Pulse 4 too strong for 6ft??

Bos

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Just filled up my tank, have two Octo Pulse 4, rated at max 17,000LPH, 4500GPH, same as MP40s but I have it on lowest setting, 1 LED, 30% I assume and its displacing a lot of my shallow sandbed.

I've search other 525XL builds and most use 2x MP40s, some even 3 Gyre 250!!

How are you guys running such high flow with a sandbed?
Do I really need to try sell them and get the Pulse 2s?

1st pump-Left side, centre, 5 inch down from water line, angled slightly toward front glass
2nd pump: right side , on back wall, about 4 inch down, angled inwards

Any advise welcome, thanks

Photo is right side, and my VarioS-6 Return pump isn't even on yet.
IMG_20181120_114606.jpg IMG_20181120_114641.jpg

I tried increasing the LED, thinking maybe they reversed the logic haha, but nope.
 

Gareth elliott

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I have 2 2100 gph wave makers on my 40g turned to 50%. Coupled with a 1050 return set to 70%. Try moving them till sand no longer is piling up anywhere. Not sure how these pumps work but also could try changing the control so that neither is on at the same time reducing the clashing surge at the center of the tank.
 

Jeremy@CoralVue

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I have two Octo Pulse 4s in my 6ft long 220gal with a shallow fine sand sandbed. Both are at power level 5 and angled upwards and towards the center of the aquarium. The Octo Pulse 2 will not be enough for a 6ft long tank. Once your sand ages it will also tend not to move as much.
 
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I have two Octo Pulse 4s in my 6ft long 220gal with a shallow fine sand sandbed. Both are at power level 5 and angled upwards and towards the center of the aquarium. The Octo Pulse 2 will not be enough for a 6ft long tank. Once your sand ages it will also tend not to move as much.
Thanks @Jeremy@CoralVue, I'll try and play with the positioning a little more. At the moment, I have 1 on only, positioned on left side, at lowest setting.

Could you tell me, if plugged in with an Apex, is it possible to control it to less than the controller's 30% setting?
 

Jeremy@CoralVue

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Thanks @Jeremy@CoralVue, I'll try and play with the positioning a little more. At the moment, I have 1 on only, positioned on left side, at lowest setting.

Could you tell me, if plugged in with an Apex, is it possible to control it to less than the controller's 30% setting?
No problem. You may only need one till you start stocking the tank.
 
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@Jeremy@CoralVue, Hi Jeremy, just saw your video on Apex and Pulse too, looks like if I want to control it below the controller's min 30% power, I can do that if I purchase Apex and use the 0-10V. Thanks

Also, can you give me some advise on this micro bubble problem I have with my Elite 150int but I didn't purchase it from you though, anyway I can pm you?
 

JCTReefer

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This is an old thread, but I’m wondering if the OP ever had any luck with the pulse 4’s. I’m currently in the same situation. I have tried every configuration pump placement wise and still have sand blowing around. And this isn’t sugar fine sand either. Seaflor special grade is what I’m using. Seems the two pulse 4’s even on their lowest setting are just two much. I added a bubbler to each wave maker to get an idea of the flow pattern from each and these things just push way two much flow. I guess for those running a bare bottom tank with SPS they’d be great. This is on a 6 foot 210, with a very open aquascape. Yes, when the sand bed matures it would be a bit better, but I’m not sure how you could even run these things on a higher setting and it not have a sand storm. Aside from buying the wave engine or an apex to have more control over them I’m regretting the purchase. They seem like great pumps though. Maybe for an 8-10 foot tank. Looking at the flow even on setting 1, is crazy!!! I’m not sure my lps and softies can handle it. That will be months down the road when I transfer stuff over from the old tank to this one. I wish they made a pulse 3. The flow charts from the 2 to the 4 are night and day. I’m considering doing 4 pulse 2’s instead. Or possibly Nero 5’s. Or just stick to Tunze. That’s what I currently run in the old tank. What I don’t get is when you do the math flow wise, I’m turnover about 33times per hour on my old system. Zero issues with sand blowing around. And on this new system with the two pulse 4’s on setting one I’m turnover about 18 times per hour, including the return pump. I’m thinking it has to do with the flow pattern of these pumps compared to the Tunze. Anyways, I’d love to hear what the OP figured out.
 
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JCTReefer

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Bump. Following. Looking for more opinions from folks that have used these.
I had a lengthy conversation with coralvue on 2 pulse 4's being too strong for my 6 foot tank. The guy pretty much said that the controllers that come with them aren't all that great. They just don't give you much controllability. He recommended using the Hydros wave engine with them. I wound up going with 4 Pulse 2's.. I probably should have just bought the wave engine and been done with it, but the software issues I was reading about kind of scared me off. With the wave engine you can drop the intensity down much lower than setting 1 on the stock controller. I was also running out of room on my control board. I kept the pulse 4's for a backup. I may still order the wave engine at some point. They seem to be good wave makers though. They are quiet also. When I was mixing salt in the tank "newly set up, no livestock", I cranked them up to the highest setting. It looked like a jacuzzi in there. Literally!!!!
 

MichiganMarc

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Good information to know. Thank you for following up.
I am currently running 2 Tunze 6105's and 2 Tunze 6095's on my 165 (72x22x20). They work well but I have noticed that some of the wiring on one of the 6105's has started to become exposed. So I have been doing some research to either replace that powerhead or change it up a bit all together. MP40's/MP60's are nice because no wires in the tank but they are definitely more pricey. So I was looking at these RO pulse units. Even though wires in the tank, they seem to have a smaller footprint. I just wasn't sure which of the two pulse's would work best for me. Now I do run a lot of my equipment through an Apex. I wonder if that would work as well as the Hydros wave engine........
 

MichiganMarc

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It appears they can be controlled through the Apex as well. Just have to use the correct 0-10v Y-cable so that two of them can be controlled through one port.
 

Big Boy

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Good information to know. Thank you for following up.
I am currently running 2 Tunze 6105's and 2 Tunze 6095's on my 165 (72x22x20). They work well but I have noticed that some of the wiring on one of the 6105's has started to become exposed. So I have been doing some research to either replace that powerhead or change it up a bit all together. MP40's/MP60's are nice because no wires in the tank but they are definitely more pricey. So I was looking at these RO pulse units. Even though wires in the tank, they seem to have a smaller footprint. I just wasn't sure which of the two pulse's would work best for me. Now I do run a lot of my equipment through an Apex. I wonder if that would work as well as the Hydros wave engine........
 

Big Boy

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Check with Roger at Tunze. I had a skimmer pump with wires showing well out of warranty and they sent me a new one. They had an issue with the casing being eaten up
 

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