Jebao MLW series wavemakers - Experience.

davy31

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Hey guys so I just bought the MLW 20 wavemaker from Jebao for my 30gal. Being an aqua Illumination fan, the Nero 5 was my first option but it retails at 260$ where I'm at and it's just not in my budget at the moment. This is a bummer.

So I sprung for the Jebao MLW20 which is sorta like the Nero's. I wanted to know the experience other people have had with this series. I don't see the MLW on the Jebao website which I found strange.

So far it seems to be doing the job, I am able to control the unit from my phone and dial in different wave options during the day. I found it rather easy to set up. Being that it is new, I am hoping that it's durable. So far I've just kept one in my tank and turned down to 40% and find the flow to be quite strong and substantial. I am quite intrigued by this product and would like to know what the others think about it. Especially if there are people who use the AI Nero's and have used the MLWs.

IMG_20220209_101132.jpg
IMG_20220209_101137.jpg

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LgTas

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I've got two MLW's and two SLWs. MLWs are only a few months old but no issues. The SLWs are 1 year 3 months and haven't skipped a beat. I can't fathom how a Nero is 3 x the price?
 
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davy31

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Great thanks for the update. Well I guess shipping, customs and tax pile on to it. It's pretty expensive here for some weird reason and the Nero 3 sells for about 216$.
 

MaxTremors

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I don’t have the MLWs, but I have a couple of the SLWs, had them for around a year, and they’re working as well as they did on day one. I clean them probably every other month. Overall, I think they’re probably the best budget wavemakers.
 

LgTas

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Great thanks for the update. Well I guess shipping, customs and tax pile on to it. It's pretty expensive here for some weird reason and the Nero 3 sells for about 216$.
I usually purchase directly from Aliexpress... my MLW 10's were AU$80 each all in with a Nero 3 costing AU$250.

I also agree with you on the app functionality. Was ready for it to be a difficult task, as can be the case with some of the Chinese apps, but turned out to be a straight forward process. I also have a jebao dosing pump running via the same app which is handy.
 
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davy31

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An Update on my Jebao MLW -

its on its way back to the seller. Sadly it went 2 nights in a row struggling and making noise which pretty much woke me up in the other room. I am back to my Tunzes right now. The noise was not the kind of noise that you would hear due to a vortex owing to the pump being to close to the top of the water level. It just kept making a sputtering kinda sound like a propeller outta gas and trying to start up.

I checked the connections. changed the socket but nope. The tunzes run without skipping a beat. The only reason I went in for the AC pump is due to controllability. Well atleast it seemes to work for other people and that makes me happy. I hope to save a get a Nero down the line. Jebao left me suspicious.
 

LeftyReefer

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Bummer.

I'm getting ready to order one of the new MOW models soon. I have three of the older (non-smart) SOW series now that have all been flawless for me for almost 2 years... hoping to get the new MOW and run it as a master and be able to control the older SOW as a slave. I'm getting the MOW-9, I think. Now I have to decide to order it from Amazon for $99 and have it in a few days, or from aliexpress for $85 and wait a few weeks.... Leaning towards Amazon for the easy returns if something is wrong with it, after hearing your story. I hope the quality of these aren't going down because my old models have been great. Very strong and yet silent. super happy with my old SOW's, hopefully the new ones are just as good.

I also have the Jebao wifi doser that I'm getting ready to deploy too, so hopefully I can get everything to connect without issue.
 

LgTas

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Bummer.

I'm getting ready to order one of the new MOW models soon. I have three of the older (non-smart) SOW series now that have all been flawless for me for almost 2 years... hoping to get the new MOW and run it as a master and be able to control the older SOW as a slave. I'm getting the MOW-9, I think. Now I have to decide to order it from Amazon for $99 and have it in a few days, or from aliexpress for $85 and wait a few weeks.... Leaning towards Amazon for the easy returns if something is wrong with it, after hearing your story. I hope the quality of these aren't going down because my old models have been great. Very strong and yet silent. super happy with my old SOW's, hopefully the new ones are just as good.

I also have the Jebao wifi doser that I'm getting ready to deploy too, so hopefully I can get everything to connect without issue.

For 10 bucks I'd probably go Amazon. I did make a return via Aliexpress for a faulty product and to be fair, it was straight forward. Was under the 70 day buyer protection policy.

Sorry about the faulty unit but the odd faulty unit happens to all brands. I wouldn't write it off as there are many running them without issue.

Now to cut and past this thread and send it off to get my commission
 

Chure

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Any updates for those that have used either the MLW or MOW? I have a 60 gallon cube and looking to add 2 new powerheads and looks like flow for the MOW can be aimed a bit more than the MLW, but the MLW has a smaller profile and similar in style to the popular Vortechs, although I'm not implying they are comparable.

Thoughts on which style and which model would be recommended when considering the flow for a 60 gallon cube mixed reef. I'm thinking of adding 2, but not sure which ones. I appreciate any thoughts.

MOW - 9 -- 184 to 2377 gph
MOW - 16 -- 317 to 4226 gph
MLW - 20 -- 2641 gph
MLW - 30 -- 3434 gph

mow.jpg
mlw.jpg
 

LgTas

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I have two mlw 20 and one mlw 5 in my 60 gal DT and it achieves the amount of flow I wanted. I like that the mlw has a wide arc of flow.
 

OU812Reefing

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Hey guys so I just bought the MLW 20 wavemaker from Jebao for my 30gal. Being an aqua Illumination fan, the Nero 5 was my first option but it retails at 260$ where I'm at and it's just not in my budget at the moment. This is a bummer.

So I sprung for the Jebao MLW20 which is sorta like the Nero's. I wanted to know the experience other people have had with this series. I don't see the MLW on the Jebao website which I found strange.

So far it seems to be doing the job, I am able to control the unit from my phone and dial in different wave options during the day. I found it rather easy to set up. Being that it is new, I am hoping that it's durable. So far I've just kept one in my tank and turned down to 40% and find the flow to be quite strong and substantial. I am quite intrigued by this product and would like to know what the others think about it. Especially if there are people who use the AI Nero's and have used the MLWs.

IMG_20220209_101132.jpg
IMG_20220209_101137.jpg

Screenshot_2022-02-09-10-12-38-450_com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox~2.jpg
Does anyone know if these will work with an Icecap backup battery
 

dawi03

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I usually purchase directly from Aliexpress... my MLW 10's were AU$80 each all in with a Nero 3 costing AU$250.

I also agree with you on the app functionality. Was ready for it to be a difficult task, as can be the case with some of the Chinese apps, but turned out to be a straight forward process. I also have a jebao dosing pump running via the same app which is handy.
Hey mate im in australia where do you get the mlw10s from on aliexpress? can you send me a link if thats cool? im not familiar with buying on there and did a search but there are heaps of sellers etc. thanks!
 

ckuhny3

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Hey guys so I just bought the MLW 20 wavemaker from Jebao for my 30gal. Being an aqua Illumination fan, the Nero 5 was my first option but it retails at 260$ where I'm at and it's just not in my budget at the moment. This is a bummer.

So I sprung for the Jebao MLW20 which is sorta like the Nero's. I wanted to know the experience other people have had with this series. I don't see the MLW on the Jebao website which I found strange.

So far it seems to be doing the job, I am able to control the unit from my phone and dial in different wave options during the day. I found it rather easy to set up. Being that it is new, I am hoping that it's durable. So far I've just kept one in my tank and turned down to 40% and find the flow to be quite strong and substantial. I am quite intrigued by this product and would like to know what the others think about it. Especially if there are people who use the AI Nero's and have used the MLWs.

IMG_20220209_101132.jpg
IMG_20220209_101137.jpg

Screenshot_2022-02-09-10-12-38-450_com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox~2.jpg
I’ve had 3 slw-20s for over a year. I keep 2 in the tank and have a rotation where one is always cleaned as soon as they show algae. They have been very reliable . The smart phone features on yours intrigue me ! I just bought some nem guards . 2 fish have been killed by the jebaos . But I think that was more weak sick fish then the wavemakers fault
 

Reefahholic

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Mine has been good. I don’t like how the magnets grab, but other than that it’s good.

Magnets will probably corrode quick though because they’re budget pumps. So check them often.
 
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