Vortech in a smallish cube

[kwirky]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

I'd love to hear more about what the various modes actually do? Ie., what's reef crest mode and what's tidepool mode?

this is from the manual:


I think if you had another unit in antisynch then when one pump's at 20% the other'd be at 80% and vice versa.

Originally Posted by Delphinus

One comment regarding the cost of multiple units - part of the cost is the controller - it seems to me that the incremental cost for additional propellers must be less than say a completely linear increase? Ie., two props and one controller would surely not be 2x$400?

yeah two units would run 2 x $400 because the wavemaker controllers are included whether you like it or not. That's cheaper than two tunze turbelle stream 6101's and a multicontroller which would run about $1000 for equivelent flow (600-3000 gph on the 6101). I think the tunze multicontroller has more automatic flow features though. The vortechs have the benefit of size. They take up MUCH less tank space than turbelle streams.

Some people on reefcentral complain of having to replace the magnet on their vortech in about a year and a half which runs about $40 directly from the manufacturer. Some people don't mind some do. I don't know my thoughts on that cuz I don't have to replace mine yet

btw my fiance left for the day I'm preferring reef crest random mode now instead of manual pulse because today I've been cleaning off the rock. I've found it's been working better at keeping detritus water born.

Originally Posted by Delphinus

My biggest complaint, or frustration if you will (and this is not a knock on the stores, I realize they can't do everything), is that it's really hard to visualize what these products will do for your setup until you've gone and bought one and tried it on your tank...

on a side note I agree with you. I worked at radioshack where everything had to be "powered up" but it seems that's not the case for the aquarium industry. The other day was the first time I saw a tunze wavebox working at Wai's and gave me more of an urge to plunge into wavemaking myself. From the stores' perspective about 10-15 units have to be sold to make up for the loss of the single unit put on display. That's before any profit would be made too. Then another model will come out once the store's sold about 20 and the new one would have to be put on display. When I told dennis I'm getting one the other evening he said "they're a LOT of money sean are you SURE you want to buy it? *smiling*". He's only seen videos and heard second hand from people what they do but he had never seen one first hand.

I figured I'd write a thorough review of it because I saw a fair bit of hype on the product from reefcentral and I know some other people are humming n hawing over the price and wondering if it's really worth it. Take all this with a grain of salt though because like i said earlier all I've experienced for powerheads otherwise are maxijets, seios and koralias. Of all those powerheads my favorite is the maxijet but that's for their utility value

[digital-audiophile]

Isn't there a single cortech running on the tank in the back of the store?

[kwirky]

Originally Posted by digital-audiophile

Isn't there a single cortech running on the tank in the back of the store?

that's the old model, the non-wireless/non-wavemaker unit. They don't make the MP40 any more and it's been replaced with the MP40W. Dennis and albert tried to put the wireless upgrade on it but it didn't work for some reason.

[digital-audiophile]

Damnit! Why did I have to watch your video! Now I want one.. or a couple!

[ElGuappo]

That does look pretty incredible.

Can you post a pick of the actual unit PLS. cant get a good look in the vid

[Delphinus]

I must be dense but I can't find the link to the video? I checked your other thread too and seemed to overlook it. Can you repost it in here?

Hmmm, see the one thing for me is you keep comparing these to just straight Tunzes and I keep comparing it to a Tunze wavebox. Cost wise the wavebox is more expensive, but a straight Tunze can at least be controlled by tank controllers as well as their own controllers, and is aimable. Although maybe the fact that the Vortech isn't aimable isn't a big deal, but to me I guess I just can't wrap my head around the fact that I can't just fine tune the direction.

I was somehow thinking I'd look into one of these Vortech's as a substitute for a wavebox (I just can't get over the "big black box in a tank corner" aesthetic of those .. as much as I love the effect they give) but still go with Tunzes on Wavysea's elsewhere in the tank. Although ... I dunno, I guess until I see said video I should keep an open mind!

[victornguyen]

Good Review Sean. I have 2 on my tank plus the Tunze wave box. The Vortechs are powerful and create havoc in my tank. I had to turn both of them down to 60% of their potential otherwise my corals would get banged up. If I could I would get one more to replace my wave box but no space to put one more with my overflows on both sides.

[kwirky]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Hmmm, see the one thing for me is you keep comparing these to just straight Tunzes and I keep comparing it to a Tunze wavebox.
... (I just can't get over the "big black box in a tank corner" aesthetic of those .. as much as I love the effect they give)

I compared them to tunze streams because for my own tank a wavebox is out of the question because of it's small size. It would take up like 15% of the tank. So for my own tank the choice was between the tunzes and the vortech.

As for running the tunzes on an AC wave controller you then lose the ability to throttle the pumps and other things. Not as many features as the tunze single controller or the multi controller.

And yeah I've seen videos of tunzes on a wavy sea but again it would be too large for my tank and would block probably 25% of the tank surface unfortunately. Hence the thread title "vortech in a smallish cube" If I had a larger tank, like if I were ever to set up another 120g, I would be debating between a multi-vortech system or a couple tunzes on wavyseas. or both if I had the cash