Maxspect Gyre Vs. Ecotech Vortech pumps

[Shep]

So now that the Gyre has been out for a bit I thought it would be cool to do a poll about them, this poll is mostly for people who have had both of them but others can still vote. After owning both tyoes if pumps, which pump did you like better and why? For those that have not had both, based on your research which pump would you buy? Please post which type of voter you are, have owned both, have only had one of them or you have had neither but have researched them both.

 

[berbotty]

for a long tank I love my gyre - more laminar flow to get to the other side - MP40 in the same tank barely rippled the water at 3 feet along a 6 foot tank - - both at 100% you get a horrible sandstorm with MPs, not with gyre - noise level slightly higher with gyre at full speed, for a short stubby tank I would think a mp will win hands down

 

[svogun]

Have used MP40s and MP60s and am currently using a Gyre 150. Gyre's flow is more complete and there are virtually no deadspots in the tank. I would go with the Gyre.

 

[hatfielj]

I got rid of 2 vortechs once I got a gyre and saw it in action. I love it. The only thing that is needed now is a controller like the vortechs have so that you can have 2 pumps working together. I'd really like to be able to have one going for 2-3 minutes in one direction, then the other one turn on the opposite direction every 2-3 minutes. That would really recreate what flow is like in the ocean.
Currently I use the forward-reverse mode on the factory controller and it kind of sucks because the reverse flow is very very poor. They call it "turbulent" flow, but really flow just stops except for right in front of the pump. It works fine, my corals are very happy with the current set up, but I think a true reverse flow from a 2nd pump would be much better.

 

[hart24601]

I have had and currently run both types. The gyre is awesome, I don't feel that the vortechs are in the same league anymore. But they do have new models coming out so clearly vortech knew they were getting outdated and have been working on replacement. Although for nano tanks vortech wins, having the motor outside is a big deal in a little nano where every inch is room needed for putting coral! The gyre is the next generation of water movement - impeller then propeller now a rotor design.

That all being said it's still just a water movement device, it's not going to change anyone's life or take a terrible system and make it great. But it has been the 1st single product that can produce mass water movement in our tanks, even making the hobby revisit popular concepts deeply entrenched in reefkeeping such as random flow.

Something to think about, due to cost almost all large scale commercial coral operations use gyre style flow in raceways. Even many cultured coral that are raised in the tropics with ocean water but on land in raceways use gyre flow since it's about the only way to move lots of water like that and it grows coral very well.

 

[hatfielj]

I agree with you on the nano comment. I have an MP-10 on my frag tank. I have it positioned all the way to one corner so that it creates a circular gyre. The 130 would be way too much flow in my sized frag tank.
Also agree with your comment about the large scale systems using raceways. Its an old school technique that is a proven way to move lots of water and corals respond well to it.

I have had and currently run both types. The gyre is awesome, I don't feel that the vortechs are in the same league anymore. But they do have new models coming out so clearly vortech knew they were getting outdated and have been working on replacement. Although for nano tanks vortech wins, having the motor outside is a big deal in a little nano where every inch is room needed for putting coral! The gyre is the next generation of water movement - impeller then propeller now a rotor design.

That all being said it's still just a water movement device, it's not going to change anyone's life or take a terrible system and make it great. But it has been the 1st single product that can produce mass water movement in our tanks, even making the hobby revisit popular concepts deeply entrenched in reefkeeping such as random flow.

Something to think about, due to cost almost all large scale commercial coral operations use gyre style flow in raceways. Even many cultured coral that are raised in the tropics with ocean water but on land in raceways use gyre flow since it's about the only way to move lots of water like that and it grows coral very well.

 

[eg8r210]

I currently run both in my 210. As far as water movement across 6', the Gyre wins hands down. It beats both my mp40 (not even close) and my mp60. I am able to keep corals closer to the Gyre pump than I was able to with my mp's even though the Gyre is moving more water so this wins in my frag tank.

If I had a tank that was 3' or less in length then I would pick the mp. At this distance the I feel the mp has a better shot of reaching the other end of the tank than it did in a 6' but the biggest reason is because of the controllability. The ecotech drivers are by far superior to what the Gyre is shipped with. I love the different modes on the mp's and the ability to wirelessly sync multiple power heads.

At this point the Gyre is still pretty immature and there are still upgrades being promised (new controller and Apex-ready) whereas the EcoTech pumps are incredibly mature. You know what you are getting with EcoTech (a great pump) and you get great customer service.

 

[hart24601]

I should add that in a really small nano clearly the vortech wins, but I did run the 150 gyre in my 65, 3ft long tank, I just put it vertically and ran it in alternating mode with the other paddle added. When you run in alternating it's really just 1 side moving water at a time, so it's perfect for smaller tanks imo.

 

[eg8r210]

I should add that in a really small nano clearly the vortech wins, but I did run the 150 gyre in my 65, 3ft long tank, I just put it vertically and ran it in alternating mode with the other paddle added. When you run in alternating it's really just 1 side moving water at a time, so it's perfect for smaller tanks imo.

This is a great point. If Maxspect ever releases a comparable controller to the MP controller AND makes it Apex ready I cannot see EcoTech being the top pump any longer.

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

I have run 2 MP10's and have XF 130 waiting to go on my 55 reef tank. I like the XF 130 for the flow. I was able to check out the XF 150 on my tank and loved it.

 

[Shep]

I should add that in a really small nano clearly the vortech wins, but I did run the 150 gyre in my 65, 3ft long tank, I just put it vertically and ran it in alternating mode with the other paddle added. When you run in alternating it's really just 1 side moving water at a time, so it's perfect for smaller tanks imo.

So how small is small? less than 20? Also Can't you take one side of the X130 off to reduce power and if you can would that work better in a smaller tank?

 

[hart24601]

I don't know much about the 130, maybe someone else can jump in about that. For how small is small it also depends on the type of coral you keep. In my biocube 14 I ran a MP10 80% full speed for all SPS, but for someone else that would be crazy. I would try the 130 gyre in a biocube 29 if I had one, I would mount vertically and run alternating mode, but that would be for high flow type of tank.

 

[FoD]

I would vote Gyre once they build better quality units. Within a month, all 4 of my propellers broke, and no, snails/debris did not cause it. I watched 2 break after hearing a weird noise. Props were off balance, and bound, then snap. Love the idea of the pump, and agree there were ZERO dead spots in my tank running about 50% (48x24x24). However, it is a cheap Chinese product, and it showed. If they beef up the props, and get tighter tolerances in the bearings, I would use this over my Vortechs. 2 MP40's on my 120 right now, and the random flow created cannot be emulated with a single Gyre pump.

 

[Shep]

I don't know much about the 130, maybe someone else can jump in about that. For how small is small it also depends on the type of coral you keep. In my biocube 14 I ran a MP10 80% full speed for all SPS, but for someone else that would be crazy. I would try the 130 gyre in a biocube 29 if I had one, I would mount vertically and run alternating mode, but that would be for high flow type of tank.

So for a 30g LPS tank (mostly acans), do you think the x130 or the Vortech would be better?

 

[hart24601]

So for a 30g LPS tank (mostly acans), do you think the x130 or the Vortech would be better?

Is that a 36" long breeder? At 36" long I would use the smaller gyre, probably on the back wall alternating but I would also try mounted on the side and using a long pulse.

If 30" I would use a vortech for LPS, MP40. Under 30" I would drop down to a mp10 for a LPS tank.

 

[Shep]

Is that a 36" long breeder? At 36" long I would use the smaller gyre, probably on the back wall alternating but I would also try mounted on the side and using a long pulse.

If 30" I would use a vortech for LPS, MP40. Under 30" I would drop down to a mp10 for a LPS tank.

Its a cube lol 20inch³

 

[SCMatt]

I own a Vortech but if Gyre had an actual nano model I'd switch in a heartbeat. Hear our cries Maxspect/CoralVue!!

 

[Aquaph8]

I love the gyre, only down side IMO is how big it is but it did replace two 6105's.

 

[hart24601]

Its a cube lol 20inch³

Haha, I got that all sorts of wrong! That's a tricky size for flow. I would probably stick with a mp10 and just live the with dead spots. Maybe the new model vortech will handle that better, but I suppose that is pretty deep and you can mount the mp10 above any corals and blast it off the glass -right in the middle of the back panel would be my thought.

 

[Kworker]

I voted Vortech, I have two mp40's and will be upgrading to the QD or picking up entirely new units in the future. I just love the look of them and flow pattern, I don't have issues with dead spots. The look of the gyre just doesn't do it for me despite how good people say it is.