Vectra L1, WOW!!!

P3FE · Sep 29, 2015

So i got my Vectra L1 today and let me tell you guys, this thing is absolutley amazing. A few months back I decided to take the plunge into the big boys land and i built a 375 gallon reef. I decided to go all Ecotech on it but at the time they didn't have the return pump so i went with a Water Blaster HY-16000. I must say that pump is a beast, quiet for an A/C pump, and it runs very cool. Once I saw Scotch was coming out with a DC return pump I made the decision to eat Roman Noodles for 2 months and save enough money to pre order that work of art, and it was worth it. Im by no means an expert, just a hobbyist that loves corals and fish, and I wanted to give you guys my personal review of the pump.
1. The pump is out of this world quiet, once i went thru the plumbing process and turned it on I thought something was wrong until I saw the water from my sump going back to my system. The Water Blaster is a quiet pump, but all the hum, vibrations and the sense that you knew the pump was on, went away with the Vectra, I know its hard to beleived but is true.
2. Im using this pump for my return pump and the low and high settings are absolutely amazing. You can set this thing to stop flowing water down your overflow on the low setting and in feed mode you can feed your tank while the pump is running but the food is not going down the over flow, have to see it to believe it.
3. Install is a breeze and if you don't want to use the one inch output and have 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 returns, you can swaap the included fitting for a five dollar union at your hardware store and you are all set.
4. Setup thru Ecosmartlive is a breeze, 15 minutes tops.

Now to the things I don't like, because nothing is really perfect:

1. The cord that conects the controller to the power supply is to short . An extra 6 t0 12 inches can make a big diference.
2. The power cord is to short. This one is kind of a big deal, specially if your plug is away from your tank. The connector from the pump to the controller is long enough but it doesn't matter specially when you have to keep your controller and the power supply lees than 3 feet apart. Maybe not a big deal for a lot of people, but I had to find something wrong with this product.

At the end of the day, I think is a great product, worth every penny and with a lot of potential. I also want to point out that this is day one with this pump, but I promise i will keep this thread updated with anything good or bad that goes with this product, I bought it with my own money, is my own personal opinion and if anyone has any question about it or want to know anything about, ask me! I will answer anything you want to know.

As of right know, on day one, I highly recommend this pump.

ShayneBo · Oct 1, 2015

Great review, man!

I was curious about the new Vectra pumps as my TUNZE Silence Pro has a constant humming that is driving me crazy. Looking forward to more feedback.

Hawain_Rob · Oct 1, 2015

Video!

RJAllen · Oct 3, 2015

3. Install is a breeze and if you don't want to use the one inch output and have 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 returns, you can swaap the included fitting for a five dollar union at your hardware store and you are all set.

Please don't do this the pump threads are British Standard Pipe Thread standard. They are very different from out NPT threaded fittings. Yes you can force it a NPT fitting on but you run the risk of eventually damaging the threads of a $450.00 pump. You can also have other issues, leakage and have great difficulty unscrewing after long submerge use. The problem there is no easy plumbing outlet that sells the proper fitting. However, Eco Tech has a kit with fittings for input and output for $10.00 plus shipping.

RJ

P3FE · Oct 6, 2015

RJAllen said:
3. Install is a breeze and if you don't want to use the one inch output and have 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 returns, you can swaap the included fitting for a five dollar union at your hardware store and you are all set.

Please don't do this the pump threads are British Standard Pipe Thread standard. They are very different from out NPT threaded fittings. Yes you can force it a NPT fitting on but you run the risk of eventually damaging the threads of a $450.00 pump. You can also have other issues, leakage and have great difficulty unscrewing after long submerge use. The problem there is no easy plumbing outlet that sells the proper fitting. However, Eco Tech has a kit with fittings for input and output for $10.00 plus shipping.

RJ

I have not read anywhere about the different threads, as a matter of fact in the Vectra QnA video that was done with reef builders they actually talk about the options of plumbing the pump and said That if you feel the need to replace their fittings with regular pvc unions you can. I have also seen the official Ecotech product tester team members doing the same thing , so I'm not worried about it. When I was plumbing my pump nothing felt out of the norm, everything threaded fine and i didn't have to force anything. Only time can tell,, but I can assure you that the threads on the output is the least of my worries.

RJAllen · Oct 6, 2015

First, I have a M1. I have talked with Tim Marks about this issue. These pumps are threaded with British Standared Pipe Thread. This pattern is designed & functions
differently from our standard National Pipe Thread. Fittings designed with NPT threads are TAPERED. That means when you screw into a female NPT the mouth or head of the thread is LARGER and becomes smaller as you penetrate into the female fitting. It is designed to be used with teflon tape or paste to insure a water tight seal. The male fitting is exactly opposite meaning is SMALLER at the beginning a slightly enlarges as you go up. This is a very good system. It is designed to go in only so far.
The British system has parallel threads. It is designed to have both male and female parts are screwed to the END of Threads just like a machine screw and nut. You use a different type grease- food grade silicon and the parts are screwed together until they are dead tight.

You can do whatever you wish. I have seen all the videos, interviews and some are quite vague and some are misleading. On Eco Tech Marine's website, if you look carefully, the pumps are described as having BST or BPT pattern threads. The unions that are included have the SAME threads. This is why they sell the adapter kits in the parts section of their website. Ask any plumber if you can use NPT with BST. They MIGHT tell you "yep ya can in emergency if it's 4:00 am in the morning and you are trying to stop a flood. But change it next day 'cause it will leak sooner or later." Eco Tech has told people its alright and they are opening themselves up to a liability law suit. If you do it after being warned, you have nobody but your dumb self to blame. Again, if you tighten the dissimilar fittings together, it can leak or even fail pumping 100 gallons of water all over the place. If you don't screw them together enough the fittings will leak "stuff" will find its way into the threads and the parts can be so frozen together you will have to cut them apart. If you take the fitting apart frequently, sooner or later one or both of the threaded fittings will be damaged. And finally, its possible for service as a submerged pump, the set up will work okay. Why take the chance when the proper fittings are available?

I was just trying to be a friend. Looks like I'm wasting my time. Again, we live in the U.S.A. you have the freedom to do anything you wish. If your actions cause damage to yourself, its a lesson well learned. If the damage is to another party, it is a civil law suit. It is a great pump. Enjoy it.

RJ