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When Sicce approached us about reviewing their new and improved Sicce Syncra 4&5 water pumps we were a little bit hesitant; we already have nearly all of our sumped aquariums equipped with Sicce Syncra pumps. Our primary large fish aquarium, a 150 gallon display tank with a 30 gallon nursery aquarium have been happily running on a Syncra 3 for years so why change it? With a growing fish population already featuring a clarion angelfish and a neon hogfish a little extra flow through wouldn’t hurt but only if the living room display remains as quiet as before.

After running the Sicce Syncra 5 for a couple of weeks and then the Sicce Syncra 4 for nearly two months, the best testament to the silence of these pumps is to tell you that we often forgot that the original pump was ever upgraded. The Syncra 5 was very quiet but the extra noise from the added quantity of water flowing through the aquarium was the main factor in stepping down to the Syncra 4. In the few times we’ve had to service the fish aquarium’s filtration in the sump we’ve been surprise-reminded that there’s a much stronger pump in there simply by the size of the larger body of the Sicce pump.

Having ran the Syncra 3 for years with an estimated flow rate of ~600gph it’s a real treat to know that the tank is now receiving closer to 900gph yet never, not once has the Syncra 4 reminded us of its power with increased audibility. If anything it almost seems like the Syncra 4 has gotten quieter after a couple months of use, perhaps as the bearings and other moving parts wore in. Sometimes we even have to touch the sump feeling for vibration to indicate the pump is on after being turned off for regular maintenance.

If you have a mission-critical aquarium installation or pump replacement where low noise is a huge factor, the Sicce Syncra line of water pumps should be at the top of your list. Now that Sicce USA handles all warranty claims domestically, it’s quite easy to get a hold of their customer service and we haven’t touched on how efficient the Syncra pumps are at moving water from the sump to the tank. The Syncra pumps have been our go-to water mover for a long time now and with the arrival of even quieter Syncra 4 & Syncra 5 pumps discerning aquarists will also be able to apply Sicce’s stealthy Syncras on ever larger aquariums.

FTC regulations require that we inform you that we were given this product for review, but our opinion of a product is never affected by how we acquire them