Vortech MP40W propeller pump

[Sea Turtle]

Has or does anyone use a VorTech MP40W Propeller Pump in their reef tank. I am thining of getting one soon and would love some feedback. I have a 75 gallon tank with lots of hard and soft coral, clams, inverts, and fish. Is this too much for my tank?

http://www.ecotechmarine.com/products/mp40w.php

Thanks.

 

[Len]

I'm using it and it's been flawless for over a year. You can dial the flow down, so you can definitely make it work for a 75 gallon.

 

[Ben1]

I am using two on my 58 now. I bought a second for my new tank but since that is a few months from being ready I threw it on my 58 and took out my koralia 4. I run one vortech on anti-sync slave mode and the second on pulse. Seems to be working well on this tank, its mostly SPS.

 

[kgross]

They are great. The only major downside (other than cost) is that you can not direct the flow from them.

Kim

 

[Katfsh]

I hope to have two of them one day to put on my 90. From what all I have read and heard they are a great product.

 

[Sea Turtle]

Yeah, all the videos that I have watched on youtube and articles that I have read about them, I am very impressed.

Are you able to crank it all the way in a tank under 100 gallons or is it too much flow?

 

[Anonymous]

The whole wavemaking bit for me is a bit overrated (mostly because I never was able to get one ) but I love them on the reefcrest mode just ramping up and down throughout the day. Sometimes its calm other times its full on blast.

 

[Sea Turtle]

Ahhhh, sounds awesome!! 8O I can't wait to get it. My wife is getting me one for Christmas. I currently have to Hydor Koralia's and am not that happy with them. Don't get me wrong, they do move the water around nicely, I just don't liek the quality. Both have broken and are always getting jamed up.

 

[kgross]

I think you would have much better luck with your koralias if you get your Ca/Alk/Mg under control. But you should have better luck with the vortech since the wet part does not get heated up causing more ppt to form.

Kim

 

[Sea Turtle]

Yeah. Why does it form more in areas that are heated up. It does seem to form the most in the magnetic shaft of the power head.

 

[kgross]

At higher temps less Ca and CO3 will stay in suspension, so in warmer areas you get more ppt. Heaters get covered, pump shafts get covered etc. It sounds me that your Ca is over 450 and your alk is over 12 dkh, or your alk is over about 18 dkh.

Kim

 

[Sea Turtle]

Are the wave actions really adjustable on the upper end or no? Does it cycle between gph and when it's pushin 3500gph, will it throw water everywhere. I have heard people tried it on 75's and 90's and ended up selling it because it was too much flow. Have they made the controller more user friendly in the past 6 months or so? In other words, is it all pre-sets with the max flow.

 

[kgross]

I think you will be very happy with it in your tank. I have seen people using them on tanks much smaller with good results as well Can't comment on the controller I can't afford one for my tank yet.

Kim

 

[SnowManSnow]

i have 2 on my tank right now and they work great

 

[Anonymous]

I got 3 on my 180, just picked up a used one for $300, awesome product, awesome support. Plus it's American made so you're actually helping the American economy beyond your purchase to the store!

 

[Sea Turtle]

How big is your tank snowman?

 

[Ben1]

My tank is a 58, only 36" x 18" footprint and I run my two at full power, pulse mode and get no splashing of water. Like I said though its mostly SPS that like higher currents.

 

[Sea Turtle]

I have two torch corals and a pulsating xenia. Will this be a problem for them?

 

[Anonymous]

IMO, it might be overkill.

They are a great product, but also not cheap. I wouldn't run them on my softy tank simply due to the cost of the product, instead going for a more static pump that puts out lots of flow (Koralia, Modded maxijets, etc) that are quite a bit cheaper. It's not a size of the tank issue either, the softy tank is 115g, it's more of what's in the tank.

 

[Ben1]

I wouldnt see anything wrong with using one on the end of a 75, if you have the money. If not the others mentioned would do as well. You can change the settings from lagoon mode to reef crest mode and dial in what you want with the vortech. The reason I dont like the koralias much is the flow isnt truely wide, as it comes out mostly from 2 of the 4 openings tronger the ther other two. If you put your hand in front of a koralia 4 and a vortech or tunze you will feel a much more even waide flow from teh tunze's and vortechs. I also dont like how large the larger koralias are in a smaller tank.