tunze wavebox in action

[vapovick]

ok, so Tunze makes some super cool stuff, but can someone tell me why they charge soooooo much for everything ? I can remember seeing a magnet for over 200.00 ????? whats up with that, you cant get a small powerhead for under 200.00.. I know that the quality is good, but man ! I can say myself and others would have a lot more quailty gear if the price was REASONABLE !!!

./just a rant...

but the wave box looks killer ...

 

[moonpod]

I dunno that magnet (except I think Roger stated that it was deliberately priced really expensive b/c the thing is borderline a weapon--seriously), but if you've ever used Tunze powerheads vs "the rest", then you'll know what you are paying for. The things last forever. Unbelievable electrical effeciency. I was also a skeptic before I started using the stuff.

 

[rvitko]

I had posted a thread showing how everything was made- by hand. The markup on Tunze stuff is actually much lower percentage wise than what is on a $30 powerhead. With a 75gal tank you would only need a 220.54 magnet- $25. For a powerhead you would need a 7400/2 and a single controller. The flow is equal to 4 maxijets and with a wavemaker which is at best half the quality because it is only off and on that is a $200 set, the Tunze set is just under $300 and will last twice as long and uses 1/3 the electricity. If you really give it more than a glance over it is very reasonably priced. The $200 magnet is cheaper than a competing magnavore for glass of equal thickness. But again, our products are hand made in a first world country with first world labor prices and standards- we can't torture people in a third world country, making them breathe in toxic adhesives and fumes and send them home with six bucks for a days labor like the cheap competition. We have to meet German occupational standards which means low VOC adhesives, fume hoods, labor laws, minimum wages, paid vacations, pregnancy and sick leave, etc. If you add the quality, the unique features of computerized low voltage control, the pumps and all products are very reasonably priced and you will save money in the long haul on electricity and the life span of the product. We do also make standard synchronous powerheads and they are well under $200, the expensive units are low voltage electronic models.

 

[rvitko]

BTW- the really big $500 220.58 magnet was canceled. I insisted that it be canceled after seeing Mr. Tunze get injured by it and realizing that it could have been far more serious if someone was alone or had it in a different position. It was agreed that such a tool wouldn't meet any safety guidelines in any industry and no warning could ever make it safe so it is not going to be made. Back to the drawing board on cleaning really giant tanks.

 

[vapovick]

This was never meant as a flame. And I really like the feedback, Thank you.

I think the products look great, and from what I have heard, preform great.

Someday, I might be able to get some streams, until then...

./take care...

 

[scbauer]

Looks like my tank during the 1989 earthquake!

Looks like my swimming pool during the '89 earthquake. About half the water went through the garage and into the street.

 

[rvitko]

I didn't take it as a flame. I always thought the same thing, and when I started selling it my shop several years ago I never expected it to sell but it is really one of those things that once you see it and hold it you really can feel the quality and understand why it costs what it does. The attention to detail is what makes a really quality product. An example would be for me that I am an avid DIY'er on home improvement projects and my favorite tool was a Hilti hammer drill that I had stolen a few months ago when my house was broken into. They cost twice what the competitors cost but after using one- which was given to me by a friend who upgraded and owed me some money- I couldn't live without it. I took my tax return to go buy another last week and it is worth every penny to be able to bore through concrete in seconds with no discomfort and to be so smooth and precise it can drill tile or ceramic. Again, the $500 vs the $250 of the Bosch is in details, the one touch chuck removal, the smooth control of the speed trigger, the knowledge it will last forever (or until stolen). Bosch is good to but when you have used both you can understand why you pay for it. I also think to my household appliances and buying 3 vacuum cleaners in 6 years- a Eureka and 2 Phantoms- total cost $600. The last time I bought a Miele, $500. For two years all I have to do is bring it in and somebody can fix it for free- after that it is only the cost of parts and a nominal labor fee, it will last forever it seems, and the power beats the others hands down, it also is so quiet you can talk to someone while vacuuming. If it just lasts 6 years I will save $100 over my old way. The dealer showed me one that was being repaired for the USPS to clean out machines after the Anthrax scare mandated a HEPA vacuum. It had 6000 hrs of use or the equivalent of 120 years of household use! It looked like hell but still worked.

 

[matt_rogers]

But again, our products are hand made in a first world country with first world labor prices and standards- we can't torture people in a third world country, making them breathe in toxic adhesives and fumes and send them home with six bucks for a days labor like the cheap competition.

Well said.

The day this wavebox comes out is the day I am starting a bigger tank.

 

[Erik]

I must agree on the Tunze products. A bit pricy yes, but if you compare longelivity, electrical efficiency, function and development, it is surely one of the best German brands.

I do not know the many overseas products, but for example, in the mid 80's I managed to get my father to buy a Tunze Turbelle 4000 pump in Germany. That pump is still in use - of course new bearings and new impeller - but the motor and plastic is still OK.

 

[Cody Ray]

rvitko, I'm curious if the wavebox will decrease the number of once thought impossible to keep animals. I wounder how anemones, turtle grasses, and filter-feeding animals will fare now. Creating ideal water motion has always been one of the more difficult aspects of marine aquariums, right?

 

[rvitko]

We don't know but I suspect it will be a big step forward.

 

[MiddletonMark]

Roger, sometimes I gotta just laugh.

You say something smart, and there's Beavis, uh, well he's over there doing his thing

Gotta love it :thumbsup:

 

[rvitko]

Habib looks like Butthead BTW :lol:

I don't ever want anyone to take me to seriously

 

[vapor1]

Thats a good one Roger....:lol: :lol:

 

[RedEyeReef]

Re: Test results of final production unit in a US tank

Re: Test results of final production unit in a US tank

The conclusion I have drawn is overflowboxes are fine. They do however have the effect of dampening the wave since it is "collected" by the overflow box and doesn't really build up. The effect for the corals though was still similar to the video but without a great surface wave. It is not useful for tanks under 1m in length, barring further tuning of the wavebox or a possible better effect without an overflow box.

To make sure I understand this, overflows will lessen the height of the wave, right? So does that mean when a wavebox is used on a tank with overflows it will not (or not as much) lessen the life of the tank by the 10% - 20% stated before?

And even though the wave height is less (good for my tank) is the side to side movement under the water the same or close to the same?

I hope this is the case because as cool as that video of the wavebox in action is, that is to much wave at the ends for my 8' tank. I don't want water splashing out or failed tank in 7 more years.

 

[rvitko]

Underwater movement seems the same, the wave height is reduced because it gets caught by the overflow which seems to act as an energy absorber. On a 8' tank expect a 1/2"-3/4" tall wave. As for tank life, I can't say. Tank life isn't likely much different from yours or mine, a baseball could fly through the window at it tomorrow or it could unexpectedly rupture next week. We really have no way of knowing this. In Germany this is a little easier because all manufacturing processes have a standard known as DIN (actually all processes from waitering to return policies and warranty handling), because of this most aquariums are made more or less the same so you have a set of rules you can test against. Still, until we have 20+ years of data we likely won't have an absolute answer though I do want to try the stress sensors that were described by a couple of the engineers on this board.

 

[Frisco]

I'm guessing that the 'issue' with the overflows might be reduced if the overflow is located right at the center point of the tank (more importantly, at the centerline of the standing wave pattern where the water height is relatively constant) instead of on one of the ends? Either way, it seems like a bit of a non-issue to me. What I'd like to know is how the concept could be applied to larger tanks with an even more pronounced wave effect (a 6-12" crest would be awesome); I'd certainly build my next tank custom around that as a design point...

 

[rvitko]

That is something we are working on for public aquaria. At present you could use two waveboxes and double the wave height on smaller aquaria.

 

[Cody Ray]

Have you tested the wavebox on 55-65 gallons yet? I have a 60 gallon sitting in my room, and I have been interested in doing something with it. Would the wavebox work with it? It is 48" long.

 

[rvitko]

It will work with 4ft tanks and I was told today it should even work with a 30" tank but the controller I was sent could not pulse any faster than .5 sec intervals and the actual production unit is capable of .3. At .5sec a 4ft tank is the smallest you can set the frequency for.