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bad experience By coral junkie on 5/11/13
coral junkie wouldn't recommend this product to a friend
I ordered a mp40 tried to hook it up and they sent me the wrong power supply. So now I have to wait another week for echo tech to send the right power supply. I think they should test their products before sending it out
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Better than I expected! By Randy on 4/23/13
Randy would recommend this product to a friend
My biggest concern before purchasing and running was if it was going to move enough water in the hard to get to places, especially for the price and the fact that you can't aim them, but with the undertow it creates there are no problems. I admit, I am cycling and haven't seen how it performs with corals, but after watching movement of bubbles and food (generating ammonia) I have no worries. If these are in your price range I don't think you can really go wrong. Oh! And much more silent than I have read concerns about too.
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Review of VorTech MP40w ES By Reefkeeper057 on 4/8/13
Reefkeeper057 would recommend this product to a friend
The VorTech MP40w ES was the first adjustable flow water pump I have purchased. Admitedly there were two concerns I had prior to the purchase, even after considerable research. The first was the price and the second was many reviews that referenced how loud it operated.
The MP40w ES was purchased to go on my 55g soft coral tank and replace my existing water pumps, a Hydor Koralia Evolution 600 and Hydor Koralia Evolution 1050 (that's right 1050).
I left the Koralia 600 in place. When facing the tank, it is mounted on the upper left hand side of the tank, toward the back, pointed behind about 50lbs of liverock. This is to keep deadspots at a minimum. The MP40 is mounted where the Koralia 1050 was, on the right side of the tank facing the opposite direction, toward the front and about 4" from the water line.
First off, READ THE DIRECTIONS. I wanted to see this thing in action immediately and it took great restraint not to just hook this thing up and turn it on. Remember the second concern I had with this pump...the noise level? Well, if you don't follow the directions and set the pump up properly I believe this is where many (not all) folks went wrong when they complained about high noise levels.
In my opinion this pump is very quiet. When the MP40 is turned up past 75% max output, it is not as quiet as the Koralia Evolutions. However, it when set to 75% or higher, it only emits a mild hum. For my size tank anything past 50% is too much flow and when you max any piece of equipment out it won't last as long. When set to 50% and below the MP40 is very quiet. To add context to what I define as very quiet....put it this way....I do not want to hear my tank buzzing, huming or splashing. It has to be as quiet as one of those rock fountains. The kind that when you turn it on it sounds like water trickling.
This pump does a great job. When I turned it on it started without any trouble, immediately stired up ditritus, and kept it suspended until it went down the overflow. When the MP40 is set to a constant speed it still seems to have random flow. I watched my soft corals nonstop for about 20 minutes and was very impressed at how their movement was random. This is common sense but one thing to keep in mind if you have corals. Start out slow and see how they react. Changing a powerhead is like changing the lighting. The animals in your tank will need time to adjust. One common problem I have read about is an unsuspecting anenome getting too close to the powerhead and getting chopped up. The MP40 comes with a foam cover so if you have anything that may get caught in it I suggest using the foam initially and see how your critters react.
The bottom line is this pump is expensive but worth the extra money. There are a lot of the MP40 reviews online. Check multiple sources before making a decision to purchase any piece of equipment. This hobby is expensive enough without wasting extra money. Good luck!
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Vortech mp 40 By Reyesozaeta on 4/6/13
Reyesozaeta would recommend this product to a friend
It'a an expensive pump! Thought it would make a difference in my mixed reef 150. I have a two 1600gph on opposite sides before I added this pump. No major change noted. My corals actually closed up more when I install this pump. Tried different modes and intensity that the corals will respond to. Finally settled at reef crest mode and lagoon at night. The only difference is this pump can change speed
But still a linear pump. I'll probably keep it and see how it goes .
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The Best By Terry on 3/21/13
Terry would recommend this product to a friend
These pumps are simply the best pumps on the market. I now have 7 of different sizes for different tanks.
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Great buy By Ian stone on 3/21/13
Ian stone would recommend this product to a friend
These are fantastic pumps i have. 2 on my 72 bowfront an they make a diffrence 2 of theses replaced all 4 Hydor 1400's. i have to say there $$$$$$$. But. Way. Worth it. A little tricky to set up and get use to but once you do u will love them
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Works great, but a bit noisy By jeremy on 3/14/13
jeremy would recommend this product to a friend
I installed this product per mfr recommendations and it rattled, vibrated, and made noise like crazy. I called their service people who spent an hour on the phone with me before concluding the wet side part was defective. They sent me a replacement and it worked great, but still was a tad on the noisy side for my taste.
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great pump By mrd on 3/3/13
mrd would recommend this product to a friend
These are truly great pumps, I have two on a 120 gallon marine land corner overflow tank. There are no dead spots now and it's not a overpowering jet stream that would damage corals like frog spawn. These pumps are very powerful though, when setup to be. I truly believe I could make waves crash over the top of the tank if I wanted to. Over all these are great pumps with the ability to create any kind of flow your tank requires. If you love your corals the way I do it's a great investment.
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Great Pump By JDR on 2/25/13
JDR would recommend this product to a friend
I had 2 koralia's 1400 and a sicce voyager 3 and this pump blew those away. Just one in a 75g and its doing great, now I got 2 on a 150g
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this thing is awesome By chris on 2/21/13
chris would recommend this product to a friend
I've had mine hooked up for a few days and can't believe how much flow I've got. I haven't had any problems with noise even on the highest setting. Definitely getting another one
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Love powerhead but wish it had controller or memory features. By Kevin on 2/19/13
Kevin would recommend this product to a friend
Love the powerhead. It moves the water in my tank like no other powerhead has. However when you pay almost 500 per powerhead. I think it should definite include control features like radion lights have. But you must buy a controller if you want the powerhead to change modes at another time without you manually doing so.
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VorTech plus Apex = Movement By JPRO on 2/16/13
JPRO would recommend this product to a friend
On its own the VorTech pump is programmable and moves water like no other pump. Connect the Neptune Apex controller and now the water movement options throughout the day are changing. Awesome products.
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Awesome!! By Jeremy on 1/23/13
Jeremy would recommend this product to a friend
This thing can really move some water! It's really nice to replace bulky power heads with one of these.
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Moves some water! By Jeremy on 1/3/13
Jeremy would recommend this product to a friend
Was easy to install and the controller looks cool on the outside of the tank. Great product.
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Best water flow By CY on 12/14/12
CY would recommend this product to a friend
Bought this to keep the detritus moving in the tank. It has done the job better than anything else I've used. Mounting is a bit cumbersome, but it is a very nice product. Hard to swallow the pricing, but it's the only one that moves water that well.
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Cadillac of Waterpumps! By Jerrad on 12/2/12
Jerrad would recommend this product to a friend
Truely get what you pay for. Was hesitant because of the price before getting my first one, but it wasnt long before I was getting a second one. VERY powerful water movers but flow is wide and gentle. Running 2 MP40's on a 120g at about 60% reefcrest anti-sync for LPS/softies.
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Nice Pumps. By James on 11/28/12
James would recommend this product to a friend
Replaced 3 Koralia's in my tank with a MP10 and MP40. Expensive but what a great pump. The various modes are great. They communicate wirelessly with my Radion lights for sleep mode. No heat transfer and no power running into the tank. Which I always thought was a little weird considering water and power don't mix.
Overall great pump an well worth the money.
Note: They can be a little noisy until the break in and/or if you don't have the pin setting correct. EcoTech Support is top notch and one of the best in the aquatic industry.
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Coral will love this powerhead! By Richard on 11/22/12
Richard would recommend this product to a friend
I bought two of these for my 250 Mixed Reef, not only have my Xenia taken off but my acro and acans love it too. well worth the money if you intend on keeping picky corals because these things are extremely customizable!
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Great Pump By Justin on 11/17/12
Justin would recommend this product to a friend
I have both a mp40 and an mp10 on my 75 and they work wonders. I also like the fact that they can be hooked up to a controller. Great purchase. Ecotech also has great customer service.
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Simply the best By Corey on 11/15/12
Corey would recommend this product to a friend
Having been in the reef hobby for more than 15 years and trying every powerhead under the sun I can honestly say that these are second to none. I have 2 of these on my 150 tall and since installing them about a year ago, my corals are happy happy.
The added benifit of the battery backup ability is icing on the cake.
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Worth It By Bob on 11/11/12
Bob would recommend this product to a friend
These pumps are expensive but worth it. I have two of these in my 6 foot 125 gal. tank. They can really move water. I have it set at half power and it still produces a nice wave. There are many diffferent modes to choose from and they are easy to set up. The pumps come with a quick start guide and Echotech has videos online showing step by step intructions. Very nice product.
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Best Powerhead on the Market By Ali on 11/2/12
Ali would recommend this product to a friend
I just got first Vortech MP40 today and i cant wait till i can afford another to add it to my tank. even tough i only have one in my 120 gallon tank and i removed my 3 other powerheads this little machine outperforms them all. the short pulse mode is the best and as soon as i can i will get another one.
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best investment i have ever made By jacob on 10/14/12
jacob would recommend this product to a friend
this is a must for any large aquarium. it is fully customizable and worth every penny of the hefty price tag
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Feel the wave By Rich on 10/4/12
Rich would recommend this product to a friend
EcoTech Marine is a great company with excellent support and craftsmanship. As a resident of PA, I can say they are nearly in my back yard! The low profile of the MP40(s) replaced my aging Tunze Stream pump. I am very pleased with the low noise, low heat, low profile and HIGH flow of the MP40. Adding the wireless module to my Neptune Systems controller makes the pump very easy to control and program in an infinite combinations of flow.