Maxspect Gyre 200 Series -- First Impressions

[Griff500]

Originally Posted by PhreeBYrd

A little bit of an update here...

It was time for me to do the first disassembly and cleaning on my Gyre last week. The manual says to follow the procedure in the manual. Of course, there is no procedure in the manual. So I checked CoralVue's videos before I got started. CoralVue's videos are good, but they can be confusing since there are a few different iterations of the Gyres, and all the parts on your pump may not be the same as are shown in the videos... and in some cases the procedures required differ slightly. But overall, the videos are helpful.

As it turned out, my motor assembly could not be disassembled. After few emails with Carlos at Coralvue, it was determined that my motor was either assembled incorrectly by Maxspect using the wrong parts, or Maxspect made a change to the motor assembly and didn't tell anybody. Beyond that, CoralVue was no help at all. Since it can't be disassembled for cleaning, when my motor eventually gets limed up, I'll have to cough up $70+ for a new one. I am not pleased about that at all... Live and learn.

They just pull apart for cleaning. I usually just put one end in a container filled with vinegar, brush everything off, repeat for the other end and then pull apart to make sure everything has been thoroughly cleaned.

[PhreeBYrd]

Originally Posted by Griff500

They just pull apart for cleaning.

I know they're supposed to just pull apart for cleaning. The whole point of my post was that mine could not be disassembled. If you need me to translate that for you, I'll do my best. I thought I was pretty clear about it.

[fcmatt]

Originally Posted by PhreeBYrd

I know they're supposed to just pull apart for cleaning. The whole point of my post was that mine could not be disassembled. If you need me to translate that for you, I'll do my best. I thought I was pretty clear about it.

I think he meant you did not use enough force to pull them apart? I would be afraid to break it myself.

[PhreeBYrd]

Here is the end that is supposed to be removable on my motor. It is not removable (verified by Carlos @ CoralVue).

The opposite end looks like it's supposed to look (also not removable).

[lieberca]

PhreeBYrd, thanks for the detailed writeup. Threads like these are so helpful when planning a new build. Sorry to hear about getting the solidified pump though--I'm looking at the Icecap version and wonder if they've also gone through product iterations like you found out from Maxspect...

[mjc0760]

After a few days of running my XF230 and XF130 with the new controller in OGC mode, I woke up yesterday to find a dead controller! No blinking lights, no nothing! I tried all kinds of troubleshooting steps, but nothing worked. The only light was the green one on the power supply and it would flash whenever I connected it to the controller... Solid green when I disconnected it from the controller. CoralVue tech support suggested that the power supply may be bad. We ended up deciding to try my old power supply with the new controller - - same problem / same flashing green light. The good news is they are shipping me a replacement controller and I still have my old Ice Cap Apex interface controller, so I have it running one pump until the new controller arrives. Is anything ever easy in the hobby???

[mjc0760]

Dude! I have not disassembled my new XF230 yet, but it better come apart!

[sahin]

Thanks for all feedback. I was looking to order one of the newer Coralvue units...but this all sounds disappointing.

Let us know if you hear back from Coralvue. One should be able to fully clean the pump.

[PhreeBYrd]

Originally Posted by sahin

Let us know if you hear back from Coralvue. One should be able to fully clean the pump.

Will do. I'm waiting for a reply now.

[sahin]

Originally Posted by PhreeBYrd

Will do. I'm waiting for a reply now.

I recall a very recent Youtube video whilst researching gyres...that showed how to take the whole thing apart. I recall the guy used pliers to pull some of the bits out. I'll try and find the link and post here later.

Two of the main issues reported with these pumps are/were:

1. Some of the parts like the bushings etc were not robust enough
2. They need periodic cleaning to maintain peak flow

With Coralvue being involved, I am confident the 1st set of issues has been dealt with.

But if the cleaning aspect is now an issue...then I wont be investing in this pump. However, lets wait and see the reply from Coralvue. Thanks for keeping the thread updated.

[wcharon]

Originally Posted by sahin

I recall a very recent Youtube video whilst researching gyres...that showed how to take the whole thing apart. I recall the guy used pliers to pull some of the bits out. I'll try and find the link and post here later.

Two of the main issues reported with these pumps are/were:

1. Some of the parts like the bushings etc were not robust enough
2. They need periodic cleaning to maintain peak flow

With Coralvue being involved, I am confident the 1st set of issues has been dealt with.

But if the cleaning aspect is now an issue...then I wont be investing in this pump. However, lets wait and see the reply from Coralvue. Thanks for keeping the thread updated.

Totally agree with you Sahin... I am also looking to upgrade my Jebaos RW-15 but what I have read about the dissemble, cleaning and noise haven't make me decide between XF-250 and MP-40. Actually I clean the RW-15 monthly and haven't have issue since 1 1/2 year but the dissemble are a piece of cake.

[tmc1313]

I've used the XF-230 for quite a while now. I will also chime in with my experience on a couple issues that have been talked about. For one, the noise issue. When I was running them on my 120 gallon I was ramping them up from 10% --- 70%. They were not silent, the jebao's I was using before were much quieter, silent I would say. Although, I had them ramping from 30% ---- 100%. Not sure if that made a difference. That being said, I have since gone to a smaller 65 gallon tank and run the XF-230's from 10% --- 50% and the difference is night and day. I would now say they are silent. I think it's due to a couple of things. Break in period is over and lower percentage. As of right now, I am very happy with these pumps.
The second problem I hear about is the cleaning issue. On this issue, I have to agree. It's more of a PITA with these pumps then others I have had. I don't have any problem taking it apart for cleaning, but it just seems the parts are harder to clean then other pump parts. I think it's just the way the pump is engineered. Also, I can confirm that without periodic cleaning the flow will be diminished substantially. At least more than any other pump I've used.
So for now, I will stick with them. When clean and running properly, the flow is like not other and that I like.

[PhreeBYrd]

I agree, Todd. My XF-230 has been pretty much silent, running from 10-60%, until it was time for a cleaning (about 3 months after the initial setup). Then I could hear it at the higher flow rates, but it still wasn't noisy. After cleaning (except for the rotor, of course), it was as silent as it was originally. Flow most definitely diminishes when it's time for cleaning.

Cleaning is definitely more of a chore than with any other pumps I've used, and there is a learning curve. It's not difficult, there are just a lot of parts to keep track of.

[PhreeBYrd]

Just received an email from Carlos at CoralVue. They are sending me a replacement motor assembly under warranty (no charge). Hopefully this replacement can be disassembled.

I did need to ask CoralVue for the replacement -- they apparently weren't about to just offer one up. But their response was quick and completely acceptable.

[wcharon]

Originally Posted by tmc1313

I've used the XF-230 for quite a while now. I will also chime in with my experience on a couple issues that have been talked about. For one, the noise issue. When I was running them on my 120 gallon I was ramping them up from 10% --- 70%. They were not silent, the jebao's I was using before were much quieter, silent I would say. Although, I had them ramping from 30% ---- 100%. Not sure if that made a difference. That being said, I have since gone to a smaller 65 gallon tank and run the XF-230's from 10% --- 50% and the difference is night and day. I would now say they are silent. I think it's due to a couple of things. Break in period is over and lower percentage. As of right now, I am very happy with these pumps.
The second problem I hear about is the cleaning issue. On this issue, I have to agree. It's more of a PITA with these pumps then others I have had. I don't have any problem taking it apart for cleaning, but it just seems the parts are harder to clean then other pump parts. I think it's just the way the pump is engineered. Also, I can confirm that without periodic cleaning the flow will be diminished substantially. At least more than any other pump I've used.
So for now, I will stick with them. When clean and running properly, the flow is like not other and that I like.

Originally Posted by PhreeBYrd

I agree, Todd. My XF-230 has been pretty much silent, running from 10-60%, until it was time for a cleaning (about 3 months after the initial setup). Then I could hear it at the higher flow rates, but it still wasn't noisy. After cleaning (except for the rotor, of course), it was as silent as it was originally. Flow most definitely diminishes when it's time for cleaning.

Cleaning is definitely more of a chore than with any other pumps I've used, and there is a learning curve. It's not difficult, there are just a lot of parts to keep track of.

Thanks to both... It seems that I can deal with it based on your experience.

Will give it a try.

[crankbait09]

I as well bought (2) of the GYRE 250's
I will be plugging them in this weekend. These are hopefully going to replace my Hydor 1500's that are current;y in the tank.

Is there any reason to mount these Gyre's at different elevations in the tank to give it better coverage? Or can they both be mounted at the surface, at the same height, with no worries?

[PhreeBYrd]

Originally Posted by crankbait09

I as well bought (2) of the GYRE 250's...

...Is there any reason to mount these Gyre's at different elevations in the tank to give it better coverage? Or can they both be mounted at the surface, at the same height, with no worries?

Unless you want a more laminar, directional, circular flow, I think you'll see better and more random mixing of the water if the Gyre's are directed towards each other (mounted at the same height). But actually I'm greatly oversimplifying, because the Gyres are flexible enough that through setup and programming, you can pretty much achieve any kind of flow pattern you want regardless of the pumps' positioning in the tank.

My preference, though, would be to set the two Gyres up aimed towards each other so the flow from each pump meets somewhere near the middle, then let the pumps randomize the results through pulsing, etc. I think that's the most direct route.

[mjc0760]

Originally Posted by mjc0760

After a few days of running my XF230 and XF130 with the new controller in OGC mode, I woke up yesterday to find a dead controller! No blinking lights, no nothing! I tried all kinds of troubleshooting steps, but nothing worked. The only light was the green one on the power supply and it would flash whenever I connected it to the controller... Solid green when I disconnected it from the controller. CoralVue tech support suggested that the power supply may be bad. We ended up deciding to try my old power supply with the new controller - - same problem / same flashing green light. The good news is they are shipping me a replacement controller and I still have my old Ice Cap Apex interface controller, so I have it running one pump until the new controller arrives. Is anything ever easy in the hobby???

Got the new controller (and after reliving the frustration due to the lame-oh Owners Manual) I am back up and running as of yesterday afternoon. CoralVue customer service came through with pretty quick replacement for me! Loving the flow I get in OGC mode with the two pumps mounted at the top of the (48" / 90 gal) tank on opposite sides.

[PhreeBYrd]

Just a little update. I didn't realize it had been so long!

As I posted previously in the thread, Coralvue sent me a replacement motor block at no charge. The part number was GP-DRVR-150. That's the good news. The less good news is that the replacement motor is identical to the original, and like the original, cannot be disassembled.

In my back-and-forth with Carlos at Coralvue, he seemed completely unaware of this issue, and pretty much disinterested, although he was very quick to have the replacement sent to me. He did agree, based upon the photos I sent him of the original motor, that it could not be disassembled like the earlier motors, and per all of the Coralvue videos and instructions.

I don't think this is a complete deal breaker, but it does bug me. I'm doing my second cleaning on the Gyre now. I'm probably a month overdue for this, since the flow has fallen off considerably... but that means in my tank, a cleaning is due about every 4-5 months. For this cleaning, I disassembled everything, soaked it all in vinegar & water, and let the motor run in the solution in hopes that this would clean the motor internals. I'm about to reassemble and put it back into the tank, so I'll see how well this worked shortly...

[PhreeBYrd]

So, since I had an extra new motor on hand, I decided to try once more to disassemble the original motor block, and either get it apart or destroy it in trying.

The Coralvue instructions say that the left end of the motor is the side that can be removed. Hold the motor so you can read the word 'Maxspect' (the logo will be to the left of the name). Then the end to the left is supposed to be removable. Out came the needle nose pliers, and after about 5 minutes of pulling like hell on each one of the little plastic ribs, the retainer piece finally came out. This was no small feat, and by the time I got it apart, the ribs were all chewed up from the pliers. So yeah, it can be taken apart, but I all but destroyed the soft plastic retainer, and I doubt that I'll be able to remove it again without making it completely unusable. I guess I'll order a replacement retainer for next time.

The interior of the motor was pretty clean, as were the magnet and ceramic shafts (all one piece). I run a calcium level of 450-500 ppm so I expected some liming on the shafts, but there really wasn't any after soaking the whole assembled motor overnight in vinegar and water. I removed the plastic shaft bushings for the heck of it, but there was nothing there to clean.

Reassembly was just a matter of inserting the magnet/shaft back into the motor and then pushing the plastic retainer back into place, which required a fair amount of force to get it to seat fully.

Photos to follow...

[PhreeBYrd]

20180225_074619_s.jpg
Finally disassembled

20180225_074752_s.jpg
Reassembled. You can see how chewed up the retainer is now. I don't expect it to survive another disassembly. But at least I know it is possible.

This motor assembly is definitely not like the motors I saw on Coralvue's web site. It appears though, that this is the current design. It definitely is a bit of a chore to disassemble, but obviously it's possible, at least for now.