The Vectra Barb & Strainer kit is a new pre-filter option for users of Ecotech Marine’s Vectra centrifugal pumps. These new fittings use the new larger diameter of the series 2 Vectra pumps’ inlet and outlets to connect and disconnect quickly from the pump body with a union fitting.
We presume that the barbed fittings and intake strainers will be sold separately, but you probably should only really be using the barb for the outlet, and the strainer as a bonafide strainer for the intake. We can only think of a few very specific applications wherein you might want to use soft vinyl tubing for any part of Vectra plumbing, but mostly for the return to some reef ready style aquariums.
But clearly the star of this new release is going to be the very high surface area intake strainer, which function as an all important pre-filter. Up until now there hasn’t really been a commercially available option for protecting the sturdy but vulnerable moving parts of the inside of a Vectra pump.
This new Vectra strainer is literally going to be a pump-saver by preventing any errant snails, tubeworms, unwanted debris, but mostly snails from getting sucked up into the pump. This new strainer was specially designed to be modular so it can be cut down to size, or even expanded since it is compatible with standard PVC fitting diameters, and then you can cap off the end with the included plug.
Pricing and release date for the Vectra Barb & Fitting kits have not yet been available but it shouldn’t be too pricey, and we should see them before the end of the year.
