# rio 125 impeller upgrade Eccoflow



## JohnC (29 Apr 2014)

Hi,

I'm pondering the impeller upgrade on the couple of Rio125's i'm running for a friend but i'm getting a touch confused in regard to the old Bioflow vs new Eccoflow models. 

Is it just the old style pumps you can upgrade just the impeller in or also the newer eccoflow models?

Additionally is it only the 600 to 1000 lph models or can I upgrade the 500 to a 1000 lph impeller?

It's going to be a few days before I'm back there to check but i've got a feeling that since they were new last year the type is the eccoflow 500. Which I can't find anyone's account on the web of upgrading.

Thanks,
John


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## Andy D (29 Apr 2014)

Out of interest, what does an impeller 'upgrade' achieve? Just curious....


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## JohnC (29 Apr 2014)

increases the output of the pump without buying a new, bigger pump.


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## Froggster (3 May 2014)

considering the wattage increase on each model, I would surmise that an impeller upgrade would make no difference. you would need to upgrade the whole pump to get a larger LPH flow rate.


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## Sacha (3 May 2014)

I did this. You need to upgrade the whole pump, just the impeller won't work.


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## Andy D (3 May 2014)

Sacha said:


> I did this. You need to upgrade the whole pump, just the impeller won't work.



That is what I thought. I don't see how a change of impeller helps that much.


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## JohnC (3 May 2014)

It used to be done quite a lot. As far as I understood the impeller "paddle" surface area on the higher rated impellers was larger while the mounting was the same. So it would shift more water per rotation, even thou it was going a touch slower than the full upgrade pump.

Plenty of people have done it over the years with the old Bio flow pumps.

The new Ecco-flow models however I now know are not interchangeable. 



> *...@juwel-aquarium.co.uk>*
> 30 Apr (3 days ago)
> 
> 
> ...



but i now know i can still upgrade the pump to the 1000 lph model in the same mount.



> Hi John
> 
> 
> Thank you for your reply. When the ecco-flow pumps first came out the Rio 125 was supplied with a 600 ecco-flow. It is now supplied with the 500, you could if you wished to do so go up to a 1000 pump but this would be too powerful for most community fish to cope with.
> ...



John


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## Andy D (3 May 2014)

It's no surprise they are no longer interchangeable. Why pay for a pump upgrade if a change of the impeller would suffice!


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