Quietest wavemaker/powerhead

Jaag · Jan 30, 2018

Hey guys so I have my tank in my room it is a 20 gal nuvo and I want to get some more flow. I have had jebao in the past and they were pretty quiet. I got one yesterday and it was really loud. I am returning it and looking for a new one. Do you think that I just got a bad one?
What would you suggest for a quiet wavemaker/powerless?
Ps I can't afford an mp10 due to paying tuition for graduate school. That is what I would like but not going to work right now.

Jeepguy242 · Jan 30, 2018

Tunze nanostream

PaulK · Jan 30, 2018

I’ve used MP10s, MP40s, and Tunze Nanostreams. The Tunze are almost completely silent after you break them in. I can’t hear them unless I’m right next to them. My MP10s and 40s made an annoying whine when they ramped up.

Jeepguy242 · Jan 30, 2018

The MPs are a stronger pump and I have noticed the same thing on ramp up. Maybe because the motor is outside the aquarium

MaiReef · Jan 30, 2018

Jaag said:
Hey guys so I have my tank in my room it is a 20 gal nuvo and I want to get some more flow. I have had jebao in the past and they were pretty quiet. I got one yesterday and it was really loud. I am returning it and looking for a new one. Do you think that I just got a bad one?
What would you suggest for a quiet wavemaker/powerless?
Ps I can't afford an mp10 due to paying tuition for graduate school. That is what I would like but not going to work right now.

Let it run for a bit. I think it just needs to break in.

PaulK · Jan 30, 2018

Jeepguy242 said:
The MPs are a stronger pump and I have noticed the same thing on ramp up. Maybe because the motor is outside the aquarium

Yeah the MPs are definitely stronger and look a bit better. But I couldn’t stand the whining sound so I switched to Tunze 6095s.

skiergd011013 · Jan 30, 2018

I have a koralia 825 and it is darn near silent

MaiReef · Jan 30, 2018

The Current USA eFlux wave pumps work great and are silent. Look for my review on here.

ajhudson15 · Jan 30, 2018

my mp10 has never made that noise and I use almost all the modes

skiergd011013 · Jan 30, 2018

I have an mp10 as well, and it is the loudest thing in my tank by far.

sneub · Jan 30, 2018

Coral Box Quiet Pumps, reviewers state that they are very quiet power heads and inexpensive

[Cameron] · Jan 30, 2018

sneub said:
Coral Box Quiet Pumps, reviewers state that they are very quiet power heads and inexpensive

If you are on a budget, this would top my list. All the reviews are coming back positive on this pump. How well it holds up over time is still out but a nice overhaul to the Jebao style pumps.

Bronx19 · Jan 31, 2018

For a tank that small most pumps will be silent. Its only when you start pushing water that things get loud.

Jaag · Jan 31, 2018

sneub said:
Coral Box Quiet Pumps, reviewers state that they are very quiet power heads and inexpensive

Where can you buy these

ReefQueen · Jan 31, 2018

I actually prefer the jebaos to the vortechs. I never hear my rw-4, but there was a whirring sound from the mp-10 for the longest time ( I also hate how far the dry side sticks out from the tank). The sound either went away or I am so used to it I cannot hear it anymore lol. You may have gotten a defective unit, but I would run it for a few hours and see whats happens. For the price jebaos are excellent IMO.

YumaMan · Jan 31, 2018

I just installed my brand new CoralBox QP-9 tonight. The gurgling of my tank overflow is the only sound I hear in the room. This wave maker is a quality piece of equipment, and the controller is easy to program. The price is easy on the wallet, too. I will eventually buy another one as two can run in tandem. Write to Logan at Reef Breeders. No, I am not affiliated with these folks, just appreciative of a solid product.

sneub · Jan 31, 2018

Amazon, eBay and Fishstreet are a few places that I have seen Coral Box brand.

Walts O · Feb 1, 2018

Have 2 jebao rw4 totally silent

Cjud7982 · Feb 2, 2018

I run a pair of tunze 6105s, oscillating from 30% to 100%. Dead silent even if I put my ear against them. So I'd go tunze. Easily replace parts, controllable, and you can get some of the small nanos like the 6045 for less than 50 bux used. I like the idea of not having potentin misalignment issues of the ecotech stuff, plus I hear they're noisy at full speed.