Power head question Vortech vs Gyre

[Deep Reef]

I'm building a 150 tall tank and have been looking into the gyre 250 with controller. If I place one on each side of the tank and alternate them it appears that they would provide better performance then a pair of Vortech mp60wqd's

Your thoughts?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ca1ore]

What do you mean by 'better'?

 

[hogfanreefer]

Two MP60's on a 5' tank? That seems like a lot of flow for that size tank. I'm running two MP40's and two MP10's on a 6' tank. I'm partial to the MP's mainly because of the very clean look with no cords inside the tank and the fact that the ones I have are very dependable (almost 5 years old with zero problems).

 

[LefkoNJ]

Two MP40s would be perfect for those tanks. I have love my MP40s and they provide great flow.

 

[tonyreef]

VorTech are state of the art! Anything else will leave you wanting. IMO

 

[Fishinbob]

I'm building a 150 tall tank and have been looking into the gyre 250 with controller. If I place one on each side of the tank and alternate them it appears that they would provide better performance then a pair of Vortech mp60wqd's

Your thoughts?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have 2 mp40s and an mp10 on the back in a 90 gallon...fantastic flow 3 pumps synced and programmable through apex. Vortechs are sleek, excellent quality, dependable and ecotech has fantastic customer service. I'd say mp60's are overkill personally but would highly reccomened atleast 2 mp40s as well.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[sean357]

I've run both, they both produce amazing flow. The Gyre is a bit more random and can produce a surge like nothing else. However cleaning the gyre is about 100X more complicated than cleaning a Vortech - and they do get really dirty so I ended up cleaning the Vortech's with every water change and the Gyre never. So I ditched the Gyre and kept the Vortechs. Two MP40s will be more than enough, and make your life way easier.

 

[jacksonpt]

I've got more experience with vortechs than with the gyres, so take this with a grain of salt, but...

Gyres can surge better, but nothing creates a better undertoe than do the vortechs. I've had terrible luck with my current 10s, but I'd buy more if I was in the market.

 

[Deep Reef]

At 30-40 times tank volume so I should have 4-6000gph. A single mp40 won't do so when your alternating flow you only have about half. The other issue is the are not directional so I don't think they will provide good turbulence throughout the tank


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ktownhero]

At 30-40 times tank volume so I should have 4-6000gph. A single mp40 won't do so when your alternating flow you only have about half. The other issue is the are not directional so I don't think they will provide good turbulence throughout the tank


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You are sorely mistaken my friend... The MP40QDs are insanely powerful. They can crush a 5' tank no problem. On my 4' tank, I don't even run them over 30% and it's a ton of flow.

Nothing wrong with going MP60 if you want, but it's not even remotely necessary. IMO, I'd take the savings on the MP60s and buy a third MP40 down the line and put it on the back wall.

 

[Deep Reef]

I'm only looking at ratings and the 40 is rated for 4500 gph


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GimpyFin]

Just like LED lighting, everybody will recommend the one that they use and say it's the best. The Gyre and vortech both work well but provide different flow types. IMO, a lot of it comes down to personal preference.

 

[ktownhero]

I'm only looking at ratings and the 40 is rated for 4500 gph


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

"Only!?"

Just get whatever you want then... why bother asking for advice if you just want to resist it anyway? lol. You'll know what we all mean when you spend all of that cash on the MP60 and realize it's way overkill. Even Ecotech's own calculator doesn't recommend an MP60 for your tank, it recommends 2xMP40.

 

[ktownhero]

Here you can use this to help: http://ecotechmarine.com/calculator

2x MP40 work out perfectly. 1xMP60 blows past the optimal level on its own.

 

[hogfanreefer]

At 30-40 times tank volume so I should have 4-6000gph. A single mp40 won't do so when your alternating flow you only have about half. The other issue is the are not directional so I don't think they will provide good turbulence throughout the tank


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Are you thinking you need four power heads with each pumping 6000 gph?

I think two MP40's would be ideal....one on each end of the tank...one higher and one lower as well as off set (front to back). In anti-synch mode that should produce some pretty nice back and forth flow. Down the road if you have a lot of mature colonies blocking flow you could add another MP40 on the back wall.

 

[soulpatch]

I have been going back and forth on this myself. I would like to move my WAVs to the back wall and put either MP40s or Gyres on the end to add more flow to my 150 for my SPS.

My thoughts (no decision made as of yet)

MP40: Proven and reliable by pricey. I would need 2 so we are at $600 and then I would need WXM for my apex which is another 125. So out of the gate I am at $725. Other pros is small footprint in tank and less heat transfer. Massive flow.

Cons would be motor and wire on the end of the tank being a larger eye sore then a magnet backing. Cost. nondirectional flow.

Gyres: Apex module is still 125 so a wash there. A XF250 is $340 with controller and a second pump would be 160 bringing you in at 625 or roughly $100 cheaper. Pros are the large span of water movement and surge. Reverse flow (though limited in benefit) and directional

cons: CLEANING. large footprint in tank and since newer on market questions about reliability longer term.

I am personally leaning towards gyres to save costs and for the wider flow for my SPS. Both are outstanding pumps and you would not be wrong going either direction but it comes down to which do you think looks better and meets your tanks needs accounting for rockwork, livestock, ect.

I do agree with others that you would be fine with MP40s but if you went to the MP60 then the price chasim simply grows between the 2.

 

[Deep Reef]

I have been going back and forth on this myself. I would like to move my WAVs to the back wall and put either MP40s or Gyres on the end to add more flow to my 150 for my SPS.

My thoughts (no decision made as of yet)

MP40: Proven and reliable by pricey. I would need 2 so we are at $600 and then I would need WXM for my apex which is another 125. So out of the gate I am at $725. Other pros is small footprint in tank and less heat transfer. Massive flow.

Cons would be motor and wire on the end of the tank being a larger eye sore then a magnet backing. Cost. nondirectional flow.

Gyres: Apex module is still 125 so a wash there. A XF250 is $340 with controller and a second pump would be 160 bringing you in at 625 or roughly $100 cheaper. Pros are the large span of water movement and surge. Reverse flow (though limited in benefit) and directional

cons: CLEANING. large footprint in tank and since newer on market questions about reliability longer term.

I am personally leaning towards gyres to save costs and for the wider flow for my SPS. Both are outstanding pumps and you would not be wrong going either direction but it comes down to which do you think looks better and meets your tanks needs accounting for rockwork, livestock, ect.

I do agree with others that you would be fine with MP40s but if you went to the MP60 then the price chasim simply grows between the 2.

I going back and forth. The gyre appears to provide a more uniform flow but hearing that they are more difficult to clean has me looking at vortex.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Deep Reef]

I don't want to spend for the 60 but it seemed I was at the top end for the 40 and if they were alternating flow they would be on low end of requirements. I have never owned Vortech so I was looking for input and this has been a great discussion


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ktownhero]

I don't want to spend for the 60 but it seemed I was at the top end for the 40 and if they were alternating flow they would be on low end of requirements. I have never owned Vortech so I was looking for input and this has been a great discussion


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Use that calculator I linked above. It's Ecotech's official stance on what kind of pumps you should use, and 2xMP40s comes out perfect. Maybe you're not aware, but 2xMP40 is pretty much the gold standard for any tank under 6' in length.

 

[jacksonpt]

I don't want to spend for the 60 but it seemed I was at the top end for the 40 and if they were alternating flow they would be on low end of requirements. I have never owned Vortech so I was looking for input and this has been a great discussion


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm confused. if it's rated at 4500gph (or whatever), alternating the flow doesn't change that, it just impacts when that 4500gph is flowing. If you put one MP40 on each end of the tank and set them to long pulse anti-sync, you'd have 4500gph from the left for 5 seconds (or whatever duration you set), then 4500gph from the right.

Assuming you ran them both at 100%.

Even if you consider that it takes second for the flow/movement to catch up to the pump speed, it's not like the pumps aren't working at max capacity.