A quiet wave maker?

EnderG60 · 01/21/2019, 05:32 PM

So I have a tunze wavebox on my current 300g and its working great, and I was planning to install it on the new tank but Im wondering if there is another quieter option out there? The wavebox is literally the only thing I can hear right now so its got a targert on it.

Vinny Kreyling · 01/21/2019, 05:36 PM

Is it the wavebox or the water movement itself making noise?

mcgyvr · 01/21/2019, 06:07 PM

Most if not all wavemakers are pretty quiet now..
Tunze has some of course if thats in the budget

EnderG60 · 01/21/2019, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinny Kreyling

Is it the wavebox or the water movement itself making noise?

Its the actual pump noise. I run it at 60% right now for a good wave but its loud when you do. If I run it at 30% you just still hear it but the wave is almost nothing as well.

Im wondering if there is a different pump I can use or a different wave making system that might be quieter than the tunze.

If all else fails I may just get a second tunze and run them at lower power.

Vinny Kreyling · 01/22/2019, 09:13 AM

A note to Roger @ Tunze might be the answer.

ReefWreak · 01/22/2019, 09:26 AM

The Vortechs make waves, and are super quiet as well (the new QDs). The also are truly multifunction unlike the wavebox, since you can use them as programmed powerheads with multiple programs and types of flow.

Ender, did you ever have any seam issues on prior tanks when using a standing wave/wavebox? That's still something that I'd LOVE to have in my tank, however I'm too nervous since there is a lot of spurious/speculative information out there that it's too stressful on the seams of a tank.

EnderG60 · 01/22/2019, 05:36 PM

I will be using closed loop systems with the pumps far away for flow. This will just be for the wavebox. I can mount a vortech in a wave box if it can be controlled similarly. The current tunze pump is a 6305 I believe. What would a comparable vortech be?

And no Ive never had a seam issue. My tank has been running with a 1/2"-3/4" wave going for 18 hours a day for a decade.

ReefWreak · 01/23/2019, 09:46 AM

The Vortech don't use a wavebox. The controllers have a function that allows them to ramp up and down and change the timing. You would use the auto-tuning function to find the right interval of fast/slow to create a standing wave in the tank. It functions similarly to the Tunze without the box, it just varies timing to get a standing wave going.

I don't think you could pair a Vortech with a WaveBox since the vortech has a "dry side" behind the propeller that must be kept dry/outside the tank (though people have made a "dry side box" to keep the dry side dry while not using the vortech on the outside edges of the tank.

I've played with it, and it works, but it could cause splashing in a rimless tank. I also just never kept it because of the fear of damage to seams (which is probably unwarrented, but I also irrationally worry about the floor beams dropping my tank into the basement).

The comparable vortech would most likely be the MP60. If you google "tunze 6305 mp60" the 5th result is a good thread on that other site discussing the differences between the pumps. I've had great luck with Vortech in the 6 years I've been running them. The new(ish) quiet drives are silent, there is no heat on my mp10s or mp40s on the outside running at random reef crest 50%. YMMV on a 300g tank, but since 300g ain't cheap, it might be worth the money to at least try an MP60 and see if you like it. You could probably google "powerheads on large tanks" and look for anything posted in the last 1-5 years, and the discussion will almost certainly have you covered.

Reef2Land · 01/24/2019, 10:20 PM

People won't like I'm gonna say this, but the Jebao Cross Flow has been amazing. We run all CP-55s here. Most employees are impressed by the things and they're under $100 most the time. They're a Gyre pump and move a ton of water. They're nearly dead silent, and we've had no problems with them grabbing through 1/2" acrylic

01/21/2019, 05:32 PM	#1
EnderG60 Plumbing Engineer Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 3,260	A quiet wave maker? So I have a tunze wavebox on my current 300g and its working great, and I was planning to install it on the new tank but Im wondering if there is another quieter option out there? The wavebox is literally the only thing I can hear right now so its got a targert on it.

01/21/2019, 05:36 PM	#2
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	Is it the wavebox or the water movement itself making noise? __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

01/21/2019, 06:07 PM	#3
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Most if not all wavemakers are pretty quiet now.. Tunze has some of course if thats in the budget __________________ Who me?

01/22/2019, 09:13 AM	#5
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	A note to Roger @ Tunze might be the answer. __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

01/22/2019, 09:26 AM	#6
ReefWreak Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Astoria, NYC Posts: 10,159	The Vortechs make waves, and are super quiet as well (the new QDs). The also are truly multifunction unlike the wavebox, since you can use them as programmed powerheads with multiple programs and types of flow. Ender, did you ever have any seam issues on prior tanks when using a standing wave/wavebox? That's still something that I'd LOVE to have in my tank, however I'm too nervous since there is a lot of spurious/speculative information out there that it's too stressful on the seams of a tank.

01/22/2019, 05:36 PM	#7
EnderG60 Plumbing Engineer Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 3,260	I will be using closed loop systems with the pumps far away for flow. This will just be for the wavebox. I can mount a vortech in a wave box if it can be controlled similarly. The current tunze pump is a 6305 I believe. What would a comparable vortech be? And no Ive never had a seam issue. My tank has been running with a 1/2"-3/4" wave going for 18 hours a day for a decade.

01/23/2019, 09:46 AM	#8
ReefWreak Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Astoria, NYC Posts: 10,159	The Vortech don't use a wavebox. The controllers have a function that allows them to ramp up and down and change the timing. You would use the auto-tuning function to find the right interval of fast/slow to create a standing wave in the tank. It functions similarly to the Tunze without the box, it just varies timing to get a standing wave going. I don't think you could pair a Vortech with a WaveBox since the vortech has a "dry side" behind the propeller that must be kept dry/outside the tank (though people have made a "dry side box" to keep the dry side dry while not using the vortech on the outside edges of the tank. I've played with it, and it works, but it could cause splashing in a rimless tank. I also just never kept it because of the fear of damage to seams (which is probably unwarrented, but I also irrationally worry about the floor beams dropping my tank into the basement). The comparable vortech would most likely be the MP60. If you google "tunze 6305 mp60" the 5th result is a good thread on that other site discussing the differences between the pumps. I've had great luck with Vortech in the 6 years I've been running them. The new(ish) quiet drives are silent, there is no heat on my mp10s or mp40s on the outside running at random reef crest 50%. YMMV on a 300g tank, but since 300g ain't cheap, it might be worth the money to at least try an MP60 and see if you like it. You could probably google "powerheads on large tanks" and look for anything posted in the last 1-5 years, and the discussion will almost certainly have you covered.

01/24/2019, 10:20 PM	#9
Reef2Land Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2018 Posts: 51	People won't like I'm gonna say this, but the Jebao Cross Flow has been amazing. We run all CP-55s here. Most employees are impressed by the things and they're under $100 most the time. They're a Gyre pump and move a ton of water. They're nearly dead silent, and we've had no problems with them grabbing through 1/2" acrylic