Which Gyre maker(s) for 5ft 100 gallon tank

is null · 02/19/2018, 12:54 PM

My Jebao wavemakers are getting quite noisy and I'm itching to upgrade to a Gyre style to eliminate dead spots. I'm torn between:

Two Maxspect XF230 Gyre Pumps + XF230 Advanced Controller = $430
One Maxspect Gyre XF250 + Advanced Controller = $340
Two Jebao CP-40s = $220

It's a mixed tank, starting to get into more SPS but mostly LPS at this point. What do you guys think?

zooman72 · 02/19/2018, 01:30 PM

If you need/ want anti-sync flow, then go with the pair of XF230's, and if not, go with the single XF250, which should be plenty by itself.

If you don't need anti-sync capabilities, and don't go heavy with SPS, keep in mind the IceCap version (Gyre 3K), which might be enough with just one (and much less at $150), although I have heard that running gyre-style pumps at less than max results in quieter performance. This might lead me back to what is outlined above.

I refuse to recommend Jebao anything.

Tripod1404 · 02/19/2018, 03:14 PM

Why not two icecube gyre 3K? They are cheaper and essentially same with Maxspect. Icecube basically has a license from Maxspect to manufacture these pumps.

is null · 02/19/2018, 03:24 PM

I wasn't aware of the IceCap 3K Gyre, that looks like a good deal. Do you really think one would be enough to move the water around a tank as large as mine? I was hoping to remove the other wavemakers.

Also, I'm not sure whether I need the anti-sync flow. It seems awesome but really not sure on whether it's worth the extra money.

Tripod1404 · 02/19/2018, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by is null

I wasn't aware of the IceCap 3K Gyre, that looks like a good deal. Do you really think one would be enough to move the water around a tank as large as mine? I was hoping to remove the other wavemakers.

Also, I'm not sure whether I need the anti-sync flow. It seems awesome but really not sure on whether it's worth the extra money.

3k doesn't come with anti-flow out of the box. You need to buy their gyre conversion kit and change one of the propellers and the cage. The kit is something like $65.

But IMO getting two of them is better than converting one pump to run in anti-flow (I think they call it gyre flow). The kit is nearly priced to that of the half of the entire unit anyways.

You can get two 3Ks and they will still be cheaper than two XF230 or one XF250 while providing 6000 gph on full speed.

zooman72 · 02/19/2018, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by is null

I wasn't aware of the IceCap 3K Gyre, that looks like a good deal. Do you really think one would be enough to move the water around a tank as large as mine? I was hoping to remove the other wavemakers.

Also, I'm not sure whether I need the anti-sync flow. It seems awesome but really not sure on whether it's worth the extra money.

It is a good deal when compared to the Maxspect XR's and other wavepumps in terms of cost per flowrate and programming features. I do think it would be enough depending on what is being kept (i.e. how much flow is needed). However, it should be noted that one may not want to run a gyre pump at max flow rate due to possible noise, or how sensitive you are to it. The flow will only be going in one direction without anti-sync - whether you need it or not is up to you...

It should also be noted that the IceCap Gyre pumps cannot be linked together like the Maxspect ones can, so if using a pair of IceCap Gyres, they cannot be linked to work in tandem.

Reefiez · 02/22/2018, 08:02 AM

i'd go with the XF230

i run 2x XF250s on my 5 foot tank and it was way overkill

i also run the jebao CP-40 on a smaller tank and i'm about to trash that POS and replace with a XF230 or a MP-10

I haven't had experience with the icecap 3k gyres, but i'd highly recommend the maxspec gyres simply due to the superior build quality and the programs you can run.

RobZilla04 · 02/22/2018, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reefiez

i'd go with the XF230

i run 2x XF250s on my 5 foot tank and it was way overkill

i also run the jebao CP-40 on a smaller tank and i'm about to trash that POS and replace with a XF230 or a MP-10

I haven't had experience with the icecap 3k gyres, but i'd highly recommend the maxspec gyres simply due to the superior build quality and the programs you can run.

Can you elaborate on why the CP-40 is a "POS"?

Reefiez · 02/22/2018, 09:14 AM

I initially got the Maxspect Gyres for my first reef tank after lots of research (considered MP-40s but it was a little expensive). It seemed to be a good value for lots of awesome flow with a lot of controlability.

9 months later, I started a second tank, because 1 tank is never enough. The theme of the second tank was going economical, hence the CP-40, at a fraction of the cost. I didn't do much research on this, but thought to myself that the price was really good for achieving a gyre flow.

The CP-40 was such a dissapointment. The noise level (especially on the 4th of 4 settings) is driving me insane. The controlability is 4 different programs, with a circular knob that controls the delay between pulses. The worst is the 2nd setting of the on/off pulse. In this setting, how many seconds on = how many seconds off. If you want 3 seconds on, 1 second off, then sorry it doesn't do that. Also, the build quality of the controller + pump is completely inferior to the maxspect. If you can visit an LFS that sells both, I recommend you hold both in your hands, and you will see the difference.

I personally have nothing against the company, in fact I am very happy with their DP-4 and DP-4s dosing pump. But this product was such a bad knock-off!

For the cost of a couple frags, you can get something that will surely make you happy with your upgrade. but that's just my opinion.

mako61 · 02/22/2018, 09:46 AM

i run 2x XF250s on my 5 foot tank. Im very happy with them. Since I only max at about 40% they are very quiet. The cost delta between 2 230s and 2 250s is only about 70. To me I would rather have the larger one even if not needed just for a wider flow and lower power setting.

Plus if you want to run one in reverse you lose half the power in forward.

RobZilla04 · 02/22/2018, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reefiez

I initially got the Maxspect Gyres for my first reef tank after lots of research (considered MP-40s but it was a little expensive). It seemed to be a good value for lots of awesome flow with a lot of controlability.

9 months later, I started a second tank, because 1 tank is never enough. The theme of the second tank was going economical, hence the CP-40, at a fraction of the cost. I didn't do much research on this, but thought to myself that the price was really good for achieving a gyre flow.

The CP-40 was such a dissapointment. The noise level (especially on the 4th of 4 settings) is driving me insane. The controlability is 4 different programs, with a circular knob that controls the delay between pulses. The worst is the 2nd setting of the on/off pulse. In this setting, how many seconds on = how many seconds off. If you want 3 seconds on, 1 second off, then sorry it doesn't do that. Also, the build quality of the controller + pump is completely inferior to the maxspect. If you can visit an LFS that sells both, I recommend you hold both in your hands, and you will see the difference.

I personally have nothing against the company, in fact I am very happy with their DP-4 and DP-4s dosing pump. But this product was such a bad knock-off!

For the cost of a couple frags, you can get something that will surely make you happy with your upgrade. but that's just my opinion.

Thx for the details.

Chicagoreef2016 · 02/22/2018, 12:54 PM

I have had 2 Jebao PP-8 Powerheads die in less than a year. 1 return pump doing fine 1.5 years in. But 1 out of 3 is not odds I want, so I will not be buying Jebao anything again. You could make the argument that you could get 2 Jebao for the price of a more expensive unit, but the headache is not worth it to me.

hijinks · 02/22/2018, 12:57 PM

I run 2 250s on my 4 foot tank but they are very ramped down so they aren't noisy.

is null · 02/22/2018, 07:15 PM

I went with the 2 x 250s because low noise level is of utmost importance to me. Let’s hope the wife doesn’t notice the new equipment lol.

Bent · 02/22/2018, 07:20 PM

There is another company other than icecap that is making these off of coralvue specs. I can’t recall it right now thoigh.

Fredfish · 02/22/2018, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bent

There is another company other than icecap that is making these off of coralvue specs. I can’t recall it right now thoigh.

Glamorca? That's the off brand I've seen here in Canada, not the Icecap.

I recently spoke to an LFS that carries both. He's had the Glamorca running for about 1.5 years now and he feels it's similar to the Maxspect in performance and maintenance. You just don't get the synced pump feature of the Maxspect.

gary_bergman · 02/22/2018, 08:16 PM

I run a couple of Tunze power heads I got used but they’re getting loud and I need something new ha ha

mako61 · 02/22/2018, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by is null

I went with the 2 x 250s because low noise level is of utmost importance to me. Let’s hope the wife doesn’t notice the new equipment lol.

I think you will be very happy. My wife thinks the fish are happier

They do seem to spend more time out in the less focused current.

Reefiez · 02/23/2018, 03:01 AM

xf250s running at 30-50% is the sweet spot for my 5 foot reefer 525 =)

Bent · 02/23/2018, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fredfish

Glamorca? That's the off brand I've seen here in Canada, not the Icecap.

I recently spoke to an LFS that carries both. He's had the Glamorca running for about 1.5 years now and he feels it's similar to the Maxspect in performance and maintenance. You just don't get the synced pump feature of the Maxspect.

That’s the one. Thank you.

gargoylenest · 02/23/2018, 02:17 PM

I been running 2 of the glamorca 3k for 8 months (exactly the same as icecap, checked with coralvue) and is way enough for my 180gal. Nice programming capability. Only thing is that its not (yet) compatible with apex and require 30-60 days maintenance, otherwise big loss ion power, and might become noisy. When reassembling, you got to be carefulle that everything is nicely put together, or they can become loud as hell; but just removing the cage and move impellers a bit usually fix the problem, after a few time, you get the twist. havent compared to maxspect XF, but from what I read, it is moslty the same in programmation, power and maintenance.

Sk8r · 02/23/2018, 02:41 PM

I use a second-gen Gyre on a 105 gallon bow, 36" deep, and get good rolling flow clear to the bottom, at about 75% power.

02/19/2018, 12:54 PM	#1
is null Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 42	Which Gyre maker(s) for 5ft 100 gallon tank My Jebao wavemakers are getting quite noisy and I'm itching to upgrade to a Gyre style to eliminate dead spots. I'm torn between: Two Maxspect XF230 Gyre Pumps + XF230 Advanced Controller = $430 One Maxspect Gyre XF250 + Advanced Controller = $340 Two Jebao CP-40s = $220 It's a mixed tank, starting to get into more SPS but mostly LPS at this point. What do you guys think?

02/19/2018, 01:30 PM	#2
zooman72 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Lockport, NY Posts: 1,340	If you need/ want anti-sync flow, then go with the pair of XF230's, and if not, go with the single XF250, which should be plenty by itself. If you don't need anti-sync capabilities, and don't go heavy with SPS, keep in mind the IceCap version (Gyre 3K), which might be enough with just one (and much less at $150), although I have heard that running gyre-style pumps at less than max results in quieter performance. This might lead me back to what is outlined above. I refuse to recommend Jebao anything. __________________ 7 reef tanks, 5 freshwater tanks, 2 terrariums, 2 dogs, 3 boys, and 1 very understanding wife! Current Tank Info: Marine: Pair of 40B's, 45W, 50g cube, ADA 45F at home...IM Nuvo 20 and 10 at office!

02/22/2018, 08:02 AM	#7
Reefiez Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 157	i'd go with the XF230 i run 2x XF250s on my 5 foot tank and it was way overkill i also run the jebao CP-40 on a smaller tank and i'm about to trash that POS and replace with a XF230 or a MP-10 I haven't had experience with the icecap 3k gyres, but i'd highly recommend the maxspec gyres simply due to the superior build quality and the programs you can run. __________________ my reef tank is the best skimmer... of my wallet

02/22/2018, 09:14 AM	#9
Reefiez Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 157	I initially got the Maxspect Gyres for my first reef tank after lots of research (considered MP-40s but it was a little expensive). It seemed to be a good value for lots of awesome flow with a lot of controlability. 9 months later, I started a second tank, because 1 tank is never enough. The theme of the second tank was going economical, hence the CP-40, at a fraction of the cost. I didn't do much research on this, but thought to myself that the price was really good for achieving a gyre flow. The CP-40 was such a dissapointment. The noise level (especially on the 4th of 4 settings) is driving me insane. The controlability is 4 different programs, with a circular knob that controls the delay between pulses. The worst is the 2nd setting of the on/off pulse. In this setting, how many seconds on = how many seconds off. If you want 3 seconds on, 1 second off, then sorry it doesn't do that. Also, the build quality of the controller + pump is completely inferior to the maxspect. If you can visit an LFS that sells both, I recommend you hold both in your hands, and you will see the difference. I personally have nothing against the company, in fact I am very happy with their DP-4 and DP-4s dosing pump. But this product was such a bad knock-off! For the cost of a couple frags, you can get something that will surely make you happy with your upgrade. but that's just my opinion. __________________ my reef tank is the best skimmer... of my wallet

02/22/2018, 09:46 AM	#10
mako61 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2017 Location: Dallas Posts: 359	i run 2x XF250s on my 5 foot tank. Im very happy with them. Since I only max at about 40% they are very quiet. The cost delta between 2 230s and 2 250s is only about 70. To me I would rather have the larger one even if not needed just for a wider flow and lower power setting. Plus if you want to run one in reverse you lose half the power in forward. __________________ Thanks, Mako Current Tank Info: Returning Reefer - Red Sea 525XL, Mitras LX7s, Apex, check homepage for vids of tank

02/19/2018, 03:14 PM	#3
Tripod1404 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 1,821	Why not two icecube gyre 3K? They are cheaper and essentially same with Maxspect. Icecube basically has a license from Maxspect to manufacture these pumps.

02/19/2018, 03:24 PM	#4
is null Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 42	I wasn't aware of the IceCap 3K Gyre, that looks like a good deal. Do you really think one would be enough to move the water around a tank as large as mine? I was hoping to remove the other wavemakers. Also, I'm not sure whether I need the anti-sync flow. It seems awesome but really not sure on whether it's worth the extra money.

02/22/2018, 12:54 PM	#12
Chicagoreef2016 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2016 Posts: 315	I have had 2 Jebao PP-8 Powerheads die in less than a year. 1 return pump doing fine 1.5 years in. But 1 out of 3 is not odds I want, so I will not be buying Jebao anything again. You could make the argument that you could get 2 Jebao for the price of a more expensive unit, but the headache is not worth it to me. __________________ 127ish gallon SC tank and associated equipment

02/22/2018, 12:57 PM	#13
hijinks Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 505	I run 2 250s on my 4 foot tank but they are very ramped down so they aren't noisy.

02/22/2018, 07:15 PM	#14
is null Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 42	I went with the 2 x 250s because low noise level is of utmost importance to me. Let’s hope the wife doesn’t notice the new equipment lol.

02/22/2018, 07:20 PM	#15
Bent I got nothin' Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: The anals Posts: 6,420	There is another company other than icecap that is making these off of coralvue specs. I can’t recall it right now thoigh. __________________ Quitters never lose. [QUOTE=CStrickland]Who gets mad at a starfish?[/QUOTE] Current Tank Info: 75g DT, 30G refugium, 10g chaeto tank, 50g stock tank basement sump

02/22/2018, 08:16 PM	#17
gary_bergman Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2018 Posts: 14	I run a couple of Tunze power heads I got used but they’re getting loud and I need something new ha ha

02/23/2018, 03:01 AM	#19
Reefiez Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 157	xf250s running at 30-50% is the sweet spot for my 5 foot reefer 525 =) __________________ my reef tank is the best skimmer... of my wallet

02/23/2018, 02:17 PM	#21
gargoylenest Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: montreal,canada Posts: 135	I been running 2 of the glamorca 3k for 8 months (exactly the same as icecap, checked with coralvue) and is way enough for my 180gal. Nice programming capability. Only thing is that its not (yet) compatible with apex and require 30-60 days maintenance, otherwise big loss ion power, and might become noisy. When reassembling, you got to be carefulle that everything is nicely put together, or they can become loud as hell; but just removing the cage and move impellers a bit usually fix the problem, after a few time, you get the twist. havent compared to maxspect XF, but from what I read, it is moslty the same in programmation, power and maintenance.

02/23/2018, 02:41 PM	#22
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	I use a second-gen Gyre on a 105 gallon bow, 36" deep, and get good rolling flow clear to the bottom, at about 75% power. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.