Wavemaker opinions and suggestions needed

[dinorex1013]

Hi everyone, I currently have a Redsea XL525. Tank is 108gallons with 31sump. when i first got the tank from my lfs they included regular hydro powerbeads. I am currently thinking about upgrading them to wave makers. My current choices are the Maxspect XF330,XF350, Vortech Mp10 and Mp40. Which brand would be better? I currently have Lps and soft corals in my tank. Would i need 2 wave makers on each side of the tank? Do they need to be the same gph or can i do a XF330 on one side and XF350 on the other? And should i be adding some powerbeads in the back wall of the tank also? if yes, suggestions for those will be appreciated also. Im am fairly new to the hobby. Any suggestions or opinions would really be appreciated. Thanks

 

[chbix]

Your talking about 2 different designs. the xf are gyre and blow a sheet of water across, the vortechs are more directional. I dont have either of thoses brands but they are pretty much the top end of their respective markets and have been doing a lot of research as I am setting up a 5' 150 gallon tank. I am planning on going with 2 gyre style on each end. Currently thinking the icecap 4k.

If you want to start with 1, i would go with the bigger 1 and then decide if you need another as you can usually get the pump without the controller cheaper than buying another unit with a controller. According to the maxspect website you can hook a 350 and a 330 to the same unit. Again power head on the back I would wait and see if you needed more flow.

 

[reefteaser]

I've been running a pair of Maxpect 250 gyres For a little over two years and still very happy. The biggest negative is cleaning, there are a lot of parts. I just ordered some more bushings from Coralvue as I've found this is the most common source of noise. Also, I replaced the mesh coverings with Nemprotect guards that are way easier to keep clean and prevent algae growth on the gyres. I may upgrade to the 300 series if mine crap out or I decide I have too much money.

 

[dinorex1013]

okay thanks so much for the advice. I will go with the 350s first and then see how the flow is. Btw do you think the intergrated controller is essential for the gyre? Does the wireless app make it easier?

 

[reefteaser]

I'm not familiar with a wireless app for the gyres. I used the controller, which worked great once I figured out how to program it. It's not very user friendly.
Last Christmas I got a Hydros wave engine and run my two gyres and two Reef Octopus return pumps on it. Much easier to program, and I love running all of them on one power brick. It is also app controlled. There are several pumps it will support. Supposedly, more will be added with options to purchase without the usual power bricks and controller (the gyres can be ordered like that now), so says Coralvue.