Powerheads and Wavemakers

[ETBReefer05]

Hey all,

I just ordered two Koralia Nano Powerheads (240GPH) for my 29 gallon setup that I am currently working on. I was wondering if there a good rule of thumb when setting up these powerheads and I was also wondering how much success people have had using wavemakers with their powerheads. If there is some sort of schedule I should follow when using powerheads, any help with that would be appreciated, and if a wavemaker would help me out immensly, that info would be appreciated too.

 

[dakotasreef]

The only problem with the smaller Koralias(non-magnum) is they are not designed to be used with a wavemaker. You can end up damaging the impeller using a wavemaker. Sometimes they also click when starting on a wavemaker, which can be annoying. I had a nano and K1 in my 29 and just ended up keeping them on all of the time.

Good luck

 

[ETBReefer05]

Thanks Dakota. I actually just found out that Koralia has some powerheads specially designed for use with pumps. However, you must use the Koralia controller which costs about $400, yikes. As for leaving them on all the time, I think I've seen that in petshops, especially Moby Dick near Detroit, but I didn't know if it was suitable for long-term setups. Any one wanting to put their two cents in, I'd greatly appreciate it.

 

[customcolor]

if you got the "new" hydors EVO's the have ben redesigned and can be put on a on off wave timer..as long as the pump stays off for a min of 15 sec. i do believe that the nano was the first one to get redone

 

[AZDesertRat]

Hopefully you ordered the new Koralia Evolution series. They are designed to be used with any wavemaker or timer and can stand up to the constant starts and stops silently.
I have two of the larger Evo 1400's and have been extremely pleased what the heck them. Much smaller and more energy efficient than the older K series Koralias they replaced. They are running 30 seconds on and 30 off with no problems in almost 4 months of use now.
The normal K series are not controller friendly and will fail quickly besides making a lot of racket when they start.

 

[reefer916]

I had a K-2 and 2 k-1's in my 24 gallon AP and finally decided to get an MP10 Ecosmart. I'll never go back to any normal powerhead.

I heard the new Evo Koralia series could be hooked up to a wavemaker, but in nano's the footprint of the Koralia's takes a lot of room and get in the way of looking at the tank. I'd go with an MP10 rather than buying a wavemaker and hooking them up to the Koralias. JMO

 

[ETBReefer05]

Ok, DesertRat, thanks for responding to this thread on both this site and that other one we belong to. Yes, this is the same ETBReefer, haha. Basically I will determine whether or not I have the Evos when they get here and decide my next move from there. Thank you everyone for your input! it is greatly appreciated!

 

[GPhiAce]

I agree with what was said above. Also, what are you looking to achieve and what kind of reef are you attempting? I used 2x k2s, k2 and k1, and a k4 in a standard 29. Overall, I think the ks are ok , but their size is not helpful. I love the vortechs if you decide to switch at some point. Leaving the ks on all the time works well, but for sps reefs you really want that random flow. You could just opposse the two pumps, ie one on each side. I also thought the gph was over rated compared to other pumps, but that is because of the large current they produce. Good luck and I hope you got the evos