User manual

Operational Modes
26
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. With your EcoSmart driver, to enter Feed
Mode, hold the mode button until the knob blinks white. You
can adjust the speed and duration for this mode using the
EcoSmart Configuration mode. See Section 4.5: Configuration
Mode for instructions on how to do this. The default speed is
set to 50% slower than the lowest speed of the pump for a
duration of 10 minutes. Also, the time remaining in feed mode
will be displayed by the LED strip.
Battery backup Mode
During a power outage, circulation to your aquarium is lost and oxygen levels within your
aquarium can plummet drastically and quickly. This can result in death of your fish and coral
inhabitants. In some cases, an entire aquarium can be destroyed. The EcoTech Marine Battery
Backup (sold separately) combined with your VorTech pump is a unique accessory which greatly
improves your likelihood of emerging from a power outage condition without any loss of livestock.
However, no single solution is guaranteed to work for all aquarium sizes and stocking levels.
Larger reef tanks with dense stocking levels of fish may require multiple VorTech’s and Battery
Backups in order to provide sufficient flow to keep fish and corals alive in the absence of power.
In the event of a power outage, your VorTech pump will automatically pull power from the Battery
Backup accessory and function in Battery Backup Mode. While in Battery Backup Mode, your
pump will operate at a reduced speed for as long as the battery is able to provide power, or until
power from the wall comes back.
With EcoSmart, you can manually select what speed
the pump will run at while in Battery Backup Mode. The
advantages to this are many, but most importantly this lets
you fine tune how long your pump will run while in Battery
Backup mode. The slower the speed, the longer the pump
will run. However, the slower the speed, the less oxygen will
be provided to your aquarium inhabitants during a power
outage. If you get frequent but short power outages, it may
be most advantageous to run your VorTech pump at as high
a speed as possible while in Battery Backup Mode, this way
your reef tank experiences very little difference from normal
operation during a power outage.
The illustration above shows the EcoSmart
driver in battery backup.
The illustration above shows the EcoSmart
driver in Feed Mode.
Section 4.4