Review of the Vortech MP20 Pump

[kmitch]

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's to come! Sadly no one that I know of in DC carries these pumps-- I've talked to Ozzy at BRK and Sean at Aquarium Co about them so who knows

[kmitch]

[CHUBAKAH]

Real nice job on the review!

[kmitch]

Well I stand corrected, Johnny says that Blue Ribbon Koi is actually a vendor for these awesome pumps and he's running the MP40 right now.

 

Gotta say, I've never been happier with a $300 purchase! Good water flow, imo, is just as important as lights for corals, and we spend well over $300 on our lights!

[Stephen]

That's pretty cool.

[ctenophore]

Kristen (or whoever else is familiar with the MP20), is it possible to change the flow angle? I'm debating between one of these or a 6055 for a nano I'm going to set up. I like the flexibility of the 6055 but don't want a cord coming up out of the water.

[kmitch]

No but it is a very wide flow which is what makes it so effective- you should see when I fed my tank and that stuff gets blown around, makes for good fun for the cats watching the fish chase the food.