The Gyre XF330 is the smaller of two new second generation water movers from Maxspect, a company which was once only know for LED aquarium lighting. It’s hard to imagine it’s been only four years since the novel Gyre pump was first revealed as the ‘Riptide’ pump but the Gyre pump has cemented itself into the reefing collective when we think of efficient water movers.
When it was first released the Gyre pump wasn’t very robust, the controller was pretty limited, and there was no way to link up two pumps to work together. The motors and bearings were definitely more audible than comparable water movers and don’t even think about wireless connectivity or dynamic programming.
The newly released Maxspect Gyre XF330 & XF350 are true next generation of the company’s flagship pump which is so much better in every way. However, you can’t really see too many obvious physical differences between Maxpsect’s first release of the Gyre pump and today’s latest XF330 & XF350 because virtually all the most important improvements are on the inside.
Over the years Maxspect has made incremental improvements to the Gyre pump, beginning with improved bearings and rotors, a more robust pump ‘cage’, vibration dampening magnet mounts. The Gyre XF pumps also got a much better programmable controller with wireless capabilities using the Syna-G hub, and the controllers eventually grew to include models which serve up two pumps at a time.
Maxspect’s Gyre XF330 & XF350 pumps include all of these improvements out of the box but the real big improvement is the newly enabled Sine-wave drive signal technology which provides virtually silent operation – you seriously have to put your ear up to the pump and even then the swishing of the water is more audible than any kind of motor noise.
Maxspect really made rapid progress in refining and perfecting the hardware of the Gyre XF330 & XF350 but the software of the controller and the app have come a really long way as well. Where many other manufacturers of high performance water pumps simply followed the lead of the major players Maxspect has made really carved out an original user interface with novel flow patterns and unique programs.
The only real notable physical difference that comes with the new Gyre XF330 & XF350 is the inclusion of optional deflectors. AT first we thought these were built onto the outlet of the Gyre pumps but these actually clip on so you can use, both or none depending on preference.
Since the flow exiting the Gyre pumps is already fairly laminar the deflectors don’t do much for straightening the flow but they certainly help with placing the pumps closer to the water surface – key for efficient mass water movement – without creating vortices that draw in air.
This newfound feature has been especially useful at the Reef Builders Studio where a Gyre XF330 is being used to supplement water flow in a very shallow flat coral aquarium. Without the deflectors the pump can only be pushed to around 60% before they began to suck air, mounted one inch underwater, but with the deflectors the Gyre XF330 can run at full power while very occasionally creating vortices.
If you were a fan of Maxspect’s Gyre pumps before, then the XF330 & XF350 will be a welcome upgrade, especially of users of the early generation models. We’ve really enjoyed the XF330 Gyre for the very specific application on a very shallow coral aquarium, but stay tuned as we’ve got a pair of Gyre XF350 slated for use on one of the first coral reef displays here at the Studio.
