6105 on 180G, Magnet Too Weak?

[clm65]

I just received a pair of 6105 pumps for my 180G. I mounted the first one, and it proceeded to slide down the glass until it was resting on the rocks. I re-positioned it and same result. I followed the instructions and installed the 8 little "elastic buffers" (4 on each magnet half). I'm pretty sure my glass thickness is 1/2", which is what this pump is rated for. Should I not have installed the buffers? The instructions say I may need to limit the angle of the pump so that the lateral forces from the flow are not too high, but I'm having these issues with the pump off. Am I missing something?

Edit: just looked at the Tunze website. It says this pump is good for 2/3" glass, not 1/2". So now I am even more perplexed.

 

[dwest]

I just received a pair of 6105 pumps for my 180G. I mounted the first one, and it proceeded to slide down the glass until it was resting on the rocks. I re-positioned it and same result. I followed the instructions and installed the 8 little "elastic buffers" (4 on each magnet half). I'm pretty sure my glass thickness is 1/2", which is what this pump is rated for. Should I not have installed the buffers? The instructions say I may need to limit the angle of the pump so that the lateral forces from the flow are not too high, but I'm having these issues with the pump off. Am I missing something?

Edit: just looked at the Tunze website. It says this pump is good for 2/3" glass, not 1/2". So now I am even more perplexed.

I used one on my 180 with 1/2 inch glass. Something else must be going on.

 

[clm65]

I used one on my 180 with 1/2 inch glass. Something else must be going on.

Hmmm, interesting. Tonight I will try the second pump and see if it does the same thing. I did measure my glass last night, and confirmed it is 1/2” thick.

 

[dwest]

Hmmm, interesting. Tonight I will try the second pump and see if it does the same thing. I did measure my glass last night, and confirmed it is 1/2” thick.

Is your tank currently filled with water? It might slide down if the tank is empty. That’s all I have... good luck.

 

[clm65]

Is your tank currently filled with water? It might slide down if the tank is empty. That’s all I have... good luck.

Yes, it is full.

 

[Foothill Corals]

I use the 6105 pumps also, I suspecting that the magnets are not aligned properly. Try to turn the outside magnet 90-180 degrees and see if it holds better. this should not be an issue at all on 1/2".

 

[clm65]

I use the 6105 pumps also, I suspecting that the magnets are not aligned properly. Try to turn the outside magnet 90-180 degrees and see if it holds better. this should not be an issue at all on 1/2".

Thanks! I will try that when I get home tonight.

 

[rvitko]

As has been said their is one correct orientation with maximum strength, so try turning the magnets, you can actually see the magnet bars through the resin as an impression so use that to know the rough orientation. It is not impossible a magnet is a dud, they should hold well on 1/2" though as long as they are in water.

 

[clm65]

As has been said their is one correct orientation with maximum strength, so try turning the magnets, you can actually see the magnet bars through the resin as an impression so use that to know the rough orientation. It is not impossible a magnet is a dud, they should hold well on 1/2" though as long as they are in water.

Thanks, I sure hope that is all it is. I can't wait to crank them up and see what they can do!

 

[jschultzbass]

Good choice on pumps. 6105 is one of the best aquarium water movers out there.

 

[clm65]

Good choice on pumps. 6105 is one of the best aquarium water movers out there.

Thanks! I actually started a thread to help me pick my new pumps. Tunze was highly recommended. I've been living with undersized powerheads for waaay too long. Now I'm anxious to get home and rotate the magnet and see how much more movement I get in my tank.

 

[rvitko]

If they still don't hold, let me know, we will replace them. Raw magnets almost without exception come from China, I don't think I have to say more than that. We make the magnet holders in Germany but the quality of the raw magnets is always suspect and often it is just flat out fraud by the supplier and not a mistake, they pack a few duds in on purpose to cut costs. It also sometimes happens that one is made wrong, we have a magnet in upside down so one pushes and one pulls, but this is very rare, the magnets are assembled on a template with a magnetic field to make this nearly impossible to do, I have only seen this a couple times.

 

[clm65]

If they still don't hold, let me know, we will replace them. Raw magnets almost without exception come from China, I don't think I have to say more than that. We make the magnet holders in Germany but the quality of the raw magnets is always suspect and often it is just flat out fraud by the supplier and not a mistake, they pack a few duds in on purpose to cut costs. It also sometimes happens that one is made wrong, we have a magnet in upside down so one pushes and one pulls, but this is very rare, the magnets are assembled on a template with a magnetic field to make this nearly impossible to do, I have only seen this a couple times.

Thank you, that is a great offer! I'm hoping that is not necessary though. I only tried the magnet in one orientation, so if they need to be aligned a certain way, it was at best a 50/50 shot that I got it right. I'll know in a couple of hours....

 

[clm65]

Ok, a couple of things I learned...the magnet can really only go one way. It pretty much self-aligns. But there is a little bit of slop that allows you to rotate it a degree or two either way. This may be enough to cause a difference, because now the pump is staying put. I installed the second pump and it is doing fine too. It feels very solid, maybe a little more solid than the first pump, but I don't think either will cause me any problems. I also learned that these pumps are very quiet and put out a ton of flow (which confirms what others were saying). I have them both turned down quite a bit, because when I turn them up, stuff starts blowing everywhere. So I still need to play with the controller to find the best settings for my tank, but overall I am very happy with my choice. Thanks all for the help!