Echotech, in 45 years of fish keeping, the worst manufacture ever

[five.five-six]

I’ve just had it with Echotech, it’s the most complicated unreliable overpriced garbage I’ve ever owned in this hobby and by no small margin. Buy Tunze, it does what it’s supposed to fro manny many years and if not Roger makes it right ASAP

Roger aside, all other brands do about the same. Jebao, odysa (blast from the past) pretty much everything else yu take it out of the box, plug it in and it works.


Why is it that I can buy $5 Bluetooth keyboard on amazon shipped to my door same day and it works for years but a $500 echotech pump can’t seem to figure out how to get Bluetooth to not constantly crash?


Forget the 3-5X $$ ecotech cost over a quality product like jeabo, it’s the hours of my life wasted trying to troubleshoot new product, the corals and fish killed because I fell for this crap.

/rant


WTS M2 vectra cheep.

 

[jessesoto33]

How much for the M2?


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[dontavo27]

I’ve just had it with Echotech, it’s the most complicated unreliable overpriced garbage I’ve ever owned in this hobby and by no small margin. Buy Tunze, it does what it’s supposed to fro manny many years and if not Roger makes it right ASAP

Roger aside, all other brands do about the same. Jebao, odysa (blast from the past) pretty much everything else yu take it out of the box, plug it in and it works.


Why is it that I can buy $5 Bluetooth keyboard on amazon shipped to my door same day and it works for years but a $500 echotech pump can’t seem to figure out how to get Bluetooth to not constantly crash?


Forget the 3-5X $$ ecotech cost over a quality product like jeabo, it’s the hours of my life wasted trying to troubleshoot new product, the corals and fish killed because I fell for this crap.
/rant


WTS M2 vectra cheep.

Same I bought a G3 radion off some one and I don’t even want to deal with it. First $200 cash takes it!

 

[Tikalize]

Very true about Tunze and Roger stands behind the product that he represents. I have been using their pumps since early 2000's and they just work without fail. I have a pair of 20 year old 6100's in my closet that I can drop in during an emergency and they will do what they do best. Move a lot of water. I've had a couple motor blocks fail back in the day at separate times and Roger sent a replacement out (Received in 2 days) and discounted a upgraded block on the other. Thats a company that I will always spend my money with. I have a big Jebao return pump running two tanks /one sump and has been pumping for a few years now without a hiccup. I haven't cleaned that damn thing once. I have a brand new backup just in case. It seems like all the new "Flagship" pumps like the MP's and Gyre's require too much cleaning and are finicky when dirty. I have two Tunze 6150's and two 6105's that I haven't cleaned in over 2 years and they still move plenty water! I never felt the ecotech equipment. Controller or pumps. Yes the whole pump on the outside of the tank looked cool but if you have a wetside that took a sh*t throw it in the closet and go buy a Tunze and go about your life. Not hating on their product just not for me. I don't have time to re-design or mod their stuff to have a piece of mind.

 

[five.five-six]

How much for the M2?


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Why would you even want it? All echotech products are absolute crap, this one just happens to be the worst. Do you really want to lose half your aquarium because some idiotic firmware update that shuts your plum ot lights down for 6 months before they get around to fixing it?

$200 but I warned you. don’t get mad at me when all your sh!t dies.

 

[tygerjace]

The blutooth connectivity i have to agree is garbage. I don't have experience with their return pumps but with the lights. Multiple lights do not sync at the same time, sometimes it doesnt respond, you can't update some while one can etc....it is frustrating. Sorry to hear about your livestock loss.

 

[jessesoto33]

Maybe you got a bad one? I’m running a M2 right now and no problems. I don’t know how customer support is now a days but about 5 years ago they replace an out dates M1 for me.


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[Bck2hobby]

looking to get innovative marine 100 int - or AF OceanGuard 605 Aquarium (114 Gallon) - what Tunze's should i be looking at? powerheads.... TIA

 

[Tommy Ngo]

Why would you even want it? All echotech products are absolute crap, this one just happens to be the worst. Do you really want to lose half your aquarium because some idiotic firmware update that shuts your plum ot lights down for 6 months before they get around to fixing it?

$200 but I warned you. don’t get mad at me when all your sh!t dies.

How long have that pump been running?

 

[NickleCheese]

But their MP40 powerhead is good though.

 

[Tommy Ngo]

The biggest mistake Ecotech made was going from Wifi to Bluetooth connectivity.

 

[Smite]

I do love the flow of MP40s. I feel like the wet-side lifespan got shorter and shorter every time I replaced them. Whatever plating on the shaft didn't seem to hold up as well. It's hard to beat Tunze. Gyre is good but you need extra impellers/covers to make cleaning easy. They clogged up too quick and really reduce flow in my experience. Tunze not so much, maybe 25% after a month. I feel like Gyre with be 50% output after a month with no cleaning.

 

[five.five-six]

How long have that pump been running?

The first one 2 1/2 years at 45% replacement that I had to pay for flat out never worked.

they didn’t even take the time to read my email, just automatic reply from letter. For one of the most expensive product lines in the hobby, you would expect customer service to be at least as good as Jeabo. but it’s not.

 

[five.five-six]

looking to get innovative marine 100 int - or AF OceanGuard 605 Aquarium (114 Gallon) - what Tunze's should i be looking at? powerheads.... TIA

I use 6105s. They are great, as they age, replacement parts are easily available and the customer support from Roger is beyond compare.

 

[five.five-six]

Maybe you got a bad one? I’m running a M2 right now and no problems. I don’t know how customer support is now a days but about 5 years ago they replace an out dates M1 for me.


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I’m sure some of their stuff works. Can’t all be broken. I don’t know, maybe 100% fail rate some metrics they’re trying to aspire to But I’m sure they could screw that up too.

 

[five.five-six]

The biggest mistake Ecotech made was going from Wifi to Bluetooth connectivity.

You can buy a $10 Bluetooth speaker on Amazon and it will work flawlessly for years but spend $900 on an over priced light fixture from Ecotech and at the end of a long work day you’re gonna have to dick with it for hours to try and get it to work.

I honestly hope they go out of business, they are bad for the hobby.

 

[Bck2hobby]

I use 6105s. They are great, as they age, replacement parts are easily available and the customer support from Roger is beyond compare.

Thanks again much appreciated

 

[Tommy Ngo]

You can buy a $10 Bluetooth speaker on Amazon and it will work flawlessly for years but spend $900 on an over priced light fixture from Ecotech and at the end of a long work day you’re gonna have to dick with it for hours to try and get it to work.

I honestly hope they go out of business, they are bad for the hobby.

The new RF module does have the ability to do wifi (when stated when released from Ecotech), but they chose to went with bluetooth. I think Ecotech had done that so they can distance themself from Neptune at the time hoping to bank on the Mobius app. We all know how poorly Mobius was developed. Now Ecotech and Neptune are all under the same umbrella I think if you want to control all Ecotech and AI products you will be force to get and XMX module along with a Neptune Apex controller

Personally I have to admit I myself own (2) vortech, (2) xr30, 4-pack versa dosing station, and the vectra M1. The equipments work great, but the Mobius app is really frustrating from time to time. Ecotech need to hire someone better to help out developing the Mobius app.

I don’t believe Ecotech will go out of business, because they’re under that big monopoly umbrella which includes BRS and Neptune.

 

[five.five-six]

The new RF module does have the ability to do wifi (when stated when released from Ecotech), but they chose to went with bluetooth. I think Ecotech had done that so they can distance themself from Neptune at the time hoping to bank on the Mobius app. We all know how poorly Mobius was developed. Now Ecotech and Neptune are all under the same umbrella I think if you want to control all Ecotech and AI products you will be force to get and XMX module along with a Neptune Apex controller

Personally I have to admit I myself own (2) vortech, (2) xr30, 4-pack versa dosing station, and the vectra M1. The equipments work great, but the Mobius app is really frustrating from time to time. Ecotech need to hire someone better to help out developing the Mobius app.

I don’t believe Ecotech will go out of business, because they’re under that big monopoly umbrella which includes BRS and Neptune.

I don’t think there is any chance of echotech going out of business real soon but there’s always hope!

besides the fact that mobius doesn’t work way too often, the persist in pushing it. Even when it does work, it’s not intuitive at all. And then every so often they push a new version and the GUI is completely rearranged. You end up haven’t to watch through several overly self-promoting youtube videos before you get one that decodes the lates GUI.

IMO, the basic functions like “pump on” or “pump speed” should be very intuitive and right up front. Schedules, crest modes and various other bells and whistles should be left to advanced settings. It seems to me that an APEX is almost plug and play. You can just plug ATO pumps, and such to the documented EB8 ports and the tank will run without any programming. You can learn and program at your leisure but just getting it to work it’s set up out of the box.

 

[five.five-six]

finally got a response from a person, not a bot. Told me to re-calibrate the pump again. I’ve recalibrated it 3 times already. That took 7 attempts because the Bluetooth chip can’t seem to stay connected for more than a few minutes.


I work a lot, 15 hrs is not an uncommon day for me and I really don’t want to spend an hour or two doing beta testing and troubleshooting for Ecotech when I get home. I’d kinda like to spend some time with my wife and kids. Or maybe look at my tank. Watching a spinning wheel and “please wait” and “Don’t close this app” pop ups over and over for an hour or two isn’t my idea of a good time.