Tunze Nano Wavebox or VorTech MP20?
 

I can't decide!!! I *LOVE* waveboxes. Period! I really love the wave action they give LPS corals. So...I'm tossing around the idea of putting one in my 40g breeder when I set it up. Is anyone using the Nano wavebox on a 3' tank? I imagine the waves would be fairly quick.

Or I'm think about using the VorTech MP20, or a closed loop with a OM Squirt, or, or, or...

Right now the Wavebox is winning. I would really like to hear from people who have one on a 3' tank. :D

I am using one on my 36x36x27 tank. Here is a poor quality video of it in action

http://s432.photobucket.com/albums/q...t=MVI_3461.flv

I love it. In the video the overflow is very loud but after some adjusting to the overflow pipe height it is now silent.

Cheers
Lawrence

Ooooo, nice Percs! :D

Thanks for the video! It is definately a quick wave...but it sure looks great! I like how it creates a lot of flow, but it is such a gentle flow that it really seems quite ideal for LPS corals. :)

YouTube has lots of Nano Wavebox videos.

Hey Jack! Ever think of putting one on your 40 breeder? What do you have for flow in yours?

No, I had a wavebox on my 200 gal and thought it was okay - I don't like how every soft/lps coral in the tank moves exactly the same way at the same time. It's looks and works good for SPS though - just looks silly with soft corals all going left right left right left right IMO.

I've got a Nanostream 6025 on the breeder and the Nanocleaner puts out another 200gph - that's it.

Kinda like the floor at a rock concert?

I've been thinking of one for my 45g. Wondering how well they would work on a curved front corner tank?

I have Jack's old Wavebox and I love the "rock concert" effect on my LPS and softies - too each his own, I guess.

Myka, given the cost of the nano wavebox versus the MP20, it would strike me that the MP20 has a little more flexibility and costs about $50 less. It also takes up less real estate in the tank.

Just my 2 cents though.

I have a half circle tank. I emailed Tunze and asked that very question. They replied thanking me for the interest but adviced me NOt to but this product. They explained that they have no experiences with curved glass and thought that it would not work properly or possibly not at all.

I've seen waveboxes work fine on bowfronts. Not sure about corner tanks..

With curved glass the wave would follow the glass and not return to its point of origin = no wave. It wouldn't make sense to put one in a tank with curved glass since it needs the flat pane to bounce off of.

But mines like a 1/4 of a pie. So, from one Radii pane, across the front, and bounce off the other pane, back across the front.. Hmm I dunno. Alot of $$$ to spend to find out it doesnt work well. maybe one day I'll spring for a MP20

Haha!! I like that look though!! Go figure... You're getting enough flow in your 40g with just that eh? You have lots of big softies in there though I think. Meh, I'm not sure what to do with the dang tank!! *bangs head*

:lol: Me too!!

I wonder if you could almost get the same effect from the VorTech anyway...? I just fell in love with the wavebox on the J&L display when I first saw it, and I have always wanted one since, and now that they have the nano version it's actually a possibility.

While I was switching tanks, I briefly tried the nanowavebox out on a 33gallon, It was a fairly quick wave but a pretty cool effect nonetheless. Now I have it on my 4x2 foot and I get about a 1.5-2" wave and you couldn't talk me into giving the nano wavebox up if you tried.

My understanding of the physics of the thing is that the wave is created by displacement of the water and so you wouldn't get the same kind of effect as you would with a vortech or series of streams.

Yes, you can get the same effect with a Vortech. Pulsing a Powerhead in the right timing WILL create a wave as well. Just the wavebox can possibly use a smaller pump due to the isolation of the 2 bodies of water.

Ever sit in a bath and move back/forth a little bit. Or, even though its not in water, A Swing. You only apply forward energy and the result is a swinging(oscillation) or transfer of energy forward and backward, just like a wave

i used to have an original larger wavebox in my 60 gal (36"long)
And now when Nano is out i got the Nano wave box.
I get a larger wave from Nano due to a tank size but in a nut shell it worth every penny, i would pay more for it.:smile:

How are you getting a 2" wave, ive got the nano wavebox on my 90 which is 4'x1.5' and my wave has never been more than maybe an inch, and ive got is at 24volts!

Sorry for the hijack Myka!!

Don't worry about hijacking! Give 'er. I rarely dislike hijacking...usually turns into something interesting.

Oh I just don't know what to do!!! Those who have Waveboxes seem to really love them, and those who have VorTechs really love those...

Same here, Myka. I will eventually get one, or the other. But not sure which. After seeing some Youtube videos of how well a vortech can make a wave, I think I'm leaning to save up for one of those. Take up less space. I barely notice my Koralia now.

Hey dude for what it's worth it would'nt hurt to email Tunze and ask their opinion on if it will work. I did and was happy that they were honest with me and asked me not to buy it as they thought it would'nt work on rounded glass. I really wanted the Nano Wavebox to.:sad: I have two of the Koralia#4's and I modded one of them for $20. Went from 1250G/Hr to 3000G/Hr But with the Vortech are you going to like something sticking out of your glass? With a pie shaped glass you don't really have a side of your tank. Might look kind of silly thats why I did'nt even consider one of those as I have a half circle tank. Hey I'm not trying to put a downer on it just trying to help you possibly to save some cash. :biggrin:

Madreefer, I am getting another tank here in the new future, a 150g. that one WILL have some form of wave making on it. I will also try it on my corner unit when I eventually get one. Bit for now, I'm not buying one solely for the corner tank

Hmm...I haven't looked at the YouTube vids yet. I didn't think the VorTech would be able to make a decent wave. I will go look now that you've mentioned it, thanks! :)

Cool! Please let us know how it works on the corner tank. I still want one if it works.

Rstar: I find the wavebox to be very finicky, if I move a powerhead or rock, it needs to be re-tuned, right now I've got a rack with some recently acquired frags stuck to the glass and that has flattened the wave out some. Have a look for things that may interfere with the wave.

I should correct myself, My wave on a 4x2 tank is ranging between an inch and an inch and a half. I got thinking about it and decided to actually measure... 2 inches would be pretty spectacular though!

I've got the larger wavebox on my 150g tank and LOVE IT! It takes quite a bit of space up but for the wave action I wouldn't trade it! I bought mine after I saw Christy's in action...they're great.:biggrin:

Ok I watched some vids on YouTube of the VorTech's wave action. I think I'm sold. It does a pretty good job of making waves, $50 cheaper, less tank space, more versatile. That's enough reasons for me...

If you want to go vortech do it soon.

Myka, Have you given any thought to the noise factor? I am also looking at both Tunze and Vortech. Some say the Vortech Gen II are not as noisey as the first ones.

I have a new tank that will be in our living room. I love the vids of the Vortech MP40.......just don't want to have to "YELL" over the sound.

Thoughts? Anyone own a Vortech and think its noisey?

Read ihavecrabs cube tank thread.

WHy is that? Got a little insider info?

You want to see a Vortech make a wave... Check this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLPme...eature=related

Good vid Jdigital, but i wonder what it would be like in a real reef. After talking to tunze yesterday, and a little experimentation with my wavebox, i dicovered that an overflow really kills the wave, with my return pump off, my wave is insane in my tank, really nice to see. With the return on its kind of blah. I wonder if it would be any different with the vortech? Ot has anything to do with the positioning of the overflow. ie; if it is a center over flow it would be better. My overflow is a single corner overflow.

Why do you say that??

I thought the MP40's were the ones getting the noise complaints? I thought it was the MP20s that seem to have the kinks worked out...?

My overflow is a single corner aswell.... I put the wavebox in the front corner of my cube and this caused the wave to run from the front corner where the wavebox is to the opposite rear corner.... In turn the water level at the corner overflow is not affected.

Cheers
Lawrence

Indeed... please share.

Price is going up I take it?

Possibly no Canadian distributor, I heard.

That would suck.