Flow... worth the tradeoff?

[cr500_af]

I have two Koralia 4s in my 90g tank. I have done the little fix so they don't chatter on startup, and was considering using the wavemaker function of my RKL to... well, do what a wavemaker does.

On the RKL, all you set is the duration they're on, so they are off for the same amount of time in an alternating fashion.

So, in order to gain the more random flow of a wavemaker, I will always have only one of the K4s running, effectively cutting my flow at any given moment to half of what it is now.

Would it be worth it? I have considered adding one more powerhead (smaller than the K4s) on the back wall directed down behind the rockwork, so that would increase it some, but not all that much.

Before you suggest it, the SuperPumps like Vortechs... well, they are not built for my wallet.

 

[weaglereefer]

I installed one of those chatter stop fixes on one K3. The thing I noticed is that on startup, more often than not the pump starts in reverse. I turned them off for feeding and I always had to double check the pumps started correctly.

I would just worry too much about it, that's why I just got some Tunze pumps, ditching the K3's!

 

[cr500_af]

You know, I had never heard of one starting in reverse... but when I first did it, one of them did just that. I planned on keeping an eye on it to see if it was a fluke... apparently not. I wonder if shortening the tubing a little at a time would help find the balance between chatter and correct direction being reliable?

I'd love to buy some new powerheads, but it seems like any that are made to use with a wavemaker (other than a proprietary one, a la Vortech) are few and far between.... and expensive. Have I been looking at the wrong Tunzes?

 

[elfloyd]

I am using the wave function on a AC Jr with my two K4s. I have them set where only one runs at a time 30 and 35 minutes each) but have a five minute overlap where both are on. I seem to have plenty of flow and corals are growing.

Now tell me about the modification to stop the chatter.

 

[cr500_af]

dawgdude;386178 wrote: Yeah I would be worried about one malfunctioning and you having part of the time with only return pump flow in the tank. That wouldnt crash the tank but I would still be worried about it.

Good point. I may have to add more PHs as redundancy just for that possibility.

 

[cr500_af]

elFloyd;386177 wrote: I am using the wave function on a AC Jr with my two K4s. I have them set where only one runs at a time 30 and 35 minutes each) but have a five minute overlap where both are on. I seem to have plenty of flow and corals are growing.

Now tell me about the modification to stop the chatter.

Basically, you put a piece of airline tubing on the shaft outside the prop... the chatter is the prop jumping in and out; the tubing acts like a bumper so it can't jump "out", therefore the cycle doesn't start and no chatter.

I have no idea why that would make one start backwards, but obviously it can.