It's been just under a year since I installed the Gyre 150 on my system. I thought it was time to share my thoughts on how it has performed over the past year and how the Icecap is a must for owners of the Gyre.
A few thoughts on the Gyre
Coralife claims the Gyre is noisy during the break in period for a few months. It is still noisy after almost a year and hasn't calmed down. However, I have noticed the dirtier it is the noisier it gets. Switching out the outside covers and rotors every other month seems to keep the noise level at a minimum. I clean the entire pump every six months.
The Gyre has maintained the incredible power that it had the day I installed it and I still run it at 40 to 50% power level.
I found my tank mates prefer that I run it in pulse mode with a few second delay between pulses. However, Coralife doesn't recommend pulse mode all the time as they say it may compromise the tanks seals from too much varied pressure.
It's very customizable as it can be run vertically, horizontally or anywhere in between.
You can't trust putting it in feed Mode as it may not come back on. I'm very forgetful at times and have come back to the tank later to find its still in feed mode. As such, I don't use the feed mode.
IceCap addon
This week I finally got around to installing the IceCap and I have to say, if you have an Apex it's a must. I believe the are a few other controllers it will work with as well.
The Icecap allows you to program the Gyre to mimic Vortech modes. Currently I just have mine programmed to ramp up in the morning from 30 to 50%, then pulse throughout the day. It then ramps down into a lower constant flow overnight. I'm sure I'll add more options as I Play around with the programming.
With the Apex you can set the pulse to ramp up to the pulse which has completely erased the noise that it previously had. To me that alone is worth the price of admission.
The Gyre with the Icecap really makes this an incredible powerhead. Your programming options are limited only by your imagination and preferences. It reduces the need for multiple power heads in the tank and maintains a low profile. All in all its a great investment.
A few thoughts on the Gyre
Coralife claims the Gyre is noisy during the break in period for a few months. It is still noisy after almost a year and hasn't calmed down. However, I have noticed the dirtier it is the noisier it gets. Switching out the outside covers and rotors every other month seems to keep the noise level at a minimum. I clean the entire pump every six months.
The Gyre has maintained the incredible power that it had the day I installed it and I still run it at 40 to 50% power level.
I found my tank mates prefer that I run it in pulse mode with a few second delay between pulses. However, Coralife doesn't recommend pulse mode all the time as they say it may compromise the tanks seals from too much varied pressure.
It's very customizable as it can be run vertically, horizontally or anywhere in between.
You can't trust putting it in feed Mode as it may not come back on. I'm very forgetful at times and have come back to the tank later to find its still in feed mode. As such, I don't use the feed mode.
IceCap addon
This week I finally got around to installing the IceCap and I have to say, if you have an Apex it's a must. I believe the are a few other controllers it will work with as well.
The Icecap allows you to program the Gyre to mimic Vortech modes. Currently I just have mine programmed to ramp up in the morning from 30 to 50%, then pulse throughout the day. It then ramps down into a lower constant flow overnight. I'm sure I'll add more options as I Play around with the programming.
With the Apex you can set the pulse to ramp up to the pulse which has completely erased the noise that it previously had. To me that alone is worth the price of admission.
The Gyre with the Icecap really makes this an incredible powerhead. Your programming options are limited only by your imagination and preferences. It reduces the need for multiple power heads in the tank and maintains a low profile. All in all its a great investment.
