Vortech MP20 in the RSM
- Thread starter Reefmack
- Start date
i finally got the Votech 20 in my 40 gal and i have to say... WHY DIDN"T SOMEONE DO A REVIEW OF THIS PRODUCT SOONER!
do you have any idea on how much Time, money and aggravation i would have saved between buying Korilia power heads and MaxiJets trying to position and mod them for the best flow and the Wave makers i went though...... Geezzzz.....
I will do a full review when i get back from my trade show, but i have to say. this is the best thing i have come across. really great flow, adjustability and only ONE thing in the tank.
WOW. I place the blame for my purchase on REEFMACK
! it's your fault that i bought this great piece of equipment! Well worth the money!!!
do you have any idea on how much Time, money and aggravation i would have saved between buying Korilia power heads and MaxiJets trying to position and mod them for the best flow and the Wave makers i went though...... Geezzzz.....
I will do a full review when i get back from my trade show, but i have to say. this is the best thing i have come across. really great flow, adjustability and only ONE thing in the tank.
WOW. I place the blame for my purchase on REEFMACK
! it's your fault that i bought this great piece of equipment! Well worth the money!!!
ZAPCOnj - I was very close to first going the route you did - the higher priced Koralia wavemaker and DC controllable Koralia powerheads. Then I came across a long thread of reviews on the MP20 in nano tanks on another forum, and every comment was positive, even in smaller tanks than my 34g RSM. Just don't blame me for making those other choices before you went with the Vortech! 
Best investment I made.
I have mine down to about 50% in reefcrest and I keep sliding it a tad yet 50% on mine seems to work well. It all depends on how the tank is laid out like you said and my mountain of rock is in the middle with flow around the entire back of the mountain so I have water going around all the rockwork and I have no dead spots I can see yet.
It offers, IMO, the best natural reef flow out there and if you have ever been scuba diving all over the world on reefs you would understand that the reefs get lots of movement on the upper areas of the reefs even though some corals say low flow they still get a boot once and a while and this pump does just that.
I had my reef maintenance technician in the other day after my new Refug was set up after Jeff at Lifereef completed it and got it to me for under my stand (since I am newer to the reef aquarium I do not mind paying to have periodic oversight to my system at least for now) and the first thing he said was and I quote:
"I see you got rid of the two Koralia's on each side of your tank and the Hydor wavemaker and have the Vortech, wow that is nice. You need one on the other side now" and I laughed and said I better hold off this setup is getting too expensive haha.
I forget the dimensions I gave Jeff at lifereef for mine (yet mine fills about the entire area below the tank in the cabinet with the light) but be careful if you are using the stock skimmer since Jeff's custom overflow box for the RSM did not sit all the way down due to the angle of the stock skimmer. I had to wait a week to get upgraded to the Tunze 9002 which I should have done long ago anyway and then with the back magnets I got seperatley I could not keep the Tunze at the water line with the added rear magnets so I decided to attach it to the side with the stock magnets and the rear magnets and the side magnets just fit in the electrical box with a super snug closing fit. Now the skimmer will not move xD.
I will soon find a way to get a pick on the tank and refug. I will say Jeff at Lifereef was great and he does an amazing job with his made to order custom fuges.
HaHa, Now I am waiting for StevieT's box (another custom order size 3/4" lower then the Tunze) to replace the stock Tunze one so I can close my lid. The Tunze Box, if it stays at water level in the rear, goes above the flop hood cover and I did not want to cut up the top of the cover flap. I wanted his media rack also, but there is no room with the overflow box to fix that baby in xD so I have to do without the media & filtering on the right rar side.
Yeah the Vortech is fine just having one. I just got a laugh out of my guy saying you need another for the other side haha. Actually down the road I may do just that but for now the one is plenty and man they work so well. Like I stated above it was the best investment so far.
My sump/fuge is an old 10g tank that I've put baffles in to make 3 chambers. It'll take up the width of the cabinet, but leave just enough room in front for a thin but wide ATO reservoir that I have. I'll be using a Tunze 9002 in the sump - it's been in the box collecting dust for most of the time I've had it, over a year. I'm hoping to be able to pull everything out of the back of the RSM, including my ATO sensors and the media basket. I'll put the ATO sensors in the sump/fuge, and retire my Remora skimmer for now, and hope the Tunze does as well. The Remora is too big to fit in the sump and and keep my shelf in the cabinet, so the Tunze will fit perfectly. Still not sure if I'll keep the media basket in the back for stuff like carbon. etc. I'd definitely like to get any mechanical filtration out of the back, if possible. I know about the StevieT Tunze cup, but have no need for it.
xD. I still have my carbon on the left side under the pumps and the stock media. Down the road when I do some major cleaning I will pull it all out and put a few pieces of LR in there or just leave it open and put the media in the fuge. My tank is nowhere near as established as yours (mines only 5 1/2 months old) so I am still trying to iron out all the odds and ends yet I am about finished and other then some corals here and there my major investments are done on the tank now THANK GOD.
gotcha - on the major expenses being done, I can't count how many times I've told myself that!
HaHa, you are trying to depress me I know it. It wonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnttttt workkkkkkkkkk
:scram: Ok I am getting depressed now xD.
redseareef
RS Sponsor
When you get the bill....................then you can be depressed!
redseareef
RS Sponsor
LOL,
I am anal about stuff like this!!! I have a list of what I have sold to pay for this set-up! So far, I am out of pocket 474.00 still. I will get it paid off hopefully by the end of this week! That frag pack I just bought KILLED ME!!! I would have been so close to paying it off! DANG IT!!!! LOL!
Well, I know you guys are enjoying the heck out of yours! Keep rubbing it in ok? EVentually, I will follow you guys right off the edge of that cliff............................LOL
I am anal about stuff like this!!! I have a list of what I have sold to pay for this set-up! So far, I am out of pocket 474.00 still. I will get it paid off hopefully by the end of this week! That frag pack I just bought KILLED ME!!! I would have been so close to paying it off! DANG IT!!!! LOL!
Well, I know you guys are enjoying the heck out of yours! Keep rubbing it in ok? EVentually, I will follow you guys right off the edge of that cliff............................LOL
mrfishy
Member
hi guys
took the plunge, vortech arriving tomorrow
was going to wait a few more weeks but the way the pound/dollar rate is dropping thought new stocks in the uk would start to go up price was $296
bit worried due to me having a huge wall of lr
any good tips on setting it up or are the instructions ok ?
cheers
drew
took the plunge, vortech arriving tomorrow
was going to wait a few more weeks but the way the pound/dollar rate is dropping thought new stocks in the uk would start to go up price was $296
bit worried due to me having a huge wall of lr
any good tips on setting it up or are the instructions ok ?
cheers
drew
mrfishy - I hope you like the Vortech! I have a wall of rock too, and mounted mine towards the front of the tank. The instructions are very clear and if you want then beforehand you can get the manual on the Vortech site:
Vortech Support - Manuals
Easy to install and program.
Vortech Support - Manuals
Easy to install and program.
