I recently purchased a Vortech MP20 Wavemaker pump, and after alot of the hype I'd seen, I thought I would give it a review.

I decided to buy the MP20 to go in my 34 gal solana tank for several reasons:
1. Unlike Tunze's etc, it does not require an external controller
2. The price is right
3. I'd seen some great reviews before
4. Great customer service
5. Pump is relatively small compared to Tunze's etc that would do the same thing.
6. Fully controllable, better than just timers and a few MJ's
7. The pump is external, so no heat exchange into the tank

















For size comparison you can see it next to a thing of tape.

After receiving it I had a similar issue that I had seen other people have, the cords had pulled out of the controller and needed to be re-inserted. The instructions were very easy to read and the whole thing took about 20 mins to install, and thats because I played around awhile!

After installing I played with the various modes, finding I preferred reef crest mode (which is random and simulates reef conditions) until I made it into a continuous wave pattern, where you can see the waves moving the water back and forth. It's very cool seeing everything sway back and forth like it is right now. In just the last day I've seen better polyp extension than I've seen thus far from my SPS pieces. I also have found the temp in my tank dropped 2 degrees in the first day without all those Koralia's and MJ's making heat!

No complaints, its very quiet, very effective, probably one of the best purchases I've made in awhile! It's absolutely amazing how much stuff gets kicked up when you put in a new pump and it starts blowing around stuff you've never seen in the tank!









Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCiQY8CCVm0

how big of a wave do u get of that thing? my water level is allways pretty close to teh top of the tank and i would prefer that water didnt slosh out erwer.

Prior to installing the water level was pretty high, and it still is, but the wave height is adjustable so I found the sweet spot where I get the max wave yet still have ample clearance that no water sloshes out

thats cool but i just checked the price and its a little steep for me. ill be getting mainley soft and LPS coral so i realy dont need it any way. good product though.

$299 is really fairly cheap when you compare it to the other products that achieve the same thing on the market!

Dude I am so glad someone bought this... I want one for my 40 breeder that i havent setup yet. I love the idea that i can create great water movenment/effects without heating the tank....

I have alot of sand though i am worried its going to blow it all around... what do you think?

Only thing that is getting blown around or got blown around was the detritus!

I think placement has alot to do with it- mine is just about 4 inches below water level

Did you have to adjust the part inside the aquarium a lot to find a "sweet spot" where it ran quietly or was that part pretty easy?

Very nice. You gotta admit though, $300 is a bit steep for a nano. You can't get any of the same options with one package though so I think it's restricted to those looking for that. You have to admit that multiple pumps are much cheaper although you just can't get those same effects. Very nice review. It definitely looks awesome in your tank.

I'd disagree Travis-- to get a pile of powerheads to do the same thing would cost you more! You loose space in the aquarium, heats the water (possibly requiring the use of a chiller), and requires good controllers which aren't cheap!

You can't make the same water motion this thing makes with just timers, you need a controller like the Tunze controller, which retails alone for almost as much as this whole kit. Plus it is compatible with Aquacontrollers, etc.

And no finding the spot where it sit right was very easy, you knew as soon as you moved too far away!

Nice review, I completely agree on all aspects

In response to Travis/others its not only the 'control' capability that you get with the pump; it is ultra low watts & no heat in tank, the flow is VERY wide which is actually perfect for a nano, the entire tank receives flow suspending detritus you never new about hiding under your rockwork. In the furthest closed off corner of my tank you can watch everything sway in the same flow as if it was right in front of the pump.

As for the price, when you take into consideration how much quality pumps with the same capabilities cost it really is a great deal...

That's what I was trying to say. It is very expensive but you can't replicate it by using standard powerheads. Basically, you pay more to get less that is capable of more.

Not quite following the getting less that is capable of more? In what way are you getting less, do you mean less pumps?

I think he means you buy less but get more in the end

I'll add also that I bought one of these but the cost didn't seem so bad as it is intended to greatly simplify my tank setup. No drilling extra holes for closed loop, no worries about a jammed SCWD, and as others have mentioned I don't have to put a bunch of extra powerheads in the tank. The cost doesn't seem so bad when you factor those things in (assuming you don't have an all in one tank).

less pump pics and more of kmitch, j/k.

Nice review guess I'm gonna have to buy one now.

very nice reivew. Can you measure and tell me how long/wide the wet and the dry side's are?

Specifications
Flow: 500-2000 gallons per hour
Power Consumption: 6-18 watts
Maximum Motor Temperature: 50-60 degrees Celsius
Aquarium Wall Thickness Range: 3/16”-3/4”
Appropriate Tank Size Range: 20-70 gallons
Dimensions: Wet Side- 3” diameter by 2.25” long, Dry Side- 3” diameter by 2.25” long
Clearance Needed Behind Aquarium: 3”

I have one in my 40 breeder and on full blast it will blow a little bit of sand around. I brought it down to 3/4 power on reef crest mode and it works perfect. I have greater polyp extention from my sps and plates.

Stop talking about how awesome the Vortechs are! You're going to make me end up buying one.

Nice review. You've earned 2 music video links, enjoy:
Cath
What Sarah Said

yes

Ours in is transit from Florida to Ontario, should arrive this week, either Monday or Tuesday, can't wait!!!

Thanks for the review and video.

Does the wave action affect the water going into the overflow?

Great ! SOLD!

HMMM, .i wonder if it works in my 30g?
damn you kmitch!you making me want it!lol

I agree, you're an enabler!

kmitch, if you don't mind me asking, why did you decide to go with the mp20 instead of the mp40w? No plans to add an additional vortech in the future? Or are there other features that I'm not aware of you decided against? Just toying with the idea, I'm attracted to the idea that I could use this on my current small tank and if I ever upgrade use it there too...
Thanks!

I like small tanks, don't have any interest in a large tank and don't see myself ever going that route. Plus the pump is the same, it is just a difference of controllers, and if the urge to upgrade ever did hit, I could buy the upgrade. So the pump = same as MP40, only difference is the controller, but this does everything I could ever ask for and more.

PS night mode is great, the pump runs at a constant but slower speed for 10 hrs so in the middle of the night anything that wasnt getting blown around earlier gets picked up.

And no affect on my overflow in the solana.

So the 20 also has night mode too then, which is a key feature IMO. Are you using any alternation between the other modes or just leaving it on one? Can it auto cycle fairly easily? Sorry for all the questions, but it's nice to hear a fellow NR opinion about these guys. I might have to pick me up one of these.....lousy reefing habit!

+1

I set up an MP20 in my Oceanic 30 cube yesterday and I am soooo happy I chose this pump over a closed-loop. There is absolutely no way a closed-loop could create a wave anywhere close to the wave I am getting on this 30cube. Anyone who thinks this pump is too big for a nano - now way! I have it set on short pulse mode at the maximum speed and the sand stays put (although my sand isn't super fine). Anyone who is on the fence about buying one - stop waiting and go order one from StanD's group buy.

I dont know what you mean by auto cycle-- it goes to night mode automatically at 10 pm every night and returns to normal at 8am, so the 'middle of the night' is calmest in the tank. I don't move between modes right now, I really like where it's at and how my corals, etc are responding so I see no reason to tinker with it. I took another video today with my video camera and I'll upload that in just a min.

Agree with X-- if you can get into the group buy that lasts through August you'll save some bling!

Sorry to keep hitting you guys with questions, but after looking up a lot of the specs I'm stuck in the middle....So, I've got a 24 gallon tank right now, but I see myself upgrading to a larger tank within the next couple of years. When I say larger, I mean 125+, so I believe that rules out the MP20 (20-70 gal). However, at the moment, I think my tank might be a touch too small for the MP40w, according to the 500 gph minimum rating. So, basically, the difference between the two is a wireless driver that can communicate between other mp40w's, as well as enables the pump to push more water. All other features are the same, yes? So I'm stuck! Currently leaning towards the mp20 to avoid a monsoon in my Aquapod, but is it shortsighted to pass on the 40w seeing as though I'm planning an upgrade sometime soon? Just thinking outloud here....experiences?

Thanks!!

If your upgrade will be years down the road I would say MP20 now, you can upgrade then later, and that way you'll have what is suited best for both tanks right now

mp20 now +1

middlereef,
The mp20 is the same pump as the mp40 just a different controller. In the future pay 100+ for the mp40 controller and then you have a mp40. The mp20 would work perfectly in a 24 gallon tank. I would probably run on 1/4 power. On my 40 breeder I run it 3/4 power on crest mode. As well as night mode it also has feed mode which it barely turns the prop. I also put it in feed mode to do water changes and it becomes 1/2 submerged and it hardly does any splashing.

Awesome, thanks for the help guys, now to talk this over with the banker...You can never have enough reef toys, right?

I have to chime in here. I went from 2 x Tunze 6025 and 2 x Tuzne 6045's to ONE MP40W and I get more flow and better flow from it. It puts flow out through out the tank with zero dead zones.

Well worth the $$$ and my SPS love the Reef Crest mode and my LPS do as well. Just be careful about blowing out seams over time due to the pressure generated.

Nice review and I love the tank

Only 5 days left on the GB
GB link

I have had my MP20 for 2 weeks now and it has stalled 3 times. 2 times from the indicator light and I think 1 time while I was sleeping. The device was completely powered off when I saw it in the morning. I'm assuming it shuts itself down after being stalled for long periods. Resitting the wet and the dry sides fixed the problem and it was back normal after that. Any of you guys experience this?

Nope, hasn't happened to me. What color was the light blinking? Did you make sure you have the spacer lined up with the correct glass thickness?

I think i may have it on the wrong thickness. 40 breeders are 3/16 thickness right?

What do I like most about my MP20?

My corals response to it. I have never seen my frilly mushrooms so plump and happy!!! My unknown SPS frag only use to show about 3-4 polyp's and now there are 15+, my Zoa's are fatter and longer than ever and I can actually see the polyps now on my orange/red/err pink monti cap.

This thing is amazing!

I am using it in reef crest mode, I saved a wave making setting that is pretty cool but the best response by far is in the preset reef crest mode.

$.02

Nice Naked pair in the videos.



Yes, I went out of my way to word that sentence that way, but I really did like the clowns.

Is it LOUD?? I'm tired of loud equipment. I'm intrigued and now you put it on my considering list, which always gets converted to the buy list!

I hear absolutely nothing from mine, can't hear any noise coming from it over the ambient noise in my house. I don't have the power cranked way up, that may make a difference.

I just got mine last week, and it's really an amazing bit of equipment. Totally satisfied, thanks to StanD for setting up the group buy! All of the modes are interesting, but I've started to stick between either reef crest or a short pulse that works to create a wave in my tank. Blew up a bunch of junk from the rocks for the first 30 minutes or so, but now my corals are all really looking great. Fish seem to like it too, you can tell they react to the surges and get a good workout! Setup was a breeze, and after messing with the thing for a while (you'll want to!) it becomes really easy to understand. Great product, tank looks great with the added motion and without having koralias suspended all over the place.

As far as noise goes, mine is really quiet. You can hear it if you put your ear up to it, or if the room goes really quiet. I have a stock 150 W sunpod, and I have not changed out the fan. When the light is on, you cannot hear the vortec at all. When the lights are off, it makes a very minute hum, but really nothing that is annoying or noteworthy. If it does make noise, you can readjust the alignment a bit and usually get it to dissapear. I hate noisy equipment, and this thing passes the test! Depending on your tank size, you might not even have it turned up enough to notice the thing, it's just that quiet. You'll enjoy, give it a shot!

Damn I know I should have went ahead and bought one on the GB.

Damn! I wish you guys said it was as loud as a jet engine, that way I wouldn't have to think about it anymore!

And can you get a nice flow covering all the aqua ? Don't you have "dead" zones ? I was thinking of replacing my 4 Nano Koralia by this one but it always gets me confused the fact of having a single pump.

Thanks

I have 0 dead spots, replaced 3 koralia nano's with this one pump