Flow in our tank: Tunze, Ecotech, Wav, Gyre..great debate

[jason2459]

I loved my Tunze powerheads. Very quite, easily controllable, battery backed up, and very powerful. Along with great support. Had all the latest upgrades on them with wide and narrow flow options etc.

Only one problem, me. I suck really really bad at powerhead placement and then hated adding a coral and having to adjust powerheads again which made it even worse as I'm down right terrible at this. I have no clue at all at getting it done.

Ok, I think I got the point across that no matter what powerhead you give me I will kill a coral.

Except for I finally found an answer to my powerhead inadequacies. I got a maxspect gyre and fell in love. My tank has never been happier. I got the icecap modules which allow both the xf150 and 250 to be programmed by the Apex and have one working in sync with the lunar cylce from the Seasonal table. Its awesome.

I ended up getting another gyre and another.

I do not have to worry about trying to figure out angles and direct or direct vs indirect flow or everything else I was terrible at with power head placement.

The flow is now amazing everywhere in the tank.

One horizontal on my right pane running at 100% 100% of the time.

One on the back left corner of the tank mounted vertical. It alternates forward and backward ramping up to 100% the majority of the time. The Apex seasonal chart is used for programming the direction and when to ramp up and down. In time with the lunar chart and basically alternates a strong undertow from going across the back of the tank to the front of the tank.

Recently I also added a 3rd gyre on the upper left back side of the tank horizontal continuously pulsing up to 60% towards the front glass. I was curious and I have a billion spare parts I tried it out and like it. Adds just a touch of turbulence over there.

On the otherside with the right horizontal mount I have my return coming in working with that gyre. About 600gph from it now.

I would say I have a decent amount of flow and not once did I have to fiddle around with where the heck to point the flow and haven't ripped the flesh off a coral.

My fish seem to love the flow and how it alternates 4 times a day. I can see them changing around the currents. Which just them swimming around creates a good amount of turbulence. No sweeping or syncing or anything else to try and create turbulence.

But these are perfect for me because of me and my lack of power head placement skills. They are battery backed up and Coralvue has been great to me anytime I've ever needed support.

Here's a video before I added the third gyre.


And as you can't hear in the video they are very quite for me. You can hear laundry up on another floor but not the pumps at 100% right next to me.

 

[FirstContact]

Did some research. Contacted Unique Corals who updated their website. The Panta Rhei ECM 42 gets 2,980 gph. The diameter of the output nozzle is 48 mm or about 1.88 inches.

It has a USB adapter for programming. But I think the adapter is sold separately and runs around $300 on top of the $555 price for the unit itself.

 

[justingraham]

So with all this info what's everyone's thoughts on how to get the best flow in a tank?
I'm thinking a gyre on the side a vortech on the back wall pointed thru the arches and two wavs on the back wall with the returns on a sea swirl to give the most random best flow

So for two grand u can knock off flow if ur having a problem in the tank

But in all honesty when it comes down to it it think two wavs or two gyres are the best bang for your buck

 

[happyhourhero]

Im a poor who uses Jebao RW-8s. My wife would laugh in my face if I ever tried to throw in some Vortechs

 

[justingraham]

Im a poor who uses Jebao RW-8s. My wife would laugh in my face if I ever tried to throw in some Vortechs

What size tank and how many jebao?

 

[happyhourhero]

65 Gallon. 2 RW-8

 

[justingraham]

65 Gallon. 2 RW-8

Nice I like the landscape also the way the power heads are u can hardly notice them as ur more drawn to the inhabitants

How long have you had the power heads?

 

[happyhourhero]

Nice I like the landscape also the way the power heads are u can hardly notice them as ur more drawn to the inhabitants

How long have you had the power heads?

Thank you. I think I have had them for a about a year now. I clean them biweeklyish

 

[MMreef]

I belive SunnyX on here has Jaboes and he swears by them. but his tank is packed with corals and you can not see them behind the corals. but my other buddy has a tunze and a jaboe(he replaced a broken tunze with this) in his not so packed 225 and boy they are ugly and very noticeable.

You're definitely not wrong here, the Jebao pump is quite bulky and it's not the most pleasant looking pump. However, I don't think it's too ugly to put into your tank. It's big but, for the most part, looks just like any other pump. I was afraid, at first, that I wasn't going to be able to even use the WP40 in my 120g as it produces so much waver movement. I got it tuned it quite nicely, though. My water rocks back and forth just perfectly. The fact that it has a light sensor, so when the lights go out you can make it change to a light smooth constant flow of water. This just helps with those same old water flow patterns, IMO.

 

[FirstContact]

65 Gallon. 2 RW-8

Nice looking tank!

 

[JBslick81]

I'm leaning towards 2 WAVs on my 90g, heavily rocked, mixed reef. I read this whole thread. I want the controllability with the APEX. Im hoping it will be enough power. At first I thought I wanted 2 MP40s or 2 Gyres. But I do see a lot of people selling the WAVs. Don't know what to decide.

 

[justingraham]

I'm leaning towards 2 WAVs on my 90g, heavily rocked, mixed reef. I read this whole thread. I want the controllability with the APEX. Im hoping it will be enough power. At first I thought I wanted 2 MP40s or 2 Gyres. But I do see a lot of people selling the WAVs. Don't know what to decide.

I love my wavs love them and what I run them at I can't hear them

The hard part is finding a spot to mount them without destroying the sand bed

 

[SOCKSDOG]

Ecotech or Tunze or perhaps Gyre

I am having a very hard time deciding what powerheads would be best for my new setup. (125 gallon mixed reef (48 X 24 X 24 Aquarium). I was thinking of two MP40WQD one each end and two MP10WQD on the back wall of the tank. My other option was two Tunze Trubelle 6105 Stream on each side and two Trubelle 6055 on the back wall. I might add I am thinking of Apex classic as a controller.

The Problem I am have is the aquarium will be setup in a corner of a room with the back of the aquarium right up against the wall. Image an “L” shade. The only access I will have to the rear of the aquarium will be either over the top a very long reach or through the cabinet. My concern is the dayside mounts of either the Ecotech or the Tunze . Those who use either can you let me knew if it must be an exact match dayside to wet or is there leeway.

 

[mcarroll]

If it's off with Vortech's and you run it, the two halves will either separate, dropping the wet side into the tank, or shimmy until the motor is ruined. Very not good.

The Tunze does not have to be exact, so it's a much much better fit for that scenario. You could scotch tape the outside magnets in place in advance of placing the tank and/or tie a string to them for catching/moving later when the tank is already in place.

Also, that combo of Tunze's would be nice (very nice!), but it's not the only combo of pumps that would potentially work well for that tank.

Maybe also consider...

• A simple pair of 6105's might run this whole tank to your satisfaction – the 6105 is a beast compared to the mp40. The 6105 has done that numerous times on 180 Gallon tanks. The only thing is their size in a tank that's only 48" long. Maybe consider hiding one or both of them in a Stream Rock vs using the magnet mounts?
• One or two Stream 3's in combo, or solo.
• A set of 6055's might even do the trick. Four to start. Maybe even consider hiding a couple of them in Stream Rocks instead of messing with magnet mounts on that inaccessible wall?
• Two or more 6040's in combo with 6055's.

 

[justingraham]

Wavs magnets would hold

 

[Gord]

Joe is a great guy think I was paying attention to the sea swirl idea?

I got two of them on my tank as well.

I would hold off on the sea swirls people. there is something much better hitting the market soon.

 

[justingraham]

I would hold off on the sea swirls people. there is something much better hitting the market soon.

Kinda a little late for that but u have peaked my interest

 

[Gord]

lol its never to late justin. I have a product being released that uses your return line as a sea swirl does. although it is much better and less than half the cost. there is no big ugly box. there is no power chord. it multiplies the flow from the pump by up to five times. it oscilates from left to right and at the sane time up and down and creates a vortex at ejection. i am waiting for my 1st thousand units to arive and start distribution. product will retail for $80. hopefully that has peaked your interest even further lol

 

[justingraham]

Pm me

 

[Gord]

Pm me

sorry justin, i am new to the forum and not what you would call computer savey. i cant seem to find an option to pm you. if you could kindly direct me in how to do this i will gladly do that. thanks