Neptune WAV Pump: The Average Joe Review

revhtree · Aug 21, 2015

Hi there R2R members! Just wanted to create a thread to document something that I have been fortunate enough to get to try out and play with as a beta tester the Neptune Systems WAV powerhead pump!

Let me start off by saying that I received nothing in return for this review and just in case you're wondering I did pay for these pumps.

I was invited to become a beta tester because Neptune needed an "average Joe" reefer to give it a whirl and do some clicking and programming of the pump on Apex Fusion. Rest assured that if I can program it then anyone can program it! And to be honest there isn't much of a learning curve when it comes to getting these pumps set up and programmed. It's actually kinda fun!

Ok so let's unbox it!

Here is the super secret beat tester box!

Nice packing!

At first glance these pumps looked and felt great. These pumps are built very well. You know how you can feel if something is of quality just by picking it up? Well in this case you can!

I have pretty large hands and while these pumps would not fall into the "big" category they also would not qualify as the smallest either. That being said for a pump that is mounted completely inside of your aquarium they are actually pretty compact. I guess opinions will vary.

Here we have the out portion of the magnet that is placed on the outside of the glass.

This is the inside portion that allows for the WAV pump to be attached and adjusted.

Here you can see the notches that fit together to allow the flow stream to be adjusted.

Soul mates!

Here you see the backside of the inside portion of the mounting magnet. You can see the little soft ring that goes around the edge so that the aquarium glass is not scratched.

And here we have the 1Link module where the pumps are plugged into for power and control. This is plug and play. You plug it up and play!

Ok so on the main WAV web page at NeptuneSystems.com the headline reads "Extreme Flow For Your Aquarium" and the WAV pumps certainly did not disappoint.

Here are a few quick notes from my experience so far.

Flow - Flow is very strong insomuch that one pump at 100% turns my 120g into a sand storm. Thank goodness for control!

Size - I am not a huge fan of pumps with wires in the tank since we are so spoiled now but honestly it's not that bad. The pumps while not very small are also not large by any stretch of the imagination considering the whole pump is mounted inside the aquarium. One "perk" of having the whole pump inside the tank is you can easily reach in and move it to any location as you find that sweet spot or for other reasons like cleaning or coral acclimation.

Operation Modes - Several modes to try out (play with) gives you many options for flow patterns based on the needs of your aquarium.

Sound - These pumps are some of the quietest pumps I have ever used. Seriously almost no sound.

Mounting - Easy to mount and move as I mentioned in my previous point. The foot print of the outside magnet is very small but strong and holds the pump firmly into place.

Equipment Set up - Quick and easy. Mounted and plugged in the 1Link, plugged in the pumps and powered it up and it was ready to go!

Control Set Up -This is where it gets fun! Of course these pumps were made for the Apex Controller user so you must have the controller to control them. Who doesn't like to control things? With these pumps control and set up is very easy whether it be via computer, or mobile device.

So whats a good pump without good control and this will be my final point for the time being. I can administrate a forum but when it comes to controllers and real technical applications I struggle. Don't know if it's because I don't want to take time to learn or if I just can't learn easily. Either way set up and control of these pumps are easy. So easy I might play with the options too much.

Control of these pumps are accomplished via Neptune Systems online software Apex Fusion. I am not sure what the official name is but that's my definition. The following images are screen shots that show how Fusion allows for control and monitoring of the WAV pumps.

Here you can see a screen shot within fusion where you can edit times, points, flow etc. The orange points you can actually click and drag to increase intensity or to change flow rate. The first column under the graph shows the "point" times of day, the second the flow intensity, and third is the type of flow which range from constant to completely random. You have full control.

These next few images are of the Apex Fusion monitoring dashboard. The modules can be moved around, added, removed, etc. to fit your preference.

In this image I have highlighted where the dashboard monitors the two WAV pumps. The first number you see is the "FLO" number that the pump is currently running. This is a new measurement system that Neptune has come up with that will allow you to get a type of flow signature for your tank. You will be able to compare this rate with other user rates or compare past rates inside your tank. The second number shows the RPM of the pump and the last number is the temperature of the pump.

Here you see the combined average FLO signature of your reef.

And the last image shows the triggers for each pump. The little percent number and "OK" show that the pumps are running correctly. If one of the pumps had fallen off the glass or had malfunctioned you would see an error here which is very convenient. Also if you have it set up it would notify you via text, email, etc.

If you're looking for "easy" control then let me put it this way. If I can do it, you can do it!

For the short period of time I have used these pumps I am very happy with them. I have been testing them against other flow devices and they are as good as any other and allow for more control of any pump I have ever used.

Keep an eye out as I update this thread as I continue to test these pumps!

revhtree · Aug 28, 2015

Next I will post in tank photos and videos.

143MPCo · Aug 28, 2015

I am... and talk about a score!!!

jolt · Aug 28, 2015

Gonna check them out at Macna and am seriously considering them for a new build.

Terence · Aug 28, 2015

Thanks for the great write up! I can't wait to see the videos. For those that want to see what actual shipping box is, here is a snap.

revhtree · Aug 28, 2015

Ooh that's a fancy box!

kschweer · Aug 28, 2015

Great write up rev! Looks Like a great product

Rob.D · Aug 28, 2015

@Chriscrna another option for you.

Jimbo662 · Sep 8, 2015

Any updates / videos yet???

Terence · Sep 14, 2015

Yes, can't wait to see these things flowing water in your tank.

mjaustin22 · Sep 22, 2015

Bumping this thread to see how your liking the wav after having it for awhile.

gcarroll · Sep 22, 2015

revhtree said:
Next I will post in tank photos and videos.

And where are the videos! I'm really shocked at how small these pumps actually are. I like the mounting option as it keeps the pump close to the glass.

Terence · Sep 22, 2015

How about this Greg - these are actual users' tanks

jolt · Sep 22, 2015

jolt said:
Gonna check them out at Macna and am seriously considering them for a new build.

Oh, by the way: I won a pair at the MACNA raffle

Unfortunately I'm on the reef savvy wait list for my tank so it will be a while before I try them ... I will report back on them when I get it up and going

gcarroll · Sep 22, 2015

Terence said:
How about this Greg - these are actual users' tanks

Very nice Terrence. ithe power head is well thought out. Glad to the them finally released.

Terence · Sep 22, 2015

Thanks Greg. Some of the cool things not shown in this video or talked about in some reviews are that it works on 1" glass, they automatically turn off when they go out of water or fall off the glass, they use the least amount of power for flow given, and they are very affordable at just $200 a pump or $500 for two pumps and the 1LINK module.

gcarroll · Sep 23, 2015

Terence said:
Thanks Greg. Some of the cool things not shown in this video or talked about in some reviews are that it works on 1" glass, they automatically turn off when they go out of water or fall off the glass, they use the least amount of power for flow given, and they are very affordable at just $200 a pump or $500 for two pumps and the 1LINK module.

Those features are definitely important to many of us. I'll definitely add them to my list of things for my new build. I researched them a bit more and was curious what testing method was used to calculate the gph? Reason I ask is that we all remember when Tunze miscalculated their flow numbers as at the time when they were released they didn't know the proper way to calculate. Later they had to up the voltage on the pumps to achieve the advertised flow numbers.

gcarroll · Sep 23, 2015

Here is another new review on the pump!
http://reefbuilders.com/2015/09/22/neptune-wav-pump-hands-impressions/

Terence · Sep 23, 2015

gcarroll said:
I researched them a bit more and was curious what testing method was used to calculate the gph? Reason I ask is that we all remember when Tunze miscalculated their flow numbers as at the time when they were released they didn't know the proper way to calculate. Later they had to up the voltage on the pumps to achieve the advertised flow numbers.

Greg, the metric often used is GPH and we are using it with our pumps only for the consumer to have a rough metric for comparison sake. In fact, the effect of a water moving pump on your reef tank has many more components to it than just that number. Other key factors are: shape of the flow, velocity of the water, position of the pump(s), modes they can run in, etc. For instance, a narrow flowed pump with extreme water velocity, placed on each end of the back wall, pointed at the front glass, can create some impressive results due to the chaotic nature of that collision of flow, the velocity, etc.

All of that said, and back to your original question, we tested the WAV (and other pumps on the market) using various methods. Some proprietary that I cannot discuss here. One well known method used - in the study you cited - is an Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV). There are only a couple of these on the market that can be used in an aquarium setting - and even then this is far from what their real purpose is - measuring streams and other bodies of water where there are no "walls". We used these devices in our testing as well. Although the study you reference is well known, and certainly could point out large differences in flow between pumps in GPH, there are some real issues when then using that measurement comparatively on pumps that use different flow methodologies. This makes this kind of testing not the greatest indicator of one pump being better than another, especially when the flow numbers are relatively close (+/-15%). For instance, the WAV has a narrow, high velocity flow, the MP40 has a wide, low velocity flow, the Gyre has an entirely different flow altogether. Think about it like sports cars and muscle cars - some are insanely fast on the drag strip, but would be blown away in the twisties, and vice versa. Reef tanks represent different types of tracks in regards to their layout, coral, aesthetics, etc.

In this regard, the purchasing decision I think it is going come down to many individual factors. Determination will ultimately happen as people see the WAV running on aquariums that are similar to theirs (or they aspire to have) and how it fares, along with all of the other benefits the WAV offers. That is exactly why I published that video above.