Tunze vs. Vortech for 180 Gallon Setup

[tate1]

For what it's worth, we have a 265 mixed reef. We use both. The Vortech is great but it can't angle around our over flows. However, I think it's design is great. We have had our 2 Vortechs for a while now. They, like the Tunze, still work great.

 

[oscar.millan]

Reefer Brian,

Solid review, thanks for the input. I think the score is Tunze 6 Vortech 1 (mild recommendation at that).

I appreciate the the candid information, thanks for sharing your experience.

Tunze is the way to go. I have a pair of 6200's and a single 6100 (both the old school brown casing), and have never had a problem with them(6 years old). All you ever hear about the MP40 is how they need a new wet side or magnets....for $400 you shouldnt have to replace anything. Plus they are not directional and also noisy...wow all these setting and all they do is make a bunch of noise as they power up and down(how anoying)....reef crest, lagoon, high tide, low tide what a bunch of crap.... Go with the Tunze, you will be very happy. Good luck with your decision...

 

[oscar.millan]

Alright, please keep bringing the Tunze vs. Ecotech discussion.

I'm leaning more towards Tunze at the moment and therefor switching gears a little bit.

Which controller would you recommend? Tunze 7095 or the 7096?

7096 Appears to be cheaper, but does require a computer via USB.
7095 is more expensive and does have more buttons.

Anybody have any experience with these?

 

[psykobowler]

If there is one thing I learned in reefing based on experience is to double up on everything or keep a spare. It does not matter if one equipment is better than another. They will all break at one point or another and it may be a critical part of the system that you cannot afford to lose.

My next dream system will have 2 return pumps and 2 closed loops. And yes I will have both mp40s and tunze streams on a controller.

 

[jmoney]

I have had my vortech mp40 running on my 75 gallon for over a year with no issues, I have taken it out twice now for a simply vinegar bath, and thats the whole wetside I do not take it apart in anyway whatsoever. As far as magnets go when I pull the wetside off my outside doesn't even fall, and I've left it there for a long time. I feel like the majority of issues that come from users of the vortech come from disassembly, improper spacing (coming from not knowing how think your glass/acrylic really is, or simply not doing it properly. Also a big problem I could see is when people do not align the wetside and and dry side perfectly upon re-attaching. I'm sure someone is going to flame this but the simple fact is that we reefers tend to tinker, play, and take things apart to see how they work, when many of the items that we use are meant to be installed, and left alone until cleaning is really necessary. That being said, I just purchased a second mp40w today actually for my 75 to have perfect and balanced flow throughout the tank. When I begin construction of my 500 gallon in-wall at my new house I will be using several mp40ws throughout the entire tank and nothing else, the water flow they seem to provide, although it may not appear as powerful as what comes out of a tunze or other powerhead is greatly appreciated by all of my corals, and they have never, grown as fast, or looked as good until 1 month of switching to vortech. I feel that part of this has to do with almost total water movement inside the tank instead of several pumps doing more of a blasting directional flow.

This is all of course my simple speculation but before switching to vortech I used, mj1200s on a red sea controller, 4x koralia 4 on a koralia controller, 3x tunze 6055 on a multicontroller, and now just a single vortech with another on the way. I will not ever go back to any other system, the aesthetics, flow and simplicity and the fact that the apex controller and ghl will be able to control them soon have me a firm beliver in these products.

Good luck with your decision its a doozy

 

[Algae Growwer]

I've had the vortechs (2 mp40)for over a year now and never had a problem with them quality wise! Now then lets get to what I did to them that make me stick by them.Lets just say the controllers don't like being soaked down.Ruptured return hose.They stopped working for a day and thats it .Took housings off and dried them out and wash them out with alcohol to remove salt and minerals they conduct elec. also .Put them back together and they been going ever since(8 months).Never fall off glass.If they do you don't have them set right period.Mine are not noisy .You just have to clean them every couple of months in vinegar bath and they are good to go.Ihave also had tunze and just don't like the big black boxes I want to see my livestock .It been said before and I'll say it again it just comes down to personal preference.They do move alot of water and don't have to worry about them blowing your colonies off the rocks.My tank loves them




220 gallon sps reef heavily stocked

 

[joe blo]

i've had two vortechs for two years, i am on my third pair of wet sides and they have never pulsed correctly(i don't care because i use the reef crest mode). they don't tell you the wet sides have to be replaced every 9 to 18 months up front but they do on their website. although, they don't produce any heat and ice cap has really good customer service. i think you have to realize they are an ingenious idea and there is going to be some bugs to work out which they will take care of. tunze on the other hand is cheaper and more reliable albeit bulky with wires in your tank. they are both overpriced compared to the $45 seio i have been using in my sump since '04.

 

[jjk_reef00]

I've never owned Vortech but Tunze customer service is second to none. My wavebox is at least 4 years old and the magnet connector tabs came off. I sent it in to Roger and he fixed it free of cost. Look on the used equipment forum because the tunze controller is selling for very cheap there.

Also for large tanks the Tunze 6205 and 6305 put out flow that is hard to compete with.

 

[sowellj]

I have a 180 and I used both. I have 2 mp40s on the very ends. I have 2 tunzes on the back w/the flow directed across the diagonal length of the tank.

 

[sfsuphysics]

I run 4 vortech MP40s (soon to be 5) on my 180.. but I have a funny shaped 180, 4' x 3' so they're all on the back wall. When I had a 100 (again funny shaped 72" x 18" x 18") I used 2 vortechs and wasn't particularly pleased with the affect when they were on the sides.

 

[Dakota Reef]

I run a pair of Vortech's on my 270 cube. They have performed flawlessly for the last year and a half. One time after a vinegar bath I had a problem with one of the units making a lot more noise than usual. I called Vortech's customer service and they immediately sent me out replacement parts.....which didn't solve the problem. Turns out the rubber gasket on the dry side had fallen on the floor and I hadn't noticed. My bad!!

I love the wider more dispersed flow of the vortechs but I also run two Tunzes because I like their longer more focused reach.

Both high quality products in my book.

 

[hemi-cuda]

God Help Us..... What did we ALL do before VorTech and Tunze..... It was just Tsunami WaveMakers operating Hagan PowerHeads and Sea Swirl's on our main pump outlets and we had Gorgeous Tanks ten years ago! I don't know how we existed without this NEW Technology. Marketing works I guess and some of you bought it hook line and sinker! Four(4) and another for (5) VorTech's on a 180(Granted it's a unusual dimensional 180....But come on Lots of $ spent on circulation when half or less than that would give you the same results and with less power consumption ....And (2) MP40's on a standard 75. I think I can circulate both of these tanks for alot less money. Ever watched video of the ocean...Nice and slow back and forth motion. Even when the waves break on a reef there's still a ''rest'' period before the next wave. The current produced just does not seem natural to me, too fast. I guess we will have to see in the long haul. Reefer Brian I'm with you..Tunze's never had a Gen 2 neither did Sea Swirl.

 

[mogley1]

I have both. when the vortechs are working they are great. The Tunzes are always great.

 

[NexDog]

Bah, lost my message due to maintenance. In a nutshell: Bought 2 when first came out, fell apart, Vortech replaced them, they fell apart. Good customer service but the product was crap. New gen supposed to be better. I just bought Tunzes and couldn't be happier.

 

[sfsuphysics]

God Help Us..... What did we ALL do before VorTech and Tunze..... It was just Tsunami WaveMakers operating Hagan PowerHeads and Sea Swirl's on our main pump outlets and we had Gorgeous Tanks ten years ago!

We did? I sure as hell didn't. Granted there are numerous things that could account for my tank being nicer today than it did back then, but I sure as hell didn't have a good tank, and I knew quite a few that didn't have good tanks. Those that did, may have had fish in the tanks, with some soft corals but nothing like we have today. The good tanks 10 years ago were a rarity rather than as common as they are today

Marketing works I guess and some of you bought it hook line and sinker! Four(4) and another for (5) VorTech's on a 180(Granted it's a unusual dimensional 180....But come on Lots of $ spent on circulation when half or less than that would give you the same results and with less power consumption

1) What does it matter what I spend on my tank?
2) I bought exactly one of those as new, the rest were used at a serious discount.
3) Half of that would give me the same results? I hardly think so. Now I could have gotten away with modded maxijets, maybe Seio pumps (until they broke), or other options to be sure, but sea swirls and hagens wouldn't have done squat for my tank except clutter it up with ugly power heads and what not.

Ever watched video of the ocean...Nice and slow back and forth motion. Even when the waves break on a reef there's still a ''rest'' period before the next wave.

Yes I have seen the ocean, hell I've been in the ocean, where corals exist underwater, and it's far from being slow back and forth motion, a LOT of water is being moved around, more than what appears to be. Ever hear of a riptide? Kills people quite often with the surprising velocity of the water. And you only have to be hit with a tiny wave if you're up to your chest to feel how much impact even a tiny wave will have (translation, lots of momentum, lots of water).

Does that mean everyone needs vortechs? No. Am I telling anyone they have to have a setup like mine? no. But I'm of the mindset that low powered high flow wide dispersal is more efficient than high power, low flow, tight dispersal pumps are better. You call it marketing I call it moving 3000 gallons ever hour with around 30 watts, rather than using an external pump that uses 5 times the power, and really isn't that much cheaper to accomplish the same.

If you can do the same with $200 sea-swirls and old hagen pumps to make your tank looks nice that's fine, I applaud you, I'll choose a different method.

 

[stunreefer]

Yes I have seen the ocean, hell I've been in the ocean, where corals exist underwater, and it's far from being slow back and forth motion, a LOT of water is being moved around, more than what appears to be.

:thumbsup:

The sheer mass of water movement happening in the ocean is not comparable to that in our aquariums.

 

[joe blo]

inappropriate! ~dc