Hydor Koralia SmartWave Pump Controller Review

Heres my full, detailed review of Hydor's SmartWave pump controller. I share my experience with it and some of the pros and cons of this product. Enjoy!

[FOWLRNOW]

For water changes you use saltwater (unless your salinity is very high) and you top your tank off with fresh RODI water. When evaporation occurs in the tank freshwater is taken up and the dissolved salt is left behind, therefore every time freshwater water is taken away the water volume lowers and the salinity rises. So SW for water changes, FW for topping off :)

[patscherf]

Where can you find one of these Hydor wavemaker controller units in Canada? Ive never seen them sold in any of our stores here in Edmonton alberta..

[TropheusJon]

I had this happened to me when I had Korallias. It's random and it is also what I read online. This include other pumps, even protein skimmers. All I did was unplug and re-plug. Since the Smartwave turns the pump on/off as opposed to high/low power, I say just leave it running since maybe the next time that pump goes on it will be fine.

[mhmmnmmm]

i had a chance to get a 120gal full setup with canopy sump just everything for free but it too much for me. Of course my brother would of took it if i remembered but a friend took it. Ill go ahead and order the nano ph. Luckily, my buddy had 50lbs of live rock that i can take. Hopefully ill be able to find some good rocks to scape. Im only planning on putting 2 percula clownfishes.and a clean up crew. & ive watched some of his videos before i found yours. You guys are both very helpful.

[bikeboss]

Great review man... You definitely opened my eyes to this I think the problem also is that most power heads aren't ment to be turned on and off so it is possible that during these intervals the pump malfunctions and goes in the opposite Your best bet is to use it with controllable pumps

[mhmmnmmm]

In order for the koralia nanos to work, do I need a controller? What would be an appropriate gph I should buy. 240 or 425? I'm also having trouble with rocks. I've read the differences in live rock and dry base rock. I know the lfs sell them for quite a lot. I wanna start without the bad hitch hikers that may come with the rocks you can buy at the lfs. I'm quite scared. I don't want to introduce my tank to anything bad. Thanks for the reply

[FOWLRNOW]

Absolutely, its one of the major reasons I had wanted one for a while. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[FOWLRNOW]

I would say go with a HOB filter, no doubt. They are a heck of a lot easier to do routine maintenance on and when something is easy to do, it tends to get done more frequently due to the lack of effort or time it requires, opposed to something thats a pain in the neck to use/clean which could easily get put off for longer than it should be. As far as skimmers go, you really dont NEED one for such a small tank. Consistent water changes should get the job done. However, if you still think you

[FOWLRNOW]

Forgot to mention the powerheads. I would also put in 1-2 koralia nanos (225) for good oxygen circulation and water movement. Good luck and keep the questions coming :)

[TacticalPursuits]

great review! i was thinking about getting the hydor smartwave but ill definitely have to do more research

[FOWLRNOW]

Probably koralia nanos. They are the only brand I have ever used and seem to be well reviewed by other people who bought them. They are quiet and reliable for the most part and not to mention the fact that the model needed for your size tank would probably cost you less than $30 each. Like I said I dont believe the smartwave is even compatible with the nanos, and I wouldnt recommend you go with the Evolution series (too powerful). Thanks for watching and commenting :)

[mhmmnmmm]

AH that clears things up a bit. Okay so I have a 17 gal tank, um not sure if I should put 30lbs of live sand in there I wanted a deep sand bed look but if it's too much then I won't put it in. I'll put 20lbs of live sand and live rock. Question is, how much water will be needed to fill the tank with all that in there?

[patscherf]

I've never seen these sold in any stores that I shop at in Edmonton alberta where can I find this item.?

[mhmmnmmm]

I'm confused on what I should put in the hob filter. I forgot to buy filter floss but there's also room for other things in there.

[FOWLRNOW]

Nice! Sounds good. If I could make some suggestions on cleanup crew members I would say pick up an appropriate sized group of dwarf cerith snails (reproduce in tanks quickly and are good at getting small bits of algae), 2-3 nassarith snails (keeps your sand bed clean and healthy), 2-3 scarlet reef hermits (good as eating algae/detritus and pretty funny to watch) and lastly a scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp (*extremely* entertaining, loads of personality, great color and good scavenger).

[FOWLRNOW]

P.S. You absolutely dont need the controller in order for koralias to work. Just plug 'em in. The controller just turns them off during time intervals that you choose.

[FOWLRNOW]

I actually had a tough time contacting them, and eventually when I got to talk to somebody over the phone he told me to send them an email and they will send me a new impeller free of charge. That was a little over a month ago with not a single reply from Hydor. Happy reefing to you too :)

[mhmmnmmm]

Im stuck debating on if i should run a hob filter. I have an eheim pro cannister but quite frankly, its very annoying to clean. A hob filter would be easier but the constant replacing of media and such is annoying. I want my nitrates to be at 0. and i understand that a protein skimmer will take that out of the tank before it breaks down into that. and a hob filter is useful in water clarity but if not cleaned often it'll act as a nitrate factory

[FOWLRNOW]

would like a skimmer on it, I would definitely say go for Hydors Slim Skim Nano. The are compact, easy to clean and relatively quiet (I believe the price bounces around $100). If I were to setup a tank of this size, I would pick up an aquaclear HOB filter ($25), some panorama pro LED bars ($80), a digital thermometer of course, a decent sized cleanup crew (essential for thriving tank and very entertaining in a small tank), and then keep up with the water changes and Id call it a day IMOgood luck

[moneymaks]

Does that happen with only 1 koralia plugged into it