EcoTech Marine VorTech MP40 Release Information

My Purple tank often sticks his nose into the "off" pump.

So far the only think caught in a pump was a snail, and that made a right old racket at 2am!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8315470#post8315470 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sparkysreef
I'm going to pull my hair out and take both of these vortechs and smash them into one hundred pieces with a hammer. I know it sounds immature but I am getting fed up. Just received my new replacement parts today and one is working fine but the second that was already in operation is vibrating like crazy. Come to find it looks as though the entire drive assembly is oscilating very fast and not staying centered. I checked the screw and nut and that's fine but seems like there is a little movement if you try to angle the driveshaft.
This is really ticking me off because I had plans for a total of 4-6 of these but to have to constantly tinker and toy and replace parts for $700 is ridiculous.
Other forms of circulation are starting to look much more attractive now.
It's very discouraging and aggravating as my main reason for wanting these was speed control/low wattage/able to move/controller. I would really like to stick with these and tough it out but I want this to be a relaxing and enjoyable hobby. I have never had any piece of equipment frustrate me like this.
I'm sorry but you guy should have tested these much longer before release.
I am on the fence and don't know what to do. I mean for the money, phone calls, and emails I don't know if it's worth it if this becomes an ongoing thing.
I really want to believe that the vortech is the next best thing for flow but ................
Click to expand...

I am so mad right now i am sweating. Finally got time to install the new parts for the 2nd pump. Here it is a half hour later and it won't spin. If the prop is loose enough so that the wet end magnet spins the screw stays put. so you get a spinning magnet but the prop stays still. Ok so try it the other way Rob, right? WRONG! Now with the prop a little tighter I can barely spin the magnet with 4 fingers. It feels like the new bearing is binding in the new wet frame. Let's add to that the guard on pump #1 keeps falling off.
I think I will give it just one more go around and that's it. I have an incredible amount of patience and mechanical ability but these things have pushed me waaaay to far to the point that I can no longer relax and view my tnak cause of constant tinkering with these things.
I spend endless nights with my arms in the tank. So let's get this corrected or I am going to need a refund or they will go up on the used good forum.
I have tried and tried and it's just ridiculous to have to soley spend endless time on $700 worth of brand new products with current upgrades.
I have had it vortech you win. Rob 0/Vortech1

PS* What really ****es me off more than anything was my future plans to have these running on the controller for optimal flow in my new sps tank. Sat there daydreaming about how it would look with all the great varied flow from the vortechs but I think that's all it ended up being.....a daydream.
I am saddened, frustrated, and dumbfounded by these things.

I really, truly, sincerely, appreciate your help (Ecotech and Icecap) but I think I am at my ropes end. Once you start having to mess with stuff because you have to and not because you want to, it starts to take the "hobby" aspect out of reef keeping.
 
I feel your pain dude. Mine are working fine now so hopefully there is a light at the end of the tunnel for you. Anyone in your area who has these and can visit to give you some help?
 
Sparky"s Reef - I am sending you out a brand new pump today. It is the newest revision to date. I need you to send the defective pump to Icecap 9B South Gold Drive Hamilton NJ 08691 so I can inspect it and see what is happening. The parts I sent were the updated parts and I can not understand why this is happening. I am sure the new replacement pump will work perfectly well for you and eliminate your headaches.
I appreciate you working with us on this issue.

As for the guard falling off, make sure the thin red O-Ring is not missing. You should be able to use the palm of your hand and place against the wet side gasket and apply slight pressure inwards toward the guard assembly and rotate slightly clockwise.
Also inspect the wet frame and guard assembly to make sure the locking tabs are not broken off.
 
My Copper Banded Butterfly got caught on my Vortech Wed. and died. He had gained weight, but I think he just wasn't healthy enough. Pump was only on about 1/3 power.

Anyway, love the pump.
 
Monday will be 2 weeks using it and so far beside the magnet thing (from not reading the directions well enough), I've had no issues. No hickups, power shut downs or anything. I've had 3 power outages of either quick bursts or about 20 seconds worth, and no issues restarting up either.

I think once I hit the 1 to 2 month mark, I'll buy my second one. Any insight on dates for the controllers? I'd really like to start using one to control them.

Thanks again for a very nice product.
 
I moved my pump because I ended up doing some major aquascaping. I'm getting some rattling. If I move the pump from the center outward, it gets worse obviously. I checked and the pins in the spacer are aligned correctly. The magnet screw is snug. Just to check, I used a non magnetic screw driver to see how snug the screw was. I made sure not to tighten it. I also made sure there were no air bubbles and cleaned the wet side.

Any other ideas or should I just give it time?

Thanks
 
It appears this morning it is fine so maybe it needed time setting in. If I may ask, what causes it and what are the usual things to fix it.

Thanks.
 
Since it was running fine until you moved it it was most likely not aligned perfectly after setting it back up. Just took a bit of time to realign and seat properly. I would consider this to be normal and anticipate no problems.
 
I would like to say how amazed I am at the wideness of the flow. I have mine around 8 to 9 inches below the surface now. I started off about 4 inches because most powerheads won't move water surface unless:
1. pointed at the surface, or
2. close to the surface.

At 4 inches, I felt like I wasn't getting the flow I wanted and the surface was very rippley. I moved it down to 6 inches which was doing very well. Getting both good surface movement and flow.

Last night I figured what the heck, let's go 8 inches below and the water is still churned (turned off all other pumps), and now I'm getting a better flow near the bottom too.

So for any of you all who have it high near the surface, give a try moving it lower. It's really nice.
 
Just because I have grown it corals mine is placed 4-5" from the top. I have fantastic undertow at the sand bed (19" down) and the sand is forming hills and valleys.
 
I've had my Vortech on my 240 now for about three weeks. This thing kicks butt, one of these days I will replace my modded m900 on the other side with another one. It was a little noisier at first than I expected, but after about a day that seemed to correct itself.

Really the only "complaint" I have is that the adhesive on the cord router won't hold it on my tank very well (acrylic, if that matters). It keeps popping off. Fortunately, the pump itself shows no signs of coming uncoupled, but if it does, its going to fall. Anyone else have this problem?

jds
 
That has been a problem for me too and I solved it by drilling the tank as follows:

cord%20keeper2.jpg

(horrible image but it gets the point across)

cord%20keeper3.jpg


I am in no way suggesting that the average sized tank reefer do this. I have a 2+" euro-bracing and drilling it does not weaken it in any way.

I also experimented successfully with the heavy duty velcro you can get at HD. It worked very well so you might want to try that first. :)
 
Mine sticks on glass. Only problem I have is anytime I move the powehead it vibrates for about 3 hrs and then goes away. Hardly any issue for me.
 
who do i need to contact to get a replacement part for my vortec?
i just pulled out the wet frame to clean it and found impeller very loose. under further observation the wet frame is completly craked in three places. is this covered under warrenty? and have others had this problem?
 
just installed the new wet frame and gasket. everything working great once again. my next ? i was told that there was a updated controller that was said to keep the pump running cooler. is this true? i run my pump at 100% and it does get quite hot to the touch, as in you can't touch it for more than a second. if there is no other controller is this normal?

thanks once again for the great cs.
chad
 
I think it's normal. The heat is being pulled out through the metal on the outside. Mine does the same and I'm guessing it is probably similiar to a heat sink.
 
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