vortech vs koralia

so im at that standstill with my wavemakers where im trying to get a great product but im not sure its nessacary to put out $1000 for 2 pumps

so whats your personal preference when it comes to quality ? i mean clearly visually speaking vortech takes the cake but otherwise how do you think koralia holds up if i add the wavemaker on the pumps

my main concern is quality of water movement its a heavy sps tank
my last sand bed went rancid(hydrogen sulfide buildup) it never killed anything but it worried me half to death and im wondering whether the koralias were not pushing enough water around

i also did not skim the tank im not a big fan of skimming i have found a very good water quality without skimming and plus my scallop enjoys the organics

 

So I have posted this same thing a ton in the past, but I'll say it again;

You are not paying just for moving the water in a forward motion. Vortechs have a huge area of water that they pull from, where as koralias have like a 1 inch circumference of water they pull in. That gives you a significant amount of undertow, something that not only shifts your sand slightly like the longshore current of our natural oceans, keeping it looking cleaner, but also allows way better overall mix of particles. It pull debris from the bottom with ease, and consistently keeps it suspended, something Koralias cannot do. You see with a water "jet" style relies on suspension by pushing the particles up, and when there is a dead spot or a "low flow zone" you will see it settle into a permanent crap pile.

Aside from just the functional differences, you will see that Ecotechs have better build quality, better resale value, better life, and ultimately better support if you need it.

So I think my position is fairly obvious from my post. To sum it up, they both have the same job, but one will do the job at its bare minimum, while the other will excel. You can make your choice from that, and of course based on budget.

 

Pretty much sums it up for me. I can't comment on the wave making comparison b/c I've only had koralias. But that being said, the "pull" or lack of pull around koralias is definitely weak. I upgraded several sizes on my last tank but none ever did much more...only increase in forward flow. Plus the vortechs come with the wave maker already built in. I'm also a HUGE stickler for small footprints in the display...and there is no comparison to a vortech IMO. I'll be going vortech w/o question.

 

I have a buddy who has to replace the wet side of his mp40 on a yearly basis. If not replaced, it does get quite noisy. Does the MP40 function better? Yeah it's a pretty cool piece but I have a hard time justifying the price.

 

I would chalk the replacement down to poor maintenance, I have had mine going for ~2 years with no issue, but I keep it very well taken care of. That's not to say they don't have issues, as they often do, but yearly seems a little excessive from my experience.

 

ive had both, recommend the vortech. save up for it if you have to.

and unless you have a 5 or 6 foot tank, you dont NEED 2 mp40s. unless your keeping SPS dominate tank. the beautiful thing about it is that you can get one, and when ever you get another, they'll talk to each other.

but to start out, you dont need two. altho it'd be nice.

 

Biocube's had a nightmare with his vortechs and customer support I believe, like 3 replacements within months of getting them, just saying, I think my koralias on a wavemaker are just fine when set up right, zero dead issues, and zero issues at all with the evo's.
If ya have the cash get a vortech, otherwise, IMO the koralias are fine

 

There is simply no comparison. And dont think that you need to buy them brand new. Search the forums for used ones. I got 2 MP40w's for $500.

 

I've heard many stories of the MPs being bad for people. I know not all, but man at that price they should be silent and almost never have issues. As for the Koralias, I guess it depends on how big your tank is too. I've got a 1400gph and a 750gph evolutions with a smartwave, soon to be using on my 75 gal. I know the MPs have a very small foot print on the inside. But I'm not a big fan of cords on the side of my tank. What will also help is, don't have a ton of rock in your tank. Less rock, more water flow.

 

3 koralias and a red sea wavemaker ..under 300.00..works for me..its all about the budget for me... koralias need the covers replaced every couple months it seems...I guess thats why they sent me 12 when I needed 2...lol I may move on up someday....when I have everything just right..I'll HAVE to change something... : )