powerheads

[2pts]

Hi all, I have just added a "natuarl wave" wavemaker power bar to my Koralia 3 and 4 that are supposed to alternate for 20 seconds.

They are doing that but the Koralias vibrate badly for like 2 seconds, very loud. The covers keep vibrating off. Obviously these power heads are not meant to turn off and on.

Can anybody recomend power heads that are good for continual starting and stopping?

Thanks, Shawn.

[ReefOcean]

both those powerheads are designed NOT to be used in start/stop fashion.

Th issue may lies in the fact that koralias are not designed to be on a stop/start timer. They are meant to be on a soft start or gradual decrease/increase timer. The shaking is caused buy the magnet holding the porp in shaking in and out of place during startup


Maxijets will work on your wavemaker. Avoid most prop driven devices on stop/start wavemakers.

[Buzz]

Cut a little piece of tubing and put in between the cage and the prop on the shaft and it should help with the hopping.

[ReefOcean]

good idea. But resistance in the prop and motor will still be happening every 15 seconds. That might stiop the skipping but it might eventually burn out the motor.

[Buzz]

good idea. But resistance in the prop and motor will still be happening every 15 seconds. That might stiop the skipping but it might eventually burn out the motor.

It's definately not easy on the equipment But it's a fix to the vibration I have no idea how long the power heads will last like that.

[mike31154]

When I jumped headlong into the hobby a few years ago the used system I bought had a couple of simple AquaClear (similar to MaxiJet) powerheads. Did a lot of research soon thereafter regarding wavemaker timers, MaxiJet propeller mods, etc. The problem with most of these are that the basic powerhead uses an AC motor which will start randomly in either direction when turned off and on again. With the conventional impeller in an AquaClear or MaxiJet, that doesn't matter since it will push water either way due to the impeller design. The second you add a propeller into the design, your problems start. It must spin in one direction only to be effective and most of the AC volt propeller pumps have some sort of mechanical stop that will reverse the direction of the prop if it spins the wrong way on start up. I understand Koralia has a newer design out with wavemaking capabilities so you could look into that.

Personally, I'd recommend a VorTech or Tunze product. Much more expensive initially, but worth the investment in the long run. I have two VorTech MP40W ES in my 77 gal and don't regret the purchase whatsoever. The wireless capability to communicate between the pumps and the many options for running them is unique and second to none. Another benefit is that they are low voltage DC pumps and there are no electric wires in the water, magnetically coupled through the tank wall. I bought them over a span of just over a year due to the expense, but as I mentioned, money very well spent.

[2pts]

Cut a little piece of tubing and put in between the cage and the prop on the shaft and it should help with the hopping.
Just an update...

It took me a few tries to get exactly the right length of tubing cut (too short and it still hops, too long and it stops it from spinning). Got it right now and has been working with out the vibrating for over a week now.

Time will tell how it is on the motor, but so far it has kept me from putting out any dollars to buy new jets, which I will do when these burn out.

[ponokareefer]

I use 2 koralia 3's on a Seio wavemaker due to their soft start and have been running them for about 2 years now with no issues, and no noise.