sfsuphysics
Supporting Member
So I saw these Rossmont movers in San Diego at MACNA, the booth guy was really nice and wasn't trying to sell me the product by putting down similar products he just told me what it could do and left it at that. Well the last of my Jebao pumps finally crapped out, kinda... they can still get working if I give it an assist to spin up but if it goes into oscillation mode where I shut them off then they won't restart, not sure if it's a controller issue or if the magnet inside is slightly swollen... but regardless I wanted a new different pump for my 300g temporary tank that is a Rubbermade stock tank.
Well I wanted two things with this pump, I wanted some semblance of quality (whether real or imaginary ... wasn't going to get into semantics) and I wanted it somewhat affordable. Now I have a Vortech MP60, it's not in use right now due to the shape of the stock tank, I currently have a Tunze 6085(?) pump on the tank (AC non-controllable), well Tunze is the antithesis of affordable, so wasn't going there, and I really wanted to try one of these Rossmont pumps and I went with the biggest one they had (new since I saw them, this is one of the MX series as opposed to the M series), and this was $120 for a pump that moves 4100 GPH so I think it fit on the affordable category.
Neat little box
Inside the box, there's the pump, the magnet attachment, 2 extra o-rings, a "concentrator" to narrow the output, a fish guard, and a little brush to clean with... and of course a pamphlet for their Waver device (more on this later).
Size comparison in the tank, from the left to right Jebao RW-15, Tunze 6085, Rossmont MX4100, Vortech MP60 (wetside only). Overall the largest Rossmont pump is still fairly small, the pump is about the same size as the Vortech and it's a bit more out due to the magnet mount, but being able to point the pump IMO is worth it's weight... Other Rossmont pumps are smaller too, really nano size small but they push a ton of water.
So one thing to mention is the magnet on this thing attaches to up to 3/4" tanks, unlike my Tunze pump which came with one that was useful up to 1/2" tanks, and you had to pay for a stronger magnet, they basically got cheap by reducing what you get to keep the cost static for a while, although a quick look now shows that 3/4" magnets now come standard again, and ironically the Tunze pumps seem cheaper than when I bought mine many years ago, not sure if this is because they're trying to phase out some lines or not though. PRO
The cord is only 6' long so that in itself is a bit of a bummer, 6 feet is usually enough but if you have a long tank and power is on one side, it might be a stretch to get the cord over there. I'm not sure why they simply don't make 3 meter long cords, I mean how much extra cost is there in 3 more feet of wire? CON
So attaching it and plugging it in, there was an ongodly loud roar... ugh it's a loud pump! I wish I didn't get the mega sized version. But then when I was trying to maneuver it around it was MUCH quieter when it wasn't attached to the wall at all. So apparently there is some resonance with the stock tank, attaching it to the glass sump it was much quieter too, but still horrible. Then reading online I found out those O-rings were meant to be stretched around either end of the internal magnet and they help dampen the vibration, so I did it and sure enough it's quite a bit quieter now. Now the pumps is fairly quiet, it still has a bit of a sound associated with it that I would almost guarantee is due to the material that the stock tank is made of, and perhaps the maximum flow, so that a smaller version would be nearly silent but there still is some audible hum to it. CON?
So the first thing to note about this pump is that it is AC powered, but it is controllable ... wha? You mean on/off stuff with a toggle switch right? Nope full on complex wave action, use a fancy app on your phone to control it type of control. BUT, you need the Waver to do that which is another $200, and it only controls 2 pumps, but that said adding $100 to the cost of 2 pumps in order to get that level of control seems like a pretty good trade off, in fact it's kind of nice to be able to do it without HAVING to do it. There have been many times with DC controllable pumps I've just had it on full blast because that's what I wanted. PRO!!!!
Now I did not buy the Waver, as I just want to get a nice Gyre going in the stock tank (which I very much have). I might get one if I ever get a rectangular box of water down the road, I definitely can see a benefit in random flow, just not now. Plus if I wait long enough maybe there will be a 4 port Waver
So the pump itself is low powered too at 29 watts, which at 4100 GPH puts it into the "really freaking efficient" category. It's comparable to the Gallons per Watt of the Tunze I have, and really can go toe to toe with the DC powered pumps out there. PRO
Supposedly this puts out a stream that is 120° wide and then 60° with the little ring addition that extends the nozzle, but it puts out most of that flow in the center and there's very little at the edges. But it is nice that you can direct it a bit more if you so desire.
Yes there is a cord in the tank, but that's a problem you can't get around unless you drink the Ecotech Koolaid. Overall though, this is a really affordable pump that has the capability of putting out a ton of flow in a tiny package. The smallest is 900GPH and is about $50, or $90 for a two pack, they go up $10 per 300-400gph upgrade. Now I don't know about the long term quality, but at this price point, for something that is supposedly manufactured in Italy, I think I'd find it really hard to go to Jebao again.
Well I wanted two things with this pump, I wanted some semblance of quality (whether real or imaginary ... wasn't going to get into semantics) and I wanted it somewhat affordable. Now I have a Vortech MP60, it's not in use right now due to the shape of the stock tank, I currently have a Tunze 6085(?) pump on the tank (AC non-controllable), well Tunze is the antithesis of affordable, so wasn't going there, and I really wanted to try one of these Rossmont pumps and I went with the biggest one they had (new since I saw them, this is one of the MX series as opposed to the M series), and this was $120 for a pump that moves 4100 GPH so I think it fit on the affordable category.
Neat little box
Inside the box, there's the pump, the magnet attachment, 2 extra o-rings, a "concentrator" to narrow the output, a fish guard, and a little brush to clean with... and of course a pamphlet for their Waver device (more on this later).
Size comparison in the tank, from the left to right Jebao RW-15, Tunze 6085, Rossmont MX4100, Vortech MP60 (wetside only). Overall the largest Rossmont pump is still fairly small, the pump is about the same size as the Vortech and it's a bit more out due to the magnet mount, but being able to point the pump IMO is worth it's weight... Other Rossmont pumps are smaller too, really nano size small but they push a ton of water.
So one thing to mention is the magnet on this thing attaches to up to 3/4" tanks, unlike my Tunze pump which came with one that was useful up to 1/2" tanks, and you had to pay for a stronger magnet, they basically got cheap by reducing what you get to keep the cost static for a while, although a quick look now shows that 3/4" magnets now come standard again, and ironically the Tunze pumps seem cheaper than when I bought mine many years ago, not sure if this is because they're trying to phase out some lines or not though. PRO
The cord is only 6' long so that in itself is a bit of a bummer, 6 feet is usually enough but if you have a long tank and power is on one side, it might be a stretch to get the cord over there. I'm not sure why they simply don't make 3 meter long cords, I mean how much extra cost is there in 3 more feet of wire? CON
So attaching it and plugging it in, there was an ongodly loud roar... ugh it's a loud pump! I wish I didn't get the mega sized version. But then when I was trying to maneuver it around it was MUCH quieter when it wasn't attached to the wall at all. So apparently there is some resonance with the stock tank, attaching it to the glass sump it was much quieter too, but still horrible. Then reading online I found out those O-rings were meant to be stretched around either end of the internal magnet and they help dampen the vibration, so I did it and sure enough it's quite a bit quieter now. Now the pumps is fairly quiet, it still has a bit of a sound associated with it that I would almost guarantee is due to the material that the stock tank is made of, and perhaps the maximum flow, so that a smaller version would be nearly silent but there still is some audible hum to it. CON?
So the first thing to note about this pump is that it is AC powered, but it is controllable ... wha? You mean on/off stuff with a toggle switch right? Nope full on complex wave action, use a fancy app on your phone to control it type of control. BUT, you need the Waver to do that which is another $200, and it only controls 2 pumps, but that said adding $100 to the cost of 2 pumps in order to get that level of control seems like a pretty good trade off, in fact it's kind of nice to be able to do it without HAVING to do it. There have been many times with DC controllable pumps I've just had it on full blast because that's what I wanted. PRO!!!!
Now I did not buy the Waver, as I just want to get a nice Gyre going in the stock tank (which I very much have). I might get one if I ever get a rectangular box of water down the road, I definitely can see a benefit in random flow, just not now. Plus if I wait long enough maybe there will be a 4 port Waver
So the pump itself is low powered too at 29 watts, which at 4100 GPH puts it into the "really freaking efficient" category. It's comparable to the Gallons per Watt of the Tunze I have, and really can go toe to toe with the DC powered pumps out there. PRO
Supposedly this puts out a stream that is 120° wide and then 60° with the little ring addition that extends the nozzle, but it puts out most of that flow in the center and there's very little at the edges. But it is nice that you can direct it a bit more if you so desire.
Yes there is a cord in the tank, but that's a problem you can't get around unless you drink the Ecotech Koolaid. Overall though, this is a really affordable pump that has the capability of putting out a ton of flow in a tiny package. The smallest is 900GPH and is about $50, or $90 for a two pack, they go up $10 per 300-400gph upgrade. Now I don't know about the long term quality, but at this price point, for something that is supposedly manufactured in Italy, I think I'd find it really hard to go to Jebao again.
