EcoSmart User Manual Revision 1.
Contents Page Chapter 1: Before You Start Section 1.0: Introduction 3 Section 1.1: Safety Warnings 4 Chapter 2: Your VorTech Propeller Pump Section 2.0: VorTech MP40w EcoSmart 6 Section 2.1: VorTech MP10 EcoSmart & MP10w EcoSmart 7 Chapter 3: Setup Your VorTech Section 3.0: Pump Positioning 8 Section 3.1: Spacing VorTech Pump 9 Section 3.2: Attaching VorTech Pump 10 Section 3.3: Aligning VorTech Pump 11 Section 3.
Before You Start Introduction Thank You For Choosing EcoTech Marine! EcoTech Marine has revolutionized reef aquarium propeller pumps with its award-winning line of VorTech products and accessories for aquariums ranging from 2.5 to 500+ gallons. Every product from EcoTech Marine is backed with our industry-leading customer service. Please Register Your Product Registering your product guarantees that you will receive service and support in the event of a warranty claim.
Before You Start IMPORTANT: Safety Warnings • The VorTech utilizes very powerful magnets and can cause severe personal injury. • NEVER connect the two halves of this device without a proper spacer in-between. • NEVER place either half of this device near magnetically attractive surfaces or sensitive electronics. • The motor and driver can become HOT. Be cautious around these surfaces. • Never run the pump dry as the heat buildup may cause damage to its components.
Before You Start IMPORTANT: Safety Warnings (cont.) • Close supervision is necessary when an appliance is used by or near children. • To avoid injury, do not contact moving parts or hot parts such as heaters, reflectors, lamp bulbs, and the like. • Always unplug an appliance from an outlet and battery backup when not in use, before putting on or taking off parts, and before cleaning. • Never yank cord to pull plug from outlet. Grasp the plug and pull to disconnect.
Your VorTech Propeller Pump VorTech MP40w EcoSmart Propeller Pump The award-winning technology of the MP40w provides wireless operation on tanks between 50 and 500+ gallons, producing 200 to 3,200 gallons per hour of flow and the smallest in-tank footprint for full-size reef aquariums.
Your VorTech Propeller Pump VorTech MP10 EcoSmart & MP10w EcoSmart Propeller Pump Designed especially for nano-reef aquariums, the MP10 and MP10w from EcoTech Marine are small yet powerful pumps. The MP10 and MP10w—ideal for tanks from 2.5 to 50 gallons—create gentle flows of 200 to 1,575 gallons per hour, helping the tanks feel more like the ocean.The MP10 and MP10w share the same award-winning technology as the MP40w and lets you take full control of the flow.
Setup Your VorTech Pump Pump Positioning Preparation Once you have chosen the location where you wish to install your VorTech pump, clean away any algae, calcified or otherwise using an aquarium scraper. Use caution when using an aquarium scraper. Notes on Placement The VorTech pumps create a large amount of low velocity flow within your aquarium. Take care to place the VorTech in a suitable location where corals are not directly in the line of flow.
Setup Your VorTech Pump Spacing VorTech Pump Adjusting the Pin Spacer (MP40w ES Only) • The VorTech pump is designed to operate with a constant gap between both halves of the device. The pin spacer is used to ensure the proper spacing for various aquarium wall thicknesses. • Make sure to measure your aquarium’s glass thickness using a ruler or contact the aquarium manufacturer in order to determine the exact thickness.
Setup Your VorTech Pump Attaching VorTech Pump Once you have chosen where to place your pump and you have prepared the area for placement you are ready to begin attaching your VorTech Pump to the tank. Follow these instructions to ensure your pump is properly attached and will function properly. • Attach the motor assembly • Apply the rubber gasket at the chosen location for the VorTech pump, on the outside of your aquarium. • Apply the cord mounting tab approximately 2” (50.8mm) above this location.
Setup Your VorTech Pump Aligning VorTech Pump • Turn the speed up to the maximum speed by using the speed control knob on the driver. • Plug the power supply into the driver. If vibration or noise is detected, carefully adjust the propeller housing by moving it VERY slightly left, right, up or down, until the noise/vibration is eliminated or minimized as much as possible. • After alignment has been ensured, turn the speed control knob to achieve the desired flow rate within your aquarium.
Setup Your VorTech Pump EcoSmart Driver (wireless and non-wireless) The EcoSmart driver unlocks the full potential of your VorTech pump by allowing you to be in complete control. Capable of controlling your VorTech pump in a variety of different ways, the EcoSmart driver allows for virtually endless flow possibilities within your reef tank. Please note that not all EcoSmart drivers are wireless enabled. If your EcoSmart driver is wirelessly enabled the ‘w’ at the top of the driver will illuminate blue.
Setup Your VorTech Pump Powering Your EcoSmart Driver You EcoSmart Driver now has the capability to be turned off without unplugging the power supply from your driver. When turned on, the option button can be used simultaneously with either the set or mode buttons to perform certain configurations. To turn on or off your driver, simply just press the power/option button.
Setup Your VorTech Pump Master/Slave/Independent EcoSmart controlled VorTech pumps work together in ways not previously possible to create a variety of flow options. The EcoSmart driver comes out of the box in Independent mode. In Independent mode, the EcoSmart driver does not broadcast wireless signals for other pumps to hear (with the exception of Feed Mode, which all pumps broadcast and all pumps listen for). If you are only running one VorTech propeller pump, then this will be ideal for you.
Setup Your VorTech Pump Assigning Master/Slave Relationship NOTE: When using a single VorTech pump, no master/slave configuration is necessary When using two or more VorTech pumps, you will want to establish pump groups to coordinate the operation of multiple pumps. A pump group consists of one master pump and at least one slave pump. There can only be one master pump per group which can include an unlimited number of slave pumps.
Setup Your VorTech Pump Assigning Master/Slave Relationship (cont.) PRESS Mode • Assign the Master - Set the master pump by pressing the mode button. The control dial will then blink blue and green. You are now ready to assign slave pumps. • Assign the Slaves - Set the slave pump by pressing the set button on the driver. The control dial will then blink blue and yellow. NOTE: If the slave blinks blue and red, it was too far away from the master driver and could not communicate properly.
Setup Your VorTech Pump Assigning a Local Max Speed to a Slave While normally you cannot change the speed of a slave pump, because the speed is determined entirely by the master pump, with the EcoSmart driver you now have the ability to control the maximum speed of individual slave pumps independently from the master.
Operational Modes Navigating between modes To navigate between the different modes, use the mode, set and option buttons along with the control dial. Modes will be distinguished by the distinct color of the dial and/or the illumination of specific blue LED’s on the LED strip. The following will guide you through navigating between each mode. For more information on each specific mode, see the full description of each mode in the next section of the manual.
Operational Modes EcoSmart Operational Modes EcoSmart TSM (Tidal Swell Mode) This EcoSmart mode is used to create a harmonic balance in your aquarium reminiscent of the changing flow conditions that would be found in nature. In this mode, your EcoSmart master driver will be purple and your slave driver will flash white/orange/teal and indicate it speed by the LED strip. The first two LED’s will indicate which EcoSmart mode you are in.
Operational Modes EcoSmart NTM (Nutrient Transport Mode) In this EcoSmart mode, water is circulated in a two phase program to promote maximum health and nutrient export, as well as increased growth for sensitive corals such as SPS. In this mode,your EcoSmart master driver will be purple and your slave driver will flash white/orange/teal and indicate its speed by the LED strip. The third and fourth LED’s will indicate which EcoSmart mode you are in.
Operational Modes General Operational Modes Constant Speed Mode In Constant Speed Mode (indicated by a green LED on the knob) the pump runs continuously at a constant speed which can be user-set. When in constant mode, slave pumps will only sync with the master pump, there is no antisync. When you change speed, the speed of the pump will be represented by the LED bar. To navigate to the mode, press the mode button until the control dial turns green.
Operational Modes Reefcrest Random Mode Reefcrest Random Mode mimics a high-energy reef zone such as that found on the reefcrest of a natural coral reef. In this zone of the coral reef, the waves crash down upon the reef providing frequent surges in flow. Reefcrest Mode simulates this environment by automatically changing the speed of your pump frequently and drastically. Once selected in Reefcrest Random Mode.
Operational Modes Short Pulse Mode Short Pulse Mode allows for pulsing the pump from minimum to a set maximum speed for between 0.3 seconds and 2 seconds per pulse for the MP40w and between 0.25 seconds and 1.5 seconds for the MP10 and MP10w. This mode is generally used when one wants to create a resonant standing wave in the aquarium.
Operational Modes Long Pulse Mode Long Pulse Mode allows for pulsing the pump from minimum to a set maximum of between two seconds and one minute per pulse. This mode is ideal for the creation of gyre flow within the aquarium. To create a gyre, a minimum of four pumps is ideal. Two pumsp would be placed on one side of the aquarium and two pumps on the other side of the aquarium. The pumps in opposite corners will be synced together and the other two pumps would be anti-synced.
Operational Modes Auto-Tune With the new EcoSmart driver, making a wave form in your tank is made easy with Auto-Tune functionality. Follow the sequence outlined in the diagram below to utilize the Auto-Tune function in simulating a wave in your reef tank environment. Once you have entered into Auto-Tune Short Pulse Mode, adjust Short Pulse the speed to your desired O Press Set when you intensity then tap Set. Now, Set /Ppwtion r see a desired wave typically you would tune the form in your tank.
Operational Modes Other Modes Feed Mode Feed mode is used to slow down your pump for a period of time to allow for spot feeding sensitive corals and fish. During Feed Mode, the pump will automatically slow down and stay at this slower speed for a duration of time. When this time is complete, the pump will resume normal operation in whatever mode it was previously in. In this mode, your EcoSmart master driver will flash white and your slave driver will also flash white.
Operational Modes However, if your home experiences long power outages such as those that occur during blizzards or hurricanes, it may be in your best interest to run the pump at a slow speed, and manually move the pumps to the top of your tank to increase the surface turbulence as much as possible. This will ensure that the pumps last as long as possible while on Battery Backup Mode, while still providing adequate oxygen for your tank environment to survive a power outage.
Operational Modes Configuration Mode Configuration Mode is used to define settings for the following: Battery Backup speed, Night Mode speed and time, Feed Mode speed and time and Auto-Dim time. These modes operate automatically depending on the settings that you define. The Configuration Menu is entered by pressing and holding all three buttons during any normal operational mode. At this point the control dial led will blink orange and white and the first two blue LED lights will illuminate brightly.
Operational Modes At this point, you can press the set button to cycle through the different values that the current setting can be saved to. Use the following table to help determine the setting values indicated by the brightly illuminated LEDs a night.
Operational Modes Night Mode Time: Example: Setting 1: 6 hour night Setting 2: 8 hour night Setting 3: 10 hour night **Default Setting Setting 4: 12 hour night Setting 5: 14 hour night Driver shown here in Night Mode Time Configuration Mode Setting, showing that it is set to a 6 hour night and default being a 10 hour night.
Operational Modes Feed Mode Time: Example: Setting 1: 5 minutes Setting 2: 10 minutes **Default Setting Setting 3: 15 minutes Setting 4: 20 minutes Setting 5: 30 minutes Setting 6: 60 minutes Auto-Dim Time: Driver shown here in Feed Mode Time Configuration Mode Setting, showing that it is set to the 5 minutes and default being 10 minutes.
Pump Configuration for EcoSmart What does EcoSmart mean to you? With EcoSmart, EcoTech Marine has taken the guess-work out of positioning and setting up your pumps and automated the process of creating the best environment for your coral reef. All you need to do is follow our recommendations on pump positioning and then select the EcoSmart mode of your choice; EcoSmart does the rest, orchestrating your pumps to work together, providing the most efficient flow and wave conditions.
Pump Configuration for EcoSmart Horizontal and vertical positioning of your pump on the glass With EcoSmart, we take the guess work out of where to place your pumps and how to make the most use out of our modes. However, the precise position of any one pump on a pane of glass is still something which must be optimized to your particular aquarium. To accomplish this, follow the guidelines outlined below.
Pump Configuration for EcoSmart Common tank configurations and our recommended pump positioning Rectangle Tank This tank represents a standard rectangular aquarium where pumps can be positioned on either side or on the back of the tank. For this aquarium the master pump running an EcoSmart mode should be positioned on either the left or right side of the tank (our illustration shows the master positioned on the right side of the tank).
Maintenance General Manintenance Cleaning your VorTech The VorTech may need thorough cleaning of the components periodically to keep it running optimally. This can be accomplished by disassembling the wet half of the pump and gently brushing the components with a soft brush under running water. Soaking these parts in a mild acid solution such as vinegar may be necessary if there is an extreme amount of calcium buildup. Do not use strong acids as this may damage the components.
Maintenance Wireless Driver Firmware Upgrade Note: EcoSmart Drivers only upgrade other EcoSmart Drivers. Any EcoSmart driver with newer firmware can upgrade another EcoSmart Driver regardless of the model number (i.e. MP10w ES can upgrade a MP40w ES). EcoTech Marine is continually upgrading and making your EcoSmart Pump better. Because of this, your driver may not have the latest firmware. Fortunately, EcoTech makes it easy to upgrade your Drivers firmware.
Maintenance The upgrade process is started process takes approximately two and one half minutes. The upgrade is still in progress while the latest driver flashes red/green/red/blue quickly and the older driver flashes blue and white quickly. The process is complete when both drivers flash one of the following colors to indicate the outcome of the upgrade. Upgrade Completed Successfully: Both Drivers now have th same Firmware. Upgrade Failed: Communication Error. Retry Firmware Upgrade Process.
Maintenance Pump Disconnect Error Protection The VorTech pump can automatically shut itself down in the event that a motor and wetside decouple from one-another. To set up this mode, you must calibrate your motor using the following sequence of operations: Go into Feed Mode by holding the Mode button for three seconds. Feed Mode is indicated by a blinking white light. Hold the motor in your hand, separate from the wet side.
Maintenance Full Driver Memory Clear In order to clear out a saved wave you must perform a full memory clear on the master driver. Different from the normal memory clear, a full driver memory clear will any and all configured settings (i.e. feed mode time, battery backup speed, etc) and restore them to the original default settings. In order to do this, follow the steps below. HOLD Mode + Set *After you hotd Mode and Set your control dial will blink red/ white/blue.
Troubleshooting Error Codes Flashing Red LED • Issue: Pump disconnect error • Resoltuion: See section 6.0: Pump Disconnect Error Protection Flashing Red/Orange LED • Issue: A component in the motor has gone bad • Resolution: If you are under warranty, contact EcoTech Marine for a replacement motor. If you are outside warranty, visit the parts store at www.ecotechmarine.com to purchase a new motor.
Troubleshooting FAQS • What is EcoSmart and what effect does it have on my tank? EcoSmart is the new improved driver for your VorTech pump. This driver has more functionality than older Wireless Wave Drivers, including the new EcoSmart modes. For more information Chapter 5: Pump Configuration for EcoSmart Modes. • Where do I find information on how to upgrade my Generation 2 Wireless Wave Driver to the new EcoSmart driver? On our website, www.ecotechmarine.
Appendix Contact Us If you have more questions about your VorTech Propeller pump, please feel free to visit us on our website at www.ecotechmarine.com. There you will find more information on EcoTech Marine and their products, including How-To videos, FAQs and EcoTech’s warranty/service parts store. The parts store offers the most commonly ordered service parts 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you still are experiencing issues, EcoTech Marine’s support staff is ready to help you.
Appendix Warranty EcoTech Marine warrants to the original purchaser only that the VorTech propeller pump will be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use for a period of (1) year from the date of original purchase if the product is installed and used properly and consistent with the User Manual. The VorTech propeller pump consists of a wet side operating unit that will be fully submerged in the aquarium and a motor and driver that must not be exposed to water at any time.
Appendix FCC and CE Warnings • This product carries an ingress protection rating of IPX0 and must not be immersed in water. • Danger: To avoid possible electrical shock, special care should be taken since water is employed in the use of aquarium equipment. For each of the following situations, do not attempt repairs yourself; return the appliance to the manufacturer for service or discard the appliance. • DO NOT immerse in water.
