Although propeller water pumps have long since taken over the in-tank circulation of reef aquarium water, the OceanProp 15000 is the first such product offering from AquaMedic. On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being the smallest and 10 being the largest prop pump out there, the OceanProp 15K is a 12. This two handed beast weighs in at 1685 grams, over 3.5 lbs! Even the sizeable lever-actuated suction mount is a behemoth that looks like it could support a small flat screen TV. What the OP15K lacks in discreteness it makes up for with a balance of performance and value. Follow the break for more thoughts and pictures.
The OP15K is rated for 15,000 liters of water per hour, or just shy of moving 4000 gallons every 60 minutes. Although many pumps ratings are somewhat questionable, when we pitted this water pump against similar devices we found the 4000GPH rating believable. Although the pump is labeled as consuming between 9-20 watts of power, we found that ts consumed up to 24 watts when run full bore. 4000GPH at 24 watts is a pretty good balance of flow and power usage which somewhat balances out the large footprint of this two handed prop pump. The included controller allows the user to select a lower flow mode for those times when swimming pool flowrates are not necessary. What sweetens the deal for the OP15K is a reasonable retail price which should hover in the $200-$230 neighborhood depending on your neck of the woods. If you can get past how massive this pump is, $200 for 4000 gallons per hour at 24 watts is as sweet a deal as there is in the aquarium world. This pump will most likely shine in the largest of reefs and even some fish tanks or in aquaculture situations where massive gyre flows are being produced. If the nanoProp follows in the footsteps of the OceanProp then the NanoProp might be a more widely adopted water pump, both of which will be on display at the AquaMedic booth at ReefStock.
The three bladed propeller design is unique among aquarium water pumps
The angle on the propeller blades is relatively shallow.
The complete OceanProp 15000 breaks down into few parts, two of thsoe are the mounting bracket
In our testing the OceanProp 15000 consumed up to 24 watts of power when run full bore in saltwater which is still a paltry amount for the flow this beast creates
We can’t imagine how much more flow the OceanProp could create if run in this configuration without the intake strainer, even if it would make Sushi of your reef fish.
The OceanProp 15000 is a beast to handle; although it is being held with one hand this is really a two-handed water pump.
The OceanProp next to Hydor’s Koralia Evolution 14000
The OceanProp next to Hydor’s Koralia Evolution 14000
The OceanProp next to Hydor’s Koralia Evolution 14000
The included controller runs a modicum of features: high flow, low flow, night mode and a few different long pusling modes
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.
