mp10: reliability, durability, value?

[supernip]

wait so did you buy one. i think you should buy one

[reefcowboy]

Personally I would start with bird's nest for SPS than acros.

That is a great option as well.

[Hart24601]

I had two powerheads in my biocube 14 pushing a total of 500gph with one on each side I angled one a bit the the surface and the other down inside my LR structure. Worked great and with the LED's sps took off. Now space is at a premium even with fragging and while flow was great and randomly moved the polyps that started changing as corals grew and it became harder to position the heads due to the narrow fast flow.

 

Now I don't want another, larger tank, I love my cube and the space savings is a huge factor. Mp10 moves over 3 times more water than my 2 powerheads with minimal footprint for more stock. Another benefit is corals can acually be closer to it then they were with the narrow flow heads.

 

So that is why I paid so much for a mp10. I didn't need it, but the huge space savings allowed me more corals and to let them grow thicker before fragging even though I don't like the unit sticking off the side. One last benefit is the compact package inside the stand - it's pretty packed in there with ato and everything so the controller and lack of wires (for the equivalent number of powerheads and controller) is nice.

[reefcowboy]

One thing I wanted to mention is I run my mp10 at like 25%(3rd light on lagoon mode)only for my mixed reef. It is more than sufficient flow for a 20 gal with sps. If you want to consider lps, you might want a lower energy reef current, with good flow without being exaggerated. The great thing about the mp is the flow is broad and gentle...I don't think you would harm your corals with flow. Even with sps, you should mention indirect flow. I would not though buy a used mp...people try to sell defective stuff all the time...save the money and get a new one

[LarryMoeCurly]

wait so did you buy one. i think you should buy one

No. I just preordered one of asid61's devices; I think that should suffice.

 

I would likely buy a new one. I don't like the idea of a use one, I don't know where it's been or how it's been treated, etc.

Also, once again, I appreciate all of the input/advice here. I think this thread will be a useful resource to those considering an mp10.

[reefcowboy]

I had two powerheads in my biocube 14 pushing a total of 500gph with one on each side I angled one a bit the the surface and the other down inside my LR structure. Worked great and with the LED's sps took off. Now space is at a premium even with fragging and while flow was great and randomly moved the polyps that started changing as corals grew and it became harder to position the heads due to the narrow fast flow.

Now I don't want another, larger tank, I love my cube and the space savings is a huge factor. Mp10 moves over 3 times more water than my 2 powerheads with minimal footprint for more stock. Another benefit is corals can acually be closer to it then they were with the narrow flow heads.

So that is why I paid so much for a mp10. I didn't need it, but the huge space savings allowed me more corals and to let them grow thicker before fragging even though I don't like the unit sticking off the side. One last benefit is the compact package inside the stand - it's pretty packed in there with ato and everything so the controller and lack of wires (for the equivalent number of powerheads and controller) is nice.

 

Excellent point. Agree with all you said. I like much better nanos too...have had bigger tanks before and the fun in this hobby iMo is a ratio of time watching and enjoying it vs time maintaining it. My 20 gal is the right size for me in which I can do a 10% wc per week, clean it, feed the fish, dose supplements and change my filter media in an hour...that leaves time to watch it for the rest of the day...priceless

[glennr1978]

I've had my mp10 since they were first released. Idk, 4 years or so? Still running strong, no complaints. I've also got an mp20 (basically the same thing as an mp10) that's about 5 years old. It still runs like a champ too.

[joel sandoman]

I don't understand the space argument. The powerheads are on the walls and usually up pretty high. Are you guys putting corals on your walls

[Hart24601]

Not on the walls but close by. It was more an issue when sps started growing - and they grow fast in that small space. Spongodes shot up around the head pointed into the rock so I couldn't move it and a birdsnest started blocking flow. Like I said I could have taken them out or fragged them back more, but I paid 200 bucks for more room, waaaay more flow and a cleaner stand. I without the two ph I can clean easier and get more flow to some of the dead areas I had due to the bulk. I almost upgraded the two, but larger in tank wouldn't fit and would have been a total tear down to install. I did get random flow with the two after careful aim, but it was a pain and I have no idea if I could have done that again with the new growth.

[Hart24601]

 

This was before things started getting wild. You can see the one powerhead blowing down - the rock looks solid but is mostly hollow inside so that guy did a great job with moving "crud". The spongie started making that spot a problem.

 

2nd head is angled up, but started blasting that orange digitata. I moved the heads around as the corals grew but they didn't work nearly as well - the most effective head was the one going through the rock. Hitting different supports and coming out the gaps. It doesn't show up well on this picture.

 

Worked well enough but I got few more corals and the ones in tank grew like crazy - I then decided the extra space was worth something to me along with the flow profile.

 

Didn't need to, but made my life much easier and my tank has taller dense corals than it could support pre mp10.

[powder blue]

If you buy it, you will definetly love it.

If you enough money to buy it don't compare it with another options.

If you don't want to spend much money, you can definetly find cheaper options and you can get good results but don't forget you'll be thinking to buy mp10 always

[conix67]

I've not owned a MP10 but I do own a MP40W. It is currently out of service, as the wetside gave up after 2 years in service. I did not purchase a replacement wetside because honestly I did not like it due to the noise it generates. This is a very expensive powerhead for what you get, and it was disappointing that it was much louder than anything I had before (tunze, Korallia) and was NOT reliable.

 

As a replacement, I wanted to try something different and found good reviews about Jebao pumps. At first they seemed like a chinese junk product but I was wrong. I'm still running two RW-8 with the smart controller that synchronizes both.

 

Now that there's QD drive controller/wetside available, I could revive my MP40 for added flow in my tank (75G) but I wouldn't consider Vortechs the best value out there. Perhaps the QD products addressed the concerns over noise, but the reliability is still the question mark (in the end, this is a complicated product with wet/dry side coupled with magnets). The biggest benefit of the Vortech pumps is reduction of a heat source. If that is the must, Vortech pumps are they way to go.

[martinicu]

I have a mp10 qd for about a year now. Several days ago it started to vibrate rather noisily. I took apart the wet side and cleaned it thoroughly. It's back in the tank and problem continues. I have adjusted the magnetic dry side umpteen times without success . Can anyone give me some feedback on this.

Thanks

[Dekon70]

Check the magnet on the wet side. Mine started to rust and expand, the result was it was hitting the housing under the magnet.

[Cintax]

Old thread but I will add to it. I bought my MP10 on December 26th, 2011. It's been running everyday since without a problem.