Inside the Tunze ORCA: A New Approach to Reef Tank Flow
Tunze has long been a trusted name in aquarium flow, known for building reliable Turbelle stream pumps and, more recently, their Hub Edition powerheads. Along the way, they’ve also shown a willingness to rethink what a powerhead should look like and how it should function. From the uniquely engineered Tunze stream3 to the compact nanostream 6040, both deliver surprising performance from unconventional form factors.
I remember setting up my first saltwater aquarium with an AquaClear hang-on powerhead clipped to an undergravel filter. At the time, that was pretty normal. Fast forward to today, and powerheads have evolved dramatically, moving from fixed, single-speed designs to fully submersible, highly efficient DC pumps with advanced app-based control. Flow rates can ramp up, slow down, and pulse throughout the day. But despite all of that progress, one thing has largely stayed the same: the direction of flow never changes.
What is the Tunze ORCA and Why is it Different?
Their new Oscillating Reef Circulation Appliance, thankfully abbreviated to ORCA, is a motorized powerhead mount designed to add controlled, physical movement to aquarium flow. The ORCA slowly rotates a compatible Tunze powerhead from side to side, continuously changing the direction of flow inside the tank.
The Tunze powerhead plugs directly into the ORCA itself, allowing pump speed and oscillation to work together as a single system. That integration opens the door to more advanced flow patterns, including adjusting output depending on where the pump is aimed, something that simply was not possible with older oscillating solutions.
Sure, there have been automatically rotating powerheads before. Remember the ZooMed Power Sweep? Innovative for its time, but noisy, limited to a low fixed flow rate, and requires a lot of maintenance (don't ask me how I know). Then there is the legendary Sea-Swirl launched in the early 2000s. These oscillators were generally geared more towards closed loop setups, and while they did create some oscillators for powerheads, the powerhead and oscillator were never able to "talk" to each other.
Tunze Reef Assistant App
The new Tunze app, available for both iOS and Android, is a welcome upgrade. Until recently, controllable Tunze pumps were only able to be controlled via dials on a physical controller or if they were paired up with an aquarium controller like the Neptune Systems Apex. With their recent Hub Edition pumps, this is all changing, giving the Turbelle lineup a more modern feel.
5 Year Warranty
Tunze is known for having one of the strongest warranties in the aquarium industry, and if you're in the US, you'll have access to a US-based customer support system. But I suppose it's easy to provide such a long warranty if customers hardly ever need to use it. In the unlikely event you do have to reach out, there's a good chance you'll talk with Roger, who is one of the most helpful and patient people in this entire hobby.
What Kind of Tanks is the ORCA Good For?
The ORCA is currently available in two versions that come bundled with a pump, although the mount-only option is also compatible with Turbelle nanostream 6055 and 6095 Hub Edition pumps.
- Turbelle nanostream 6075 w/ ORCA: Reef Aquariums up to 132 Gallons
- Turbelle stream 6105 w/ ORCA: Reef Aquariums from 55-500 Gallons
While tank sizes are useful rules of thumb, I think tank dimensions are going to play the biggest role. These pumps are going to be great for longer tanks where it's hard to get flow to move the full length of the aquarium. Because it can rotate a full 180 degrees, you'll likely be able to cut down on the number of pumps you're using too.
Image Credits: Tunze USA YouTube Channel
Beyond tank volume and size, you can lower the flow rate as the pump is aimed towards more fleshy corals that don't appreciate high flow. It's a big deal for those of us keeping mixed reef tanks with corals that need more moderate water movement, but live in the same tank as flow-loving SPS corals.
Inside the Manufacturing and Design
Nearly all Tunze products are designed and manufactured in Germany, including the Turbelle pumps and ORCA Oscillator. Since the ORCA is the new part of the equation, that's where we'll put our focus.
Production and Design Flexibility
The ORCA starts at the 3D printer. I have to admit, I'm a 3D printing nerd myself, so it's fun to see how others are getting the most out of this technology.
Why 3D Printing?
3D printing has come a long way in the last few years; it's no longer only for hobbyists or prototyping. Modern 3D printers can create highly detailed and unique products that would be difficult or expensive to injection mold.
We've seen many companies in the aquarium space use 3D printing such as Avast Marine's Plank Automatic Feeder (one of the best auto feeders out there, by the way), Vivid Creative Aquatics' patented Random Flow Generator Nozzles and accessories, and Neat Aquatics' VorTech pump guards, tubing organizers, and feeding portal.
While I wouldn't be surprised if Tunze decided to move to injection molding in the future to speed up production time, it's a solid way to go in the beginning as it allows you to make fast changes to the product as customer feedback comes in.
Materials, Safety, and Build Quality
3D printing doesn't mean a compromise in quality. Tunze is using polycarbonate for their 3D printed parts, which is a safe, flame-retardant material. Perfect for situations like this where there are electronics and water close together. You can tell they're taking the time to perfect these prints and care about print quality. If you're not into 3D printing yourself, you may not even be able to tell which parts are 3D printed and which aren't. Of course, not every piece of the ORCA is 3D printed. There are several injection molded, carbon fiber, and electronic parts too.
Soldering Electronics and Waterproofing
Tunze buys their boards, but everything that follows is custom, including the software put onto the boards. This is done one by one so that each ORCA gets its own serial number.
Once that's complete, the stepper motors are soldered to the boards by hand. A time consuming process, but one that's necessary for such a unique product.
While the ORCA isn't designed to be used fully submerged, each one has three main layers of waterproofing to make it safe and durable. Given that the electronics will be mounted so close to saltwater, I'm glad to see Tunze putting the time and effort into designing the ORCA to withstand these conditions.
- Housing O-Ring: A precisely fitted silicone O-ring that seals the lid to the main housing. When compressed, the O-ring creates a watertight barrier that prevents moisture from entering the enclosure, even if the unit is exposed to splashing or brief accidental contact with water.
- Protective Resin: Beyond the external seals, Tunze takes waterproofing a step further by potting the internal electronics in-house. Potting involves encapsulating sensitive components in a protective resin, effectively locking out moisture, air, and corrosive salt exposure.
- Shaft Seal: That leaves one more potential point of entry for water, where the motor attaches to the carbon fiber shaft. No surprise, Tunze has it covered with a seal here too.
Together, these layers of sealing and potting help ensure the ORCA can withstand splashes, humidity, and the realities of day-to-day reef keeping, even when mounted just inches from the water’s surface.
Silicon o-ring that seals the housing to the cap of the ORCA
Encasing the ORCA board in resin for waterproofing protectionFinal Assembly and Testing
We touched on the ORCA's ability to oscillate back and forth and control the flow rate of the pump, but one layer of adjustment we should touch on is the carbon fiber pipe that extends from the ORCA motor down to the pump holder. This pipe is also made in Germany, completely saltwater safe, and has adjustment holes so you can lower or raise the pump in the water column.
Once the carbon fiber pipe is attached, the mount from the 3D print farm is assembled and everything is put in the retail packaging ready for you!
I was surprised to hear that Tunze connects every single ORCA to the cloud to test that all features are working as expected. A time consuming process, but I have to appreciate their unwavering commitment to making the best product possible.
There you have it! A completed Tunze ORCA MK2 Oscillating Powerhead setup ready to provide years of flow to your reef.
If all this custom flow is more than you need for your setup, you can shop all Tunze products right here at BRS.
Adam has been reef keeping since 2010 and got his start on the Bulk Reef Supply Customer Service team. He believes the best tanks are built around what you enjoy, not what’s trending. Adam is especially interested in simplifying the hobby, exploring the latest gear, and helping others focus on long-term success over chasing perfection.
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