IceCap 3K Gyre Generation Flow Pump - Page 4

TroyHoot · 02/16/2017, 09:00 PM

Ordered one today for my 75g. Looking forward to trying it out. Hopefully its mostly quiet.

Rakie · 02/16/2017, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kendrid

That is going to be an insane amount of flow on a 32 cube. A Jebao RW-4 is plenty for that tank IMO.

I disagree wholeheartedly. I ran a Jebao PP-4, a Tunze 6015 and a Sicce 1.5 return on my 29g BioCube.

My 45g cube. I'm running 2 Sicce Voyager 3's (1200gph each) and a Sicce Syncra 4.0 Return Pump (950gph) and added a Gyre XF230, because in a 23x23x17" tank (Internal dimensions) 3350 gph was almost nothing.

I run an SPS only tank. There's a few nasty Acan's/Zoa's, but, well...

kendrid · 02/17/2017, 03:18 PM

Some of you have a lot of flow. I run a softie/LPS tank so crazy flow isn't what I am used to.

I received mine a few hours ago. My tank is an in wall along my office desk so noise is a big deal to me. At 50% it is silent, at 80% where I would like to run it I can hear it whirring.

With the controller it came with what I am going to do is run it at 50% during business hours, then crank it up at night so it can flush the tank. Without the advanced controller and it's programming capabilities I would probably have to send it back. Hearing a whirring noise while working is distracting to me.

I will report back in a few days to see if it quiets down once broken in.

My Jebao RW-8s and RW-15 (when it worked) were all dead silent even when I had my Apex ramp them up and down.

In regards to flow, this unit does not create enough flow for a 6' tank. It is great for what I need it for - creating an undertow and pulling stuff off of the sand. Along with two RW-8s I own it seem to be working great.

The manual is a joke and the controller takes some time to figure out. It could use another button or two to make programming easier.

david.faik · 02/17/2017, 05:29 PM

The Maxspect doesn't come with a foam guard but the same kind of fish net guard. I used the spares on my two Jebao units I have in another tank.

I found the Maxspect controller linking both mid sized units great in the tank where I have those set up. Really push and pull. Set so as one ramps up forward the other mirrors backward. This moves shed loads of water (on 40%) yet my polyps an in from the thing still love the flow and fully extend. (They get hit in waves by the slower reverse mode). The retailer advised not buying the smallest units, said less durable.

My bigger tank has the two CP40s plus some Vortechs, so synchronising not so necessary - everything just set very random.

They have only been in a few months but touch wood no quality issues (yet).

Find the flow very broad, and all can be positioned pretty near the surface without pulling down air, so in my tanks you don't see them as much as traditional pumps.

So far I'm delighted with both my fake and real ones. Gyre convert!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

david.faik · 02/17/2017, 05:40 PM

@Kendrid ... check your fans aren't back to front. I did that. Matters it seems.
You should get lots of water movement everywhere, rather than the more pointed flow of a trad pump.
All my corals are leaning or swaying, rather than a few getting battered. Zoas loving it.
I run mine pointed along the surface, length of tank, rather than vertical. When my skimmer decides to make micro-bubbles I can really see all the motion, otherwise it's less obvious. Very quiet.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ou8me2 · 02/18/2017, 03:27 AM

I think the problem is people are expecting too much for a gyre pump which is a budget-friendly option without breaking the bank. It's not meant to be high end and have all the bells and whistles. If it was as good as the higher end maxspect gyre they would risk losing business. They are tapping and new kind of client who doesn't want to pay 300+ for the real deal, obviously it's a smart strategy IMHO. It also competes with the Jebao gyre which has proven to be very unreliable so far. If this gyre can be reliable then they have a winner in my book.

Dealseer · 02/18/2017, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ou8me2

I think the problem is people are expecting too much for a gyre pump which is a budget-friendly option without breaking the bank. It's not meant to be high end and have all the bells and whistles. If it was as good as the higher end maxspect gyre they would risk losing business. They are tapping and new kind of client who doesn't want to pay 300+ for the real deal, obviously it's a smart strategy IMHO. It also competes with the Jebao gyre which has proven to be very unreliable so far. If this gyre can be reliable then they have a winner in my book.

I wasn't aware that there was a problem.

Str8linespeed · 02/18/2017, 09:31 AM

Well its been a week since I've had the 3k. So far Im very happy with it but I havent settled on my exact programming requirements yet. I've been running the same 4 programs all week. How I've been running this in my RSM 250 is as follows.

Midnight-8am Gyre is off just the dual return pumps providing flow

8am-12pm Random Mode set to run up to 30%

12pm-4pm Alternating Gyre set to run to 40% forward for 2sec. and reverse to 20% for 2 min.

4pm-9pm Alternating Gyre set to run to 20% forward for 20sec. and drops to 10% forward 5min.

9pm-midnight Constant Flow set to 10%

This setup seems to provide some nice flow throughout my tank. I would like to run it on some higher settings, but my LPS and softies get pretty angry.

I did notice some noise from the pump @ 20% but that went away with in a couple of days, I think it just had to break in. The pump is very silent while running forward or reverse and I have to say Im very happy with it.

kendrid · 02/20/2017, 11:46 PM

Update from my pump:

It does make noise even at 50%. The noise is way less than an Ecotech MP-40 but it isn't silent. I don't quite get how Jebao can make silent pumps but the big names can't. Most people probably wouldn't care but since I sit 4' from my tank 9 hours a day I want silent. I will be experimenting and adjusting more this week for those 9 hours.

I really like the fact the controller has so many programmable modes based upon time. During the hours I am near my tank I will be running it at 40% (or less) so it is quiet but at night I have it at 70% forward and reverse. The reverse gyre sucks up a lot of stuff off the sand. I have it near my overflow and it pushes a lot of stuff into the overflow.

Fun fact: the magnet says "Maxspect Gyre" in it. They didn't even bother to print new stickers.

For the price it is a good powerhead but I will say most of that is based upon the controller. With the original Maxspect controller I would not be happy with this powerhead.

kendrid · 02/20/2017, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dealseer

I wasn't aware that there was a problem.

The Jebao gyre's are garbage IMO. I had two and both made cricket noises and were loud as hell besides that. I returned them and went with standard Jebao pumps (RW-8 and 15). If you search here you will also see early motor failures on those powerheads.

2dawghouse · 02/21/2017, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kendrid

The Jebao gyre's are garbage IMO. I had two and both made cricket noises and were loud as hell besides that. I returned them and went with standard Jebao pumps (RW-8 and 15). If you search here you will also see early motor failures on those powerheads.

I have both the jebao cp40 (with the new gen 3 motor block) and now the new gyre xf250. I agree that the old motor blocks were crap but they put out some flow. The new motor blocks seem to be more low speed/high torque. They don't put out the flow of the old motor blocks but seem to last longer.

The gyre seems to be more of a broad/flushing flow and a humming noise on ramp up where the jebao seems to be more stream flow and whines as it ramping up.

TroyHoot · 02/21/2017, 03:15 PM

Anyone know how to disassemble the Icecap 3k for cleaning ? Not in the manual and not seeing it online anywhere.

Str8linespeed · 02/21/2017, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TroyHoot

Anyone know how to disassemble the Icecap 3k for cleaning ? Not in the manual and not seeing it online anywhere.

I've only gone as far as to remove the cages and blade assembly. Just twist and pull. There is an O-Ring on the cage, the blade assembly can then just be taken out. But thats all the farther I've gone with it.

TroyHoot · 02/21/2017, 03:45 PM

ok thanks. The cages felt like they moved out a little. But I didnt want to pull too hard and tear it up.

Instruction manual said cleaning instructions were later in manual. But nada on cleaning hehe.

I got mine today. Its in the tank now at 100% constant. Trying to break it in. the whine is pretty bad right now. Hopefully that gets better over night. Will see.

Str8linespeed · 02/21/2017, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TroyHoot

ok thanks. The cages felt like they moved out a little. But I didnt want to pull too hard and tear it up.

Instruction manual said cleaning instructions were later in manual. But nada on cleaning hehe.

I got mine today. Its in the tank now at 100% constant. Trying to break it in. the whine is pretty bad right now. Hopefully that gets better over night. Will see.

Good deal. I set mine up to run random up to 60% I really only had noise at 20%. I like my 3k

Dealseer · 02/21/2017, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Str8linespeed

Good deal. I set mine up to run random up to 60% I really only had noise at 20%. I like my 3k

Strange. Mine only has noise above 20%.

TroyHoot · 02/22/2017, 11:01 AM

Its still has a pretty audible humming today. Been chatting with Coralvue support. They say it takes a little time for the ceramic to break in and all the air to purge for the motor. Im running at 100% constant to break it in. I think it is a little quieter today though. Hopefully in a few days it will mostly be gone. Then I will play with placement and modes.

afish70 · 02/22/2017, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TroyHoot

Its still has a pretty audible humming today. Been chatting with Coralvue support. They say it takes a little time for the ceramic to break in and all the air to purge for the motor. Im running at 100% constant to break it in. I think it is a little quieter today though. Hopefully in a few days it will mostly be gone. Then I will play with placement and modes.

What size tank are you running it in? I heard people saying it was too much flow at 100%. I'm getting ready to buy one for my 90 mixed reef to help eliminate the Cyano issue I am currently having.

TroyHoot · 02/22/2017, 02:55 PM

75g. so same foot print. Yours is just a few inches taller. im cycling tank so only thing in it is rock and sand. 100% will be too much im sure. Im just trying to break it in first. It moves a ton of water.

Coralvue guy had me set it to alternating current. So i have it 10 seconds 100% forward. then 20 second slow down and ramp to 100% reverse for 10 seconds then 20 second ramp back up. He said this gives the motor a work out and should speed up the break in period. He didnt say run it at 100%, thats just what im doing.

Sound is getting a little better though. hopefully in a few days it will be mostly silent.

kendrid · 02/22/2017, 04:37 PM

Mine is still moving a lot of water fairly silently. Like another post said, when it ramps up and down you can hear it but it doesn't whine or chirp so it isn't too annoying. I used to have an MP-40 and from across the room I could hear it and my wife would often comment "you can you stand that noise?"

At 5 pm when I have it kick into 70% forward, 70% backward the backward flush pulls a lot of stuff off of the sand which is then blown into my overflow. Having it push water (and detritus) into my overflow is working great. When at 70% forward speed it does make my overflow a bit loud but it is worth it with the amount of detritus being pushed into my filter socks. This afternoon surge seems like it will keep my tank a lot cleaner. I tried doing similar with Jebao pumps and the Apex controller but it isn't the same.

Crabb · 02/22/2017, 08:13 PM

So I bought it for my 120 gallon. Got to agree with Kendrid, it does make a slight amount of noise. Of course, my tank is virtually silent though with my overflow and pump set-up into the basement. So the only other thing I hear is the fans cooling on my LED light. I gotta say it is a bit annoying, but as was mentioned, it's only really bad if running above 50%. Which I don't do simply because I have a softie tank and I don't need stuff closing up. Other than that, I love the quality for the price point.

scuzy · 02/22/2017, 08:20 PM

Looks about the same got mine in yesterday. It moves lots of water. But man it makes a hum noise about 10% maybe it needs to break in.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ericarenee · 02/22/2017, 08:47 PM

Thanks for the Reviews and opinions everyone..
I have 3 of them in my CART . Almost bought them today. But reading about the humming noises and with the Huge issue i had with the first gen gyre then the Cartography with the cross-wave.. I am a bit worried about these products .

First gen gyre . Impellers flew apart and broke.. Sent back to amazon because apparently others were having the same issue.... Cross-wave was just crap all the way around..

Thanks again ...

TroyHoot · 02/22/2017, 08:58 PM

As I posted above. I chatted with coralvue this morning. They told me its needs at least a few days to break in. He also suggested running it in alternating mode to work out the motor and speed up break in. Mine was very very annoying. Its still annoying, but getting better I think. But im ramping up to 100% and back to reverse 100%. Im hoping after a few days of this it will be alot quieter when i set it up for regular use.

Its the loudest thing in my system. I dont even have doors on my stand yet. Before the only thing i could hear was a slight hissing from the skimmer sucking air.

TroyHoot · 02/22/2017, 09:01 PM

forgot to mention. Build quality seems fine. Nothing seems cheap or easy to brake. I took screens off and impellers out to clean to see if that helped. All went back together fine.

I also ran it for about 15 seconds with only the motor. silent and could be. For whatever that tells us hehe.

02/17/2017, 03:18 PM	#78
kendrid Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Lake in the hills, IL Posts: 806	Some of you have a lot of flow. I run a softie/LPS tank so crazy flow isn't what I am used to. I received mine a few hours ago. My tank is an in wall along my office desk so noise is a big deal to me. At 50% it is silent, at 80% where I would like to run it I can hear it whirring. With the controller it came with what I am going to do is run it at 50% during business hours, then crank it up at night so it can flush the tank. Without the advanced controller and it's programming capabilities I would probably have to send it back. Hearing a whirring noise while working is distracting to me. I will report back in a few days to see if it quiets down once broken in. My Jebao RW-8s and RW-15 (when it worked) were all dead silent even when I had my Apex ramp them up and down. In regards to flow, this unit does not create enough flow for a 6' tank. It is great for what I need it for - creating an undertow and pulling stuff off of the sand. Along with two RW-8s I own it seem to be working great. The manual is a joke and the controller takes some time to figure out. It could use another button or two to make programming easier. Last edited by kendrid; 02/17/2017 at 03:24 PM.

02/17/2017, 05:29 PM	#79
david.faik Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 83	IceCap 3K Gyre Generation Flow Pump The Maxspect doesn't come with a foam guard but the same kind of fish net guard. I used the spares on my two Jebao units I have in another tank. I found the Maxspect controller linking both mid sized units great in the tank where I have those set up. Really push and pull. Set so as one ramps up forward the other mirrors backward. This moves shed loads of water (on 40%) yet my polyps an in from the thing still love the flow and fully extend. (They get hit in waves by the slower reverse mode). The retailer advised not buying the smallest units, said less durable. My bigger tank has the two CP40s plus some Vortechs, so synchronising not so necessary - everything just set very random. They have only been in a few months but touch wood no quality issues (yet). Find the flow very broad, and all can be positioned pretty near the surface without pulling down air, so in my tanks you don't see them as much as traditional pumps. So far I'm delighted with both my fake and real ones. Gyre convert! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ Using Tapatalk Current Tank Info: Mostly tangs, soft & hard corals Last edited by david.faik; 02/17/2017 at 05:35 PM.

02/17/2017, 05:40 PM	#80
david.faik Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 83	IceCap 3K Gyre Generation Flow Pump @Kendrid ... check your fans aren't back to front. I did that. Matters it seems. You should get lots of water movement everywhere, rather than the more pointed flow of a trad pump. All my corals are leaning or swaying, rather than a few getting battered. Zoas loving it. I run mine pointed along the surface, length of tank, rather than vertical. When my skimmer decides to make micro-bubbles I can really see all the motion, otherwise it's less obvious. Very quiet. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ Using Tapatalk Current Tank Info: Mostly tangs, soft & hard corals

02/22/2017, 08:13 PM	#96
Crabb Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Posts: 34	So I bought it for my 120 gallon. Got to agree with Kendrid, it does make a slight amount of noise. Of course, my tank is virtually silent though with my overflow and pump set-up into the basement. So the only other thing I hear is the fans cooling on my LED light. I gotta say it is a bit annoying, but as was mentioned, it's only really bad if running above 50%. Which I don't do simply because I have a softie tank and I don't need stuff closing up. Other than that, I love the quality for the price point. __________________ 120 gallon mixed reef, basement sump with RDSB, ATS, protein skimmer, refugium with live rock rubble. LED lighting, Iwaki 70RLT pump, dual reactor with carbon and GFO, RO/DI. Current Tank Info: Currently running: 120 Gallon Mixed Reef, 15 Gallon Basement RDSB, 25 Gallon Sump with Chaeto, Iwaki 70RLT return, Eshopps Skimmer, Reefbreeders Photon LED fixture, and steady as she goes .2ppm Nitrate...my proudest achievement!

02/22/2017, 08:47 PM	#98
ericarenee Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Louisville Kentucky Posts: 3,110	Thanks for the Reviews and opinions everyone.. I have 3 of them in my CART . Almost bought them today. But reading about the humming noises and with the Huge issue i had with the first gen gyre then the Cartography with the cross-wave.. I am a bit worried about these products . First gen gyre . Impellers flew apart and broke.. Sent back to amazon because apparently others were having the same issue.... Cross-wave was just crap all the way around.. Thanks again ... __________________ 240+G Mixed BB Reef tank.. 350 G Marine Pond. And the expensive stuff that runs it. Chic's are for Chic's You silly men Go Fishing or something... Current Tank Info: 240= gal Reef /550 Gallon Saltwater pond 72 G Bay front Tropical aquarium

02/16/2017, 09:00 PM	#76
TroyHoot Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 77	Ordered one today for my 75g. Looking forward to trying it out. Hopefully its mostly quiet.

02/18/2017, 03:27 AM	#81
Ou8me2 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 743	I think the problem is people are expecting too much for a gyre pump which is a budget-friendly option without breaking the bank. It's not meant to be high end and have all the bells and whistles. If it was as good as the higher end maxspect gyre they would risk losing business. They are tapping and new kind of client who doesn't want to pay 300+ for the real deal, obviously it's a smart strategy IMHO. It also competes with the Jebao gyre which has proven to be very unreliable so far. If this gyre can be reliable then they have a winner in my book.

02/18/2017, 09:31 AM	#83
Str8linespeed Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Oakdale, MN Posts: 461	Well its been a week since I've had the 3k. So far Im very happy with it but I havent settled on my exact programming requirements yet. I've been running the same 4 programs all week. How I've been running this in my RSM 250 is as follows. Midnight-8am Gyre is off just the dual return pumps providing flow 8am-12pm Random Mode set to run up to 30% 12pm-4pm Alternating Gyre set to run to 40% forward for 2sec. and reverse to 20% for 2 min. 4pm-9pm Alternating Gyre set to run to 20% forward for 20sec. and drops to 10% forward 5min. 9pm-midnight Constant Flow set to 10% This setup seems to provide some nice flow throughout my tank. I would like to run it on some higher settings, but my LPS and softies get pretty angry. I did notice some noise from the pump @ 20% but that went away with in a couple of days, I think it just had to break in. The pump is very silent while running forward or reverse and I have to say Im very happy with it.

02/20/2017, 11:46 PM	#84
kendrid Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Lake in the hills, IL Posts: 806	Update from my pump: It does make noise even at 50%. The noise is way less than an Ecotech MP-40 but it isn't silent. I don't quite get how Jebao can make silent pumps but the big names can't. Most people probably wouldn't care but since I sit 4' from my tank 9 hours a day I want silent. I will be experimenting and adjusting more this week for those 9 hours. I really like the fact the controller has so many programmable modes based upon time. During the hours I am near my tank I will be running it at 40% (or less) so it is quiet but at night I have it at 70% forward and reverse. The reverse gyre sucks up a lot of stuff off the sand. I have it near my overflow and it pushes a lot of stuff into the overflow. Fun fact: the magnet says "Maxspect Gyre" in it. They didn't even bother to print new stickers. For the price it is a good powerhead but I will say most of that is based upon the controller. With the original Maxspect controller I would not be happy with this powerhead.

02/21/2017, 03:15 PM	#87
TroyHoot Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 77	Anyone know how to disassemble the Icecap 3k for cleaning ? Not in the manual and not seeing it online anywhere.

02/21/2017, 03:45 PM	#89
TroyHoot Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 77	ok thanks. The cages felt like they moved out a little. But I didnt want to pull too hard and tear it up. Instruction manual said cleaning instructions were later in manual. But nada on cleaning hehe. I got mine today. Its in the tank now at 100% constant. Trying to break it in. the whine is pretty bad right now. Hopefully that gets better over night. Will see.

02/22/2017, 11:01 AM	#92
TroyHoot Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 77	Its still has a pretty audible humming today. Been chatting with Coralvue support. They say it takes a little time for the ceramic to break in and all the air to purge for the motor. Im running at 100% constant to break it in. I think it is a little quieter today though. Hopefully in a few days it will mostly be gone. Then I will play with placement and modes.

02/22/2017, 02:55 PM	#94
TroyHoot Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 77	75g. so same foot print. Yours is just a few inches taller. im cycling tank so only thing in it is rock and sand. 100% will be too much im sure. Im just trying to break it in first. It moves a ton of water. Coralvue guy had me set it to alternating current. So i have it 10 seconds 100% forward. then 20 second slow down and ramp to 100% reverse for 10 seconds then 20 second ramp back up. He said this gives the motor a work out and should speed up the break in period. He didnt say run it at 100%, thats just what im doing. Sound is getting a little better though. hopefully in a few days it will be mostly silent.

02/22/2017, 04:37 PM	#95
kendrid Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Lake in the hills, IL Posts: 806	Mine is still moving a lot of water fairly silently. Like another post said, when it ramps up and down you can hear it but it doesn't whine or chirp so it isn't too annoying. I used to have an MP-40 and from across the room I could hear it and my wife would often comment "you can you stand that noise?" At 5 pm when I have it kick into 70% forward, 70% backward the backward flush pulls a lot of stuff off of the sand which is then blown into my overflow. Having it push water (and detritus) into my overflow is working great. When at 70% forward speed it does make my overflow a bit loud but it is worth it with the amount of detritus being pushed into my filter socks. This afternoon surge seems like it will keep my tank a lot cleaner. I tried doing similar with Jebao pumps and the Apex controller but it isn't the same.

02/22/2017, 08:20 PM	#97
scuzy Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 6,499	Looks about the same got mine in yesterday. It moves lots of water. But man it makes a hum noise about 10% maybe it needs to break in. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

02/22/2017, 08:58 PM	#99
TroyHoot Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 77	As I posted above. I chatted with coralvue this morning. They told me its needs at least a few days to break in. He also suggested running it in alternating mode to work out the motor and speed up break in. Mine was very very annoying. Its still annoying, but getting better I think. But im ramping up to 100% and back to reverse 100%. Im hoping after a few days of this it will be alot quieter when i set it up for regular use. Its the loudest thing in my system. I dont even have doors on my stand yet. Before the only thing i could hear was a slight hissing from the skimmer sucking air.

02/22/2017, 09:01 PM	#100
TroyHoot Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2015 Posts: 77	forgot to mention. Build quality seems fine. Nothing seems cheap or easy to brake. I took screens off and impellers out to clean to see if that helped. All went back together fine. I also ran it for about 15 seconds with only the motor. silent and could be. For whatever that tells us hehe.