pumps very energy efficient. The entry level ACP 500 uses only 2.6watts while moving 500gph of water. On the opposite end of the circulation pump spectrum, the ACP 2400 uses only 13.9watts while pushing 2400gph. These numbers are very comparable to pumps from Hydor and Coralife.