Rating Overview: Overall product rating of: 4 out of 5

Details of my ratings along with the manufacture’s specifications are contained below.

The below is taken directly from the manufacture’s website:  http://www.tunze.com/149.html?&L=1&C=US&user_tunzeprod_pi1[predid]=-infoxunter052

Turbelle® nanostream® 6045(6045.000)

For aquariums from 40 to 500 litres (10 to 135 USgal.)
Flow rate: 1,500 to about 4,500l/h (400 to 1,175 USgal./h)
Energy consumption: 5 to 7W
Voltage / frequency: 230V/50Hz (115V/60Hz)
Cable length: 2m (8.7 in.)
Dimensions: diam. 70mm (2.75 in.)
Ejection: diam. 40/15mm (1.5/.59 in.)
Magnet Holder with Silence clamp up to a glass thickness of 12mm (3/8″)

The above specifications is just one of the models of the Tunze Turbelle Powerhead. Different models with vary in size and flow capacities. The below is my assessment of the Tunze Turbelle powerheads and only applies to the: 6015, 6024, 6045, 6055 and 6095 models.

Overall Size and Appearance

Although this is not the most compact design of powerhead that I have used, it is not the worst either.  I do  not mind the design and look of the powerhead at all

Mounting Set-up

Tunze uses a strong magnetic base on both sides of the glass to hold the powerhead to in place.  No suction cups are used at all.  This make for a very strong base held in place which will not move over time.  I have been using them for years now and have never had a single move at all. They also have a rubber insulating base to prevent the vibrations and/or noise inside the aquarium.  There are some pictures at the end of this review that show what I am taking about

Flexibility of Adjustment

This is another feature of the Tunze powerheads that I really like, and (in my opinion) is one of their better qualities. Due to the design of the power mounting bracket, you can angles of 90 degrees with this powerhead.  This will give you a lot more flexibility in were you place the powerhead in your aquarium while still getting the direction of flow that you want.

Ease of Maintenance

These powerheads are easy to take apart and clean as apart of your routine maintenance.  I have been using some of my tunze powerheads for three years now without a single problem.

Price-Point

For me this is the biggest drawback of these powerheads and is just about the only thing that I really do not like about Tunze. The price of the Tunze powerheads can often by as much as 60% more than compared to comparable powerheads.  However, I still feel the other positive qualities of this powerhead outweigh the additional cost.  The price point can also limit the number of distributors in a given area that are willing to stock Tunze products.

Likeliness of Recommending this Powerhead

I would highly recommend this powerhead to anyone who is not on  a tight budget.  In my experience, Tunze powerheads: produce excellent flow, are easy to maintain, are long lasting, and are highly adjustable for both the direction of the flow and the strength of the flow.  They certainly are my favorite powerhead.

A few years back, Tunze added the rubber posts to help ensure no noise is created through vibration being transferred from the powerhead to the glass.  I do like this feature, although, I had never noticed any vibration in the other or current models.

One certain models, the Tunze powerhead will also have a mechanical flow control option to reduce the flow of the powerhead.  This will allow for some manual flow control without using a controller.  Simply move the blue knob shown in the below picture and you can reduce the flow by as much as 33%.  This feature is very useful on the models with higher flow rates making them more adaptable to different set-ups or if your needs change over time. By moving the blue knob towards the body of the skimmer you will be moving the blue sleeve towards the impeller which will restrict the amount of water the impeller can draw into the powerhead. That will  restrict the flow without building up pressures that can lead to premature wear.

Please Note:  In all the above pictures I have only shown you one half of the magnet mounting base.  The reason being is that this is a very strong magnet.  When I accidently have these magnets make contact, I have found them very hard to separate.