Tunze Turbelle flow ratings

[HippieSmell]

This is dredging up an old controversy, but there was an Advanced Aquarist article comparing flow rates of popular power heads and there was some discrepancy between stated flow rates of Turbelle pumps and test results.

Did Tunze ever change the way they advertise flow rates? I'm just wondering how stated flow rates compare between the 6150 and Vortech mp60, specifically. It looks like the 6150 has almost exactly half the flow. But, this is somewhat surprising to me because the mp60 uses 60 watts and the 6150 uses 50 watts. Is the vortech that much more efficient?

 

[Brew12]

This is dredging up an old controversy, but there was an Advanced Aquarist article comparing flow rates of popular power heads and there was some discrepancy between stated flow rates of Turbelle pumps and test results.

Did Tunze ever change the way they advertise flow rates? I'm just wondering how stated flow rates compare between the 6150 and Vortech mp60, specifically. It looks like the 6150 has almost exactly half the flow. But, this is somewhat surprising to me because the mp60 uses 60 watts and the 6150 uses 50 watts. Is the vortech that much more efficient?

I've find advertised flow rates on powerheads to be humorous. Not saying there aren't valid methods of doing it, only that they are incomplete at best and deceptive at worst. My biggest issue is that it doesn't take the distance the water travels when pushed into consideration.
A powerhead that provides 200gph of flow 3 ft into a tank will use much more energy than a pump that only pushes 200gph of flow 1 ft into a tank.

 

[HippieSmell]

I've find advertised flow rates on powerheads to be humorous. Not saying there aren't valid methods of doing it, only that they are incomplete at best and deceptive at worst. My biggest issue is that it doesn't take the distance the water travels when pushed into consideration.
A powerhead that provides 200gph of flow 3 ft into a tank will use much more energy than a pump that only pushes 200gph of flow 1 ft into a tank.

So, how do we compare flow between pumps like the MP60 and Tunze 6150? Has there been a follow up study to the AA article, or something similar?

 

[Fritzhamer]

Tunze, I believe, did a video on this. There are also a ton of videos online comparing them. Essentially vortech produces a very wide flow that doesn’t travel very far at all. Tunze produces a more focused flow that can reach very far. Both can move quite a bit of water, placement of rock work are obviously big factors as are what it is that you’re trying to achieve with the pump.

There is no “better” here.

 

[HippieSmell]

Tunze, I believe, did a video on this. There are also a ton of videos online comparing them. Essentially vortech produces a very wide flow that doesn’t travel very far at all. Tunze produces a more focused flow that can reach very far. Both can move quite a bit of water, placement of rock work are obviously big factors as are what it is that you’re trying to achieve with the pump.

There is no “better” here.

I'm not suggesting there is a better. But, consideration must be given to stated flow rates when building a system.

I'm starting to think maybe wattage is an important metric when comparing similar (similar as in propeller) pumps. I just have a difficult time believing a magnetic coupling, like Vortech, is almost twice as efficient as the levitating magnet used in the 6150.

 

[Fritzhamer]

Here you go, they have more but almost halfway in they compare with UV indicator.

 

[HippieSmell]

Thanks for posting the video. The last comparison between the 6305 and the mp60 is the closest comparison to my situation. The 6305 uses 63 watts, the mp60 uses 60 watts and they seem similar in flow rate with a different flow pattern. This is kind of what I'm concluding. The wattage is what a person should look at when comparing powerheads.

The reason I'm asking these questions is because I currently have two mp60's in my tank, but have had them constantly break down since buying them last year. So, I impulse bought four 6150's that were on sale, but haven't installed them yet. I'm just trying to decide whether or not to make the switch.

 

[Fritzhamer]

Ah, I’ve owned vortechs, the Gyre and many a Tunze, from the old big style to the new nanos. I often have gotten lured away by the “latest and greatest” but Tunze pumps are tanks and they’re REALLY well engineered. They are also better suited, in my opinion, to four foot and longer tanks.

 

[Brew12]

The wattage is what a person should look at when comparing powerheads.

Personally, wattage is one of the last things I would consider in a pump. I would consider flow pattern first, features second, cosmetics third and wattage last. Well, throw reliability in there somewhere.

One reason why I would put wattage last. Right now electricity by me is $0.12/kwh. A pump that uses 30 watts more power for 24 hours a day will use 720 watts more per day if run at 100%. That works out to 262.8 kwh per year more or an operating cost of $31/year. Even with 4 pumps it is still under $130/year. Considering the costs associated with the livestock in the system I would worry much more about providing them with the proper flow based on your specific tank layout than any efficiency issues. This would be a pretty extreme example.

If you have wide open areas you may be better off with higher velocity pumps like the 6150's. If you need to have the powerheads blowing more directly on coral you may be better off with the Vortechs.

 

[HippieSmell]

Personally, wattage is one of the last things I would consider in a pump. I would consider flow pattern first, features second, cosmetics third and wattage last. Well, throw reliability in there somewhere.

What I meant was one should compare wattage as a metric to compare flow rate instead of published flow rates.

 

[Brew12]

What I meant was one should compare wattage as a metric to compare flow rate instead of published flow rates.

Ah, gotchya. When combined with flow pattern that would be useful. For 2 pumps with similar flow patterns this would be a great metric.

 

[Servillius]

Thanks for posting the video. The last comparison between the 6305 and the mp60 is the closest comparison to my situation. The 6305 uses 63 watts, the mp60 uses 60 watts and they seem similar in flow rate with a different flow pattern. This is kind of what I'm concluding. The wattage is what a person should look at when comparing powerheads.

The reason I'm asking these questions is because I currently have two mp60's in my tank, but have had them constantly break down since buying them last year. So, I impulse bought four 6150's that were on sale, but haven't installed them yet. I'm just trying to decide whether or not to make the switch.

It’s not just raw wattage. I’ve been going back and forth on Tunze and Ecotech. The Ecotech pumps seem to fight themselves. If you watch their flow over time, it tends to die out over distance. By comparison, the Tunze pumps, particularly the narrow flow ones designed for it, can drive a wave against the far wall of a big tank.