I wanted another wave pump for the 75. I wanted more dynamic flow patterns in the tank to keep growth patterns more symmetrical. I would have considered another Gyre 130, but they don’t make the small one anymore (even though most people who use it don’t have it set higher than 50%, even on a 75!). the other wavemaker/controllable options were so expensive it just didn’t feel right. I finally stumbled upon the Jebao/Jecod CP-40 on Amazon. They are basically a knockoff Gyre pump. I was very hesitant because this one was $85 or so whereas the Gyre were well over $200. I was convinced it would prove to be a bust, but I wanted to give it a shot anyway. If I can find some good, cheap options for you guys, I want to.
When I got it in, I accidentally had it upside down when I first started it. Its default is 100% flow. So that end of the tank instantly became a black cloud of sand being blasted all over. In fact, after I got the pump turned off, I found sand on clams over halfway across the tank! So the flow is good. I turned the power down to 50% and set the wave duration as short as possible. I instantly got great, surging waves action throughout the entire tank. I never got this result with the Gyre. I am sure I could have tweaked it more and gotten it, but it was much easier and more effective with this pump.
I actually prefer the cheapo controller over the Gyre’s. The Gyre’s looks nicer, but it is much more of a hassle to program. With the cheapo, I can just turn the dial to adjust wave time, or press a button to adjust flow. That’s it. With the Gyre, you have to enter settings mode, and then go through each setting available. In addition, with the Gyre controller, you can’t just set the wave time. You have to make an adjustment and then the lights go on and off to show you the amount of time. So if it is set to two minutes, you have to stare at it for two minutes waiting for it to change.