Modification of Maxijet Powerhead

unsped..awsome video!!! BTW..I think the pup as the avartar is a ****zu pup..I could be wrong..still a CUTE pup!!!
- Jason
 
no necessarily...just curious as the 600 and 900 are very similar to the 1200. I already have 2 sawed-off 1200s hooked up to a RedSea...would like to get an additional one or two more powerheads to cover some dead spots...1200s might be a little overkill

billpa
 
I have 2 1200's and 1 600 all with the mod done I also have 1 rio 600 which already does the same thing without any mod's, but it is getting replaced with a MJ 600 soon.
 
yeah those rios suck on wave makers...they are not meant to be turned on and off...cool..I will pick up some MJs soon then

billpa
 
I considered 4 1200's but after getting my wavemaker realized that would be too much current, I have the 2 1200's in the back corners facing each other and the smaller ones in the front facing each other and with the WM it is like having 8 PH's it seems to be working great the current flows from somewhere different every time they kick on, it gets really turbulent each time they switch for a few seconds but then calms down and starts moving the water in a different direction, even my anemone doesn't seem to mind the turbulence for a few seconds each time.
 
yeah...I have a few mini-jets...wonder if they would work too...could hook them up pretty easily....I have a pentagon so I have two at each side corner pointing kind of towards the back...the bottom front needs some circulation though.

billpa
 
im in the process of setting up my 40g, will be using 4 maxijets, and an eheim return (on lockline)

haven't decided how many of the maxi's i will modify (and put on natural wave wavemaker).

maxi900 seems to reall stir the tank up though lol, so i bought some 600/400's to play with (should be here wednesday). well see what combos works well.

IMG_0835.sized.jpg
 
yo unsped

really nice looking set-up! I have 2 1200s cut down and it IS a lot of flow...ended up directed one flow into the glass...so I will probably just use my mini-jets to get around the front side of my tank...they are a different design than the maxi-jets...curious if I could cut them down and get two flow directions.

billpa
 
I have mine in each corner facing each other on oposite ends of the tank, with my chauvet timer they bounce back and forth from one side to the other every 3 minutes or so and with the mod I get 8 random directions (4 PH's)
 
anyone have a mini or micro jet they can try this on? I was gonna order a couple for my nano if this will work.
 
mandktod said:
I have mine in each corner facing each other on oposite ends of the tank, with my chauvet timer they bounce back and forth from one side to the other every 3 minutes or so and with the mod I get 8 random directions (4 PH's)

Then wat abt the placement height of each maxijet? Thanks
 
Slightly off topic, but what wavemaker are you guys using for this setup? Im thinking about doing this in my 18 gallon with 2x maxijet 600's. The Red Sea one looks nice, buts 100+ bucks. The Natural Wave wavemaker is half the price. Is the soft start function really that nice?
 
Charliereef, I have mine on the hangers that come with maxi's at the top of the tank, the suction cups just aren't dependable enough for me.

sardaukar, I am using this one: http://www.djtronix.com/chsf24chti.html

I have never had a red sea but I heard that the soft start is a load of marketing crap, and it makes sense because the way these things work you can't cut don't the power to them so they are full on or off but no in between. I have mine on one at a time bouncing back and forth from one side of the tank to the other each time works great.
 
I've got a dozen MaxiJet 1200's on two cheap power strip type wave makers without any "soft start". They are turned off and on about every 10 -15 seconds or so 24/7. Some of them have been running for 3 1/2 years. You will have to replace the impellers every once in a while because they simply wear out, not because they fail. The shaft will wear down to the point that the impeller "chatters" instead of turning but the vanes are still there.

I think the "secret" is to get a powerhead that does not "click" when you turn them on. Some (like Hagen) have a little bit of slack between the impeller and the shaft. When they turn on there is a little click when the impeller and shaft come togather and this is what fails because it breaks the vanes off from the shock. I have tried Hagen, Penguin, and MaxiJet and MaxiJets are the only ones that have worked for me.
 
I ordered 2x Maxi Jet 600's and that Natural Wave wavemaker. It works great but they are just too much flow for my 15" cube tank. They are also a little big as far as eye sore. Im gonna pick up a couple of micro jets and see if it works with that.
 
I just got a micro and a mini jet for my 20L. Ordered a Chauvet timer off e-bay. I was hoping someone would have a mini jet they were willing to sacrifice to see if this mod works. I didn't really want to destroy a new one as an experiment!
 
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