Ecotech Marine Vortech propeller pump

[leftovers]

Sounds all good in theory but in reality 40-50w here or there in an average size tank is insignificant.

and yet folks still have 1-3 degrees of heat rise in their tanks from that insignificance....thats why its a theory not a hypothosis...

 

[Anonymous]

I think worldwide demand actually exceeds their production capacity.

Yes, I hear Ferrari and Maserati are stuck in the same, poor conundrum...

Really though, the root of my whining comes down to the fact that I wish it was more in reach of my poor, white butt.

And most of the reefers I know don't own Tunzes for pretty much that exact same reason too.



So...... - Are they hand-crafted like Ferraris and Maseratis too?

 

[Nautilus1]

Im going to make DIY one

 

[Mihai]

Len,

I just talked with one of my neighbors that saw one of those pumps at MACA last year and he told me that the outside part gets quite hot to the touch. I realize that this may not affect the heat inside the tank too much, but I would guess that it would shorten the lifespan of the pump...

Any insight into this matter? I assume that any reliability data is out of question given the time of release of this item.

M.

 

[Len]

The outter portion does not get hot at all. If run at full speed, it gets luke warm. If at half speed, it stays room temperature. I am not sure where your neighbor got the impression it runs hot.

 

[konadog]

Mihai, I just read this response from EcoTech Marine on another forum:

The heat will travel through the path of least resistance. The heatsink encapsulating the motor is made from aluminum, which is a significantly better conductor then glass. Thus the heat is literally pulled from the motor through the aluminum heat sink where it is then dissipated by the air. Further helping things is the fact that there is a thin layer of rubber in between the aluminum heatsink and the aquarium's glass. Rubber is an incredible insulator and further helps to keep the heat off the glass.

Hope that helps.

 

[Anonymous]

Welcome to RDO, konadog!

 

[Mihai]

Thanks! However, I wasn't worried about heat imparted to the tank, but rather about the fact that the motor heats and probably reduces its life.

And, yes - WELCOME!

M.

 

[konadog]

Thanks for the welcome, I can't believe it's only been 3 years since I joined and not one post!

I think one of the reasons it feels warm is that the part you are feeling is meant to be warm/hot. I would rather have the heat sink become hot than the motor becoming hot and shortening it's life span

 

[ostrow]

I heard from several people that at MACNA the motor part was hot, as in, hot, as in, worse than lukewarm or room temp but, well hot (did I mention it was hot?)

I care about two things more than the life of the motor: my son and my daughter, both under the age of 6.

Have they solved this problem? I've posted this question twice on "the ohter board" and no answer so I'll try here....

Also, since it pretty much has to be on the sides of the tank (assumption here, my tank is 2' wide so I'm guessing with a DSB it has to be on the end not the back glass), it will be both an eyesore and a heat hazard if that problem were not solved. If it were, then the eyesore not only inside but outside the tank. What are the visuals from those testing it? Would you recommend it for a tank in a living room where side viewing is important?

I currently have a 6060 in a corner, angled towards the center. Magnet mounts to back glass, between overflow box and side glass, perfect placement (though a tad too close to my rockwork). Wish this one could be angled on its mount...

 

[Len]

I don't know if they did anything different, but I will confirm the outer half does not run hot. It gets as warm - maybe a bit more so - as a Icecap VHO ballast (which isn't hot) when operated at full speed. At 50-70% speed, it's virtually room temp.

It can be used on either the side glass or the back glass for a 2' wide tank. I have it on the side of my tank in my living room, and aesthetics is very important for me. I don't have it on the back glass simply because I didn't leave enough room back there (I would have it there otherwise). I haven't given it much thought as I don't find it obstrustive, but this is of course purely subjective. It's pretty the tantamount to asking if a big magnet cleaner is visually unacceptable to you. I will say that the overall dimensions are much smaller then the Streams and divided in half between the inside and outside of the tank.

A agree it would be nice to be able to angle the output. Even though the stream is very wide after a few inches, I would still like to see Ecotech make a directional nozzle (which you can easy change out yourself in 10 seconds). Ecotech has said they are looking into it

 

[DapperDan]

I also agree that the stream is expensive for what they are. basically a powerhead.

But then some of price reflection is to do with taxes, freight which the vortech does not have to pay.

To compare apples to apples.

One Vortech pump $345.00 MSRP (will most likely sell for between $300 & $325) no accessories needed.

One Tunze 6100 $333.00, + magnet holder for $52.00 + holding bracket $11.00 = $396.00

Who cares about the exchange rate thats not our problem it's Tunze's.

The Vortech looks like a much better deal.

DD

 

[Anonymous]

I also agree that the stream is expensive for what they are. basically a powerhead.

But then some of price reflection is to do with taxes, freight which the vortech does not have to pay.

To compare apples to apples.

One Vortech pump $345.00 MSRP (will most likely sell for between $300 & $325) no accessories needed.

One Tunze 6100 $333.00, + magnet holder for $52.00 + holding bracket $11.00 = $396.00

Who cares about the exchange rate thats not our problem it's Tunze's.

The Vortech looks like a much better deal.

DD

Not an accurate comparison. The 6100 will function just fine with out the accesories you mentioned. The difference between the two is $12. Which in my mind is not a big deal either way.

 

[DapperDan]

No!

I said Apples to Apples!!!!!

You're doing apples to oranges.

I made an equal comparison, the Tunze needs everything I mentioned to be considered equal.

DD

 

[Anonymous]

I do not agree. You compared a base unit to a base unit plus accessories. The accessories are not required for the Tunze to perform it's funtion. They are similar but not he same. The tunze has some features tha the vortec does not to do a true comparison you need to list them all. For instance the Tunze can be angled from its mounting while the vortec can not. The vortec can be plaeced low in the tank with out additional accesories while the tunze can not. So on and so on. I'm not knocking or supporting either unit. I think they both have thier place and the individual have to decide which is right for thier needs.

 

[reefreef]

does the vortech spin the empeller every few seconds when it is on feed mode like the tunze. this is to stop fish from going in the housing.

 

[jetaero]

I do not believe that the vortech has a "feed" setting... That would be more on your controller.

 

[Bucktronix]

can anyone comment on how well it worked using a wavemaker? if you did test it with a wavemaker what brand?

 

[Len]

It will work on any wavemaker. It has a built-in soft-start. I've been using my Aquacontroller with my Vortech with no problems.

 

[reefreef]

When are the vortech pumps due out? cant be far away.