Top 10 Best Aquarium Wavemakers: [Reviews & Buyer’s Guide]

The best reason to buy an aquarium is to increase the beauty of a place. With the aquarium, we also buy a lot of accessories. But one real accessory that actually works to increase the beauty of the aquarium is missed by all. I’ll talk about that today.

In this article, I will list the best aquarium wavemakers for you to choose from.

This might seem unnecessary spending but trust me it’s not. Nothing is more eye soothing than seeing waves in your little friends’ habitat. It’s really a beautiful scene. Also, it creates a better environment for your fishes and aquatic plants.

Many people think ponds don’t have any wave. It’s not really true. Due to the constant change of weather, ponds can also have different types of waves. Also, due to the change of wind speed, waves can be created at an isolated water source. So, having a wave maker in your fish tank can create a lot of changes for your fishes.

Top 10 Best Aquarium Wavemakers Reviewed

1. Maxspect Gyre XF-230 Kit – Overall Best Aquarium Wave maker

This one here is known to be one of the most modern types of water pumps that are available now. It has a lot of things to offer. The best thing about this kit is that you can control two pumps at once with its controller and it is magnetic mounted. So, very easy to use.

Feature:

• Power and Capability: This kit can be used for 25 to 100-gallon fish tanks. It has a flow rate of up to 2300 Gallon Per Hour. So, it’s a powerful little machine and is capable of managing the big tanks.
• Energy and Efficiency: It can run on 8W to 35W. Judging by the flow rate, it can actually work pretty efficiently and save money at the same time.
• Usability: It can be mounted on 0.5′ thick glass and acrylic. It is magnet mounted which makes pretty easy to handle and switch places.

2. Ecotech Marine – Best WIRELESS Quiet Drive Smart Wavemaker

This is a smart wavemaker of the new generation. It has the new wireless feature which makes it more appealing. Also, it completely noiseless which is another plus point.

Features:

• Power & Compatibility: This one is rather for smaller tanks. Starting from 2.5 gallons to 40 gallons at max.
• Energy saving & Efficiency: This kit is quite efficient for the smaller tanks. But in accordance with larger tanks, it needs to use its full potential
• Wireless System: The wireless functionality is another eye candy for this piece. It works perfectly just like any other wired wavemakers. But it is actually quite safer than wired ones.

3. Hydor Koralia Evolution Aquarium Circulation Pump – Best Wavemaker For reef tank

Hydor makes the most compatible wavemakers ever. They are available to be used with different parts. But the truth is Hydor makes the spare parts for the wavemakers so they are supposed to be compatible. Let’s read about this budget-friendly circulation pump

Features:

• Power & Compatibility: Speaking of power, it can have a flow rate up to 1500 gallon per hour on different models but this one has a flow rate of 550-600 gallon per hour. That makes it quite powerful for smaller tanks up to 30 gallons, to be pretty sure, 25 gallons.
• Usability: This small piece of machinery is actually very easy to set up. The reason why this is liked by all is the easiness of its adjustments. Anyone new can handle it with ease.
• Adjustment: The adjustments are pretty easy. Due to the smaller mass ratio, it takes very less space. It has an easy directional adjustment. So you can move it easily and thus there will be no dead spots in small tanks.

4. Sicce Voyager 3 Power Stream Pump

Thinking about setting up a wavemaker and also willing to switch to saltwater in the future? This is the kit for you. This kit here works the same for both freshwater and saltwater. That’s why it’s an all-rounders wavemaker kit. It’s considered a great buy by all aquatic fellows. Let’s see if you can buy it or not.

Features:

• Power: Sicce Voyager is actually a 1200 Gallon Per Hour water pump but the best part is it can serve in up to 125 gallons fish tank. Because it’s 1200gph power has huge compatibility. But the suggestion would be to keep its usage within 60 gallons fish tank. Because the easy math we talked about before, might sometimes become a big factor for proper pumping.
• Controller: The controller features of 2 outlets. You can fix two pumps and use them at once.
• Energy Saving: If you use one pump, which is enough, by the way, the electricity consumption is very low.

5. Jebao OW Wave Maker Flow Pump with Controller for Marine Reef Aquarium

What do we mean by hi-tech? It refers to the exceptional things that a piece of machinery has to offer. With 8 different rates of water flow, you can call this piece of machinery a hi-tech water pump for your fish tank. People had complained that the previous version of Jebao couldn’t withstand much damage. So, the new versions are far more durable and able to withstand any type of water damage.

Features:

• Power: The Jebao ow 10 to ow 50 series offers 1000gph to 5200 gph. So. It’s a very powerful piece of machinery. The ow 25 version has a gph of 2200 and is capable of pumping up to 110-gallon fish tanks.
• Flow Rates: The water flow rate in this thing is pretty good. Sometimes you can push it up and have a faster pumping and you can slow it down with an easily adjustable controller. Usually, pumps have two or three settings. It has 8 different settings for different types of fish tanks.
• Less Noise: It doesn’t make much noise. You can keep it in your bedroom and the environment will be like there’s no motor at all.

6. IceCap 3K Gyre Generation Aquarium Flow Pump

Usually, reef tanks require 24/7 water flow. Except for the time of feeding. The wavemakers don’t have that much consistency due to the lack of engineering. So, not all the pumps are ideal for all types of aquariums. But the IceCap 3k is actually the best one to rely on for consistent water flow.

Features:

• Crossflow Technology: Crossflow technology is another state of the art flowing system for corals. It circulates a large volume of waters throughout the tank, thus creating zero hot spots which could be damaging for your corals.
• 10-minute feed: It has a 10-minute feed time every 24 hours. During that time you can feed your corals and other invertebrates.
• Power & Capacity: It is ideal for 25 to 100 gallons fish tank. Usually, reef tanks are quite big otherwise, the corals will not be much appealing.

7. Current USA eFlux Wave Pump Kit

It’s said that this wavemaker can provide the actual natural like waves. Well, that’s why they call it premium quality wavemaker. Otherwise, it would just be called a wavemaker. The power of this bad boy can be up to 2200 gallon per hour covering 110-gallon fish tanks. But the specific version is this case is the 660 gph one. It is regulated by the loop pump controller. Also, it has a wireless feature.

Features:

• Wireless: This can be controlled by a remote which is actually very fancy. The wireless system works perfectly as it is quite new in this sector. It is a big deal for them to work properly.
• Power and Capacity: This kit comes in 3 power types. It has a power limit up to 2200 Gallon Per Hour flow rate. You can use this pump for 25 to 100 gallons of fish tanks.
• Flow Adjustments: You can easily adjust the flow between 20% to 100%. Also, it has a 10-minute feed break if you want to use it for coral tanks. It can run straight for 24 hours.

8. Tunze USA Nano Stream Propeller Pump

Among the other circulation pumps, this one had the potential to catch my eye. It is the Tunze USA Nano stream Propeller Pump. It caught my eye because of its size. What? Expecting a gigantic pump? It’s just 2.75 inches! The best part is that this little guy has the power of 1189 gallon per hour! That is actually more astonishing.

Features:

• Power & Size: The factor aside that it’s the catchiest pump, its flow rate is actually very astonishing. It actually uses the nanotechnology recently applied to motors. Trust me, it works just fine.
• Energy Efficiency: You might think this little guy to pump so much water will take a lot of electricity. But the fun fact here is that it’s only 7 watts! It actually saves a lot of electricity
• Capacity: You might think it’s only for smaller fish tanks. But you can use it for 10-gallon fish tank to 135 gallons. So, it has better capacity than most other bigger pumps.

9. Mini Polario 10ML Low Voltage Water Pump

TAAM is already famous for its RIO water pumps. Now they are again back in the game with this world-class quality Mini Polario 10ML Low voltage water pump. It’s actually a low voltage circulation pump to be energy efficient and also it has efficiency like any other pumps. TAAM produces great pumps, to be honest. And this one is best for circulation.

Features:

• Power & Efficiency: This pump has the power of 1500 gph to 2600 gph. It is very reliable to use in 25 to 130 gallons fish tank.
• Energy Saving: The low voltage setup lets it work really efficiently even in low electricity consumption. So, you’ll be saving a lot of energy with this bad boy
• Water flow System: There’s a very complicated water flow program installed but you’ll be psyched to know that it’s actually pretty great. It flows on 50% power first 5 seconds,  75% for 5 seconds and 100% for 5 seconds. This goes on in a loop.

10. KEDSUM 1800GPH 10W Aquarium wavemaker Circulation Pump

If you’re all about saving money with some features, then this is the one for you to buy. The KEDSUM Wavemaker Circulation Pump has a lot to offer at an affordable price. It can flow a lot of water and you can use this for absolutely any type f fish tank that doesn’t require 24/7 waves.

Features:

• Rotation: This circulation pump is capable of rotating 360 degrees. That means you can have your water flow from any side you want to every side of your fish tank.
• Power & Capacity: It can flow 1800 gallons per hour so it’s ideal for 80-120 gallons fish tank. But it will not be good for smaller
• Durability & efficiency: It’s built very firmly so durability isn’t an issue. And KEDSUM is known for providing powerful pumps at lesser prices. So, yes, it’s kind of a budget-buy.

Benefits of Wavemaker

Veteran aquatic keepers would agree to the points below. But it is actually quite hard to make someone understand the benefits of having a wavemaker in his fish tank. Think of it as a wave pool at certain water kingdom. A wave pool is actually the most enjoyable place after the water slides. Now think that your fishes live in a wave pool. So, creating that environment for them is actually a necessity because often fishes to tame are directly collected from the water sources rather than grown at a quieter place.

Providing the fishes same environment as they used to live in, is a way of making them happy. Usually, fishes and aquatic animals die due to unhappiness. It’s bound for us to keep our aquatic friends happy so that we can keep having them as our friends. Some might say that they don’t have a wavemaker and fishes aren’t dying. Well, wavemakers are not as necessary as filters. But still, they are a necessity that might keep your fishes happier than before.

Think about corals. If you have a marine reef aquarium full of corals, you have to understand how they survive in the ocean. As they are immovable aquatic animals, there is a specific way for nutrients to reach them. If they can’t go to the nutrients, the nutrients have to come to them, right? How can you make them reach the corals? By creating waves for them to go towards the corals and keep them healthy.

Corals are very beautiful things to keep in a fish tank. So, wavemakers are kind of a necessity to ensure the exact same environment as the ocean apart from the salty water.

In water sources, there are some places called the dead spots where there is no oxygen due to the lack of water movement. It’s not by a long shot that a spot like that can also occur in your fish tank. It’s really unhealthy for the fish to be there. Your little boxed friends don’t have the brain power to understand if the water is the reason that they are dying. But you can understand that, right?

Some might say it’s enough just to have a regular oxygen supply to the fish tank. But the oxygen does require flow to reach all the areas of the water. If natural water supplies can sometimes lack oxygen in specific places in spite of having waves, it’s a hilarious idea to think that can’t occur in your wave less fish tank.

It’s not possible to clean the fish tank on a regular basis, right? So what you can do is look for an alternative that will help you during the process of cleaning your fish tanks. It takes a specific interval before you change the filters which can cause your fish tank to be contaminated at some spaces. Thus causing big trouble for your fishes. What you can do is keep the wavemaker running and don’t let the fish wastes and other debris stay at one place thus the contamination cannot quite happen.

And finally, a wavemaker makes your fish tank a better view for people. Obviously, there’s a silent reason behind keeping a fish tank at home. That is to enjoy aquatic life whenever you want. You cannot deny that. I myself started that way thinking to have a fish tank will increase the beauty of my home. So, convinced enough to buy one?

Placing Your Wavemaker

The most convincing idea for me to get a wavemaker is getting rid of the dead spots. So, before installing yours, you have to make sure that the water pumping reaches all the spots of the fish tank and no space is left where the water doesn’t flow. That’s the basic idea before fixing the wavemaker to one place.

It’s never a bad expense if you buy two wavemakers instead of one. You can keep the wavemakers at two ends of the fish tank or face them towards the bottom to create waves from both ways. Of course one can do the job if the tank is small enough or the circulation pump is powerful enough.

Never seek beauty before necessity. Do not judge the placement of the wavemaker according to where it looks good. Because sometimes the wavemakers cannot create a positive environment all over the fish tank due to bad placement.

In those cases, you will see the fishes staying at a specific place keeping the other ends empty. Also, if you have plants then you should not leave any dead spot where debris can accumulate and create toxic environment for both plants and fishes.

So, always try to place your wavemaker at a spot where it produces the right amount of waves needed to reach all the space of the fish tank. Otherwise, having a wavemaker or wavemakers is a bad investment.

Now, you might say why the suggestion is only to install at a place where it spreads rather than naming a specific spot. That is because every aquarium owner arranges their fish tank differently. When you preen your tank yourself, you will understand where to place.

Also, it’s possible to change the location of the wavemaker with ease. So, the suggestion would be to place it at several places to find the best one according to water flow.

How to Buy The best Wavemaker for your Aquarium?

As the market is filled with various options, there are several factors to consider before buying a wavemaker suitable for you.

Because you’re going to spend your money, Price is a factor for you to consider. Wavemakers can have different prices with exceptional price gaps. There can be additional features to them which add the extra dollars to it. So, before buying one, it’s mandatory to judge the necessity of the features and expenditure of dollars.

Now, not all of us are engineers. We have our limits when it comes to things that we are not used to. So, User friendliness is another factor to consider. To make sure there are no dead spots, we might have to change locations of the wavemaker. So, they have to be very easy to handle.

A piece of machinery is expected to last quite a lot of time. Moreover, due to the expenditure people take it to last long enough. So, buying a Durable wavemaker is another priority.

As a wavemaker works on electricity, it’s bound to be Safe. Otherwise, your fishes will die because water is the great conductor of electricity. Also, it’s harmful to us.

Compatibility of external Components has to be ensured. Because sometimes you would have to buy extra parts from different places. To make sure they fit, the wavemaker has to have maximum compatibility.

There’s a basic amount of water pumping of each wavemaker. The unit for this measurement is GPH (Gallon per hour) or LPH (Liter per hour). Now all the wavemakers cannot work on all types of fish tanks. There is a threshold of it. This can be measured by simple math. The pumping has to be 20 times the size. So, if you have a 10-gallon fish tank, the pumping would be 200 gph/lph.

Energy saving with more flow is always acceptable. Before buying a wavemaker we have to see how efficient it is on the contrary to how much electricity it uses.

A noisy wavemaker will be a problem if the aquarium is in your room. Otherwise, it’s not that of an important factor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Words

There’s nothing better than soaking your eye with the beauty emitting from your aquatic friend’s home. If there’s any chance you can make their life better and also increase the beauty of the habitat, you should take it. I remember taking the same decision and never regretting once in my life. So, after listing 10 best wavemakers of the market and writing an elaborate review, it’s time for the final verdict. To name who’s the winner according to me.

I have had explained the factors before, so there’s no need to repeat them. But one thing I have to say is that always compare the features with the money you’re spending. Never go for the cheapest one without judging the cost to gain ratio. Always try to buy the best product for the money.

Among these wavemakers, the best aquarium wave maker of my choice would be the Maxspect Gyre XF-230 Kit. Why? Because it’s the most feasible choice. You can use it for a very long time and you can use it in small, medium and large tanks. But feel free to make your own choice. You already got the reviews of other good options, right?