Coralife Wavemakers

[Reef Pilot]

I know Vortech and Tunze are the big names in this space. But haven't heard much about the Coralife Wavemakers. I think they are still pretty new, but certainly a lot cheaper. The big question is whether they are any good, and you just get what you pay for.

Any experience or knowledge about these?
http://coralifeproducts.com/product/...nd-powerheads/

http://reefbuilders.com/2011/08/01/c...vemaker-pumps/

[Avrbuster]

I'll be tagging along to see what others think as well.

I was thinking of buying them as I need to replace some pumps soon, and 2 or 3 Koralia would come close to the price of these (+ or - 200, LOL)
The problem that I have with them is they look ugly and cheap. So I wonder if they are any good.

[Dr_Hicks]

Pricing is decent; however I would be afraid to run these for fear of the suction cup letting go and the pump falling down into the sand bed and causing a storm.

A few more $$ and Coralife should have used magnets for the mounting system.

[Nate]

May not have been dollars that was the problem, perhaps copyright issues?

[Reef Pilot]

Yeah, according to this review, it is a patent issue, plus a few other limitations.
http://www.livingreefs.com/coralife-...er-t36090.html

Here are the instructions. It also says they give you a lifetime warranty, and assume that covers the suction cup.
http://www.coralifeproducts.com/File...structions.pdf

My concern is that the suction cup material may become brittle over time, and if/when it lets go, would not be a pretty sight in your tank with a 2900 gph flow pump dangling on a cord.

[Avrbuster]

After seeing that they have used audio jacks for power connectors, I'm afraid!

I know it can be done, but that has to be one of the worst design Idea's I've seen. You can get Molex two pin connectors or something very similar that would work far better.

But what would I know?

[reefgirl189]

Originally Posted by Dr_Hicks

Pricing is decent; however I would be afraid to run these for fear of the suction cup letting go and the pump falling down into the sand bed and causing a storm.

A few more $$ and Coralife should have used magnets for the mounting system.

I couldn't agree more. IME the suction cup WILL let go. It's just a matter of time.

To the OP, have you looked at the koralias? They are a cheaper alternative to vortech and tunze and they are not half bad. I'm sure most of the vendors on this site could order you in whichever model you'd like.

[Reef Pilot]

Like I said, I am using the Hydor Koralia magnets with my Coralife pumps, so the suction cup concern is gone.

And I did check out the Hydor Koralia Wavemakers,... way more expensive with their controller and pumps. These new Coralife Wavemakers are nice and compact, with a nice integrated controller package.

[Reef Pilot]

Also, the Coralife pumps are twice the flow of the Koralia controllable pumps. The Hydor Wavemaker controller alone costs as much as I paid for the entire Coralife Wavemaker (5800 model) system. It even includes a light sensor for a night mode. Definitely a lot more flow and way less money.

[ryanb69]

They are cheap for a reason, that brand is just plain unreliable