wavemaking decision

[kare-bear]

I have been doing alot of reading on wavemaking and I need to come to a decision in the next couple of days. I have a 175 that I will be filling with water soon. I like the compact size of the Koralia but does the wavemaker need a 'soft start?' also, I talked on the telephone to a catalogue company tech. support guy and he said that the Koralia can chop up small fish if they go in when it is stopped. He recommends them for larger fish. If used with small fish they should be kept on at all times.
What is a great system for this size tank? I don't want to spend a fortune but I want it done right. Any advice would be appreciated. Thankyou

 

[framerguy]

The fish blender issue can be fixed with some vinyl window screen affixed to the opening. It doesn't affect the flow much at all. I have two koralias on my neptune aqua jr which has soft start and the powerheads still pop some when they start up. A best case scenario (ie: great system) would be using either the vortex or tunze streams on a controller. They have adjustable flow so you can choose how much you want. But they're 10x more expensive than koralias.

 

[kare-bear]

OK...that answers some questions for me. What size and how many should I get?

 

[kare-bear]

The neptune aqua Jr. seems very complicated. Does it have a power strip to plug the Koralias into? I think I would need something easier to use.

 

[cioutlaw]

I don't want to spend a fortune but I want it done right.

I know everyone has different budgets but if you want to do it right I would go with Tunzes or Vortechs. If you plan to be in the hobby for a long time I would go with Tunzes, they will by far outlast the Koralia. The controller has a bunch of options & is easy to use. I havent used the Vortech but have seen them up close & they look really well built & have lots of flow.

 

[kare-bear]

I did look at the Vortech. It's a bit pricey....is one enough for my 175 gallon? Would I need 2? Is it worth $450? I don't know.....

 

[framerguy]

People here..even me..can walk you through setting up the controller. It looks complicated and can be at first but once you get the hang of it it's quite easy. PMs are great and I'll give you my phone # if you need help.

I agree about the longevity of the well built models. They may cost 10X more but they last 10X longer.. so if you can do it, I'd get the Tunze or Vortech. I believe the Vortech comes in one size, I like the Tunze 6100. They are comparable in price and features. The tunze is entirely in the tank. The motor of the Vortech is outside the tank and runs the propeller magnetically through the glass so there's no heat in the aquarium from the motor.

HTH- Greg

 

[sebastian]

i have Wave 2k wave maker......awsome.... $250 shipped....works perfect....takes a little bit space..about 3" deep and 12" wide...bujt how it works... and with time will be coveredwith coraline algae it moves about 4,000 g/hour .....look in my pcs.

 

[kare-bear]

Hi Sebastian,
I like the 'tidal action' of your wavemaker. I did some reading on it. Your tank looks great. There were some great reviews on the Wave 2k. Thanks

 

[sebastian]

good luck..... post some pics once its filled in