Oh the dilemma of powerheads

[gmyers0203]

Hello all,

I am working on my second attempt at a saltwater tank. My first go was short lived as I decided to go back to school and I knew funding would be scarce.

Anyway, I am going at this one slowly.. trying to plan everything out as best I can before I make any purchases.

I will be using a 56 gallon column (30x18x24) with likely a DIY 20 gallon tall sump.

I hope to keep some corals, I am thinking more LPS than SPS, as I understand those are more forgiving for a beginner.

I am currently debating on whether or not I want to save up more and get a reefkeeper elite, but don't know that I would be willing to save that much more for the compatible Tunze powerhead.

My more likely option is to look at the Vortechs, but I am unsure if one MP10es would be enough to support my tank.

To my questions, What would be the appropriate gph for my 56 gallon to support LPS and maybe a few hardier SPS down the road?

How important is it to have the variability in the powerheads when it comes to corals?

Would one MP10es do the trick?

Would I be just as well off saving some money and buying the Hydor Koralia SmartWave and some Evolution pumps?

Thanks in advance for your help! I honestly don't think I could get pasr the intimidation factor of this hobby without a great website like this.

[lurch71]

You should check out the wp25 they are getting good reviews

[nlgill13]

I hope to keep some corals, I am thinking more LPS than SPS, as I understand those are more forgiving for a beginner.

Heads up SPS are not for beginners, I would suggest softies for beginnings then step up to LPS when you have past the 6-8 month barrier. With LPS and SPS you will need to keep your Alkalinity, Magnesium, and Calcium in check (that means dosing).

Im not sure a single MP10 will do the trick, I would like to say having two MP10s is your best bet if you are willing to spend the money.

[gmyers0203]

Originally Posted by lurch71

You should check out the wp25 they are getting good reviews

Thanks for the info! I'll look into those.

Originally Posted by nlgill13

Heads up SPS are not for beginners, I would suggest softies for beginnings then step up to LPS when you have past the 6-8 month barrier. With LPS and SPS you will need to keep your Alkalinity, Magnesium, and Calcium in check (that means dosing).

Im not sure a single MP10 will do the trick, I would like to say having two MP10s is your best bet if you are willing to spend the money.

Thanks for the advice on corals! I will look to do that. I am by no means in a rush and want to be successful when I add things to my tank. I was afraid someone may say I'd need two MP10s, thats a good chunk of change! Any experience with Vortechs? Are they worth it?



Anyone able to give me a good idea for amount of flow I want in the tank? gph?

[BlindZide]

Go with a WP25. A VorTech wanna be at a fraction of the cost. I had 2 WP40s for my 75g and had to get rid of them because they moved waaaayyyyy too much water for my corals liking. When I get money up I will be purchasing the WP25.

[TimeConsumer]

Originally Posted by gmyers0203

Thanks for the advice on corals! I will look to do that. I am by no means in a rush and want to be successful when I add things to my tank. I was afraid someone may say I'd need two MP10s, thats a good chunk of change! Any experience with Vortechs? Are they worth it? Anyone able to give me a good idea for amount of flow I want in the tank? gph?

They are worth whatever people are willing to pay for them. I bought 2 used MP10s and I am very happy with them. But if money is tight you may be better served by getting something cheaper. Even something as simple as a couple of Koralia Evo 750s will work. LPS and softies don't care much about flow, as long as they aren't being blasted by flow or deprived of oxygen. Unless you're running SPS tanks the only really nice benefit to expensive controllable powerheads like Vortechs is that they are better are keeping detritus suspended in the water column so it can be removed. But if you have good maintenance and siphon settled detritus in your DT you can get by with simple and cheap AC powerheads.

[BlindZide]

Originally Posted by TimeConsumer

Even something as simple as a couple of Koralia Evo 750s will work.

+1. Using a Evo 750 and a Aqueon 900 in my tank and the 750 has a very broad flow vs the 900.

[gmyers0203]

Originally Posted by BlindZide

Go with a WP25. A VorTech wanna be at a fraction of the cost. I had 2 WP40s for my 75g and had to get rid of them because they moved waaaayyyyy too much water for my corals liking. When I get money up I will be purchasing the WP25.

I may take the chance on these! I'm a little worried about how long they will last but for the price it may be worth it. I like the idea of some random flow instead of everything being blown the same way all the time.

Would one WP25 be plenty for my tank? And do you know if these can be hooked up to a reefkeeper?

Originally Posted by TimeConsumer

They are worth whatever people are willing to pay for them. I bought 2 used MP10s and I am very happy with them. But if money is tight you may be better served by getting something cheaper. Even something as simple as a couple of Koralia Evo 750s will work. LPS and softies don't care much about flow, as long as they aren't being blasted by flow or deprived of oxygen. Unless you're running SPS tanks the only really nice benefit to expensive controllable powerheads like Vortechs is that they are better are keeping detritus suspended in the water column so it can be removed. But if you have good maintenance and siphon settled detritus in your DT you can get by with simple and cheap AC powerheads.

I was actually contemplating keeping an eye out for two used MP10s but part of me worries about how well they were taken care of and how long they would last. I'm not sure what Vortechs warranty is but I'm sure its not transferrable. Definitely something to consider though especially at the right price!

[BlindZide]

I am pretty sure it can be hooked up to a controller. It does come with one so you may just want to use the one with it. I have not found where it was hooked to a reefkeeper but it has been hooked to Reef Angels and APEXs.

[dkeller_nc]

This is what I'd suggest given your budget constraints - get a couple of Hydor Koralias (2 "nano" 425s would be sufficient for now), and consider them "disposable". They'll cost you about $25 each, so less than the amount of $$ you're going to spend on salt for 3 or 4 months.

There's no doubt that controllable propeller pumps on a wavemaking device is preferable for a reef tank, but they aren't totally necessary, particularly for soft corals or LPS. Folks have been successfully keeping these for close to 30 years now, and the only thing you could get in the early days were standard powerheads. Next came the zoo-med powersweeps (still a viable option for a basic tank, in my opinion).

Highly sophisticated pumps like the Vortechs are relatively recent additions to the hobby. And while they are invaluable for keeping sensitive animals that require high flow like various acroporas, and I would always recommend one or more if the funds are available, they aren't "required".

[Dmorty217]

Originally Posted by gmyers0203

Thanks for the info! I'll look into those.



Thanks for the advice on corals! I will look to do that. I am by no means in a rush and want to be successful when I add things to my tank. I was afraid someone may say I'd need two MP10s, thats a good chunk of change! Any experience with Vortechs? Are they worth it?



Anyone able to give me a good idea for amount of flow I want in the tank? gph?

Oh they are worth it and then some. One mp10 won't be enough, two is more like it.

[Dmorty217]

As far as flow that's more a personal preference, I have over 100xs turn over within the DT and want more. I would look for something around 5-6k gph within your 54g if you are looking to eventually put SPS like your first post.

[wr80]

WP-25 is amazing for under 100$, it gives more power than a mp10 and should be able to handle a 56g

[crsswift70]

WP25 is just about the best thing i've bought for my tank (75gal.). For its size, it moves a LOT of water. Plus, you get a nice swaying motion to your corals. It is a little pricey compared to getting two Koralias, but in my opinion it is worth it. See if there are any group buys going as shipping adds way too much to the cost. I would not try to go the sps route right off the bat. Most people have calcium reactors and other equipment that aren't needed if you go the LPS and polyp/softies route. SPS is kind of a culmination challenge thing in my mind. Stunning tanks, but a lot of work and dedication, along with expense.

[gmyers0203]

Thanks everyone!

I think I am going to give a WP-25 a try once I get everything up and running. I like the idea of random flow in my tank. Depending on my experience with it, if it does happen to die prematurely then I'll decide whether I just want to go with some nice Koralia Evos or maybe keep an eye out for something else.

And I will definitely stick to LPS and softies for a while, don't want to get in over my head off the bat! I'm hoping to plan well enough that I'll have a wide range of options down the road based on the equipment I purchase now!

[BlindZide]

Keep in mind you can do random flow with normal power heads if positioned correctly. Koralia also has a SmartWave controller which I do have and it does great to the swaying motion for corals and random flow. I got my SmartWave for $50 off of ebay.

[gmyers0203]

Originally Posted by BlindZide

Keep in mind you can do random flow with normal power heads if positioned correctly. Koralia also has a SmartWave controller which I do have and it does great to the swaying motion for corals and random flow. I got my SmartWave for $50 off of ebay.

I was looking at that too. I have read many posts about Koralias giving out after being used in that fashion so I was a little worried. How long have you been using yours for? Maybe I misread/misunderstood the other posts. I may be thinking of people that tried using them for variable flow.

[ynot65]

I run 2, 550 Hydor korillas in my 55 and for the $ they're worth it. They have a 2 year warranty on them and thier customer service has been very good. I also just purchased a wave maker from them that I'm hooking up this weekend ill post how it works out . I just can't justify 3-4 hundred dollars for a powerhead.

[BlindZide]

I have had various PHs on the controller and they have all worked fine. Been using it since Feb of this year. Right now its a Koralia 750 and a Aqueon 900. Koralias are quiet when turning on and off and mine never failed.

[gmyers0203]

Originally Posted by BlindZide

I have had various PHs on the controller and they have all worked fine. Been using it since Feb of this year. Right now its a Koralia 750 and a Aqueon 900. Koralias are quiet when turning on and off and mine never failed.

Sweet. Thanks for the info, this seems like another very good option. Oh the decisions!