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Tunze
Turbelle Stream 6080 review
I’ve been
using two Reeftec PE-1s with a Wavemaster Pro in my 150g tank with
a 6-inch sandbed since early September, and I’ve been very
happy with the high volume, low velocity nature of this device.
The problem was that on 11/21/2002, the metal shaft broke on the
Little Giant PE-1 pump with one of my Reeftecs. On 11/25/2002, the
metal shaft on the PE-1 pump with my other Reeftec also broke. Details
can be found on this thread.
While I was waiting for replacement drive dogs and CAL E-200 pumps
to replace the PE-1 pumps, I was intrigued by the new Tunze Turbelle
Streams that I first
saw on the Reeftec forum. I e-mailed Roger Vitko of Tunze USA,
and he told me to contact Marine Depot or Champion Lighting to get
on the waiting list for the Streams. I e-mailed Marine Depot on
11/26/2002 to put me on the waiting list for two 6080s. Later on
in the day, I was told the 6080s were in stock, and I received them
on 12/02/2002.
I spent most
of the night on 12/02/2002 working with the Turbelle Stream 6080
since it’s so powerful. I expected the Stream 6080s to be
comparable in power to the Reeftec PE-1s, but they're a lot more
powerful. If the Reeftecs are Hummer H2s, the Turbelle Streams are
Porsche 911 Turbos! When I point a Stream 6080 straight across my
5 foot long tank, the bounceback is another foot and stirs up my
sandbed! I now have the stream angled across to my rockwork and
sps colonies on the left, but even after 2 to 3 feet, there's high
flow across the corals. What’s crazy is that I purchased two
Stream 6080s not thinking they would be such beasts. They both could
work in a 150, but only if you have a minimum sandbed and all sps
corals. The only two things that I don't like about the 6080s are
that you can’t put them on a wavetimer and you need to buy
an additional bracket if you want to put the 6080 back against the
wall of an acrylic tank. Presently, a Stream 6080 is ziptied to
a Reeftec bracket. If you want the Tunze solution, Roger Vitko has
suggested holder set 3000.244 if you have an Oceanic; this has long
screws to accommodate the trim and a suction cup to stabilize the
rail. If you have an acrylic aquarium you should try set 3000.26,
this will work with perimeter bracing to contour the tank brace
and then descend. If you need these brackets, just order them from
where you ordered the Streams. The Stream 6100s are electronically
controllable so that you can set them up as wavemakers and fine
tune the flow, but they’re a lot more expensive, and sold
out at the moment. All I can say is that the waterflow coming out
of the Streams is amazing! The flow from the Streams reminds me
of the waterflows I’ve felt when I’ve been snorkeling
in Hawaii or Australia.
The Stream 6080s
shouldn't be put on a wavetimer/maker because the constant on/off
action will probably drastically shorten the life of the pump. The
manual says you can have on/off cycles of 1 hour with 6080s. From
what I've read, the Tunze electronic wave maker/controllers don't
actually stop and start the pump, they only decrease or increase
the power of the pump. But you have to pay a lot more for the Stream
6100 and more expensive configurations which have the electronic
controls. You will need the 6100 or higher if you want to control
the amount of flow for smaller tanks (100g or less). Roger Vitko
said they are coming out with smaller and larger versions of the
Stream in 2003, so those who have smaller tanks should either buy
a Reeftec now or wait if you don't want to pay for the 6100.
Presently, I'm
running a Reeftec PE-1 full-time, and the Stream 6080 for 12 hours
during the light period. Supplemental flow is provided by two returns
from a Velocity T2 from the sump.The main reason for keeping the
Reeftec PE-1s on full-time is that there's no protective grill in
front of the Reeftec PE-1 propeller, so the Kole Tang or some other
fish will surely get hit by the prop again if it's on an on-off
cycle (it's already happened twice to the Kole Tang when it was
pecking at the algae growing on the inside of the propeller enclosure
when when the PE-1 was off. Once it came back on, it scraped some
skin and flesh from the tang. Luckily, the tang has recovered from
both incidents.) If it's on all the time, the fish should stay away.
The on-off and torque of a wavemaker also may compromise the longevity
of the metal shaft of the CAL E-200 pump in the Reeftec PE-1. I
may put the PE-1 on an on-off cycle again if I can jury rig a protective
grill over the front. I only have the Stream on 12 hours a day for
a calmer water flow at night. The Stream does have a nice protective
barrier in front of the propeller
I really love
the wave action in the tank right now. There are actually waves
on the top of the tank because of the power of the wavemaking pumps
in there. The Stream 6080 was so powerful, it was moving whole coral
colonies 2 to 3 feet away. I had to really secure one of them so
it would stop rocking back and forth. Although the flow is continuously
on for all the pumps, there's still a lot of random water motion
from where the water flows intersect.
The type of
flow generated by the Reeftecs and Streams (wider, lower velocity
stream than a typical powerhead) seems to be a lot more closer to
nature. I think because of the viscosity of water, a wide, lower
velocity stream actually moves more water around a tank than a narrow,
high velocity stream (typical powerhead). The wattage of the Reeftecs
and Streams is also pretty low compared to the amount of water they
move. I mixed up saltwater with a PE-1 in a 29g when I was filling
the 150g tank, and it was amazing how well the propeller quickly
mixed the salt in the water. In my logs
from 1999, I mentioned how Steve Tyree hoped manufacturers would
create a device that has the wide, low velocity stream of the Reeftecs
and Tunze Streams.
As a gadget
freak, I can't wait to see what type of "propeller" powerheads
come out in the next five years.
|
Reeftec
PE-1 |
Tunze Turbelle
Stream 6080 |
Cost |
$97 ($50
for Reeftec Enclosure and $47 for CAL E-200 pump) |
$167 |
Acrylic
Tank Use |
Extra $5
for custom bracket |
Bracket
Set 3000.26 (?$) |
Use with
wavemaker |
Yes? |
No |
Protective
grill over front propeller |
No |
Yes |
Flow |
10,000
gph ? |
2250 gph |
Motor |
Direct
Drive |
Magnetic
Drive |
Wattage |
33 watts |
17 watts |
Websites |
Reeftec |
Tunze |
Where to
purchase |
Reeftec
(for enclosure) and
Pumpworld (for pump) |
Marine
Depot or Champion
Lighting |
Technical
Questions |
Jimmy
Chen |
Roger
Vitko |
Looking over the table I put together above, the PE-1 is definitely
a less expensive solution. I really appreciate how you can order
a custom bracket from Reeftec if you have an acrylic tank, and how
easy it is to swap in a new motor. On the other hand, the Tunze
Stream is a much more refined product. The design and quality of
the Stream is unparalleled compared to other aquarium products I've
purchased. I feel like the Stream has been thoroughly tested, and
will provide longterm service. I really appreciate the protective
grill over the front of the Stream's propeller. It's too bad that
one has to pay a lot more in order to get cyclic wave effects from
the Stream technology. The Reeftec was out first, and I don't think
the Little Giant PE-1 should ever have been suggested as pump because
it's obvious the PE-1's shaft can't handle the corrosive qualities
of saltwater. From what
I've read, it appears the CAL E-200 pump will be a good solution.
I've put down the flow rate given off the Reeftec and Tunze websites,
but from what I've seen firsthand, the Stream 6080 pushes a lot
more water than the Reeftec PE-1. Someone should do a test with
the strips for both the Reeftec and the Stream similar to the Richard
Harker test in his Reeftec review in Advanced Aquarist.
I purchased the Reeftec with the clear enclosure since I like to
see how things work (my wife often wonders why I show such interest
in spinning propellers), and I figured the enclosure would eventually
get covered with coralline. But in retrospect, I think the black
acrylic option would look better in a tank. I think the Reeftec
design represents American ingenuity at its best. It's basically
a DIY design which is constantly being refined. The two modifications
I would make are a grill over the front of the propeller, and a
better way to keep the grill over the top of the pump (ziptie has
been my solution), but overall it does a great job. Its square design
really reminds me of a Hummer, and it has the power to match. The
Tunze Stream on the other hand is a refined design that I presently
can't find anything to modify. Its curves, power, and price (especially
for the electronically controlled models) really remind me of a
Porsche 911 Turbo.
As a final note, I've had a great experience dealing with both Jimmy
Chen of Reeftec and Roger Vitko of Tunze USA. If there are any questions
or issues (thanks for the replacement drive dogs, Jimmy!) regarding
their products, both are very quick to respond.
Photos of the Reeftec PE-1
and the Tunze Turbelle Stream 6080.
Roger Vitko's (Tunze USA) reply to my review:
Thanks for the review. I appreciate your words. I did want to clarify
two points. On Off cycles will not destroy the pump per se. The
danger is - well first some technical details. From a physics stand
point it is very difficult to make a mag drive prop pump. The propeller
of course pulls forward pulling the magnet out of place and stopping
the pump. The solution is to use a centrifugal side brace brake
mechanism as our pumps do. The brake shoes can be broken by a wavemaker
because they do not get time to retract and for the pump to run
properly, they are always in a state of working to correct the start
up pressures. If the pump is locked up and not spinning no water
is pumped through to cool the motor. In the long run this will ruin
the thermostatic switch and could ruin the pump but the switch has
a 100,000 cycle life. It is most likely that a wavemaker will ruin
the brake shoes only and possibly cause some damage to the magnetic
drive assembly. Regarding the holders, I understand what you are
saying with regards to the holders. I really try to accommodate
people on this issue and if they can send me a jpg of the aquarium
I can and will build them a holder. We sell our pumps worldwide,
France and Germany make up 70% of Tunzes market, the rail system
is an excellent solution for trimless glass tanks which are by far
the norm in Europe. Despite my pleading I can only work with what
we have, the US market is a dwarf compared to Europe and Asia, finally
this year we beat Brazil and maybe next year my sales will beat
Russia’s. I have to work with the system we have as the cost
of producing a mold for a bracket for US tanks would never be paid
for in sales. On Oceanic we have a very good solution, in large
part I owe many thanks to Oceanic who provided a sample of Trim
to the factory in Germany. Acrylic is something I have never seen
used in Europe, Glass is too cheap and in any major city their is
an aquarium manufacturer, it is a lot different from here. We were
really unprepared for Acrylic. I wish I could say otherwise. I really
appreciate your comments, Thank You!
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