Sufficient water motion is a critical part of a successful reef aquarium and innovative ideas and products have certainly made hobbyists’ lives a little easier in this respect. As reef aquaria are routinely found in smaller and smaller sizes, I felt a recent introduction to the market – the MP10 Propeller Pump by EcoTech Marine (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA) – warranted a review. This device is a smaller version of the company’s larger water motion devices, but retains many of its larger counterparts’ features, such as a magnetic drive and programmed controller. It also is of smaller size than most other powerheads and has a less intrusive appearance. Since the drive motor is outside of the aquarium, lessened heat transfer is also claimed. A flow rate of over 1,575 gallons per hour (5,961 liters per hour) is advertised. However, its price is more than many other water-moving devices. Is it worth the price, and how do its advertising claims hold up under scrutiny? This Product Review will attempt to answer these questions.

Click here to read the full article

Scott Brang answers many questions about tank preparedness in his most recent Marine Depot blog entry. His recommendation for continuing water flow during a power outage — an EcoTech Marine VorTech pump with a battery backup.

An excerpt:

Water circulation is extremely important in the reef aquarium. It helps oxygenate the water and carries waste to filtration. If flow is stopped for even one hour the negative results can start to become apparent. That is why we recommend keeping extra pumps and pump parts in your ‘aquarium toolbox.’

But what happens if the power goes out altogether?

Invest in a quality pump like EcoTech Marine’s VorTech with battery backup and your tank’s flow will continue unaltered for up to 60 hours after the power goes out (30 hours for two pumps). Add a second battery backup to double the run time.”

Consider the facts: in an aquarium with no flow, fish and corals will begin to die in 4-10 hours. A power outage can strike during a storm or when you are traveling away from home.

A battery backup guarantees that your tank’s flow is uninterrupted regardless of power loss. With all the time and care you have invested, equipping your tank and its inhabitants in case of the worst is of the utmost importance.

To read more about EcoTech Marine’s battery backup system, please click here.

“EcoTech Marine truly is the best of the best when it comes to in-tank circulation,” said Ben Ros, the Director of Operations for Marine Depot. “The VorTech is a great product for any aquarium and can be appreciated by the novice hobbyist all the way to the expert.”

EcoTech Marine values working closely with Marine Depot. “We are honored to be on the best of 2009 list,” said Tim Marks. “The quality and affordability of the MP10 really set it apart, and we are thrilled to be recognized for that.”

Marine Depot has a best price guarantee on the MP10, meaning it is at the best possible value for VorTech fans and customers.

“EcoTech certainly did not disappoint the masses with this version of the VorTech pump,” added Ros. “It’s controllable, reasonably priced and very easy to use.”

To see Marine Depot’s Best of the Best Products of 2009 list, please click here. To purchase your MP10 through Marine Depot, please click here.

“Ecotech has released the Vortech MP10, a miniaturized version of the VorTech MP40 which above all cuts down the price and the size of the magnetically coupled technology. For an msrp of $195, any aquarist can afford to invest in the efficiency of 1600+ gallons per hour with a maximum 18 watt power draw. The diminutive 2 inch by 1.5″ wetside absolutely disappears in the aquarium but yet it still pushes a nice broad, plume of water movement which is the favored method for encouraging mass water movement and gyres in reef aquaria.

The Vortech MP10 ships with the same microprocessor controlled driver board with all of the adjustable, pre-programmed Vortech modes which produce constant flow, random flow, short pulse modes for producing waves and most importantly, a long pulse mode for producing gyre flow. The Vortech MP10 is more expensive than many other similarly rated water pumps but the included controller, diminutive size and the aesthetic of not having any wires in the aquarium makes this propeller pump more than worth the premium.”

Click here to see the full review. We thank Jake for his honest opinions and review and are thrilled to count him as a fan. Already have an MP10? Let us know what you think. Ready to buy? Click here. And be sure to check back often for more news and reviews!

I have to say the the Vortech simply mops the floor with them. GPH is a number so its really not comparable from pump to pump, but the width of the Vortechs flow is astonishing and sets it apart from the competition. A foot and a half away from the pump the stream coming out of the Vortech was 16-18″ wide. I had two modded Tunze nano streams on the same side the Vortech is now and they are nothing in comparison.

I would probably need 4 or 5 modded nano streams to make up for the Vortechs flow width and undertow. The undertow is one of the best things about the Vortech. Everything in the vicinity of the pump is rocked back and forth by the flow and undertow. Coral polyps sway gently and at times fiercely. The first thing I noticed when I turned the pump on was that all my SPS had extended their feeder tentacles. My tank is fairly clean so not much was stirred up so I was surprised to see this reaction by the corals. I currently have the pump running in “Reef Crest” mode and am happy with it. This increases and decreases the flow to create random chaotic water movement, much like a natural reef. I tried out the night time mode but don’t plan on using it.

My pumps have always run at the same constant speed, day or night, so I really see no benefit in changing. I love the low profile and lack of cords in the tank with the Vortech. It really makes the tank look bigger and more open. The pump runs quiet and emits very little heat. I may have to move around or take one of the Tunze’s on the right side out. The right side has three Tunze nano’s along with the return pump pushing water towards the Vortech and its actually a little too chaotic. Who knows, maybe with some clever maneuvering and positioning I can keep the Tunze’s in and find a sweet spot.

For anyone looking to buy a new pump I can honestly say the Vortech is the best pump I have ever used. Needless to say, I plan on replacing the rest of the Tunze’s with another Vortech MP40w in the near future. —Sonny

Source: http://rimlessreef.weebly.com/1/post/2009/03/vortech-mp40w-review.html

Unlike the MP20, the MP40w has a built in Wireless Wave Driver allowing it to communicate to other MP40w pumps wirelessly. When multiple MP40ws are used the aquarist can choose to operate in Sync or Anti-Sync slave modes. Meaning, with one pump being the Master, the others will either follow the same flow pattern or the opposite. This allows unique wave harmonics and flow patterns.

Here’s a video by EcoTech Marine showing how to create a wave with the MP40w. Multiple MP40ws can be used to increase the effect, as this video from MACNA XX shows.

In addition to the popular Short Pulse mode, both the MP40w and MP20 have two unique modes, Reef Crest and Lagoon. Below is a graph showing the flow patterns of these two.

Since the original product several changes have been made, with the latest offered in the MP40w. The physical improvements include:

• New plastic encapsulated magnet
• New high performance plastic drive shaft screw
• Revised Wet Frame

In addition to these changes in hardware, new operational modes have been added:

• Long Pulse Mode – Wave pulse timings of 2-60 seconds
• New Night Mode – Full power for 14hrs at day and 10hrs at night
• Pump Disconnect – If magnets separate, the pump shuts off
• Feed Mode – Decreased from 1000gph to 500gph
• Easier tuning of Short Pulse Mode for wave creation
• More sporadic Reef Crest & Lagoon Mode

In my opinion this is the most advanced and elegant pump to date. For rimless aquarium owners, I cannot emphasize the difference this pump makes aesthetically. No wires is a good thing. In addition to the small size and great looks, the flow patterns are terrific. There is not a stream pump I have used, that has created an undertow like the Vortech.

EcoTech Marine is a dynamic growing company that brings a level of professionalism rarely seen in the industry. I am happy to say that one lucky glassbox-design.com reader will win a Vortech MP40w as part of our OKTOBERFEST Reader Giveaway. While I have not yet used the MP40w myself, the MP20 has greatly exceeded our expectations and we’re excited to offer this great pump.

Be sure to check out EcoTech’s full line including the MP20 and Battery Back Up.

source: http://glassbox-design.com/2008/review-ecotech-marine-vortech-mp20/

Introduction

Buy this pump! I decided to start this article off with that sentence just to make sure every reader saw it. I’ve tried out many products and I’ve seen all the developments and designs used for water motion. The capabilities of the VorTech (mostly derived from the software based computer system) are really second to none.

Background

My interest in the VorTech pump stemmed from my constant battle with finding my ideal water flow. I’ll admit that I frequently change my opinion on just what is the best flow, but I’ve always been leery of laminar flow found in gyre systems. My take is to mix it up and keep it going. In recent months my friend and fellow author Jake Adams has produced some compelling arguments for laminar flow, and I’ll address those ideas next month. However I still like some back and forth sloshing in my tank. When it comes to changing up the flow in your tank, nothing beats the VorTech.

VorTech Basics

The EcoTech Marine VorTech pump is a propeller style pump. Propeller pumps have made a huge splash in the hobby. Over the last couple years we’ve seen numerous modification kits and even propeller designed pumps take of the market. The VorTech, however, features a couple unique features.

Magnetic Induction – one of the highly promoted aspects of the VorTech is the induction driven pump. This means that the pump sits on the outside of the tank and magnetically drives the propeller on the inside of the tank. This helps to reduce the amount of heat entering the system as the pump is not in the water. It also removes the pump from the visible area in the tank (some people really don’t like seeing large pumps and wire in their tank).

Multiple Controls – the VorTech also possesses many modes of operation. The VorTech has 4 main modes of water flow. They are:

1. Constant Speed
2. Lagoon Random (quickly changing speeds either up or down)
3. Reef Crest Random (slowly changing speeds either up or down)
4. Pulse Mode (the pump speeds up and slows down at a rate chosen by the user)

These four modes are absolutely fabulous for someone who likes to change up their water flow.

Expanding Abilities

The VorTech pump also has many change-up modes when expanded to more than one pump. Having two VorTech pumps (something highly recommended by this author) allows the user to create an enormous variation in their water flow design. Two pumps could both be set to a Lagoon Random mode and you would have two pumps independently altering their current output. The same holds true for Reef Crest Random and two different Pulse Speed settings. But wait, there’s more…

Having two VorTech pumps with wireless sync modes allows for extra variation. Two pumps can be used on a tank and the two pumps can “talk to each other.” You can set one pump to a Lagoon Random mode and then “tell” the other pump to simulate what the first pump is doing (speed up when the other pump speeds up and slow down when the other pump slows down). Consequently you can also “tell” the second pump to do the opposite of the first pump (speed up when the other slows down and slow down when the other pump speeds up).

This variation is just one feature that separates the VorTech from other pumps.

VorTech Directions

I decided to list a few important items that I (and others) have found out regarding the usage of the VorTech.

1. EcoTech Marine is awesome. That pretty much sums up their company, their customer service, their care about the effectiveness of their products, and their desire to make something work well.
2. Read the instructions. The VorTech pump (MP40w) includes an instruction book that is well worth reading. In addition to a thorough explanation of how the pump works, it also covers the needed maintenance and warranty information.
3. Keep away from idiots. I was going to say keep away from children, but I’ve actually seen far more adults with the impulse to pull the pump off the tank and say “what’s this?” It is wise to securely attach the pump to the outside of the tank to prevent it from falling to the floor. In fact it is such a good idea that it is described and mentioned 3 times in the instruction manual.
4. Keep your dry-side dry. Don’t ever let your wet-side touch the dry-side, and more importantly don’t let the dry-side get wet. It is called the dry-side for a reason; keep it out of the water stupid.
5. Keep the wet-side wet. It is explicitly stated in the instruction to not run the pump with the wet-side out of water. It is possible to heat up and melt the wet-side. I tested this by running my pump out of water for several minutes as I recorded the rpm speed of the propeller at low and high speeds (more on this next month). Yep, I can verify that you shouldn’t do that.

Conclusion

I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few months playing with this pump. Some things scare me (like someone dropping the dry-side 6 feet to the floor, or someone getting the dry-side wet), but without a doubt this is a super product. If someone is looking to move water in a tank they should look at any one of the much cheaper pumps out there. But for a hobbyist who truly wants to create water motion, change the flow, or create a very dynamic system, then this pump is the real deal. The VorTech pump is awesome. Again that is the best way to sum this up. I’ll be showing examples of the water flow produced and the differing modes in an upcoming article. Also, a write up of wave characteristics is on the way.

Author Information

Adam Blundell M.S. works in Marine Ecology, and in Pathology for the University of Utah. He is also Director of The Aquatic & Terrestrial Research Team, a group which utilizes research projects to bring together hobbyists and scientists. His vision is to see this type of collaboration lead to further advancements in aquarium husbandry. While not in the lab Adam provides services for of one of the Nation’s largest hobbyist clubs, the Wasatch Marine Aquarium Society (www.utahreefs.com). Adam has earned a BS in Marine Biology and an MS in the Natural Resource and Health fields. Adam can be contacted at adamblundell@hotmail.com.

source: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/5/review

The pump has a wet side that fits inside the tank and a dry side that aligns on the outside, and using magnets it drives the impeller right through the wall of the tank. I’ve been using the VorTech since January 2006, and liked it enough to get two more to replace my other pumps. I’m a huge fan of these pumps, and here’s why:

The perk about this pump is its easy placement wherever you want it, but you’ll have to use both hands to move both halves at once. There is no need to drill the tank for these pumps because they work on the front, sides, back or even possibly from underneath the tank (in a barebottom system). Adjust the flow from 500gph to 3000gph to match your system’s needs. I’ve been running VorTech pumps on my reef tank for almost two years, and love how they take up very little space visually and physically, plus they use low voltage to create tons of flow.

The wetside’s intake grate has a solid section that can be oriented toward the sand if it is used near the substrate or toward the surface if used up high. This should decrease the likelyhood of sucking sand or air into the impellar section. The slots in the grated area are wide enough so that food doesn’t get trapped against them nor can nuisance algae clog them up.

Due to their design, there are no powercords in the water, they don’t add heat to the tank since the motor is external, and they have a very small footprint visually as they are about the size of a hockey puck (3″ wide x 2.25″ thick). The motor is the same size, hanging on the outside of the tank with the cord pointing upward. It comes with fasteners to secure the cord to the top rim of the tank, which is very important. If for some reason the two parts separate, you don’t want it to do damage as it falls (and prevent damage to the pump as well!). When viewing the tank, it really isn’t much of a distraction (eye sore); guests often ask about them. The flow is wide compared to most powerheads, and because it draws water into its sides there is a significant undertow that is easy to note during feedings or by observing how the sandbed shifts after a day or two.

Using the speed control on the driver, you can set the amount of flow that works best for your corals. Due to this ability, this pump can be used on a smaller tank and later moved to larger one when you upgrade systems. The only limitation appears to be that the tank walls cannot be more than 3/4″ thick. At one MACNA, I’ve seen it used on a 29g with seahorses (a protective foam sleeve was on the wet side), and the flow was gentle yet discernable. For my reef, I have all three of mine running at about two-thirds their rated speed, or roughly 2000gph each.

Since the release of the Wireless Wave Drivers, it is now possible to have the pumps communicate with each other in several ways. Some have chosen to create a wave in their tanks, while others opt for a different flow. The WWD has four programmed settings: Constant, Pulse, Lagoon, or Reefcrest mode. In addition, you can set up each driver to be a master or a slave pump. The master can communicated wirelessly (as long as they are in line of sight) to multiple slave pumps. The slave pump can be set to Sync mode (so it copies the master) or Anti-sync mode (so it does the opposite of the master). On my tank, I’ve chosen to set all my pumps to master; two of them in Reefcrest mode and one in Lagoon mode.

The pump’s driver has been preprogrammed to ramp up or down (strongly in Reefcrest; gradually in Lagoon), and with all three in master mode, I feel like I’m getting the best random flow since each pump could be at any particular spike in their cycle around the clock. Here is an 8.5 meg video with the return pump off. Here is a 17 meg video with all the pumps on. (Right Click and Save As to your harddrive please.)

In addition, one of my pumps is hooked up to the IceCap Battery Backup. If there is a power outage, the battery will keep the pump running for 24 hours at 50% flow. I could hook up a second pump to the battery, but for half the time. The battery backup is different from a UPS because this battery hooks up directly to the pump’s driver and provides the low voltage necessary to keep the pump on. A UPS uses its batteries to convert power back to AC, which would then send power to the VorTech’s power supply which would convert it back to low (DC) voltage. Due to all the converting, a UPS is not an economical nor wise solution because it doesn’t have nearly the run time that the Icecap BB does. For me, the importance of maintaining flow in my tank during a power outage made the choice of buying these pumps a simple one. Circulation is maintained until I can get back home to turn on the generator, and my reef remains safe.

Cleaning the wetside is easy. Take it out of the tank, and soak it in a container of vinegar and water. Place the wetside on the countertop rubber side down, and twist slightly to unlock the strainer basket. Clean everything with a toothbrush under running water, reassemble and reinstall. The motor never has to leave the tank and there is no risk of getting it wet. Align the two halves and turn it back on.

The pumps run quietly for me. Running them at their maximum flow, there is an audible sound to the motors, but for in-wall applications it won’t be distracting. Those running the pumps in Pulse mode have noted that it makes more noise, but that is a trade-off for making waves in your tank. The magnet has a plastic coating since it is built into the wet side, and may need to be replaced annually ($15). The pumps come with a one year warranty and EcoTech Marine has been quick to resolve any issues I’ve had. These pumps (MP40-W) are an investment as they cost ~$420 each, but for what they do for my tank and my peace of mind, they are worth every penny. I’m very glad EcoTech Marine created these pumps!

source: http://www.melevsreef.com/review_vortech.html

I recently purchased a Vortech MP20 Wavemaker pump, and after alot of the hype I’d seen, I thought I would give it a review.

I decided to buy the MP20 to go in my 34 gal solana tank for several reasons:

1. Unlike Tunze’s etc, it does not require an external controller
2. The price is right
3. I’d seen some great reviews before
4. Great customer service
5. Pump is relatively small compared to Tunze’s etc that would do the same thing.
6. Fully controllable, better than just timers and a few MJ’s
7. The pump is external, so no heat exchange into the tank

After receiving it I had a similar issue that I had seen other people have, the cords had pulled out of the controller and needed to be re-inserted. The instructions were very easy to read and the whole thing took about 20 mins to install, and that’s because I played around awhile!

After installing I played with the various modes, finding I preferred reef crest mode (which is random and simulates reef conditions) until I made it into a continuous wave pattern, where you can see the waves moving the water back and forth. It’s very cool seeing everything sway back and forth like it is right now. In just the last day I’ve seen better polyp extension than I’ve seen thus far from my SPS pieces. I also have found the temp in my tank dropped 2 degrees in the first day without all those Koralia’s and MJ’s making heat!

No complaints, its very quiet, very effective, probably one of the best purchases I’ve made in awhile! It’s absolutely amazing how much stuff gets kicked up when you put in a new pump and it starts blowing around stuff you’ve never seen in the tank!

source: http://www.reefbuilders.com/2008/12/11/review-of-vortech-propeller-pump-mp20/

Among advanced hobbyists there is a staunch divide among “stream” style pumps- Vortech or Tunze. The forum discussions on these two are likely the fiercest of any equipment items, and may induce flash backs of the BB v DSB and Zeovit debates.

We have always been partial to Tunzes. They work and as previously mentioned we are comfortable with them. Even with the few issues we’ve had with our Nanostreams, due to the length of time we’ve used Tunze products it seemed to normalize any negative emotion.

Vortech’s always appealed to us. They are an innovative design with no cords in the tank … but we had what we thought was the crème de la crème, why switch? When the chance arose to review EcoTech’s latest offering the Vortech MP20, we jumped on the opportunity to see what these unique pumps could really do.

Among advanced hobbyists there is a staunch divide among “stream” style pumps- Vortech or Tunze. The forum discussions on these two are likely the fiercest of any equipment items, and may induce flash backs of the BB v DSB and Zeovit debates.

We have always been partial to Tunzes. They work and as previously mentioned we are comfortable with them. Even with the few issues we’ve had with our Nanostreams, due to the length of time we’ve used Tunze products it seemed to normalize any negative emotion.

Vortech’s always appealed to us. They are an innovative design with no cords in the tank … but we had what we thought was the crème de la crème, why switch? When the chance arose to review EcoTech’s latest offering the Vortech MP20, we jumped on the opportunity to see what these unique pumps could really do.

As you can see above there are two pieces to the pump. The wet frame sits in the tank and the motor outside. By moving the motor to the outside two things are achieved: there are no cords in the tank and no added heat directly to the water. Many of you know how much I dislike sloppy electrical cords, the two piece design is clean and simple.

Installation is quick and painless. The wet frame came pre-assembled. All we needed to do is clean the glass and adjust the pin spacer. When working with the magnets I was initially afraid of loosing a finger or two, but the pin spacer prevents this. To adjust the pin spacer you just remove it and set it to the appropriate glass thickness. In our case 1/2″.

The controller or driver is simple to use and aesthetically attractive. A quick skim through the instruction manual and you will be able to fine tune each operation mode to your liking. Shown in the diagram below, the frequency of Short Pulse and Long Pulse can be adjusted and saved to create chaotic flow and even waves.

Currently we have it on Reef Crest Random (Yellow) mode which creates plenty of motion in the tank. A graph below shows the Lagoon Random and Reef Crest Random modes, click to enlarge. From the random flow, fish activity seems to have increased. This is most noticed in our Green Chromis, Chromis viridis.

Smaller fish, such as our small Onyx Perculas, do not always appreciate the powerful currents at night, but thankfully the MP20 has a built in night mode that reduces flow to 50% of the max speed for day time use. Once set the pumps internal timer will allow for 14 hrs of day time flow and 10 hrs of the 50% night flow. In addition to this, there is also a 10 min feed mode.

The most impressive part of the MP20 is the flow it generates. The wide output creates strong, but gentle flow throughout the entire tank. Even more impressive are the “under currents” generated by the large open intake of the pump.

The pump is placed up high, a total distance of 20″ from the bottom and it is the first pump I have owned that by itself has completely suspended all detritus from the bottom of the tank. As we are bare bottom (no substrate) this is extremely important and means we no longer have to perform daily maintenance to remove accumulated detritus. It is a testament to the literal currents generated by the MP20. As it ramps up in the random modes there is a visible undertow and turn over in the tank.

Some past comments made towards the Vortech are in regard to placement. The unique magnetic design does not allow the pump to be angled, but given the extremely wide dispersed flow we personally see no need or desire to angle or adjust the pump.

Based on early MP40 model comments we were a bit concerned about the noise level, however, we are happy to report that the MP20 is very quiet. The MP20 has the ability to upgrade to the MP40 by replacing the driver. Logically, this leads us to believe the MP20 has the same motor as the MP40, just running at fewer RPMs which translate to quieter operation. To hear the pump, we literally must stick our ear inches away to catch the faint hum of the RPMs changing based on the operational mode.

Conservatively rated by Ecotech Marine for 20-70 gallons, we have been completely caught off guard by the MP20 on our 90g reef. It will be difficult to convince us to use another stream style pump for some time. Here’s why:

• No cords in the tank
• Strong controllable flow
• Variety of Operational Modes
• Quiet
• Feed and Night modes
• Easy cleaning

This has been one of the best additions we have made to the glassbox. Now we must decide, another MP20 or add an MP40? If anyone is interested in some used Tunze Nanostreams you have a seller.

Source: http://glassbox-design.com/2008/review-ecotech-marine-vortech-mp20/

While water motion will forever be debated, we can all agree that having options on water flow is always great. Thankfully we now the ability to produce water flow in all sorts of varieties.

The VorTech kicks ass and here’s why: you can make waves, you can control the waves, and you can customize your flow. Is that enough reason for you? If not here we go….

The Basics of Waves

Well this is a whole can of worms to open here. In this article I want to cover some terminology and basics of waves. Future articles (Adams & Blundell) will go into depth covering the mathematics and dynamics of waves.

Wavelength is the name for a measured distance. It is the distance from one spot on a wave until the next point where the spot occurs. Did that make sense? In other words it would be the distance from the top of wave to the top of the next.

Amplitude

Amplitude is also a measurement of distance. The amplitude is a measure of how high (or low) a wave moves from the baseline. This measurement is magnitude of disturbance from that baseline. Note- many people are confused on this because the amplitude is measured from the baseline, and not from the peak of a wave to the trough of a wave. If you are measuring from the top of the wave to the bottom you are actually measuring 2x the amplitude.

Frequency

Frequency is a measurement used in time. Frequency measures how many waves are produced during a certain amount of time. You could measure frequency in number of waves per 3.721 seconds, or number of waves per 11.184 minutes, or number of waves per full moons. To make things easy scientists prefer to measure frequency in number of waves per second or per minute. It is a measure of how often something occurs.

Waves in Aquaria

Waves have been absent from most home aquariums. A dump bucket or surge device can be used to create a transverse or traveling wave. But in most aquariums this isn’t rhythmic and doesn’t carry for long (because the aquariums aren’t long to begin with). Some new items (like the VorTech featured here, and other water motion devices hitting the market) have the ability to produce wave flow in the aquarium.

Here are some examples of wave devices put into action (these tests were performed in an area 60 inches long, 24 inches front to back, and 16 inches tall. This is 100 gallons of water):

VorTech Undertow: Video 1, Video 2

These videos show the ability of the VorTech pump to draw sediment off the bottom of the aquarium and to lift it into the water column. This type of flow can greatly increase feeding capture of corals as the food stays in suspension and does not settle onto the reefscape.

Making Waves: Video 3

As the VorTech runs it continues to “build up speed” as the inertial forces build and the wave is generated.

Wave Amplitude: Video 4

This video gives you an idea of the amplitude that can be created in a standard 100 gallon system.

Broad Water Flow: Video 5

This video shows the broad pattern of water flow from the VorTech. This is especially beneficial in reef aquaria. Notice how the beads stay in suspension and continuously move.

Water Flow 5 Feet From VorTech: Video 6

Shown here is the aquarium on the OPPOSITE side of the running VorTech. What you see here is that the beads are moving around in the water flow created by the pump… from 5 FEET AWAY. In other words one VorTech pump is creating all the flow in this 100 gallon display, and you are seeing the far end of the tank.

The VorTech Display: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLPmea2II-A

Source: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/6/lines