Flow for Small Polyps - Does size really matter?

[SPSEMPIRE]

After a year of running vortechs on my systems, I believe it is time for me to go back to some different pumps. Since I had set up my first reef tank in the spring of 2006, I have always been a tunze guy. Some how I bought into the hype and have ended up with MP40w ES and MP10w ES pumps to experiement.

Now I am currently running 2 X MP40w ES pumps on my 120g display (48 X 24 X 24) and 5 X Hydor Koralia 4 pumps on my 100g propagation (72 X 18 X 20) system. Both systems have the same sump, same parameters controlled by an Apex controller, same lights, same bulbs and the same type of return pump (eheim 1262). Keeping all things the same, the only difference in the systems is the tank dimensions and the pumps used for flow.

With out any doubt, I like the flow in the 100g propagation system in the 5 hydor koralia 4 pumps much more than the system with the vortechs. Not only is the 100g system completely silent, the flow is much more random and disperse with the koralia pumps. After I moved a few pieces from my display to the propagation system, the corals are getting even more colorful and the polyps are extended more.

I was initially concerned about loosing the undertow when I switched to the koralias on 100g system. It seems that if you have enough of them working together, you get a nice undertow with these pumps that is very similar to the vortechs.

Comparing a $50 pump to a $450 pump isn't really a comparison, right? In the 6ft tank, I have $250 invested in the pumps and in the 4ft tank I have $900 invested in the pumps. The extra $650 is only buying my a loud noise that echos through the house and not the optimal flow that I am wishing to achieve. Before I wrap this assessment up, I must say that vortech has provided me with the best customer service that I can possibly ask for and I don't think that Hydor can compete with their customer service.

 

[abrian]

I am very surprised at the noise you report, although I have heard others mention this as well. I have two MP40W ES on my 120 not six feet from our living room couch and I cannot hear them at all, even on those rare occasions when I get to take a nap on the couch and there is no tv, etc turned on.

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

I am very surprised at the noise you report, although I have heard others mention this as well. I have two MP40W ES on my 120 not six feet from our living room couch and I cannot hear them at all, even on those rare occasions when I get to take a nap on the couch and there is no tv, etc turned on.

Hum, makes me wonder how much they vary from pump to pump. I have 2 vortechs and the older one (one year old) is a little bit louder than the newer (4 months old) one.

Do you have carpet on your flooring? What about your sump and skimmer? I think that if I had both of them under my tank vs in another room to go along with carpet on the floor than it wouldn't be too big of a deal.

 

[Logzor]

So the age of the bulbs and the distance the corals are from the bulbs are the exact same?

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

So the age of the bulbs and the distance the corals are from the bulbs are the exact same?

Yep, same age on the bulbs and similar distances away from the bulbs.

 

[Logzor]

Well a good test would be swap your vortech to the frag tank and move the koralias to the DT.

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

Well a good test would be swap your vortech to the frag tank and move the koralias to the DT.

That should answer the question for sure. I'll have to give that a shot when I get back from vacation next week. If nothing else, it will let me know if the 120g is too deep for koralias or if they are able to produce a strong enough undertow.

Basically, I have not yet fully convinced myself that Koralias produce better flow than vortechs but it sure does show me that they a disperse flow that is random for sps to grow nicely in.

There is just something about the koralias that I like. It is like it is not too much, not too little, but just right.