Possible solution to vortech and acrylic tanks

triggerfish1976 · #1 12/16/2007, 05:56 PM

Ever since the WWD came out for the vortech I have been wanting to try them out on my tank. Unfortunetly for me, the tank is 1" acrylic so the Vortech as is will not work. I asked around and contact Eco Tech directly for some info on if they will ever make a vortech for 1" tanks and the response wasn't promising so I inquired as to ideas on how I might make them work on my tank.
Two ideas were proposed by various people. The first one was to route out areas on the sides of the tank thinning the acrylic from 1" down to 3/4" to allow me to use the pumps. I wasn't comfortable with the idea of thinning out areas of my tank and I would also have to thin out several spots on a side in order to give me some flexibility on placement.
The 2nd option was to build dry boxes (similar in construction to overflow boxes) made out of thinner acrylic. At first I almost gave up on this idea because I was going to have to install boxes on the inside of my tank and the heat issues that may arise from having these in an small semi-confined box in the tank.
After considering both options I decided to go with the drybox idea since this methods positives out weighed the negatives.
I contacted my Tim @ EcoTech and he gave me some design ideas for the boxes and I then had my LFS build them for me.
Here are pics of the boxes when I first got them:

Tim suggested that the boxes have multiple facets in order to give me more flexibility in regards to positioning. They allow me to not only point them straight but I can also angle them left or right. The boxes were also made big enough to accomodate multiple pumps.

I finally got around to installing the boxes in the tank and they actually don't look as bad as I thought. I had been using waveboxes in th tank for the last year and the new boxes actually blend in better with the tank. The heat issue I was initially worried about ended up being a non-issue and I have yet to notice any increase in the tanks temp. due to the boxes. I have tried various flow patterns even full constant speed and the heat sinks do a nice job of radiating the eat up and out of the boxes.

Here are pics of the boxes installed in the tank:

Its only been two days but so far I am very happy with the flow produced by these pumps. I have tried almost every powerhead on the market and I was a huge Tunze homer but these pumps may change that. I am currently running four on my tank and I eventually plan on adding 4 more if everything continues to go well.
I will keep everyone updated on how the boxes work out.

nattydread · #2 12/16/2007, 06:16 PM

tHAT IS AWESOME!

Best part about a vortech is not the heat etc.. its the flow, pure and simple.

They need to make an intank version that can pointed around on a mount.

Then tunze would be obsolete.

homebrewdude · #3 12/16/2007, 09:51 PM

Great idea.
You also solved the issue of them ruining the side of your tank!

sfsuphysics · #4 12/16/2007, 10:23 PM

Out of curiosity how do you make the dry boxes neutrally buoyant so they don't float? Or did you drain the tank and glue them into place?

triggerfish1976 · #5 12/16/2007, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sfsuphysics
Out of curiosity how do you make the dry boxes neutrally buoyant so they don't float? Or did you drain the tank and glue them into place?

Good question. They float which makes it somewhat difficult to install them since I didn't drain the tank but my euro bracing is wide enough that once I got the top of the boxes under the eurobracing they actually help hold them in place. I still used screws to attach them to the eurobracing just to make sure.
You can still install this on an empty tank and it would probably be easier to install.

GSMguy · #6 12/16/2007, 10:44 PM

this is a great idea. are you using them to make a wave?

kdblove_99 · #7 12/17/2007, 01:23 AM

Pretty sweet

Mikigo · #8 12/17/2007, 02:53 AM

Are you able to have access to service them? IME, you will need to clean them every month.

triggerfish1976 · #9 12/17/2007, 08:18 AM

GSMGUY,

I am trying to dial them in to make a wave but I mainly set them all on Reef Crest Mode and like the flow that they create.

Mikigo: My eurobracing has (4) 4"x4" square holes that were cut out when the tank was built to accomodate waveboxes so I installed the dryboxes under each hole so I can access the pumps.

chriscobb · #10 12/17/2007, 09:30 AM

Cool idea!!!!!

jerryz · #11 12/17/2007, 10:54 AM

ANd the big box is superior to a tunze how?

Donw · #12 12/17/2007, 11:07 AM

Those look real nice. They use the same thing for putting vortech's in the zeroedge tanks, they seem to work well.

Don

triggerfish1976 · #13 12/17/2007, 01:37 PM

posted by jerryz [/i]
ANd the big box is superior to a tunze how? [/QUOTE]

The box itself has nothing to do with the performance it just allows me to use these powerheads in my tank. I didn't buy these pumps because they are less visible than Tunze I bought them because I liked the flow they create. I was running tunze waveboxes and they were actually more of an eyesore the dryboxes.
So far I would have to say that I like the flow of the Vortech as apposed to running Tunze Streams. When I ran the same amount of Tunze 6100's I had to position them in ways that the actual water stream coming from the powerhead was not directly aimed at any corals or they blast off the tissue. This is not so with the Vortechs because they seem to push the water as apposed to blowing it which makes the current softer and is more gentle on the corals.

King-Kong · #14 12/17/2007, 02:11 PM

Wow -- very cool.

Be sure to post this in the ecotech forum. I'm sure they will get a kick out of it.

triggerfish1976 · #15 12/17/2007, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by King-Kong
Wow -- very cool.

Be sure to post this in the ecotech forum. I'm sure they will get a kick out of it.

Way ahead of you.

hahnmeister · #16 12/17/2007, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jerryz
ANd the big box is superior to a tunze how?

]

Thats what I was wondering too... why not just get the Tunze then...???

triggerfish1976 · #17 12/17/2007, 04:05 PM

Please try not to turn this into a Tunze vs Vor-tech thread. I think that has already been beat to death in other threads.

hahnmeister · #18 12/17/2007, 04:27 PM

No, not at all... just wondering 'why'??? Im not claiming one is superior to another in this instance, just that with the given application, it seems the Tunzes would have been the better pick.

triggerfish1976 · #19 12/17/2007, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by hahnmeister
No, not at all... just wondering 'why'??? Im not claiming one is superior to another in this instance, just that with the given application, it seems the Tunzes would have been the better pick.

Got you and I agree that it seems pretty exteme but I had seen Vortechs in action and really liked the flow they produced and was itching to try them out and this was the only feasible option.
Like I said earlier, I am very happy with the flow thus far. I am actually getting more "desirable" flow from just four Vortechs as apposed to 3 waveboxes and 4 streams.

hahnmeister · #20 12/17/2007, 04:44 PM

And there you go... I see now.

I too didnt like the flow pattern of the tunzes when I first got them... too much of a 'beam'. But I figured, 'A prop pump is a prop pump' so I instead looked into modifying the guard which is what defines the flow after all. In the end, I put strainers from 6200s on my 6100s, and this spread out the flow into a 'cone' or 'wall' of output more than the 'beam' that the tunzes came with. Others have hacked up their tunze guards (removed the cylinder on the output) and had similar results. Just an idea for those who experienced similar as you. I think overall, the tunze is a fine product of course, but I can understand where you are coming from that the outlet/flow pattern isnt as nice as it could be.

Now Im considering 6201's, and this presents a problem because I cant swap out the guard for a larger one like with the 6100's. So Ill have to make a custom guard from the ground up. Perhaps just use some large diameter (3" or 4") straignt pipe attached to the motors to make the pumps have a very wide flow pattern.

triggerfish1976 · #21 12/17/2007, 04:51 PM

Don't get me wrong, I was and will continue to be a big Tunze supporter. Their waveboxes are amazing but I just wanted to try out the Vortechs and see if they were worth all of the praise that everyone has been giving them.

hahnmeister · #22 12/17/2007, 05:03 PM

I dont think in a large tank it will be noticable. The Vortech's have a wider flow it seems (less of a beam), but a prop pump is a prop pump, you know? In the end, what varies is how the outlet/intake guard piece directs the flow. I just swapped out the guards on my 6100's for the guards on the 6200's and the flow spread out into more of a cone, or wall than the previous beam.

The thing is, on a large tank like you are planning, I dont think you will notice the difference, and if anything, having a 5000+gph tunze will do more for you than a 3000gph Vortech. In a larger tank, with the way flow diffuses, and with multiple pumps, the differences will be subtle at best.

Its all in the outlets anyways. I know people that dremel off the 'cylinder' on the outlet of their tunzes and the flow turns into the same thing as a Vortech.

triggerfish1976 · #23 12/17/2007, 08:30 PM

A couple of people have asked for pics of how the eurobracing was setup to accomodate the boxes so here they are:

sjm817 · #24 12/17/2007, 08:45 PM

How "dry" do the dry sides have to be? It seems you will get some moisture, salt spray in the boxes.

triggerfish1976 · #25 12/17/2007, 09:04 PM

I don't think it will be any different than if they were placed on the outside of a tank. The splash marks on the pump were caused when I was installing the pumps.