Anyone read the latest issue of Coral Magazine (Sept/Oct 2016)?
BTW, a great magazine – love the full-color hard copy – what a concept!
Owner of Triton testing contends/suggests that Chinese pumps are causing spikes in tungsten levels in reef aquaria due to use of cheaper material used to manufacture pump shafts. Article says that the problem is not limited to cheap pumps -- even moderately priced pumps made in China cause same problems. Symptoms cited in article include bare patches on Acropora and paleness of some Monty coral.
Main evidence offered:
(1) Triton switched from 2 moderately-priced corroded Chinese-made pumps to new Venotec Abyzz pumps in their “reference tank” and T levels dropped dramatically without water changes; and
(2) water samples of customers reporting damaged/corroded pumps had high levels of T. But aside from an aquarium in London -- which apparently used same Chinese pumps that Triton was using with similar results (not clear if results refer to tungsten levels or symptoms of coral damage) – the article does not say that pumps at issue were made in China?
As a result Triton is including tungsten analysis in its testing protocol.
But I’m wondering:
1. Absent evidence that customers with high tungsten levels were using Chinese pumps, not sure replacement of two corroded Chinese pumps with new non-Chinese pumps is sufficient to conclude that Chinese pumps generally elevate tungsten levels. Am I missing something?
2. Article contends that its findings support using pumps from “established” manufacturers with extensive engineering departments.” OK, but how are consumers to know that established manufacturers are not outsourcing production of pumps to China? Seems like an awful lot of European and American-branded reef products are made in China. E.G., the Vertex Omega 130 skimmer I run on my 75 (which BTW I LOVE!) says that it is German engineered but made in China. Do "established" Western mfrs. certify that their pumps are made in America/Germany? If so, I withdraw this paragraph.
3. Don’t see in article any evidence that any non-Chinese mfr is producing pumps that do not have same alleged problem as Chinese pumps. And Venotec pumps are apparently new, so how do we know that Venotec pumps won't degrade and cause elevated tungsten levels?
Full disclosure: I have used Jabao wavemaker pumps for several years in 2 tanks. I don’t see symptoms article describes nor have I tested for tungsten yet. After reading article I may well send water samples to Triton for testing, and if I see elevated Tugsten levels, would likely replace pumps. I have had long-standing issues with nuisance algae in both tanks (which have -- thank you Jebus! -- been in abeyance for several months now) but that does not seem to relevant to tungsten issue).
My major beef with Jabao is that it and its retailer make no attempt to communicate in English, which I find to be insulting and infuriating. Product manuals, website descriptions and emails are written in words that technically qualify as English but are otherwise largely unintelligible.
Please feel free to settle my hash.
Mike
BTW, a great magazine – love the full-color hard copy – what a concept!
Owner of Triton testing contends/suggests that Chinese pumps are causing spikes in tungsten levels in reef aquaria due to use of cheaper material used to manufacture pump shafts. Article says that the problem is not limited to cheap pumps -- even moderately priced pumps made in China cause same problems. Symptoms cited in article include bare patches on Acropora and paleness of some Monty coral.
Main evidence offered:
(1) Triton switched from 2 moderately-priced corroded Chinese-made pumps to new Venotec Abyzz pumps in their “reference tank” and T levels dropped dramatically without water changes; and
(2) water samples of customers reporting damaged/corroded pumps had high levels of T. But aside from an aquarium in London -- which apparently used same Chinese pumps that Triton was using with similar results (not clear if results refer to tungsten levels or symptoms of coral damage) – the article does not say that pumps at issue were made in China?
As a result Triton is including tungsten analysis in its testing protocol.
But I’m wondering:
1. Absent evidence that customers with high tungsten levels were using Chinese pumps, not sure replacement of two corroded Chinese pumps with new non-Chinese pumps is sufficient to conclude that Chinese pumps generally elevate tungsten levels. Am I missing something?
2. Article contends that its findings support using pumps from “established” manufacturers with extensive engineering departments.” OK, but how are consumers to know that established manufacturers are not outsourcing production of pumps to China? Seems like an awful lot of European and American-branded reef products are made in China. E.G., the Vertex Omega 130 skimmer I run on my 75 (which BTW I LOVE!) says that it is German engineered but made in China. Do "established" Western mfrs. certify that their pumps are made in America/Germany? If so, I withdraw this paragraph.
3. Don’t see in article any evidence that any non-Chinese mfr is producing pumps that do not have same alleged problem as Chinese pumps. And Venotec pumps are apparently new, so how do we know that Venotec pumps won't degrade and cause elevated tungsten levels?
Full disclosure: I have used Jabao wavemaker pumps for several years in 2 tanks. I don’t see symptoms article describes nor have I tested for tungsten yet. After reading article I may well send water samples to Triton for testing, and if I see elevated Tugsten levels, would likely replace pumps. I have had long-standing issues with nuisance algae in both tanks (which have -- thank you Jebus! -- been in abeyance for several months now) but that does not seem to relevant to tungsten issue).
My major beef with Jabao is that it and its retailer make no attempt to communicate in English, which I find to be insulting and infuriating. Product manuals, website descriptions and emails are written in words that technically qualify as English but are otherwise largely unintelligible.
Please feel free to settle my hash.
Mike
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