Ecotech Marine Coral Fragging Tool Kit

Ecotech Marine Coral Fragging Tool Kit

Just in time for your holiday wishlist, the Ecotech Marine Coral Fragging Tool Kit is here...

The first thing that I have seen posted from hobbyists on forums and blogs about this item is something along the lines of, "$99?! I could buy all of these items separately for $X... [etc, etc, etc...]." Yes, you certainly COULD buy some inexpensive items and throw a kit together. Let's be frank (honest)- If you were already thinking that, then this product is probably not for you. Just as if you look at the Ecotech Marine Radion and say, "I could just build my own... [etc, etc, etc]"... then those lights are not for you either. It's okay, it happens.

Ecotech products command a premium and are not for everyone. That said, Ecotech is a growing business that has a strong and loyal customer following. This product is for the loyal fans, looking for quality and style. This Fragging Tool Kit is for the guy that has everything. The guy who likes high-end lighting, who sees value in Ecotech Lights and Pumps- the guy who takes so much pride in his aquarium, that he wants to have a great tool kit to propagate his coral. For that guy, he can now frag his coral in style.

(More information and photographs after the break...)

Sneak Peak: Ecotech Marine Reef Link

Ecotech Marine Reef Link 

The Ecotech Marine Reef Link has been rumored to exist on reef sites for several months now. It was initially 'leaked' online after some requests for US patents were filed. Well here it is in all it's glory.

It's a box, that looks very much like a router or Apple TV. The big question is what does it do?

Well, we know that it will be used to control Ecotech Marine wireless products such as the Vortech Pumps or the Radion XR30 lights.

Based on the ethernet plug, it appears that you will be able to control these devices wireless and remotely using EcoSmart Live software. This would make a lot of sense and seems like the next logical step. (More after the jump...)

Final Score

Final score:

Ecotech: 1 |  RBTA: 0

My RBTA decided to march itself into the wet side of an Ecotech Marine Vortech MP10. Guess who won.

(Picture after the jump)

Weekend Update

 

"Go Big Money, Go!"

I had a busy weekend, but I made some time for the aquarium. I mounted all my electrical components to the wall to keep them a little farther away from the tank (to hopefully prevent them from getting wet). I cut a piece of plywood about 24" x 15", painted the board to match the color of my wall, and mounted my Reef Keeper modules (except the head unit) and my aquarium's uncontrolled power bar to the board.

I reconnected my Reef Keeper Lite and was pleasantly surprised to see that even after a week, the internal memory had kept all of my programming. A couple updates to some timers and a new float switch added to this display tank as overflow protection (if the float on the display aquarium is turned on, my return pump will turn off), and we were back in business.The RKM-Net module connected to the system and my network with absolutely no trouble. I just plugged it back in and I was able to start viewing stats from my phone.

Wires will be cleaned up... I promise.

After mounting everything to a board and then to the wall, I started to route cables the best I could. There's still a lot of wires that I need to permanently route by either bunching together the wires or attaching directly to the board, however I'll have to tackle that job for a later day. In the picture below, you can see what it looks like now with out the wiring being cleaned up. The wiring will be channeled between the modules and bundled together to create a cleaner look. The blue "tags" are labels for each cord so that I know what every plug does. Although the picture does it little justice, the new setup is sadly much better than what I had before, and after cleaning up the wiring, should look really nice. At the top of the board, I will likely mount my Ecotech Marine Vortech controllers with Velcro. With these mounted, I'll still have a few extra inches to allow for future upgrades.

Vortech Controllers Join The Party...

Tank is looking better with RKL running the show.

VorTech MP10w ES

The quest to build my 60-gallon reef tank continues! As time progresses, I have made a mental wish list of upgrades awnd add-ons. An area that needed an urgent upgrade was water flow. Detritus was accumulating on top of and behind the rock work, and using only one power head was not providing sufficient flo.

There are many great options for water flow for every need and budget, but I wanted something controllable and powerful. I narrowed down my choices, and after weighing my options, I decided on the Ecotech Marine VorTech MP10w ES Propeller Pump. Well, not just one, I chose two.

The VorTech MP10w ES is simple and sleek. It is designed for aquariums from 2.5 – 50 gallons and has a flow rate of 200 to 1575 gallons per hour. A MP10 can accommodate aquarium glass up to 3/8 inch. (Is your tank larger, or glass thicker? No problem! Ecotech offers the MP40 (for aquariums 50-500 gallons) and the MP60 (120-1000+gallons). There’s a VorTech pump for everyone.)

Vortech pumps now are available in a "wireless" configuration. The wireless designation can cause confusion; there are still wires. The wireless aspect refers to the driver's ability to find other wireless units and sync the pumps. This allows for more than one pump to run the same operational mode.



MP-10w Specifications:

Flow: 200 to 1575 gph (750 -5962 lph)
Power Consumption: 8 to 18 watts
Maximum Tank Thickness: 3/8″ (9.5mm)
Appropriate Tank Size Range: 2.5 to 50 gal (9.5 -190L)
Dimensions: Wet Side- 2.5″ diameter by 1.5″ long (63.5mm x 38.1mm),
Dry Side – 2.5″ diameter by 2″ long (63.5mm x 50.8mm)
Clearance Needed Behind Aquarium: 2.25″ (57mm)

The pump build reflects quality, and Ecotech Marine backs their product with a 1 year warranty. The pump includes everything you need to completely install your Vortech. The kit includes cable mounts (and zip ties) and even Velcro to attach the driver to your stand.

The Vortech pump was easy to install. The directions included are easy to follow for setup, however I recommend downloading a copy of the full user guide when it comes to programming. The full user guide is also simple to follow, but goes into step-by-step instructions. I found these instructions were helpful for first time programming.

Step one: Open The box. Inspect the contents. Drool… Okay, don’t drool… You don’t want to damage the driver or the dry side.

Step two: Clean any algae from the mounting service. You may also want to clean the outside of the glass (tip: use RO/DI water and some paper towels).

Step three: Apply the rubber gasket (not needed for 1/4” or 3/8” glass) and cord mounting tabs.

Step four: Place the VorTech motor upon the black gasket (if used) and secure the cord using the mounting tab. Per the Quick Start Guide, “The cord must be positioned upwards so that if the VorTech were to fall off the aquarium, it does not swing and damage your aquarium or pump.”

Step five: Attach the wet side. I used the included foam pre filers. 

Step six: Mount the driver unit wherever desired.

Step seven: Plug everything in. Turn on to constant mode and turn speed control know to maximum. You can check alignment at this time. Move the wet side slightly (up, down, left, right) to minimize vibration.

Step eight: Choose desired operational modes. Set desired programming. For this step, I would recommend using the user manual: it goes into more detail. If you are using more than one pump, you will need to sync your wireless drivers, and designate master and slave pumps before selecting modes.

Step nine: Grab a tasty beverage and enjoy the work of art that is your aquarium. You may now safely drool.