Wave making questions!!!

[hurrifan]

I need to make better alternating current in my 180. I am running 1 amp-master 3000 to run all applications (ets skimmer, 2 3/4 returns). I am looking at turning the 2 3/4 returns into 2 1 or 3/4 sea swirls. Also, considering natural wave (power strip with adjustable time for powerheads), wavemaster pro wavemaker and osci-wave. What is your experience the any?

Are 2 sea swirls enough? I dont mind spending the money on the sea swirls, but dont want to spend it and then realize it is wrong or not enough.

 

[KanUCme]

I used the natural wave poserstrip wavemaker. I just took it out this waterchange. I had three maxijets hooked up to it. It did what I cliamed, cycled the pumps. All my corals were healthy and I really had no complaints. I did have a problem with my powerheads sticking to the walls of the aquarium. After about 7months of repeated off and on. The suction cups have to hold a lot of power I guess. Each time the pump comes on it blasts water and puts a load on the mounting suction cups. Eventually the suction cups don't want to suction anymore and fall off the wall after each start stop cycle. I think that the wavemaker did it's job as claimed, but don't think I will be putting it back in the tank...
Nick

 

[toptank]

I know that there is a lot of people that love seaswirls but it was so much more cost effective for me to us this application.

On my 180 reef, I have 3 x gemini and 1 rio 1700 hooked to a redsea wavemaker pro. The gemini produce 960gph each and the rio 1700 does 700 gal and my ampmaster 3000 with my application is doing approx 2,000gph so that is a total of 5,580gph which is 31 times a hr.

The seasirls I don't think would work on my acrylic tank as I have the lip around the tank.

Barry

 

[scubadude]

On my 220 I Have an AM3000 supplying 2 - 1" SS's w/my chiller on a closed loop. and a AM2100 return 1.5" x 60" spraybar. and 4 MJ1200 hooked up to a wavestrip.

 

[toptank]

HArrison, had to do something with that new Rio 1700 other than jusy let it sit on the table.

Now if you are considering adding more PH to your tank you might want to re-think that DSB

 

[HARRISON]

Barry is just showing off since he added the rio...

I use the power strip but you have to be selective of the powerheads you use. The rios made noise from the on off action. The zoo med didn't seem to be as bad but the bigger one would make noise too. The Maxijets seem to be working fine on the strip. I also tried some other little cheapy that made it about a week then went back to the LFS.

Right now I run two rio 1400 and the maxi on the strip. I am thinking about getting another Maxi to add to it soon though.

 

[Gatortailale1]

I have the natual wave running 3 MJ 1200's. I think I'm going to get 2 MJ 400's and one of those 1 to 3 plug converters from HD and hook the 2 new 400 with one mj 1200 in one of the time slots to create more flow. (tank 125) MJ 1200 on each end and one on back in middle of tank.

As for suction cups, they all wear out over time degrading in the saltwater. I think it's a small price to pay to replace them and have see few places like petwarehouse that sell replacement suction cups (Some LFS carry them too) I originally had a few rio's on the strip, but the suckers would grind every time the came on. Drove me and wife nuts. MJ's are silent and put out a good flow.

I also got my wave strip cheap $35 at the MACNA conference. I have thought about wavemaster pro. Jeff's exotic is the cheapest I have seen. About once a month he sells them for $109. Lots of places charge 129 - 229. I have read a few complaints about them. Peeps say one plug will fail after a few months. However, they also always say that red sea will replace, no questions asked. So good customer service on the units.