Tunze Wavebox 6215

[poolkeeper1]

I've read enough reliability concerns about the Vortechs that I am not willing to spend that kind of money on them. Comes down to one wavemaker versus two mp40's which makes the wavemaker cheaper as well.

Just curious as to what reliability concerns you are talking about? Ecotech has the best customer service and I have had their Pumps since they came out and never had a problem that was not under warranty or even if it wasn't they took care of it. My current MP40ES have been running since they came out with no issues at all.
I have also ran Tunze Pumps and they are quality pumps as well and Roger gives great customer service as well, But i see no difference in the quality of either pump as your post implies. And since they both produce the same amount of flow claiming one will do more that the other is a strech IMO
Bill

 

[palvyre]

I have seen many consumer reports of noise problems and wetside failures with the Vortechs. My concern would be that i would be looking at reliability issues there. As for flow, I see many reports of the Wavemaker being used on tanks as large as 180 singly. Vortechs appear to need two for the same purpose according to folks who have actually set them up for that purpose. Additionally, I see a recurring theme of complaints about noise when in short pulse mode for the Vortechs.

 

[poolkeeper1]

I have seen many consumer reports of noise problems and wetside failures with the Vortechs. My concern would be that i would be looking at reliability issues there. As for flow, I see many reports of the Wavemaker being used on tanks as large as 180 singly. Vortechs appear to need two for the same purpose according to folks who have actually set them up for that purpose. Additionally, I see a recurring theme of complaints about noise when in short pulse mode for the Vortechs.

I am one of those Folks that have had both pumps you are talking about and your incorrect in your assumption that you will get more flow from one brand than the other.
That being said in my 185 gal I had 2 Tunze 6101 set up on the wavemaker feature from Neptune and the ramping of the pumps was no different than the ramping of the MP40's but the big difference was that the wave produced by the Vortechs was profoundly superior to what the Tunze pumps of the same size could produce. Plus the simple fact of the many options the MP40's offer that the Tunze do not make it like comparing Apples to Oranges.
Good luck with your choice but I'll bet somewhere down the road you will change your mind. JMHO And that's all i have to say about that! LOL
Bill

 

[Dowtish]

Bill, you do realize that we are talking about the wavebox, not just tunze pumps????right?

 

[poolkeeper1]

Bill, you do realize that we are talking about the wave box, not just tunze pumps????right?

Yeah, You do realize that MP40 do the same thing as the Wave box Right??? I am comparing the pumps as they are what amount of flow is possible from both pumps if it's in a box or not. One works by Pulse and the other by surge but both can only pump what that pump is rated for is all I'm saying. And I have tried them all at one time or another and The reason MP40 are so popular is because they work so well.
Bill

 

[Dowtish]

just making sure, and I promise you, that Derek will get the wavebox regardless....hahaha

 

[SmyrnaReefer]

All this being said... my two 11 month old MP40s have new wetsides being sent to me from ecotech for immature failure....... :cry:

 

[poolkeeper1]

just making sure, and I promise you, that Derek will get the wavebox regardless....hahaha

Your missing the point, I am not trying to force him to one or the other just that they are very similiar in flow no matter what he thinks about one being superior to the other. I can tell you lots of issues I had with the Tunze pumps over the years i used them but anything man made will have breakdowns sooner or later not just MP40's
And the Tunze pumps have their fair share.

 

[poolkeeper1]

All this being said... my two 11 month old MP40s have new wetsides being sent to me from ecotech for immature failure....... :cry:

For Free I'll bet, If not you should call them. A lot of wetside issues are from improper alignment of the pump to the wetside, If they are aligned correctly they will last as long as you take good care of them. I have never had a wetside fail other than a snail getting in and blocking the prop, Which happens to Tunze pumps as well.
Bill

 

[palvyre]

I have no skin in either of them. I approached it the same way I buy PC hardware or electronics. Number of reviews, complaints, use cases. If one person complains about a specific problem, that is not really relevant. If the complaint becomes a recurring theme, that is relevant. I can't count the number of reviews, forum posts, etc I have read complaining about wet side failures. I have also read in multiple places that could be caused by misalignment. That said, I don't want a pump that is so easily misaligned that I can find a high number of failures attributed to that problem.

 

[SmyrnaReefer]

I'm not paying for them yet, just pointing out they broke... Actually, the propellar won't come off the screw like they are fused together, no biggy, just a pain

 

[angrycubano]

I have no skin in either of them. I approached it the same way I buy PC hardware or electronics. Number of reviews, complaints, use cases. If one person complains about a specific problem, that is not really relevant. If the complaint becomes a recurring theme, that is relevant. I can't count the number of reviews, forum posts, etc I have read complaining about wet side failures. I have also read in multiple places that could be caused by misalignment. That said, I don't want a pump that is so easily misaligned that I can find a high number of failures attributed to that problem.

Good point. For the price you pay you would think someone would've come up with a more user-friendly way to get them properly aligned.

 

[poolkeeper1]

Good point. For the price you pay you would think someone would've come up with a more user-friendly way to get them properly aligned.

Sometimes we just have to take the proper care of our equipment and they will last a long time. Mine are several years old but look like brand new because they get a Vinigar bath every month or so, And I check the alignment often. You can tell when they are not by the fact they make noise if not aligned right.

 

[gmoney243]

while i do agree on the noise a vortech makes in pulse mode i still say get an mp40. i promise you 1 mp40 will do everything that the wavebox will do for cheaper and smaller. 2 mp40s is better but even Bart uses powerheads on the other side with his wavebox. if you used an mp40 for a wave maker the same would apply. while the wave is cool from what ive seen from personal experiments with all the modes on an vortech is that the corals get much much better PE on Reefcrest mode which is a random ramp up and ramp down mode. and theres other modes the vortechs have that you could never do with a wavebox. but hey its its not our tanks so get what u will like the best. but from people who have owned vortechs id say at least 90% of them are perfectly happy they bought it and while u do hear a few minor issues with vortechs the company is more than happy to fix them. the reason you probably dont hear much about the wavebox on is because there not as popular but i guarentee some of them break or just dont work and need to be returned as well. anyway GL pickin out your new toy and whatever it may be we all want to come see this new tank :)

 

[ibbennyb]

i have had both mp40w as well as the tunze 6215. the biggest issue is you cannot compare the two as they are two completely different ideas and technology.. when you look at the mp40 you are using that pump generally as "FLOW" / water movement. whereas the tunze wavebox isnt made for flow. it is water displacement. yes there is "flow" from the pump however its not calculated as a GPH.. just due to the fact thats not the point of the pump.. the pump on the 6215 is to displace water in and out of the box. to generate a wave.. as for me.. on my 300 gallon i have two 6215's and also three 6100's all tunze pumps are basically silent. the difference of some of the older impellers on the tunze pumps used to cause noise.. because they had a cluch / break mechanism on the older impellers to prevent them from turning in reverse.. the newer impellers are solid and therfore the clicking sound has been removed....

just my .02

 

[red reef]

do you think a wave box would work if placed it in the middle of a tank? I have a 360 gal 8' x 2' x 3' tall with a center island overflow. tank walls are 1.25 thick acrylic. thought I could mount to center overflow. would it work??

 

[mrsaltwatertank]

do you think a wave box would work if placed it in the middle of a tank? I have a 360 gal 8' x 2' x 3' tall with a center island overflow. tank walls are 1.25 thick acrylic. thought I could mount to center overflow. would it work??

You'd still get a wave although not that much as the wave box works better when it pushes water down the length of the tank. Also with walls that thick you'd need upgraded magnets

 

[KorL]

I think it'll still make good waves if placed in the center. But obviously placed at one end of the tank would be preferred

 

[red reef]

You'd still get a wave although not that much as the wave box works better when it pushes water down the length of the tank. Also with walls that thick you'd need upgraded magnets

do they have an upgrade magnet for 1.25

 

[KorL]

Comparing a mp40 to a tunze 6215, the 6215 is better at making larger waves and is a lot quieter. Mp40 has a smaller in tank profile and has other modes.

I've used both before and no way mp40 makes larger waves. It's the water displacement from inside the wavebox that really makes them waves going