Wavebox on 5ft tank

[wsurf4me]

How big of a wave should I get with a wavebox on an Oceanic 156 gal tank? It's 5' x 2' x 2'.
I picked up the wavebox yesterday and the most I can currently get is about 5/8", the pulse dial is at 11 o'clock. If I'm reading it correctly, the manual says 1.18" is possible. Is the pulse adjustment supposed to be so touchy? I'm finding turning it just a hair makes a huge difference.

 

[rvitko]

It is very touchy, it takes a very fine turn to make a big difference. It will depend a lot on how the pump is situated, how the box is assembled, if there are any obstructions and if the overflow is in a corner. Corner overflows reduce wave height. Obstructions reduce wave height. Make sure the vibration dampening sponge is not covering the pump intake and that the screws are installled in the holes in the back- even if you are using a magnet holder. I think about 1" should be possible even with corner overflows.

 

[wsurf4me]

Thanks for the reply, I don't have corner overflows, the sponge isn't covering the intake and the screws are in.
I tried more tuning and found when I have my return pump turned off I can get almost a 1" wave. As soon as I turn the pump on it goes to about 1/2". My returns are on the bottom rear center of the tank and point to the front corners. Will the tuning be different with the pump on vs. pump off? I also noticed that the pump moves slightly up and down within the wavebox and makes a slight clicking noise when it turns on/off, is this ok? The bottom cover also is slightly ajar, it won't stay completely closed, the pump cycling pushes it open, could this be an issue? I don't really see anything holding the pump in place other than the sponge and maybe the front o-ring.
I'm not sure how tight everything needs to be, I would think it could only help.

 

[rvitko]

It is not a very tight fit, but it should not come free on it's own and the sponge should cushion it against wobbling. The pump should be positioned on it's side and the oring should be behind the plate. You will need to readjust it after turning on the pumps as this likely changes the aquarium depth and adds a counter flow. The clicking noise is normal with the older 6100.60 drive unit, the 6200.70 will largely eliminate it as the brakes are gone. Is it new or used?

 

[wsurf4me]

It is on it's side and the oring is behind the plate. Not sure if it's the 6100.60 or the 6200.70 drive, it is new so I would assume its the newer drive.

 

[rvitko]

It should be a 6200.70 then. The pump may make more noise in the first couple weeks of running but if it is extreme you might want to check that the bush bearing is fully inserted, this is the collar that goes around the hole the drive unit sits in. They often slide out in transit.

 

[wsurf4me]

Thanks, I looked tonight and it is the new drive without the brake.
While I had it open I noticed the pump intake screen was pointing at the bottom of the wavebox. I rotated it so that the closed part was pointing downward. I also stuffed a piece of foam between the back of the drive and the wavebox to try and limit the drive movement while running. It's a little better now, getting about 3/4" wave with my return pump on, 1 1/4" with the return pump off.
Why is the wave bigger with the return pump off? Will the tuned point be different between pump on and off?

 

[rvitko]

Without the pump on the water level is reduced and likely water is not going into an overflow- more energy is building as a result. With the water at operating level, some of the waves energy is lost due to the overflow box. This will affect the tuning.