Nero 5 Submersible Pump - Reviewed
When I first saw the Nero 5 pump at MACNA 2018, I was impressed. It's a very clean design with a low profile. A month later, I looked at one even more closely while at RAP California. And shortly after that, I got my hands on one to try out for myself.
This pump retails for $300 online, and is designed for aquariums with 1/2" thick glass or less. Two small magnets sandwich the glass, and the pump itself then affixes to a concave padded surface. You can angle the flow a few degrees to point the stream in the direction you'd like best. Its small driver is not much larger than a Bic lighter, and uses bluetooth with an app called MyAI to set up your desired flow patterns. Within a few minutes of installation, it can move up to 3000gph through the large puck-shaped cage. The single button on the controller can be manually clicked for specific needs if you don't want to open the app.
The pump motor comes apart easily for cleaning, and the propeller section pops out... you don't even see the magnets. The Nero 5 comes with a lengthy cord which will work for most aquarium applications. The power cord itself is thinner than airline tubing, which can be tethered to the tank for security if desired.
Two things I liked about this product besides the fact it runs silently: 1) Cleaning the glass around the pump couldn't be easier when you can simply lift it off the magnetic base, swipe the glass clean and then almost 'magically' affix it again. 2) You can use this pump to blow off the rockwork in your tank, kicking up detritus so the filtration can export it. That's such a nice solution, far easier than doing so with a turkey baster, right?
This pump uses up to 30w of power, moving a lot of water for very little expense. With four different flow patterns literally at your fingertips thanks to their app (iOS or Android), this pump should work with pretty much any choice of livestock you'd purchase.
