Redsea reefwave 50 or ecotech mp10

[Cryptocaryon]

Hi, I'm deciding on which power head would suit my 25 better

 

[andrewey]

Which of these are most important to you: flow patterns, longevity of the pump, customer service, size, volume, ease of cleaning, app/controller, etc?

Both will likely work. Pump choice will be dependent on some of the above considerations and will also include the presence of other pumps/returns in your tank and your aquascape.

 

[Cryptocaryon]

Which of these are most important to you: flow patterns, longevity of the pump, customer service, size, volume, ease of cleaning, app/controller, etc?

Both will likely work. Pump choice will be dependent on some of the above considerations and will also include the presence of other pumps/returns in your tank and your aquascape.

Thanks, do you have any experience with either? Or better still both so you can give details on which one you prefer using the criteria you have just listed.

 

[andrewey]

I have experience with several mp10s, mp10ws, and one mp10qd. I have not owned with the reefwave 50 and my experience is limited to seeing it in action on a fellow hobbyist's tank and reading some reviews of their pumps on this site. I can't compare the reefwave 50 to other gyre pumps, so hopefully someone will weigh in with that comparisson, but I have owned two Maxspect Gyres and one jebao gyre pump and would be happy to comment on the differences between those gyres and the vortech.

Longevity of the Red Sea pump will obviously be hard to estimate as I believe the pump was released around late February or March. The mp10 has a pretty good track record of proven reliability. There are exceptions of course, but I am still running one original mp10 (8 years old) and a mp10w where I had to replace the bearings after 5 years for noise (total age = 7 years).

Customer service has been great with ecotech in terms of their pumps. I have taken to doing most of the modifications myself, but early on I contacted them about two issues and was pleased with the results. I have never contacted Red Sea, but would invite you to research their customer service and other user's experiences. I have not been overly impressed, but I'll let you decide for yourself rather than editorialize too much.

In terms of flow patterns, the gyre provided better flow for my SPS/LPS on a 20L and my 40 breeder compared to one mp10. I was happy with flow from both products when I had two mp10s on Reef Crest mode on those tanks. All of my gyres were too strong for use in a 30 cube, even at the lowest setting, so I used a mp10 and was satisfied.

All of my gyres were noisier than my mp10qd. My older mp10 was noisier than the maxspect gyre, but after 9 months, the gyre became equally noisy. Most find the gyres to be relatively quiet, although some find that they become noiser around 9-18 months. This may be related to maintenance or blade wear- but I have no idea. Obviously, this is not to say this will happen in your case- just simply possibilities based on talking with other owners. Regular maintenance may alleviate this issue?

All three of my gyres were a pain to clean compared to the vortech. You probably won't clean them often, so for most this isn't a huge concern, but you must be diligent about putting them together correctly. Thankfully, I rarely assembled, but when I did, it was a thorn in my side. The one Red Sea owner I talked with said the Red Sea Gyre was easier to dissaemble than their Maxspect, so my experience may or may not be applicable.

I think the size difference is pretty obvious and not really worth going into.

In terms of controller/manual, I found the vortech to be superior, but this is largely a matter of personal preference. In either case, youtube videos will alleviate most troubleshooting and the different preset options largely depend on your aquascape and preferences.

Ultimately, my personal opinion is that a single gyre will deliver equal or better flow in many applications on your tank than a single mp10. The downside is that I am not convinced about the longevity of most gyre pumps. So long as you are ok with the likehood of more frequent replacement intervals of the pump, the gyre is likely a better option, if you were only going to buy one pump for the tank. The only caveat here would be to ensure the Reefwave 50 wasn't too powerful of a pump for your sized tank! The Red Sea Gyre I saw in action was on a much larger tank- this should be your primary concern. If you want a pump that will likely last longer or remain quieter over it's lifespan, the MP10 is likely the better option.*

*This obviously ignores the easy solution of adding a second pump if needed to the MP10 and doesn't consider other products.

 

[MightyMO]

Well said @andrewey

 

[Cryptocaryon]

I have experience with several mp10s, mp10ws, and one mp10qd. I have not owned with the reefwave 50 and my experience is limited to seeing it in action on a fellow hobbyist's tank and reading some reviews of their pumps on this site. I can't compare the reefwave 50 to other gyre pumps, so hopefully someone will weigh in with that comparisson, but I have owned two Maxspect Gyres and one jebao gyre pump and would be happy to comment on the differences between those gyres and the vortech.

Longevity of the Red Sea pump will obviously be hard to estimate as I believe the pump was released around late February or March. The mp10 has a pretty good track record of proven reliability. There are exceptions of course, but I am still running one original mp10 (8 years old) and a mp10w where I had to replace the bearings after 5 years for noise (total age = 7 years).

Customer service has been great with ecotech in terms of their pumps. I have taken to doing most of the modifications myself, but early on I contacted them about two issues and was pleased with the results. I have never contacted Red Sea, but would invite you to research their customer service and other user's experiences. I have not been overly impressed, but I'll let you decide for yourself rather than editorialize too much.

In terms of flow patterns, the gyre provided better flow for my SPS/LPS on a 20L and my 40 breeder compared to one mp10. I was happy with flow from both products when I had two mp10s on Reef Crest mode on those tanks. All of my gyres were too strong for use in a 30 cube, even at the lowest setting, so I used a mp10 and was satisfied.

All of my gyres were noisier than my mp10qd. My older mp10 was noisier than the maxspect gyre, but after 9 months, the gyre became equally noisy. Most find the gyres to be relatively quiet, although some find that they become noiser around 9-18 months. This may be related to maintenance or blade wear- but I have no idea. Obviously, this is not to say this will happen in your case- just simply possibilities based on talking with other owners. Regular maintenance may alleviate this issue?

All three of my gyres were a pain to clean compared to the vortech. You probably won't clean them often, so for most this isn't a huge concern, but you must be diligent about putting them together correctly. Thankfully, I rarely assembled, but when I did, it was a thorn in my side. The one Red Sea owner I talked with said the Red Sea Gyre was easier to dissaemble than their Maxspect, so my experience may or may not be applicable.

I think the size difference is pretty obvious and not really worth going into.

In terms of controller/manual, I found the vortech to be superior, but this is largely a matter of personal preference. In either case, youtube videos will alleviate most troubleshooting and the different preset options largely depend on your aquascape and preferences.

Ultimately, my personal opinion is that a single gyre will deliver equal or better flow in many applications on your tank than a single mp10. The downside is that I am not convinced about the longevity of most gyre pumps. So long as you are ok with the likehood of more frequent replacement intervals of the pump, the gyre is likely a better option, if you were only going to buy one pump for the tank. The only caveat here would be to ensure the Reefwave 50 wasn't too powerful of a pump for your sized tank! The Red Sea Gyre I saw in action was on a much larger tank- this should be your primary concern. If you want a pump that will likely last longer or remain quieter over it's lifespan, the MP10 is likely the better option.*

*This obviously ignores the easy solution of adding a second pump if needed to the MP10 and doesn't consider other products.

Thanks for sharing your experience with such a detailed follow up. All things considered I'm probably going to go with the reefwave as, A) I already have a redsea led so it makes sence to control everything via the same app, B) the reefwave specs says its good for anything from 45 to 120cm (mine is 50cm) ,C) from what I have read granted these pumps are still

I have experience with several mp10s, mp10ws, and one mp10qd. I have not owned with the reefwave 50 and my experience is limited to seeing it in action on a fellow hobbyist's tank and reading some reviews of their pumps on this site. I can't compare the reefwave 50 to other gyre pumps, so hopefully someone will weigh in with that comparisson, but I have owned two Maxspect Gyres and one jebao gyre pump and would be happy to comment on the differences between those gyres and the vortech.

Longevity of the Red Sea pump will obviously be hard to estimate as I believe the pump was released around late February or March. The mp10 has a pretty good track record of proven reliability. There are exceptions of course, but I am still running one original mp10 (8 years old) and a mp10w where I had to replace the bearings after 5 years for noise (total age = 7 years).

Customer service has been great with ecotech in terms of their pumps. I have taken to doing most of the modifications myself, but early on I contacted them about two issues and was pleased with the results. I have never contacted Red Sea, but would invite you to research their customer service and other user's experiences. I have not been overly impressed, but I'll let you decide for yourself rather than editorialize too much.

In terms of flow patterns, the gyre provided better flow for my SPS/LPS on a 20L and my 40 breeder compared to one mp10. I was happy with flow from both products when I had two mp10s on Reef Crest mode on those tanks. All of my gyres were too strong for use in a 30 cube, even at the lowest setting, so I used a mp10 and was satisfied.

All of my gyres were noisier than my mp10qd. My older mp10 was noisier than the maxspect gyre, but after 9 months, the gyre became equally noisy. Most find the gyres to be relatively quiet, although some find that they become noiser around 9-18 months. This may be related to maintenance or blade wear- but I have no idea. Obviously, this is not to say this will happen in your case- just simply possibilities based on talking with other owners. Regular maintenance may alleviate this issue?

All three of my gyres were a pain to clean compared to the vortech. You probably won't clean them often, so for most this isn't a huge concern, but you must be diligent about putting them together correctly. Thankfully, I rarely assembled, but when I did, it was a thorn in my side. The one Red Sea owner I talked with said the Red Sea Gyre was easier to dissaemble than their Maxspect, so my experience may or may not be applicable.

I think the size difference is pretty obvious and not really worth going into.

In terms of controller/manual, I found the vortech to be superior, but this is largely a matter of personal preference. In either case, youtube videos will alleviate most troubleshooting and the different preset options largely depend on your aquascape and preferences.

Ultimately, my personal opinion is that a single gyre will deliver equal or better flow in many applications on your tank than a single mp10. The downside is that I am not convinced about the longevity of most gyre pumps. So long as you are ok with the likehood of more frequent replacement intervals of the pump, the gyre is likely a better option, if you were only going to buy one pump for the tank. The only caveat here would be to ensure the Reefwave 50 wasn't too powerful of a pump for your sized tank! The Red Sea Gyre I saw in action was on a much larger tank- this should be your primary concern. If you want a pump that will likely last longer or remain quieter over it's lifespan, the MP10 is likely the better option.*

*This obviously ignores the easy solution of adding a second pump if needed to the MP10 and doesn't consider other products.

I have experience with several mp10s, mp10ws, and one mp10qd. I have not owned with the reefwave 50 and my experience is limited to seeing it in action on a fellow hobbyist's tank and reading some reviews of their pumps on this site. I can't compare the reefwave 50 to other gyre pumps, so hopefully someone will weigh in with that comparisson, but I have owned two Maxspect Gyres and one jebao gyre pump and would be happy to comment on the differences between those gyres and the vortech.

Longevity of the Red Sea pump will obviously be hard to estimate as I believe the pump was released around late February or March. The mp10 has a pretty good track record of proven reliability. There are exceptions of course, but I am still running one original mp10 (8 years old) and a mp10w where I had to replace the bearings after 5 years for noise (total age = 7 years).

Customer service has been great with ecotech in terms of their pumps. I have taken to doing most of the modifications myself, but early on I contacted them about two issues and was pleased with the results. I have never contacted Red Sea, but would invite you to research their customer service and other user's experiences. I have not been overly impressed, but I'll let you decide for yourself rather than editorialize too much.

In terms of flow patterns, the gyre provided better flow for my SPS/LPS on a 20L and my 40 breeder compared to one mp10. I was happy with flow from both products when I had two mp10s on Reef Crest mode on those tanks. All of my gyres were too strong for use in a 30 cube, even at the lowest setting, so I used a mp10 and was satisfied.

All of my gyres were noisier than my mp10qd. My older mp10 was noisier than the maxspect gyre, but after 9 months, the gyre became equally noisy. Most find the gyres to be relatively quiet, although some find that they become noiser around 9-18 months. This may be related to maintenance or blade wear- but I have no idea. Obviously, this is not to say this will happen in your case- just simply possibilities based on talking with other owners. Regular maintenance may alleviate this issue?

All three of my gyres were a pain to clean compared to the vortech. You probably won't clean them often, so for most this isn't a huge concern, but you must be diligent about putting them together correctly. Thankfully, I rarely assembled, but when I did, it was a thorn in my side. The one Red Sea owner I talked with said the Red Sea Gyre was easier to dissaemble than their Maxspect, so my experience may or may not be applicable.

I think the size difference is pretty obvious and not really worth going into.

In terms of controller/manual, I found the vortech to be superior, but this is largely a matter of personal preference. In either case, youtube videos will alleviate most troubleshooting and the different preset options largely depend on your aquascape and preferences.

Ultimately, my personal opinion is that a single gyre will deliver equal or better flow in many applications on your tank than a single mp10. The downside is that I am not convinced about the longevity of most gyre pumps. So long as you are ok with the likehood of more frequent replacement intervals of the pump, the gyre is likely a better option, if you were only going to buy one pump for the tank. The only caveat here would be to ensure the Reefwave 50 wasn't too powerful of a pump for your sized tank! The Red Sea Gyre I saw in action was on a much larger tank- this should be your primary concern. If you want a pump that will likely last longer or remain quieter over it's lifespan, the MP10 is likely the better option.*

*This obviously ignores the easy solution of adding a second pump if needed to the MP10 and doesn't consider other products.

Thanks for such a detailed follow up . All things considered I'm leaning towards the Reefwave as , A) all already own the reefled so my light and pump could be controlled via the same app, B) red sea say the reefwave25 is good for tanks from 45 to 120cm, mine is 50cm, C) The only bad thing I hear about gyres really is they can get noisey and the maintenance and apparently red sea working alongside maxspect have redesigned it to eleveate these issues. D) in theory by design it should give a more even distribution of water flow through the tank.

 

[andrewey]

Nice! Keep us updated with your experience with the pump- I'm sure there are a ton of people who would be interested in having more data points who are in a similar boat as you!

Best of luck and enjoy your new pump!

 

[Superlightman]

Hello are you happy with the reefwave?