Wave Makers - Boffin advice needed.

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I'm in need of some advice from some of the marine boffins regarding circulation / wave pumps.

I have a 220lt Innovation 60 gal tank. Dimensions are 900mm long x 450mm water depth x 450mm display area width ( front to back ).

I have seen, and tried the Maxspect 150, way too powerful for my small tank, but apparently the smaller 130 model is on it's way to RSA. The pump delivers a linear water flow and it moves a huge volume of water. Pump comes with a controller and you can set many different pulse / pattern modes with it. what I like is that the unit is nice and compact and according to what I read, I will only need one pump in my size tank.
What I'm not sure about is that the water flow is linear and in one direction. I have always been told that random flow is better for a reef tank.

The other option that I'm seriously looking at are putting 2 Tunze 6040 pumps into my tank. That way I can create a good random flow and should be able to eliminate most of the dead spots. The Tunze 6040 comes with a controller and you can set all sorts of flow / wave patterns. What I don't like is that I would have to put 2 units into the tank and I am one of those reefers who don't like to see hardware in a tank.

Cost wise the Tunze's and the Maxspect 130 work out to more or less the same. I'm not trying to save costs here, I'm trying to do the best thing for my reef and it's goggas.

Any and all advice from the "boffins" would be greatly appreciated.
 
Maxspect is still a new pump so very few people can quote from personal experience. Probably best to see it in a tank when it arrives.
Tunze are excellent pumps and you won't be sorry buying them.
Buying pumps is a mission
Have you considered vortech?
 
Maxspect is still a new pump so very few people can quote from personal experience. Probably best to see it in a tank when it arrives.
Tunze are excellent pumps and you won't be sorry buying them.
Buying pumps is a mission
Have you considered vortech?

I've looked at the Vortech on the internet, but don't know where to find them in Cape Town. I would like to see them "in the flesh". The prices I've seen, they are more expensive than Tunze. For that kind of money I need to know and see why.
 
Vortech pumps get noisy over time...Most annoying thing ever. ..and at that price il never be happy knowing the pump will eventually get noisy

How Did U Find The Maxspec 150 ito performance?
 
I would add the maxspect and two tunzes, but rather the 6095's. In fact, i would get four 6095's ;)
It all depends on your scaping and of course what you want to keep.
Currently running 2 x RW15's (15 000 lph each) as well as 2xseios 4000lph each in my tank, same dimensions as yours.
The idea with the maxspect is to create a gyre type flow, so its all about how you position it.
The only real benefit in the vortechs is them not having wires in the tank, but your tank does look like its got ear muffs when you run two of them. Totally agree, for the price, and if my budget allowed, I'd rather get tunzes... But, it doesnt, so the chinese jebaos do great for me.
 
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The Maxspect 150 is very impressive, this thing moves an incredible amount of water. It moves the top layer of water across the tank, then down the end and all along the bottom. Magic surface agitation, good for gas exchange. It makes a very nice pulse flow and I found it to be very quiet. I did not run it at 100% though......too powerful for my tank.

What I like about it is that it is very compact. The 150 is about 30cm long and a little bit thicker diameter than a broom stick. The 130 is about 24cm long and about as thick as a broom stick. When you mount it horizontally just below the surface, you can hardly see the unit and it is very unobtrusive. You can also mount it vertically in the corner of your tank.

I didn't try it, but you can swop one of the impellers around and then set the pump in alternating mode. In this mode you can set both the forward and the reverse speed and power individually for each direction as well as the time it runs in each direction. You could effectively create a pushing and a pulling tide motion in your tank. Push for 6 hours and then pull for 6 hours. Kinda cool feature, but I have no idea as to how well it works.
 
If you want random movement for cheap, Look at the Sicce Voyager pumps with a controller. It switches the pumps on and off. Alternating left and right. Can set the time it should run before it switches again. On your tank the Voyager 2 or 3 should be OK. Maybe even the 4. For the combo of 2 *Voyager 4 and the controller you are looking at around R3000. Not a bad price at all.

They are not that expensive compared to Vortech.

The new Vortech line with the black controller box is quieter. They changed the programming. It does not have that whining noise that some of them have anymore.

I run on my 3.2m tank 4 Vortech MP40 and 2 Sicci Voyager 10.
 
If you want random movement for cheap, Look at the Sicce Voyager pumps with a controller. It switches the pumps on and off. Alternating left and right. Can set the time it should run before it switches again. On your tank the Voyager 2 or 3 should be OK. Maybe even the 4. For the combo of 2 *Voyager 4 and the controller you are looking at around R3000. Not a bad price at all.

They are not that expensive compared to Vortech.

The new Vortech line with the black controller box is quieter. They changed the programming. It does not have that whining noise that some of them have anymore.

I run on my 3.2m tank 4 Vortech MP40 and 2 Sicci Voyager 10.

I can get the Tunze 6040's with controllers @ R1900.00 each, I'd rather pay the bit extra and get the Tunze if I decide to go with 2 wave makers instead of the Maxspect 130.

i still don't know which is the better choice..........I hate seeing pumps in my tank. I can hide the Tunze behind the rock work or I can hide the Maxspect at the surface.....nobody looks up there, they look at the reef and the corals.
 
Sicce Voyager 3

4,500l/h 10W
R 1250,00

OK, without controller

Just want to compare a 1600 Golf with a 1600 Corsa. No point in comparing 6000L/h pumps against 4500L/h. Same as you cannot compare a 1600 sedan against a 2L sedan and then claim the 2L is faster.

But for me, the best bang for buck. Would be 2 SunSun 3000L/h pumps on opposite sides of the tank facing each other.
 
What is the flowrate on these?

200 - 4500 lt/hr. If I put 2 in the tank and run them at 50% power, in opposite directions so that their current "bounces" against each other, I will have quite a good random flow of +/- 22 times the tank volume per hour. This excludes the return pumps from the filters, I don't take these into account when calculating my water turn over. This should be enough for LPS and softies???
 
Sicce Voyager 3

4,500l/h 10W
R 1250,00

OK, without controller

Just want to compare a 1600 Golf with a 1600 Corsa. No point in comparing 6000L/h pumps against 4500L/h. Same as you cannot compare a 1600 sedan against a 2L sedan and then claim the 2L is faster.

But for me, the best bang for buck. Would be 2 SunSun 3000L/h pumps on opposite sides of the tank facing each other.

that is also an option, but I would prefer pumps with controllers if I can get / afford them.
 
If you want pumps thats more out of the way, look at Vortech MP10
Flow: 1,500 gallons (6,000+ liters) per hour
Tank Size: 2.5-50+ gallons (10-190+ liters)
Wireless: Included & Available

OK, bigger than the Tunze 6040 in flowrate. But they are a lot less obtrusive into the tank than Voyager. But also more expensive than the Tunze. There are / was a couple secondhand MP10 this last few days in the for sale section (just saying)

The Vortech and the Tune can easily be connected up to battery backup. Not so the Voyager or other 240V pumps. There you need an inverter. MP10 can go directly onto a battery and will switch over on its own if the main power fails. Not sure on the Tunze, on how they connect to the battery backup.
 
If you want pumps thats more out of the way, look at Vortech MP10
Flow: 1,500 gallons (6,000+ liters) per hour
Tank Size: 2.5-50+ gallons (10-190+ liters)
Wireless: Included & Available

OK, bigger than the Tunze 6040 in flowrate. But they are a lot less obtrusive into the tank than Voyager. But also more expensive than the Tunze. There are / was a couple secondhand MP10 this last few days in the for sale section (just saying)

The Vortech and the Tune can easily be connected up to battery backup. Not so the Voyager or other 240V pumps. There you need an inverter. MP10 can go directly onto a battery and will switch over on its own if the main power fails. Not sure on the Tunze, on how they connect to the battery backup.

Thanks for that, I didn't think of power outages. Our power is generally only off for about 2.5hrs at a time and then not that often either. Things could change however, good to take this into account.

Where can I find info / suppliers of the Vortech pumps?
 
Where can I find info / suppliers of the Vortech pumps?

Any LFS that deals with Aquarium Depot should be able to help you out. In Cape Town, speak to David at Perky Pets. Or Rayhaan at Aquatic Vision.
 
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Vortech pumps get noisy over time...Most annoying thing ever. ..and at that price il never be happy knowing the pump will eventually get noisy

How Did U Find The Maxspec 150 ito performance?
Had my vortechs for over two years with no problems. I think people don't align the pumps properly which leads to bearing damage. However, each to his own and we all have a budget. Do what's best for you and your pocket and the upkeep of your inmates.
 
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