Has anyone compared all the gyres?

[Smoke-Town]

Looking into adding a gyre. Have 2 ice cap gyres in one system and thinking about one for the penninsula tank.
I see 5 choices:

Jebao gyre
Masxspect gyre
Red sea reef wave
Ice cap gyre
Ai orbit

I have an ai nero 5 and I do like the ai flow app so I'm leaning towards that but that brand new so idk if it's been around long enough to be compared.

Mostly looking for ease of use/maintenance. Are they also basically identical besides what apps they come with or do some actually perform.better for longer between maintenance or anything? Connection issues? I use a hydros controller

 

[Spare time]

Btw the AI orbit is made by maxspect.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

I have heard the most good reviews from Icecap. I have two different generations of Maxpect and they require weekly cleaning to maintain proper flow, plus they produce a lot of heat at least in my experience. Orbits are reskinned Maxpects, so expect the same issues at a higher price with the tiny benefit of app compatibility. Can't speak for the other two, though I personally avoid Red Sea products.

 

[trmiv]

As mentioned Maxspect makes all of the pumps. But they make the newest version for themselves. The 300 series maxspect are the top of the line. You get their newest design and the flow directors.

Icecap, Maxspect Jump and AI Orbit are basically the same thing. They are all the previous series (200) gyres OEM’d by Maxspect for Icecap and AI. Pick whichever you prefer the control app for. If you already have AI stuff and use myAI or Mobius or want to use Apex to control, then get the AI Orbit. If you ever want to control via Hydros then go Icecap or Maxspect.

The reefwave I think is based on the 100 series gyre pumps. If you’re in the Red Sea ecosystem it’s great, but if you’re not, I don’t see any advantage to picking it over the other options.

 

[Jason Collins]

I would steer clear of max aspect... I have the 350 series and ive had to replace both pumps already... and the Controller died as well. So all in all I had to buy 4 pumps and contoller... Then bought a hydros controller since they wouldnt sell me just a controller they wanted me to buy a 5th pump and controller combo. Now they magnets on the inside are rusting and contaminating my tank. I couldnt figure out why my tank has been going bad and I finally found a rusty bulging magnet causing another wavemaker to be junk.

 

[anthonymckay]

I bought an icecap gyre last year and hated it. Was too dang loud...

 

[jda]

I have had MaxSpect xf350 for probably 4-5 years now. I hate the flow, but the thing is still running and I have never taken it out of the tank for any reason nor have I cleaned it. I know that people have had problems with them, but mine has been fine. I cannot hear it, but it also is in a basement room with other tanks, a furnace and stuff.

I never got another one because I hate the flow that it makes.

 

[BubblesandSqueak]

Hygger crossflow?

 

[Yvarg]

I bought a Jebao gyre last year. It worked great, but a few months in the motor started to whine audibly and it drove me crazy. I immediately replaced it with a Maxspect and have zero noise issues since. This might be a minor issue for some, but I am very easily bothered by noises and my tank resides in my living room. Anything contributing to unnecessary noise is quickly replaced.

 

[old salt reefer]

I have a Maxspect XF330 for last 3 years, very happy with it

 

[Smoke-Town]

So many mixed reviews. The 2 ice caps we have on the lps nem tank are silent and that tank is in our living room. I really like the new display screen tho... it would look nice on my control board which to me is almost more fun than the tank.

So for those who have this controller, can the screen be set to stay on permanently? Also does it show efficiency or electrical draw so you can see when it slows down for maintenance?

And so I see people saying this brand or that, but if maxspect makes every single one of these rebranded versions, I'm going to assume that the noise and rust issues are just typical defects that any mass produced product would encounter

 

[t5Nitro]

So many mixed reviews. The 2 ice caps we have on the lps nem tank are silent and that tank is in our living room. I really like the new display screen tho... it would look nice on my control board which to me is almost more fun than the tank.

So for those who have this controller, can the screen be set to stay on permanently? Also does it show efficiency or electrical draw so you can see when it slows down for maintenance?

And so I see people saying this brand or that, but if maxspect makes every single one of these rebranded versions, I'm going to assume that the noise and rust issues are just typical defects that any mass produced product would encounter

I think you have it right here in that there will be a cohort with bad experiences sooner than later and another that have had these running for years with no issue and not much maintenance requirement. Not sure if that’s just a factory production issue or where the flaws come in. I have an XF330 that’s now between 4-5 years old. It’s silent at full power, never rusted, and doesn’t require much cleaning outside of an external scrub about every 3 months. I really like this pump but agree the negative reviews has me still question whether I want to add more. That control panel is very nice.

Looking at Jebao gyres. Can buy a handful of them for the cost of one, and my experience with their traditional wave makers and return pumps has been great. Can imagine the gyres are also great.

 

[Steve2020]

Looking into adding a gyre. Have 2 ice cap gyres in one system and thinking about one for the penninsula tank.
I see 5 choices:

Jebao gyre
Masxspect gyre
Red sea reef wave
Ice cap gyre
Ai orbit

I have an ai nero 5 and I do like the ai flow app so I'm leaning towards that but that brand new so idk if it's been around long enough to be compared.

Mostly looking for ease of use/maintenance. Are they also basically identical besides what apps they come with or do some actually perform.better for longer between maintenance or anything? Connection issues? I use a hydros controller

After watching the attached video which IMO is one of the better ones I have seen, from what I consider to be a very reputable source, I decided to purchase the new Maxspect Gyre xf350 Cloud Edition Dual Pack to replace 2 MP60's. After running 2 MP60's and 2MP40's for almost 3years I was never happy with the flow in my tank (84"x30"x24"). Even after purchasing some custom made adjustable flow deflectors, which actually helped with the flow I was looking for, it still was not quite what I wanted. I have been running the xf350's now for 45 days and I finally have the flow I have been trying to achieve. I have them mounted 2" from the water surface and because the new ones have the 4 adjustable deflectors that can be adjusted in multiple different directions horizontally and also because the 4 pump sections can be adjusted independently up and down I found the capability of theses Gyre's to have a infinite amount of adjustability. To say the least I am very happy with these new Gyre's. I have not had to clean them yet probably due to the deflectors tend to reduce the amount of light the pump gets thus less algae/slime on the internals of the pump.
The internal magnets are completely incased in rubber vibration reducing pads so the only way I can see the magnets rusting is if the pads get cut open some how.
The Gyre's are extremely quiet. At least mine are. One funny thing I found with mine ( but not uncommon for many rotating devices ) is when playing around with the speeds, when set at 60% I noticed a slight resonant frequency being emitted but goes away any setting bellow or above 60%.
Another thing I like is that the magnet that goes outside the tank to hold the pump in place stays on the glass when removing the pump which is nice for putting the pump in the exact same location when removing the pump for cleaning or maintenance. This does have a downside though. It is extremely hard, but not impossible to remove the outside magnet if you need to relocate the pump.
One thing to bear in mind is some of the complaints you read about Maxspect Gyre's may be from the older style Maxspect units. Remember a lot of people only post when something is not to there liking so doing research is always your best bet, even when the post's are good.

 

[2Sunny]

For over two decades I used Tunzes on Sweeps to fantastic effect (see my Tank Thread ), but now I have downsized first to a FijiCube 20 and now to a Red Sea Reefer G2+ 250, and decided to go with dual Maxspect 308s because a LFS with an awesome display tank was using them. I've only had them up and running for a few weeks, but this thread now has me worried. I absolutely love the flow they create especially when compared to MPs so I'm eager to see how these bad boys hold up. I only have the flow set at 50% so plenty of room to up the flow if it appears they are falling back. I will add that my experience in my 240 over two decades was that I needed WAY less flow than most people assume to have great looking corals.

 

[Oldreefer44]

Had Maxspect which required almost weekly maintenance. Have Reef Waves now. Currently 8 MONTHS without any maintenance and going strong.

 

[dedragon]

I have the maxspect jump one (same as icecap) and its been going for years with no issue. Every couple of months i will swap the impeller for the spare and thats about it.

 

[areefer01]

Mostly looking for ease of use/maintenance.

Regarding maintenance. One thing that helps, if your budget allows, is to buy a spare. This way you can swap them out at the time of maintenance. Turn off, unplug, swap, turn on, and you are done. Scribe the cage and motor block (gently) so that you can always have the same flow direction.

Depending on nutrient levels the blades will have build up over time. Film, critters (mini stars for example), maybe thin layer of algae, etc. This will impact flow. Having owned the Maxspect XF280's, 350's, Orbit 4's, and a Icecap 4K they all need regular cleaning. Having a spare I've found, or just cages and blades, make maintenance 10 times easier.

Maxspect and Icecap will work with the Hydros wave engine. Maxspect needs a pigtail, Ice cap works directly. Orbits will not. At least at the time when I had the wave engine setup.

Cleaning: I make up a bucket of citric acid water, toss in, soak, brush off, Rinse off, assemble, and that is it.

 

[dedragon]

Depending on nutrient levels the blades will have build up over time. Film, critters (mini stars for example), maybe thin layer of algae, etc. This will impact flow. Having owned the Maxspect XF280's, 350's, Orbit 4's, and a Icecap 4K they all need regular cleaning. Having a spare I've found, or just cages and blades, make maintenance 10 times easier.

I feel like the icecap/maxspect jump addressed it with the spare impellors. They arent perfect by any means (looking at you flimsy tank mount) but it was a nice addition

 

[friendlyAlien]

I have an Icecap, and it makes a weird whirring noise that does not make me happy even at low settings. It is the loudest piece of equipment I have (yes, incl return pump, overflow and skimmer).

 

[Isaac Alves]

Does anyone know of a detailed video of the xf330/350 sword pumps assembly? There are so many little o-rings and tiny washers with refundable collars around the magnet assembly. Tough to trouble shoot what might be an issue.

And they only provide backups for the impeller and its parts.