Neptune Systems WAV Powerhead

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I own 3 WAV pumps and been running them 24/7 for over a year now on my 130 gal. I love the fact that they plug directly into the energy bar so no extra power bricks. I love the direct programming from my apex. I have them on the back glass so I dont notice how big they are...definitely noticed when I tried to put them on the sides. Why does my Apex not tell me how much power they are using? I want to be able to tell when they are getting clogged up and using less power like I can with my skimmer and return pumps! I do NOT like the cord in the water and it is already stiffening up. To clean it I pull the whole thing out (removing and rerunning the cords is a real PITA) and put it in vinegar overnight but that is a pain and I have a dead spot in the tank while it soaks. This is the first set of powerheads I have ever owned. Do they all click on and click off in wave modes? Do they all make noise in certain modes that I can hear two rooms away? I have not heard the ecotechs at the LFS do that but maybe they are on the quiet modes in the daytime? Doubtful but possible.

If I had it to do over, and I will be at some point, I will probably go with the Ecotech wave pumps. I am in love with no cords and I can buy an extra head to replace while cleaning the dirty ones.

One thing I just did was buy the extensions for the chords so now I just unplug there and it's even easier.

 

[leepink23]

So far I like the mp40, bits it’s only been running an hour, lol was easy to setup through apex and connect to the battery backup. It’s very quiet but I can’t tell a difference I’m sound from it and the wav, flow is much wider than the wav but not as powerful. They both have different options in apex but I favor the mp40 options. I think I am going to like having the combination of a wav and mp40. I will update after a few months.

 

[andyg1960]

In my experience the WAVs are unreliable

Care to elaborate?

 

[clsanchez77]

Thanks for the input. Yes I really like the Vortect have been really looking into them but they don't like the wallet. lol Maybe someone has had success with the WAV's. With the Vortech's is it easily controlled through apex or better controlled through ecotech?

The Vortechs are a premium, but they work! I use the WXM and control them via my Apex based on the season tables. I mostly just run them in the tidal swell mode but I change the max percent based on sun and/or moon phase. I then run them in nutrient export mode once a week.

The battery backup works flawless, particularly when something trips my GFCI.

The one downside I see with them is after cleaning, if you do not get the guard on just right, the power head will spit it off...instant fish chopper. No injuries or sushi yet but I am a lot more conscious of it now. I have never had one break or burn out in 2 years so far. I did have a faulty westside and ecotech replaced it at no cost. The reason I bought them was the motor is out of the water and the westside produces a very nice wide flow. My favorite thing now that I own them is the level of disassembly, all the way down to the magnet assembly. A 20-30 minute vinegar bath, rinse and re-asseble and it is ready for service.

As far as price goes, they are never on sale, but I see used ones for sale all the time. Im even thinking about getting a used MP10 for my sump because I am tired of the cheap powerheads tripping my GFCI after 9 months of use.

 

[nickkohrn]

So far I like the mp40, bits it’s only been running an hour, lol was easy to setup through apex and connect to the battery backup. It’s very quiet but I can’t tell a difference I’m sound from it and the wav, flow is much wider than the wav but not as powerful. They both have different options in apex but I favor the mp40 options. I think I am going to like having the combination of a wav and mp40. I will update after a few months.

Did you end up sticking with the MP40? Are you still using a WĀV-MP40 combination?

 

[leepink23]

Did you end up sticking with the MP40? Are you still using a WĀV-MP40 combination?

I still love the mp40, eventually switched to 2 mp40’s and got rid of my wavs. Glad I made the switch

 

[ChadmRoman]

I bought a wav bc of the price and ease to connect to the apex when my mp10 hit the floor and stopped working. Functionally it’s ok and quiet, but not really sure the ramping up/down works that well. Even at 5% it blows sand everywhere. It’s also big and bulky especially in my 40g tank. I’m going back to mp40’s with my new tank build. It was my stupidity why it broke.