Opinion – Wavemaker function on Reefkeeper 2

[redfishbluefish]

I have a Reefkeeper 2 and the NEW Koralia Evolution 1400 powerheads. Should I bother using the wavemaker function on the RK2? Does it offer a benefit to the tank? And by the way, it is a 90 gallon tank, five feet long.

If yes, what program would you recommend?

 

[Nickjr000]

Id def take advantage of it! Otherwise why buy the evolution you coulda saved $ and just bought the normal ones. Not sure of what setting to tell you to use, depends how you set them up in your tank really. Having 1 on each end alternating them, a on b off then a off b on , is usually a good option

 

[redfishbluefish]

Otherwise why buy the evolution you coulda saved $ and just bought the normal ones.

There are other reasons to purchase these new models over the old ones. They have a smaller profile, with the 1400's, pump a little more over the older K4's, and here's the big one for me, wanting to be as "green" as possible; they use less than half the power.

So I just got back from Will's (AO) and purchased the last two of his 1400's. (What a deal, not to mention picking up another fish.) And with the one I bought from the group buy, that makes three. Now I am ready to start to play.

 

[ynotme4886]

Did not know these were controllable. Thanks for the great info.

Bigger question is has anyone here had issues with them running backwards?? Heard that the new pumps have had a few issues with this

 

[redfishbluefish]

It is too new to tell, but the one 1400 that I’ve had for a couple of weeks has always started in the right direction. I shut them off when I feed. Now, one of the older K-4’s almost always starts backwards, and I have to un-plug and plug back in until it is going in the right direction.

 

[Audi0s]

I bought the other 2 right before you got there! That was me and my friend charlie looking through the sand, and I bought a frag. Weird!

 

[Nickjr000]

Ah ha! I went there for a 1400 and he said i just sold my last ones! wierd. Left with a nice radiant wrasse though! ;D

 

[Audi0s]

Nice fish, I saw that guy too.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Well here’s my opinion after a day of playing. I set all three up using the A, B, C functions on the RK2. Using all three letters, it runs A and C while B is off, then B only while A and C are off. Powerheads A and B are on the left side of the tank, while C is on the right. For the sake of picking a number, I have it set for a 3 minute interval.

Wavemaker is a misnomer. I actually knew this beforehand. RK2 should actually call this ChangingCurrentMaker, because that is what is does. I don’t know if this really does any good for the tank, but since I have it, and now have powerheads that can use it, I might as well use it unless I hear otherwise. The only thing that really stands out is that some of the softies (Clove Polyps, Star Polyps, Anthelia), now sway back and forth in the alternating “breeze.” Oh, and one more thing….any nori that use to get stuck to the powerheads now has a chance to float away when they cycle off.

 

[JRWOHLER]

If you still have the RBTA I can tell you that the one I got from you guys sits right in front of one of my controlled pumps. 3 minutes on and off nothing fancy.

 

[Sunny]

Reefkeeper 2? I know there is a reefkeeper lite and a reefkeeper elite.

Does the reefkeeper lite come with the wave maker function?

 

[redfishbluefish]

Reefkeeper 2? I know there is a reefkeeper lite and a reefkeeper elite.

Does the reefkeeper lite come with the wave maker function?

Yes, and cracking the manual (I have both a RK2 and a RK-lite), it appears to be slightly different to the RK2...it doesn't have a "C" option. But again, I want to empasize that it is not "wavemaker," it is actually "CurrentChanger."

 

[ynotme4886]

The reefkeeper lite comes with a wavemaker function. Not sure how well it works cause I have never used it on mine.

I saw the instructions in the book for it though and it looks fairly easy to set up

 

[redfishbluefish]

So I’ve been using the wavemaker function on the RK2 for little over a month and, about a week ago, I noticed one of the new Koralias is running backwards. I know this was common with the old Koralias, but for some reason, I thought they had straightened this out with the new ones. Spent the past week noticing this one powerhead, the majority of times, starts backward. A little disappointed. The other two seem to be OK. So for this one I’ve disabled the wave function and just run it full time. The other two are in sink, switching on/off at three minute intervals.

 

[boontonbob]

One of note about the evolution, although I know it goes astray from the thread topic some. I have also noticed the evolution impeller get's stalled a lot easier then the older models. It seems there is more 'play' in the channel where the impeller sits and more likihood of failure to spin. After taking it and rattling it around, it fired back up, but I felt like I had to hold my breath when plugging back in back int the display tank.

Back to the reefkeeper discussion...

 

[radiata]

Continuing on with the Evolution discussion...

My new Evolution 1400 is spinning backwards on my RKE. What to do? Anyone had any experience returning them to the manufacturer?

 

[Mbodell]

I have heard something about replacement shaft spacers from the manufacturer to fix this. I don't know where I saw it though.