Question for the vortech users

[BCT182]

My tank is a 210 with a fairly small amount of live rock. I am keeping primairly sorties and a little LPS and only a couple SPS.

Since there is so much open unobstructed water, could I use one mp40 to generate the wave action that I've seen on YouTube? I like the look of the corals waving back and forth like a incoming tide.

If it did require two pumps, could I use to mp20's?

Thanks everyone
Brett

 

[reefyalvin]

With my experience using the MP20 I have kept in my 40 gallon breeder, its done its job well. However, I do have dead spots in the rock work I would like to get flow to.

The thing with one Vortech is its a one way pulse and has no turbulent swishing to get into the rock crevices. The solution for me is to upgrade to a more powerful MP40 in hopes that the wave pulses will deflect off the walls and create more turbulence.

In your case with a larger tank two MP40w may be the better choice as they sync and create more turbulence by timing the wave patterns as well as deflecting off the tank walls.

 

[BCT182]

Yeah I'm sure I could get the effect with two mp40s but I'm not spending 1k.

 

[BCT182]

Can two mp20s be timed to create the waves?

I should add right now I have no flow besides my sump return so anything will be an improvement.

 

[reedman]

I'm not sure you can get the sync function with the MP20s...would have to look at their site to see that. I have one MP40 on my 80 cube and have no real dead spots. I can get a mini wave going, but it isn't good for my tank. you need a longer tank to make that work well. In your case (and I know you don't want to hear this) I would go with 2 MP40s. I don't think 2 MP20s would be good in your tank. Maybe start with 1 MP40 and watch for one used? I got mine in a group buy but they are still expensive.

 

[trido]

Can two mp20s be timed to create the waves?

Mp20s can not be synced electronically to create a wave.
I'd get a single Mp40 and use a K-4 at the other end until you can afford another later this year.

I have a single MP20 and it cant give enough flow to have any oomph in the middle of my tank. They're just too small for a six foot tank.

 

[BCT182]

Darn I guess that's what I will have to do. I just hate trying to convince my wife I need one, maybe two $400 powerheads when she's growing a baby inside. It's very painful.


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[rng_pw]

I had 4 mp40's in my 450 and I only got about a 1 inch wave. MY buddy has two in his 120 Elos tank and gets a decent wave but nothing crazy. From my personal experience and what I see at my buddies you will need more than one to creat a decent wave

 

[baseballkid5]

I have one Mp 40 in a 75. It seems to be pretty good amount of flow even dialed down to 40-50% or even having theer diff pulse modes it picks up a lot of the deadspots. On a 210 i think 1 is gonna be pretty good if you dont have lots of Rockwork. You can dial it up to close to full blast. Theres an Online site for $390 shipped no Tax. But thats still almost a grand. Ive seen them on Ebay for around 300 used. I also have a K4 on the other side of the mp40 and it is definetly a lot of flow.
One question would having it set up in the middle of the tank in the back pointing forward would that Create a better movement? I have lots of rock so for me not an option right now. There worth the investment IMO

 

[Chichas01]

You could probably create a wave in pulse mode that moves from one end and then breaks on the other end of the tank with a 20 or a 40. You just wouldn't get that return wave without the sync'd 40's. I'm using 2 MP 20's on the back wall of my 80 and have been playing around with the pulse mode the last few days and with the return pump off, I can see the water move in a small sloshing wave from front to back.

 

[returnofsid]

Be aware that creating a wave pattern is quite stressful on silicone joints.

 

[roscoe]

Brett you will need 2 or more to create a nice wave in a 6' tank. I can make some small waves with the pair I have in the 270g but nothing to major. Plus like Mike said it puts alot of stress on the joints. I'm to afraid to have the water slosh back and forth like that.

 

[luisse25]

Darn I guess that's what I will have to do. I just hate trying to convince my wife I need one, maybe two $400 powerheads when she's growing a baby inside. It's very painful.


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theres one selling $300 shipped..
heres link..maybe u can still talk him into lowering the price
http://www.reef2reef.com/forums/f60/vortech-mp40-300-shipped-35214.html
and congrats with baby on the way

 

[BCT182]

Thanks lussie. I actually ended up going with this setup:

(2) tunze 6100 powerheads
(2) magnets
(1) controller 7095 I think

You guys have me convinced that i'd need two vortechs, and I can't afford that yet. Michael and Sirang have me worried I'll pop a seam on the tank. I probably would too. I want a 3 inch wake. Besides that, I got to thinking. I'm already nervous having all the dead weight of a fish tank upstairs in my house. If the weight were to be intensified by the rocking of the water. I'm not sure if the 2-3" water displacement is enough of a weight shift to crack the floor, but I'd rather sleep at night.

The tunzes are an excellent deal and have a great reputation. So why not?



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[returnofsid]

I'm lucky to get a 3" wake while water skiing!!! LOL. You'll be much happier with the Tunzes than Vortechs anyway!! I really wanna go that route, myself.

 

[iroll253]

So if you had a 48x24x16ish tank and a mp 40 with low rock scape do you think the wave caused by that would possibly break a seam in the tank even with euro bracing say 4+ inches? Acrylic of course, powerhead placed in the center top of a 24'' side.

btw that powerhead setup will be sweet!

 

[Chichas01]

So if you had a 48x24x16ish tank and a mp 40 with low rock scape do you think the wave caused by that would possibly break a seam in the tank even with euro bracing say 4+ inches? Acrylic of course, powerhead placed in the center top of a 24'' side.

btw that powerhead setup will be sweet!

Probably not. It takes 2 pumps to make a large wave and acrylic seams are far stronger than silicone. The solvent 'welds' the 2 pieces of acrylic making them as strong as if they were a single piece of material.

 

[cali_reef]

Thanks lussie. I actually ended up going with this setup:

(2) tunze 6100 powerheads
(2) magnets
(1) controller 7095 I think

You guys have me convinced that i'd need two vortechs, and I can't afford that yet. Michael and Sirang have me worried I'll pop a seam on the tank. I probably would too. I want a 3 inch wake. Besides that, I got to thinking. I'm already nervous having all the dead weight of a fish tank upstairs in my house. If the weight were to be intensified by the rocking of the water. I'm not sure if the 2-3" water displacement is enough of a weight shift to crack the floor, but I'd rather sleep at night.

The tunzes are an excellent deal and have a great reputation. So why not?



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I would skip the 7095 controller and go with a Apex controller for two hundred more. You get more "value" if you go with 6105's, unless you are getting 6100 and magnets for less than $200 a set.

Here is a video of a single tunze wave box on a 300 gallon tank. FWIW, I had it running like that in my garage for a few weeks and also had another 150g glass reef tank with a wave box for over three years, didn't notice any "stress" on the either tanks.

 

[BCT182]

I actually picked up the 6100's magnets and 7095 all for $425. Everything was brand new. Still in the packaging and everything was individually wrapped. None of the items had even been out of the box.

I think a pretty excellent deal.


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[baseballkid5]

Did you get them from Snobanker? That was a nice deal. I was thinking about buying last week just to have for later on. That was a sweet setup for the Price. Let me know how they look and work you can get them on Ebay for a decent price as well.