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| Size | Dimensions | Tank Size | Noise Level | Longevity | Price |
| 230-2300 GPH | 10″ x 2.95″ x 1.57″ | 25-100 Gallons | Very Low | 2-6 Years | High |
Shipping in a nice, high quality metal box, the Maxspect Gyre XF-130 brings a whole new kind of water circulation to the tank. Unlike most powerheads, which deliver jets of flow, the Gyre 130 gives tanks a solid sheet of flow, which sweeps our tanks clean and eliminates any dead spots that jets would create. The price tag on the Gyres are pretty high, but the value the bring is even higher.
Set-up
Setting up the Maxspect XF-150 Gyre is an easy task, but setting the water controls is much more complex. We’ll get to that later, for now you can simply connect the Gyre to the magnetic mounting bracket. Next you will hold the exterior magnet in place, outside of the aquarium, while bringing down the magnetic mounting bracket on the inside of the aquarium. Keep a firm grip on the magnet as it can jump to the other once it gets closer. With the two magnets in place you can swivel the two grates to face whichever direction you will be using.
Noise, Issues & Odd Details
The first note is to anyone who will be using the pulse setting on the gyre. The Maxspect will make a rev up and down sound as the waves start and stop. While this is not too loud it is far more noticeable than a consistent hum of the same volume. It’s up to you whether this is distracting or not. You should also note that waves cause much more wear on the sides of your aquarium. Keep an eye on the silicone holding the glass together and either add new layers or replace the tank entirely if you notice any extreme damage. Coming home one day to 100 gallons of water poured all over the floor with your fish and corals trapped inside is certainly not worth the gamble of waiting to replace the tank.
As for the grates on the Maxspect Gyre 130, they are slightly too big. Owners of rabbit fish and butterflys should never install this powerhead, as their nipping nature will get their mouths inside the grate. This will tear them off, leaving the fish to either a disfigured life or instant death.
On the topic of the grates snails should not be used in tanks with the Gyre. Small snails can easily fit inside the grate and will often cause the motor to either stop or damage the rotors. Instead use a mixture of crabs, hermits and snails as your clean up crew.
A bit of good news is the cord. It measures a massive 3.5 meters, or 11.5′. This is divided between 1.5 meters from the power supply to controller and 2 meters from the controller to the pump. This allows you to place both the controller and pump wherever you like. Just note that the controller is indeed attached to the cord and is not wireless.
Cleaning The Maxspect XF-130
Cleaning out the Maxspect Gyre 130 is a quick process. Simply remove the magnetic mount and powerhead from the water. Next remove the brushing on both sides of the body. After this you will be able to turn and remove the grates with ease, giving you full access to the insides of the grate as well as the rotors. Simply reverse the process to reassemble the Gyre. Quick and easy.
Assembly
While cleaning is easy, dissembling and reassembling the Maxspect is a tough task and must be done in a very precise way. My best advise is to follow both this video and the official manual. Failure to reassemble the Maxspect perfectly will result in either poor water flow or complete product failure. Only try this if you are extremely confident. I used an old tackle box when doing this, as there are tons of small pieces you will need to keep separate.
Flow & Adjustments
The flows direction can be adjusted up and down by turning the grates on each end of the body. Keep in mind that one side of each grate will be the intake while the other is the output.
The water flow itself is highly customizable and can be dialed from 100% down to 10%. This is handy as many owners are not prepared for the full force Maxspect will bring to their tank. Simply dial it to where your corals and fish are happy. If you actually need more flow you can read my Maxspect XF-150 Review and decide between the two models.
Using The Maxspect Gyre Controller
The controller has come a long way since the introduction of the Maxspect Gyre. Currently there are 10 parts to recognize.
Switch Mode: This button has multiple functions. Pressing the button once will cycle between the 4 different modes. Holding the button for 4 seconds will turn the controller on/off.
Setup Mode: Begins the setup process. This turns the indicator light green. pressing the button again confirms the settings, exiting setup mode and returning the indicator light to blue.
Control Dial: This will be used to set both the timer and water flow speeds on the powerhead. This will be used for most every feature on the controller. The speed is set by turning the knob, with the number of lights indicating the percentage in increments of 10. Here’s a quick example:
Constant Speed Mode: This can be set to use either reverse or normal flow by twisting the dial counterclockwise or clockwise, respectively.
Pulsing Mode: This mode produces consistent waves in the tank and will also have you set the speed and direction as the first step. After that you will need to hit the setup button again to set the pulsing speed. This speed does not follow the 10% increments but instead goes as follows: .4s, .5s, .6s, .7s, .8s, .9s, 1s, 1.3s, 1.6s, 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, 7s, 8s, 9s, 10s, 20s, 30s. Press the Setup button again to exit
Alternating Gyre Mode: The most complex mode by far, alternating gyre mode creates a unique flow that no other powerhead can.
First you will need to set the normal water flow speed. Pressing the setup button again will switch to the reverse water flow speed. These will be the two speeds your motors will run throughout the cycle. After pressing the setup button again you will choose the duration between the alternating flows. These are much longer increments, but are depicted accurately on the dial as every 2 minutes to 12 hours. After that period of time the flow will switch between your two set speeds. Finally you can customize your gyro settings even further by installing the Different rotor types to different parts of the Maxspect. Initially there are one of each type a and b rotors, both with their own grates.
Feeding Mode: This button simply shuts off the Maxspect for 10 minutes and sets the indicator light to flashing blue. Once the 10 minutes is over the previous settings will resume and the indicator light will switch back to solid blue.
Warranty
The warranty on the Gyre is shockingly short, only one year long. When breaking the $200 price I expected longer. Still they will send you any and all replacement parts you need. After the warranty has ended you will need to purchase these yourself. Remember you will need to install any and all new parts yourself, so keep that manual handy!
Overall the Maxspect Gyre XF-130 brings a lot to the table that other powerheads simply can’t compete with. It doesn’t quite have the lifetime of Tunze, but the Gyre can easily replace multiple powerheads thanks to the sheet like flow it provides to tanks. If you are ready to get rid of dead spots once and for all the Maxspect XF-130 is just what you need.
