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View Full Version : VorTech MP40 REALLY worth it or not?


Felixc395
12/14/2010, 11:58 PM
Are the MP40's really worth the noise and high price for great control and flow or are tunze the way to go?

tkeracer619
12/15/2010, 02:00 AM
I don't notice the noise of my vortechs over the overflows and dart return pump. I'm currently running 5 on my 360. They have been great pumps and are worth it.

They have a night mode that makes them silent if its close to your bedroom.

reefsurfing
12/15/2010, 02:10 AM
I have a really quiet setup and I rarely hear my mp40 except when I am in Short pulse mode.

cuse1
12/15/2010, 05:41 AM
I had nothing but problems with my vortech mp40... Go with a tunze!

Dustin1300
12/15/2010, 06:06 AM
Cuse1, what problems have you had? I've been considering buying 2 mp40s and want to know what you are referencing.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

Singlemalt
12/15/2010, 07:36 AM
I've had My MP40 for 18 months and have had no issues at all. I find it fairly quiet as long as it's alligned with the dry side motor correctly. In the market for another (here that Santa?)

Felixc395
12/15/2010, 07:44 AM
This is just what I've heard. Either they work great and you have no problems, or they're unbearable. I'm looking for one and then if it's good then get another after that. If it wasn't noisy, I'd get one in an instant. But this is in my bedroom and I have to be cautious or else I'll have some frayed nerves...

Dustin1300
12/15/2010, 07:46 AM
If Santa is listening I'll take two! :p

wesley6610
12/15/2010, 11:00 AM
I have one on a 75 gallon now and am considering getting a second MP40W as well for additional flow. I have had some noise related issues, but again, if you align it properly you should have little noise. Make sure you clean it about once every six weeks or so depending on the buildup it gets to make sure the wet side doesn't seize up and fall off in the tank. Once I figured out that's what my issue was, I haven't had that issue with a routine cleaning schedule since such time. I think I will get my second one in the spring after tax refunds come back!

Dustin1300
12/15/2010, 11:13 AM
Any pump is not going to function perfectly for a lifetime if you don't keep up with maintenance. If I change my oil in my car every 20k miles I'm not going to expect a reliable car down the road even in a high quality product. I'm fine with giving the wet side a vinegar bath from time to time. One of the things I love about the idea of the Vortechs is that they have motor on outside which keeps heat out of tank as well as electricity which could more easily short on the inside of the tank shocking me or my inhabitants!

d0ughb0y
12/15/2010, 11:27 AM
only you can decide if it is worth it or not. don't base your decision on what others think, as what works for others may not work for you.

I tried it and for me, did not think it is worth it, as it is noisy if you run it at 100%. I know some vortech owners are in denial and refuse to admit there is noise. but if you read the bearing replacement fix to vortech dryside, you will see plenty of vortech owners come out of the woodwork admitting their vortechs are noisy and the fix eliminated the noise. so the good news to vortech owners is, there is a fix available to eliminate the noise.

Dustin1300
12/15/2010, 11:34 AM
Peoples opinions matter...I love the idea of the Vortechs and they look cleaner in the aquarium than a Tunze. Is this the article you are referencing?:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1901337

d0ughb0y
12/15/2010, 12:02 PM
yes, that is the article. so if you are considering buying vortech, you may consider getting used ones and doing the bearing replacement.

I have tried both vortech and tunze.
the only thing going for the vortech is no wires inside the tank. the downside of that is, the motor being outside, makes it noisy. I bought one based on people saying it is quiet, but I think one has to be deaf to be able to say it is quiet. People's opinion should be taken into consideration, but one should never make a decision solely based on that.

I like the tunze because you can point it in pretty much any direction. and you can DIY a controller for it real cheap (about $5 in parts if you already have a soldering iron) or convert it into a wavebox.

as for the wires, if your tank has a hood, and your background is black, you probably will not notice the black wire coming out of the tank. I have an open top, so the tunze wires are visible coming out of the tank. win some lose some. :)

wickedfish
12/15/2010, 12:03 PM
Worth it If They don't have a defect. Read the ecotech forum. They are sleek and powerful and a bit noisy, that's my best description. My tunze and k3 make no noise but do add heat, that's the draw back. In winter that's okay!

nuclearheli
12/15/2010, 12:05 PM
only you can decide if it is worth it or not. don't base your decision on what others think, as what works for others may not work for you.

I tried it and for me, did not think it is worth it, as it is noisy if you run it at 100%. I know some vortech owners are in denial and refuse to admit there is noise. but if you read the bearing replacement fix to vortech dryside, you will see plenty of vortech owners come out of the woodwork admitting their vortechs are noisy and the fix eliminated the noise. so the good news to vortech owners is, there is a fix available to eliminate the noise.

Not sure why you think that about Vortech owners. And I may be in denial when I look in the mirror in the morning and convince myself I am not getting older but really, not about my Vortech. I for one am not ashamed of making a mistake buying something only to find out it sucks. I have a closet full of junk like that and a wife that smiles at me every time the UPS man drives up the driveway.

I had a MP20 that I upgraded, cheaply, to an MP40W which I now control with my Apex. I like them and I really don't believe they do make a lot of noise. In fact I never really considered the noise factor with these units until I read this thread. Although I cannot really run mine at 100% (90 Gallon tank) without creating typhoon conditions in the tank.

Listen, I have a friend (not close enough unfortunately) that just traded in his BMW 8 Series for a Porsche. Hates the Porsche and wishes he had his BMW back. I just wish I had that problem. Anyway, the moral of the story is I would take either one of them.

No matter which choice you make, Tunze or MP40 chances are you will be happy. At least your reef will be.

Which begs the next question. Does anyone with a sump under their tank have a "quiet" system?

Allmost
12/15/2010, 12:08 PM
I put it this way :

I have a MP40 and I love it, only downside is noise ... when its set on wave ... .

BUT :
I got a MP40 for my 65G cause I ran out of room ! so needed a smaller power head ! it was worth it in my case ... opened up room for 5 more corals :D

every product has some users who dont like it ... its the same in everything, we dont know the reason though ! could be instructions not followed, error on installation, faulty unit, or just expecting too much from it :)

if you need more room in ure tank, go with MP40. if not, then Tunze is a better choice IMHO.

JasonD
12/15/2010, 12:32 PM
I have two MP40W's on my 120 gallon reef and love the flow. I've received good support from Ecotech when something went wrong. For example my wetside fused together because I wasn't doing maintenance on it i.e. giving it a vinegar bath once in a while. Ecotech is sending out replacement parts bearing at no cost no thats service.

The only time I hear it is if it is running at 100% which I don't do on my tank.

I understand Tunzes are good and have great support also.

Jason

Pwetb
12/15/2010, 12:48 PM
only you can decide if it is worth it or not. don't base your decision on what others think, as what works for others may not work for you.

I tried it and for me, did not think it is worth it, as it is noisy if you run it at 100%. I know some vortech owners are in denial and refuse to admit there is noise. but if you read the bearing replacement fix to vortech dryside, you will see plenty of vortech owners come out of the woodwork admitting their vortechs are noisy and the fix eliminated the noise. so the good news to vortech owners is, there is a fix available to eliminate the noise.


BIG THANK YOU about this fix :P wasn't aware of it.. I think I'll give a try ;)

d0ughb0y
12/15/2010, 12:49 PM
Not sure why you think that about Vortech owners.

I had a MP20 that I upgraded, cheaply, to an MP40W which I now control with my Apex.

I did say "some". :)

you mean you use Apex to turn the MP40W on and off or does it have the variable speed control now (I think neptune said they will come out with a vortech control module)?
Apex has built in control of tunze pumps without buying additional modules. and by control, I mean you can control the speed in the program, and not just turning the pump on or off.

d0ughb0y
12/15/2010, 12:53 PM
BIG THANK YOU about this fix :P wasn't aware of it.. I think I'll give a try ;)

I am surprised that is not a sticky or voted thread of the month.
the tunze diy controller / wavemaker was thread of the month.

I suppose that implies your vortech is noisy? :)

Dustin1300
12/15/2010, 01:05 PM
Thanks for the debate guys. In the end I really think I like the Vortechs better. This is one of my next big upgrades to my current tank that I can transition to my next big build...My sump is not the quietest in the world with my bubble blaster and can deal with a little bit of noise. If noise is the biggest complaint with the new models then I'm okay with that. With two MP40s in a 75 gallon I'm rather sure that they will most likely be going at about 50% but pointless to buy two MP20s when I know I will upgrade in the near future;)

frankpayne32
12/15/2010, 01:09 PM
Based on what I have read many people that have MP40's seem to run them at less than 100% as their maximum setting. Multiple MP10's seem like more of a value to me when money is a concern on an average sized tank.

The Punisher
12/15/2010, 03:00 PM
To get the same type of controllable flow from Tunze you're going to have to spend close to, if not more, than an MP40. So, to me it's not an issue of money, it's an issue of aesthetics, noise, heat, flow characteristics, etc. They both have positives and negatives so you just need to decide what's right for you. I personally don't like the look of the Vortechs because you have to place them right on the viewing pane, with Tunze you have the PH in the tank with the wires coming out. I'd rather have the stuff for the tank contained in the tank than have to have them stuck to the outside of the tank.

nuclearheli
12/15/2010, 03:06 PM
I did say "some". :)

you mean you use Apex to turn the MP40W on and off or does it have the variable speed control now (I think neptune said they will come out with a vortech control module)?
Apex has built in control of tunze pumps without buying additional modules. and by control, I mean you can control the speed in the program, and not just turning the pump on or off.

No actually the Apex controls the Vortech completely. I can turn the unit on/off, set any one of the Vortech profiles inside the Apex profiles, and select the %speed directly from the web interface. Pretty nice. I guess that is new in the latest MP40 firmware and the Apex. I get complete control.

d0ughb0y
12/15/2010, 03:18 PM
To get the same type of controllable flow from Tunze you're going to have to spend close to, if not more, than an MP40. So, to me it's not an issue of money, it's an issue of aesthetics, noise, heat, flow characteristics, etc. They both have positives and negatives so you just need to decide what's right for you. I personally don't like the look of the Vortechs because you have to place them right on the viewing pane, with Tunze you have the PH in the tank with the wires coming out. I'd rather have the stuff for the tank contained in the tank than have to have them stuck to the outside of the tank.

That is very true. The tunze controller is optional but cost a fortune if you buy one new. But what typically happens is after the first few weeks one have lots of fun playing around with all the different modes and the novelty wears off, you will in the end just be using one mode, then maybe once in a while when someone comes to your house, you will show off what your fancy smancy vortech or tunze controller can do. And that is "priceless" (so worth it) :)

No actually the Apex controls the Vortech completely. I can turn the unit on/off, set any one of the Vortech profiles inside the Apex profiles, and select the %speed directly from the web interface. Pretty nice. I guess that is new in the latest MP40 firmware and the Apex. I get complete control.

ok, thanks. I see in neptune website you need to add the WXM module (costs $124.99) to do that. nice.

Felixc395
12/15/2010, 05:54 PM
Well for those who complain about noise, how bad is it really?

Dustin1300
12/15/2010, 08:52 PM
Louder than your sump?

Doughboy, the true question is....Do you have Tunze or Vortech?

d0ughb0y
12/15/2010, 09:21 PM
I got a vortech, but sold it (that was a while back, before I found the bearing replacement fix). I currently use a tunze. so I have used both, and not just read about it somewhere.

mthomp
12/15/2010, 09:36 PM
Well for those who complain about noise, how bad is it really?

its the loudest thing in my entire setup. that said everything else is virtually silent. I Love my vortechthe amount of control i get with it simply amazes me. now my wife has that mother hearing and can hear a pin drop in her sleep 4 houses away, so it really annoys her.

fcmatt
12/16/2010, 12:21 AM
i have two mp10s... i am on reef crest mode about 7 feet away while typing this and i can
hear them ramp up and down.

i had to rma the dry side on a brand new unit out of the box because it made strange noises. the new one they sent me is much quieter.

i have also owned an mp40. it did not have all these neat modes like they do now but it
was also far from quiet.

in the end though.. i can tolerate a bit of noise. plus now that i know how to fix the bearings
myself i can always quiet them down over the years.

i will freely admit they are a neat toy and i think they help make my tank a better place
for the corals.

Johnny C
12/16/2010, 12:24 AM
These threads get posted on a near daily basis and generally have the same consensus.

Like d0ughb0y stated, the only one who can make the "are they worth it" decision is the person making the purchase. With that being said, I own an MP10, 20, and 40. I also own a Tunze 6025. While I like the Tunze a lot (helluva lot nicer than a Koralia), the functionality and control of the Vortech is much more important to me. Are Vortechs silent? NO. The noise depends on the mode/speed set, some modes (i.e. Short Pulse) tend to be noisier than others. For me, the minimal amount of noise is absolutely worth it for the incredible amount of flow produced by these powerheads. I can honestly say that I noticed a substantial increase of polyp extension in my SPS after switching from Koralias.

Let us know what you decide on getting, and also how you like it. -JC

wickedfish
12/16/2010, 02:12 AM
Of course the sound depends on the percentages you do. I have mine on reef crest 100% all the time. I like it but on some days I hear it humming away in my bedroom at 430am. My house is very open and even at 65+ feet away, and upstairs I hear it. My over flow is around the same decibels but the eco pump takes the prize.
Noise should be ruled out, your angle of flow, heat concerns, look, and power seem to be above the noise to me. I went to a fellow reefers house and I could not hear his mp40es. His sump is noisy but I was like WTH.

MammothReefer
12/16/2010, 02:24 AM
My tank doesn't have a durso, lol.. so my pumps aren't that loud. I have both tunze, and vortech pumps in my tank. I am thinking of adding another voretch down the road if/when my sps grows in and I need the extra flow. I'll keep the tunzes so I can point the flow where I want but I really like the wider flow of the vortech which still moves high volumes but isn't as disruptive to the sand/corals.

d0ughb0y
12/16/2010, 04:40 PM
I see a couple just listed for sale

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1945815

jefathome
12/16/2010, 04:52 PM
My tank is an in-wall, so the noise is almost non-existant.
My tank is also 30in tall and the MP40 is about 20in deep into the tank. Not having that power cord going all the way up and over the top of the tank is an awesome feature and what sold me on it vs other variable pumps.

Dustin1300
12/16/2010, 07:44 PM
The only complaint I continue to hear is the noise. I'd ideally want to build my next tank in wall but all depends on the house I end up getting. Any other valid complaints outside of bearings and noise?

The Punisher
12/16/2010, 09:50 PM
Is the noise from these things loud enough that it's distracting? With a tank in a room with a tv would it be a major problem?

BuckeyeTodd
12/16/2010, 10:00 PM
it is a little annoying, don't notice in tv room unless you're seated next to tank. It is the loudest item on my tank-but I want to add another which tells you something

tkeracer619
12/16/2010, 10:18 PM
No its not. Some people are much more sensitive to noise then others.

Some will say a slow rotating pc fan is loud. A vortech is louder then a pc fan.

IMO & IME it is totally overblown.

Felixc395
12/17/2010, 05:52 PM
Thanks everyone so far!

I guess the real decision I need to make is whether I can handle the noise and how bad it really is based on others' reviews.

manycolors
12/17/2010, 06:21 PM
I have an MP40 and I don't think it is very loud... Sure, I can hear it if I listen for it, but I am much more likely to hear the gurgle of the sump or fan on my fixture. Just my .02. An the little noise it produces is a nice "white noise" if your into that sort of thing.

Dustin1300
12/17/2010, 07:03 PM
I'm not hearing anyone complain about the units outside of noise/bearings??? Has anyone had problems with them which caused them to stop working?

Felixc395
12/18/2010, 08:45 PM
so it doesn't seem like the noise is that bad to me. with a system with a sump, maybe I might not be able to hear one, which would be great.

kmu
12/18/2010, 11:09 PM
I have an MP40w in my office tank and an MP10wES in my home tank, will get another MP40 for my office tank and anotehr MP10wES for my home tank...

Thats how much I like them...

fcmatt
12/18/2010, 11:26 PM
i think one of the problems when debating the noise issue is that everyone of these pumps
can be different then others. like i said in a previous post to this thread.. i had a new mp10
that was considerably louder then the previous one I bought a month before. if i would
have kept that instead of RMA'ing it.. i would be complaining that my two together were
very loud.

so we may very well have a situation where some people get a noisier unit then others
and thus such a wide array of opinion.

always keep in mind that a new pump out of the box should be given a week or two to
quiet down.. but after that you need something to base a judgment on if it is louder then
it should be. owning multiples of the same pump size can allow you to make that call.

noobtothereef
12/18/2010, 11:34 PM
money to burn-mp40's
poor-maxijets with mods for little money or even k4's with mod and ran off a controller

noobtothereef
12/18/2010, 11:36 PM
the noise from the vortechs is an unbalanced propeller, you shouldnt have to do it but a quick fix would be to buy a prop balancer jig for model airplanes and balance the propeller, if its balanced there will be no noise, if it makes noise after that its from play in the shaft from crappy tolorences in the manufacturing process

noobtothereef
12/18/2010, 11:37 PM
And also another thing to consider is ive read where the wetside of the vortechs will need replaced after a while, so consider the cost of that for the long run

oscar.millan
12/19/2010, 12:28 AM
I think a combination of both gives you the best of both worlds.

Dustin1300
12/19/2010, 08:17 AM
I'm contemplating this and am wondering if I'd be disappointed with an MP10W ES. I have a standard 75 Gallon with a K4 and K2 plus a Mag 7 as a return. I believe the weakest component of my system at this point is flow so I'm trying to ramp that up. I also want to confirm that you can mix and match the MP 10s, 40s, and 60s so they are in master and slave mode? I'm planning a big tank upgrade in the next year and want to ensure I can integrate them together and could always use the MP 10 on a grow out tank/frag tank if needed.

Question is....Should I make the leap and get the MP 40 or minimize risk and go with MP 10??? Where is the cheapest place to buy?

Dustin1300
12/19/2010, 08:45 PM
No one?

Pwetb
12/22/2010, 09:17 PM
I am surprised that is not a sticky or voted thread of the month.
the tunze diy controller / wavemaker was thread of the month.

I suppose that implies your vortech is noisy? :)


Not that much, But.. if I can reduce noise to the minimum, that would be great, I have 3 computers running around, the tank, sump, vortech... =) I dream of a quieter place lol

andresp
01/20/2011, 06:27 PM
Vortechs are great I saw it on my friends reef tank but i don't see any difference in coral growth with my Koralias.

andresp
01/20/2011, 06:31 PM
Vortechs are great looking and all I saw one at friends house but I see no difference in coral growth by using my Koralias.

The Punisher
01/20/2011, 08:19 PM
Vortechs are great looking and all I saw one at friends house but I see no difference in coral growth by using my Koralias.

Just like with anything else in this hobby, it's not an end all be all solution for your tank. If you're expecting fabulous results just from adding a Vortech you'll be dissapointed. If you realize that water movement is an important aspect of reef tanks and the Vortech is your choice to use to control water movement then you'll be very happy with it.

WI reefer55
01/20/2011, 08:21 PM
depends how much money u have..

Dustin1300
01/20/2011, 08:58 PM
Vortechs are great looking and all I saw one at friends house but I see no difference in coral growth by using my Koralias.

Sorry to break it to you but a few more factors exists outside of powerheads:)

SethTheWineGuy
03/07/2011, 11:00 PM
I think this is like asking if you'd rather drive a Ferrari or a Kia. If you can afford the Ferrari then the question is never asked. My Vortechs are quiet as can be too.

Acrotrdco
03/08/2011, 01:25 AM
I've 2x MP10 (not MP40 I know but they're the same product but for smaller tanks), and I absolutely loved them.

Enough said :)

MelloW33
03/08/2011, 10:24 AM
My DT is in my family room where I do all of my TV watching. I cannot hear my MP40 over my light fans or my TV. I use night mode while I'm sleeping to keep it at a constant speed so that i could drown out in the event that I actually hear it.

I got mine from my LFS who price-matched Premium Aquatics.

46nBliss
03/08/2011, 01:35 PM
I have an MP40 on my tank that set up in the TV/living room. Never an issue with excessive noise. You can hear it if you listen for it but its easy to tune out IMO.

dzhuo
03/08/2011, 04:53 PM
The simple way of looking at these 2 brands: You will never be unhappy with a Tunze but you can be potentially very unhappy with a Vortech.