Tunze 6101 noise vs Vortech noise

[GreshamH]

Originally posted by Sparkss
I am almost ready to switch back to Tunze from the VTs. The ramping up/down noise when in pulse mode is just too much. We can hear it throughout the house (and it is an in-wall tank). It is not the motors, but the wet ends (and yes, they are aligned properly). Some are just louder than others. One of ours is dead quiet, but the other 3 are varying degrees of annoying. I am tempted to save up and put a pair of 6101 or 6201s in our tank to see how they sound.

I have heard that the VTs move more water than the Tunzes, but I can't say for sure since our Tunzes were on another tank, and the new tank was brought up with the VTs from day 1. Although the noise wasn't/isn't so bad so long as you don't change the speed too much or too fast (like pulse mode does.. *sigh*).

Wanna use my spares? Heck, I owe you just about the same amount a set would cost

[Sparkss]

Gresh.. Email sent (maybe you will actually respond to this one :P)

[Al G Blenny]

Originally posted by mcurl98
Yes, visually they are much better and they move more water. I use them with the Aquasurf mod.

Why would you say they move more water? Vortechs are rated up to 3000gph. Tunze 6101 is rated up to 3170 gph, 6201 up to 5283 gph, and 6301 up to 7925 gph.

Are the ratings not accurate?

[JOSE CASAS]

What is the aquasurf mod?

[mcurl98]

I am comparing them to the 6101 and I should qualify that, in my tank, they seem to move more water because I can run them at a higher speed and because they seem to push the body of water more effectively. The size of the stream of water seems larger and more dispersed. The 6101's seem to have a narrower stream which creates a bit too much havoc in my tank at high speeds and it doesn't seem to move as much water mass throughout the tank. I believe the 6201s have a larger nozzle so that may help for them. I do not pulse mine as I have seen no benefit to creating waves. Mine are very quite. When they start to make more noise, I clean them and scrape where they are mounted. This quiets them back down.

[mcurl98]

aquasurf mod:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...readid=1233800

[Sparkss]

Matt, the wider nozzle was why I was considering the 6201. But wow, they will stick out quite a bit more than the VTs do. I am just getting fed up with the noise. We do use the AS to control our VTs (I have a set of wired and wireless drivers modded, just to see if there was any difference.. the modded wireless ones were a little better, but still not great imo). I had read that the VTs have a more dispersed flow than the Tunzes, but for a larger tank I wonder just how much of a problem this would really be ? As the flow moves through the tank the "cone" of water would expand and grow, so it may not really matter for us.

There is also alot of talk of the "underflow" created by the VTs. I have seen it myself w/ ours, but I don't get why it would be any different w/ a Tunze.. I mean the water that goes out the nozzle has to come from somewhere.

I am not looking forward to seeing the larger (uglier) Tunzes in our tank, but the noise from the VTs is just about to drive me crazy. (and I cleaned ours just a month ago... they have been at this noise level since a day or so after putting them in -- and letting them break back in and quiet down). So it isn't about a dirty VT or tank wall.

[Kinetic]

pulse mode is really annoying sounding, creates amazing turbulence though, but can't live with the sound. You can hear it vibrate throughout the house! My tank is on 1.25" foam too, and I can still hear it from the bedroom at night.

I wanted to go with tunze's, but they're hugemongous. I will wait for the next generation of powerheads to come through... a slimmer vortech that's silent as a tunze... =/

[Al G Blenny]

Why don't you just put the fish guard from the 6201s on the 6101s? I don't think they cost very much and I know they will fit.

[StrategicReef]

You can buy the tunze 6201 nozzle and put on the 6101 and get wider flow, but it will push less distance, otherwise the 6101 feels like a jaccuzi jet.

They make a tunze rock to hide the pump, the rocks are huge, it should blend very well in a bigger tank.

I love how the vortech look but noise is the first decide factor then looks second... I can't stand hearing the tank when I go to bed.

[Sparkss]

going to end up with 4 in a 6.5' X 4' tank (two equally spaced out on each end), so wider dispersion is more important than distance at this point. So long as it can make it 4' or so the two flows from either end should overlap, and that would be good enough. As StrategicReef noted, right now noise levels are taking precedence over appearance. And like Art said, on pulse mode I can hear ours throughout the entire house. Luckily when night mode kicks in they throttle down and don't disturb our sleep .

One thing I will note is that when I set the pulse mode to less than 70% I don't notice it nearly as much as when they are at 100%, but who wants to buy a pump to run it at less then it's potential, when you have a tank that requires the pumps full potential (and that rating was why you bought it). So for people with smaller tanks that don't need to run them at full speed, they are probably alot quieter (and also for those running less than 4 of them).

Matt, can you get those guards/nozzles for the 6201s easily enough ? You are still a Tunze authorized dealer/reseller, right ?

[orientalexpress]

i love my tunzes,never have a single problem plus roger supported is second to non.gl


lapsan

[Dag]

My tank is enough of an irritation to my wife without the noise.

I opted for the Tunze's.

[mcurl98]

Originally posted by Sparkss

There is also alot of talk of the "underflow" created by the VTs. I have seen it myself w/ ours, but I don't get why it would be any different w/ a Tunze.. I mean the water that goes out the nozzle has to come from somewhere.

Tom- I have noticed a stronger pull of water but I don't know why. My Tunze was above my anemone and never bothered it. I had to much the VT away as it was sucking up the 'nem.

In my 90, I do not exceed 70% so that would be another reason I am not experiencing the noise. I also run 99 second intervals on the pumps so there is not a constant ramping up sound. I think longer intervals are a much more efficient way to push water than the short interval wave stuff. The 6201 nozzle on the 6101 might be a good way to go if it works. IMO, in a 90, two tunzes just take up too much real estate. Probably much better in a larger tank. I do think tunze beats any pump in quality and Roger is great. I also believe that VT has done all that could be expected of them given a new, innovative product and I have been happy with their responsiveness.