The Radion is the winner of the Reefbuilders.com 2011 LED Showdown, the website announced today. Reefbuilders readers voted the EcoTech light over the HydroLED, Vertex Illumilux, Ecoxotic Retro 2D, Nano Box 12 and Maxspect Mazarra in the five-round, bracket-style contest.  The final results had EcoTech winning with 61% of the votes, with around 1,500 voted being tallied.

“We’re especially excited the Radion won the Reefbuilders Showdown because the winner was determined by readers and consumers,” EcoTech co-founder Justin Lawyer said. “Our goal with the Radion was to deliver a product with the ability to evolve and improve over time – not become obsolete. The results of this competition show the Radion is one of the best LED lighting products on the market today.”

Created with the discerning aquarium enthusiast in mind, the Radion features five channels of high-efficiency, 34 high-intensity LEDs, as well as the ability to communicate wirelessly with other Radions and EcoTech VorTech pumps. The full-spectrum light is completely adjustable and upgradeable.

To learn more about the Reefbuilders.com 2011 LED Showdown click here.

Bethlehem company’s sponsorship, volunteer dives will help Elkhorn, Staghorn corals in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

EcoTech Marine’s products have helped nurture healthy ecosystems in countless aquariums around the world. Now, the leaders in aquarium technology are turning their focus to the biggest “reef aquarium” of all: The ocean.

EcoTech is sponsoring the Coral Restoration Foundation’s Adopt-a-Coral program, with eyes on restoring the Elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and Staghorn (Acropora cervicornis) corals on the Molasses Reef, off the coast of Key Largo, FL. EcoTech will help CRF develop strategies and methods to protect threatened coral species using its state-of-the-art offshore nursery and restoration techniques.

“We proudly support the preservation of healthy marine ecosystems, both inside and outside the tank,” said Patrick Clasen, EcoTech Marine’s Director of Finance. “Our involvement with the Coral Restoration Foundation lets us give back to Mother Nature – our greatest inspiration.”

The Bethlehem-based company is doing more than writing a check to protect corals in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Clasen and EcoTech teammate Justin Lawyer recently joined CHF on a dive off Key Largo to visit the sponsored nursery, assisting in the regular maintenance that ensures the coral stays in good condition. The EcoTech divers planted 60 Staghorn corals, with hopes the genotype will spawn and repopulate the reef.

True to EcoTech Marine design standards, the functionality of Radion matches its sleek aesthetic. Created with the most discerning hobbyist in mind, the Radion includes top quality Cree and Osram LEDs and features fully adjustable color and intensity.

“The Radion represents what we believe will be the next step for aquarium lighting: a smarter, easier to use, and more energy efficient alternative to existing lighting products,” said Tim Marks, president of EcoTech Marine. “Our hope is that our customers will enjoy the extensive thought and care put into the design of every feature, function, and the distinctive appearance of the Radion.”

Radion was purpose-built to be upgradeable both through its modular driver and LED cluster design, modular optics, as well as its USB firmware.

“Our goal was to deliver a product with the ability to evolve and get better over time– and not become obsolete,” said Marks. “As technology moves forward, the Radion will be upgraded with new functionality in addition to what it has right out of the box.”

Radion is an innovative addition to the EcoTech Marine line of VorTech pumps and aquarium products. With advanced features packed into an efficient and stylish product, the Radion is an LED that looks every bit as good as it performs.

Radion will be available by the end of October through EcoTech Marine’s network of retail outlets around the country. Click here for more information on the Radion, including features and full specifications.

The contest was advertised in CORAL magazine, and was also posted on the EcoTech Marine Facebook page. We received a large number of entries and really appreciated hearing your responses to our question, “Why do YOU need a new battery backup?” The entries were compelling, and really showed us what a necessity a battery backup is for tanks. Thank you to all who entered – ultimately, one winner was chosen.

Congratulations to the contest winner, Dan L. from Illinois! Enjoy your new battery backup and the peace of mind knowing that the harsh Chicago winters will no longer claim your tank inhabitants.

Be sure to stay up to date with our website, our Facebook and our Twitter pages for the latest news, events, discussions and future contests.

“Broad flow is important for any reef aquarist to create a lifelike simulation of the coral reef,” said Clasen. “Flow brings nutrients and oxygen to the sessile invertebrates…without flow, corals will starve and suffocate.”

EcoTech Marine has declared 2011 the year of flow and we look forward to highlighting its importance in the coming months. To read the full article, which delves into water movement, wave makers and more, please click here.

EcoTech Marine, the company that revolutionized the reef aquarium propeller pump, previewed their newest product, the MP60w ES, today at MACNA (Marine Aquarium Conference of North America) in Orlando, FL.

The MP60 is engineered for tanks holding 120 to over 1,000 gallons with up to one-inch glass thickness. The MP60 uses the same award-winning technology that has made EcoTech Marine’s VorTech line the number one brand of pump among reef aquarium enthusiasts. Capable of pushing 7,500/gph, the MP60 offers the smallest in-tank footprint for a commercially available pump. A limited number of units are being made available to the media for review.

“The MP60 satisfies a pent-up market demand for VorTech technology in larger tanks,” said Tim Marks, president of EcoTech Marine. “Prior to this launch, aquarists with tanks having pane thicknesses greater than three-quarters of an inch had very few options for high-flow solutions. We are excited to provide this much desired solution for the most discerning and diehard hobbyists. Performance and quality are always our top priorities. This addition is a natural evolution for us, and perfectly rounds out our VorTech line of products.”

The MP60 was designed to create the most flow in the smallest package possible. In EcoTech Marine’s quest to continually raise the bar on reef flow technology, the unit runs quiet, cool and with minimal vibration. “This is a very proud introduction for us,” added Marks.

The MP60′s unmatched flow and out-of-the-box multi-pump wireless communication makes it the best value on the market for larger tanks. The MP60 leverages EcoSmart driver technology, introduced earlier this year, providing unmatched versatility, controllability and customization of flow patterns.

EcoTech Marine’s patented VorTech technology produces broad yet gentle flow while placing the motor outside the tank–preserving the beauty of the aquarium and enhancing the health of the tank’s ecosystem.

Availability and Pricing

The MP60w ES is slated to be available later this year through EcoTech’s network of premiere reef stores and online vendors with an MSRP of $695. Keep checking our website for an exact release date.

For complete specifications and more on the MP60, please click here.

EcoTech Marine is looking forward to attending MACNA (Marine Aquarium Conference of North America) from September 3-5, 2010 in Orlando, FL.

Stop by EcoTech Marine’s MACNA booth to take a look at our exciting new product, and stay tuned for more!

“We have worked closely with GHL and are very excited about the launch of this product,” said Tim Marks, president of EcoTech Marine. “The GHL VorTech-Controller connects the GHL controller wirelessly with our VorTech aquarium pumps, something which has been long-awaited by GHL customers.”

The GHL ProfiLux VorTech-Controller can control up to 11 VorTech propeller pumps independently of each other. The VorTech-Controller will be recognized automatically and can be configured easily. The controller supports EcoSmart modes as well as classic VorTech modes.

In addition to offering customizable control of the VorTech remotely, GHL customers will be able to easily download new firmware updates. The VorTech Controller will be connected over PAB (ProfiLux Aquatic Bus, ProfiLux 3 only) and doesn’t need any additional power supply.

The GHL ProfiLux VorTech-Controller will be available September 7, 2010. Click here for more information directly from GHL, and stay tuned for further announcements.

If you own the IceCap Battery Backup, please contact us using our form to receive your replacement cables. We appreciate your business and support and encourage you to contact us if you have questions.

EcoTech Marine has issued a voluntary recall of the Battery Backup cable used for the VorTech pump.

This issue also affects the cables supplied with the IceCap Battery Backup for the VorTech propeller pump, however IceCap, Inc. will be handling the cables for their accessory independently of us and we recommend that you contact them directly regarding a recall of their cables. It is important to note that this issue only affects those Battery Backup cables that are used with VorTech propeller pumps powered by the Wireless Wave Driver (WWD) but this recall will cover all Battery Backup cables regardless of which driver is connected with the cable.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

CLICK HERE to learn more, and to fill out a form to receive new cables.

What better way for us to demonstrate this than through our state-of-the-art production facilities?  We are proud with what we provide consumers and would love for you to have a look into our warehouse and production line, below.