Reef nutrition

Apex WXM w/ Vortechs?

I've been running Vortech pumps on all of my tanks for the last few years, but I'm upgrading to two MP40s from two MP10s on our 90 gallon and adding an Apex WXM controller for them.

Do many folks run controllers on their Vortechs? What schedule/program are you using?

I've been running mine at 80% Reefcrest all the time in our mixed reefs with good results, but considering switching to Lagoon mode at night and possbly adding a nutrient export period each day. Any experiences and advice are appreciated.
 
@wpeterson this is what I ran before I went to the WAV pumps...

I used advanced programming instead of the wizard as I use the season table to change my lights and my single Vortech and you can change your time & intensity of your profiles to your desire
(NOTE: You will not be able to completely copy and past this as I have VO named "Clouds, Storms, Auto_Feed, Power_Detect, Short_N_Trans, & Long_N_Trans) & my profile names might differ from your names but you can get the idea.

In my programming I have it go ti a constant_22 if the power is disconnected to conserve power or if the pump gets disconnected from the Apex, The pump runs Tidal_25 when every another program is not overriding the Tidal_25 programming. At night dictated by the moon season table I have it go to lagoon and getting more calm as later in the night time and then increases again, Same with Reefcrest but this is done with the Sun season table.


Program:
Fallback Constant_22
Set Tidal_25
If Moon 180/180 Then Lagoon_30
If Moon 240/120 Then Lagoon_45
If Sun 180/180 Then ReefCrst_55
If Sun 240/120 Then ReefCrst_75
If Outlet Clouds = ON Then Pulse_75
If Outlet Storms = ON Then Pulse_100
If Outlet Auto_Feed = ON Then Feed_30
If Outlet Power_Detect = ON Then Constant_22
If Outlet Short_N_Tran = ON Then Nutrient
If Outlet Long_N_Tran = ON Then Nutrient
If FeedB 000 Then Constant_22

Profiles:
[ Constant_22 ] ( PF1 )
Type: Vortech
Vortech Type: Constant
Maximum Intensity: 22

[ Lagoon_30 ] ( PF2 )
Type: Vortech
Vortech Type: Lagoon
Maximum Intensity: 30

[ Lagoon_45 ] ( PF3 )
Type: Vortech
Vortech Type: Lagoon
Maximum Intensity: 45

[ Nutrient ] ( PF4 )
Type: Vortech
Vortech Type: Nutrient
Maximum Intensity: 100

[ Pulse_75 ] ( PF5 )
Type: Vortech
Vortech Type: Pulse
On Time: .60
Maximum Intensity: 75

[ Pulse_100 ] ( PF6 )
Type: Vortech
Vortech Type: Pulse
On Time: .60
Maximum Intensity: 100

[ ReefCrst_55 ] ( PF7 )
Type: Vortech
Vortech Type: Reef
Maximum Intensity: 55

[ ReefCrst_75 ] ( PF8 )
Type: Vortech
Vortech Type: Reef
Maximum Intensity: 75

[ Tidal_25 ] ( PF9 )
Type: Vortech
Vortech Type: Tidal
Maximum Intensity: 25

[ Feed_15 ] ( PF10 )
Type: Vortech
Vortech Type: Constant
Maximum Intensity: 15

[ Feed_30 ] ( PF11 )
Type: Vortech
Vortech Type: Constant
Maximum Intensity: 30

The possibilities are truly endless....
 
Everyone runs a controller with their Vortechs,it's part of the price when you buy them ;)

Seriously though, with all the controllability out there, it would be super awesome if EcoTech would sell a "naked" Vortech pump and let the end user buy what they need.
 
Everyone runs a controller with their Vortechs,it's part of the price when you buy them ;)

Seriously though, with all the controllability out there, it would be super awesome if EcoTech would sell a "naked" Vortech pump and let the end user buy what they need.

I was just thinking about this. If you don't have a controller, two wireless Vortechs are a powerful way to make more complex flow.

The Apex integration is a quite the Rube Goldberg device: web application => home network => hardware controller => WxM wireless => Ecotech wireless driver => DC Pump. I wish I could buy a hard-wired version of the MP40 that connects directly to the Apex.

I guess that's what they want the new WAV pumps to be, but I don't know that they're there yet. I love the hybrid wet/dry mounting of the Vortech.
 
With my original Vortech pumps, they were very similar to the Tunze pumps, there was simply a dial to change the speed and that was it. Now while all the different wave modes are nice, like you said it'd be awesome to have that barebones setup and just plug a cable in to change functions with the Apex.

Another thing I wasn't particularly happy about with EcoTech is their decision to go wireless with communication, so regardless of if you had them in slave/master mode, you paid for a wifi card in each one, and just about every setup I've seen, all the drivers are always right next to each other, so how messy would it have been to have something like a RJ45 cord to plug one into another. Oh well, their company not mine :D

And yeah, not having a cord in the tank was super awesome with the Vortech, unfortunately I've had plenty of problems with the magnet side of things, well beyond what I've every had for a pump where everything was in the tank.
 
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