Suggest a wavemaker pump for my tank please.

[Glank27]

My tank is a Juwel 240ltr tank which has an internal filter with a pump of just 600l/h. Since my tank is planted i have read UKAPS article on setting a high-tech planted tank, and read the emphasis on filtering/circulate the water at 10 times the volume per hour. In my case this is 2400l/h.

However i would not like to have a mess in the tank. I would like to have some nice gentle leave movement, but not high-currents that might be an over-kill with uproothing or substrate movement. I have been told that wavemakers are high-volume but low-pressure, so they will not mess my tank. Are all wavemakers, low-pressure?

What wavemaker pump would you suggest, as for l/h? I know Hydor do some great Koralia pumps, but these are rather expensive. I found some cheap ebay ones, but don't know if they'll mess everything up.

 

[toadass]

Glank what is your budget mate? Have you thought about sticking another filter in there (external), you'd boost your flow rate up, and with a spray bar you would get the gentle movement you desire. If a filter is too pricey then i'd go for a koralia, i know they're a bit pricey too but they are good and you really want to be buying the best you can afford. There are other great pumps out there, which im sure a few of the boys with a bit more experience would be able to point you too. If it is a pump you have got eye and budget on.

 

[Dan Crawford]

A powerhead won't mess your tank up, you just need to place it in the correct position for optimum flow. If you're worried then put it close to the surface and turn it on, once it's running you can move it to the desired position. Personally i wouldn't want a wave maker in my tank and most of them are just powerheads that pulse on and off.....

 

[Colin]

My first choice would be for an External filter I would always choose more filtration over a power head but if budget or space won’t allow this then the Koralia would be a good choice, I have recently bought one and they are gentle but do provide good flow.

 

[ukco2guy]

Yup, as the chaps above have suggested in order:

1. Additional External filtration
2. Additional Koralia, i`m toying with getting another model 1 or a single model 2
3. If you have a spare power head i have in the past hooked that up to the opposite end of my spray bar to give it a little more power.

I also have a 240ltr and although i`m under the 10x rule things are ok here. I`m using a Eheim 2078 (3x spray bars), Koralia Model 1 and a Fluval 1+ to fire my atomised co2 in front of the spray bars. Not perfect but a whole load better than it was and did not cost too much.

Cheers,