Wave controler vs standalone power heads

[Paste]

is there a benefit to having a wave controller as opposed to just power heads circulating the water?

My Koralia power heads say they support a controller... but do I really need/want one?

 

[poksal]

Well, my Vortex MP 10 does a great job of changing up the currents so the junk ends up in the down tube.. and it is a really neat high tech toy...
...mostly the last... I like it.

 

[Ted]

I have my Koralias on a wave maker. I like that it gives a pulsing motion in the tank. The movement with the corals is something that I like. I also feel the if the current is only one direction you end up with bent corals and to me that is just odd looking. :twocents:

 

[Bifferwine]

You don't need one. But you might still want one. :)

 

[FishyReef]

I set my tank up about 11 months ago and added a wavemaker - this product: Aquarium Systems Natural Wave Multi-Cycle Pump Timer - AquaCave.com I thought, "$50?! How great!" And it was for about 8 months. But the two 750gph powerheads that I had plugged in to it the cycling outlets stopped working a few months back. I had enough flow in my tank for it not to really make a difference. I've since replaced the impellers on both units ($20 each). If I were to do it again, I don't think I'd get this wavemaker. I'm now looking at upgrading to MP10s. Asked my LFS about them and they said that with this particular wavemaker, MP40s have been known to shatter the glass from turning on and off. Yikes! Anyhow, if you get a wavemaker, I'd recommend getting one that is actually designed for the particular pumps in your tank. Otherwise it turns them on and off and burns out the impellers/pumps in less then a year. Just my experience!

 

[poksal]

I set my tank up about 11 months ago and added a wavemaker - this product: Aquarium Systems Natural Wave Multi-Cycle Pump Timer - AquaCave.com I thought, "$50?! How great!" And it was for about 8 months. But the two 750gph powerheads that I had plugged in to it the cycling outlets stopped working a few months back. I had enough flow in my tank for it not to really make a difference. I've since replaced the impellers on both units ($20 each). If I were to do it again, I don't think I'd get this wavemaker. I'm now looking at upgrading to MP10s. Asked my LFS about them and they said that with this particular wavemaker, MP40s have been known to shatter the glass from turning on and off. Yikes! Anyhow, if you get a wavemaker, I'd recommend getting one that is actually designed for the particular pumps in your tank. Otherwise it turns them on and off and burns out the impellers/pumps in less then a year. Just my experience!

My MP10 kicks ass. .. not required.. but to get it away from me you would have a fight on your hands.. To me it does what would require three other power heads to do.

 

[Cheeser]

Ur corals will b a lot happier w a more random current. But u don't absolutely need a wave maker. I wouldn't worry about getting one unless u have everything else ur tank needs. I would go with the mp10.

 

[Northstar24]

An mp40 doesn't need to be on wavemaker. I don't see how it would shatter glass either. The Vortechs are not cheap, but soo much better than the other solutions I've tried for getting random flow in the tank

 

[yote]

An mp40 doesn't need to be on wavemaker. I don't see how it would shatter glass either. The Vortechs are not cheap, but soo much better than the other solutions I've tried for getting random flow in the tank

It's not that they've shattered the glass so to speak. It's that the ends of the tank have broken loose.
The stress of the water rocking back and forth weakens the silicone causing it to turn loose. The silicone can't handle the constant abuse of the weight of the water changing.

 

[Paste]

I can see that happening,
getting that much water moving that is a lot of force, have that over weeks, months, years...
without some support that can be dangerous....

 

[Northstar24]

It's not that they've shattered the glass so to speak. It's that the ends of the tank have broken loose.
The stress of the water rocking back and forth weakens the silicone causing it to turn loose. The silicone can't handle the constant abuse of the weight of the water changing.

Wouldn't this really only be a concern if you have a standing wave in the tank? On reef crest mode I don't actually get a standing wave in my tank, it really isn't any different then having a standard powerhead plugged into a wavemaker, the vortechs just run at randomly changing speeds in an anti synch master / slave setup

 

[FishyReef]

My LFS said that it has only been an issue with the device I linked to, and said that if you use the vortecs with that device you need to actually call the company to discuss it with them. I don't know if the same problems arise when you use the vortec controllers, or with the MP10s running on the device I linked to.



To the OP - one other thing I've noticed running the wavemaker in my tank is that every time my pumps would turn on/off my fish would jump, occasionally out of the water (though fortunately never out of the tank!)

 

[poksal]

yeah... a MP10 is plenty for such a small guy.. a bigger one would be a lot of hydraulics... unless you had a mighty big tank.

I almost bought a second MP10 to run as a slave.. and went through this exact thought process and dn't buy it.

 

[yote]

Wouldn't this really only be a concern if you have a standing wave in the tank? On reef crest mode I don't actually get a standing wave in my tank, it really isn't any different then having a standard powerhead plugged into a wavemaker, the vortechs just run at randomly changing speeds in an anti synch master / slave setup

Pretty much. But most folks never think about that.
This is what breaks the silicone loose.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9L2FaZwfwo]VorTech Pump Wave Harmonics - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Ted]

Im sorry but thats just silly...I dont want a mini tsunami in my tank. My "wave" maker just gives me some different current in the tank, water level at the top of the tank is pretty much constant. So I suppose I should just call what I run a
alternating current controller....:D

 

[poksal]

Im sorry but thats just silly...I dont want a mini tsunami in my tank. My "wave" maker just gives me some different current in the tank, water level at the top of the tank is pretty much constant. So I suppose I should just call what I run a
alternating current controller....:D

Dito :Cheers:

 

[Reefrookie]

I have been running 4 Koralia heads (old style) with a Saio controller for about 2 years with no problems. The controller works by alternating the power to 50% from one powerhead to the other instead of turning it off, which will shorten the life of the powerhead. I don't think a wave maker is actually needed on our tanks, but why not!