I have posted this review on another forum but figured I'd also post it here, epsecially since all the talk on Koralias seems to be in the marine stuff so we needed some info here in FW for those who dont look there.
I happened upon these while searching for some good circulation pumps for my new tank I'll be setting up for my clowns and freshwater fish. I looked at many, Seio, Tunze, and others. But the Koralia caught my eye and was the most reasonably priced. The openeness of the pump was a concern; adventurous fish might be able to actually get inside the unit. But I figured I could make a screen to go over it if needed so I went ahead and got a pair of Koralia 4's. After having them in the tank today I figure I'd right up a brief review seeing how they haven’t been talked about much here.
One of the first things I noticed is the specs on the box are different than what’s on the literature inside. That makes me wonder about their quality but I'll give em the benefit of the doubt.
Technical Data from sheet:
1200gph 8.5W (115V 60Hz)
4600l/h 11W (230-240V 50Hz)
On the box it says:
1200gph 12W (115V 60Hz)
4600l/h 11W (230-240V 50Hz)
FWIW other websites I have seen them advertised on have had even different specs yet, perhaps they have changed them once or twice and this is causing confusion, I dont know.
I took some pictures and compared it to the common Maxi-Jet, which I have several of. I used a MJ600 since I wasn’t using it in the tank, but the bigger MJ1200's also have the same identical housing. FWIW the MJ1200 is rated at 295gph and 20W. Here are the pics, click on them for 800 pixel wide versions.
Side view:
Front view:
Disassembled view of motor, note that the Koralia motor housing is smaller than the MJ in all dimensions:
Mounting, suction cups for the MJ and a magnetic holder for the Koralia:
Here are the impellers, MJ on left, and Koralia's propeller-like impeller on right. Note the permanent magnet is even smaller on the Koralia:
And finally, a view of the Koralia with the front piece aside:
My first impressions are very good. The design is very similar to the Tunze Turbelle Nano Streams (just from what I have heard and see on the net - I dont have one). I think it was the model 6045 that most similarly matched the Koralia4. But it costs double. I purchased the K4 from Drs Foster & Smith for $48. Even in my 75G which I am testing 1 out now the flow isn’t to severe for my plants (atleast my big pile of Java Fern sitting right where the flow is) or blowing substrate away (but I am not going to leave it in there long term). The flow seems to spread out a great deal, but still pushes water for a good distance. At about 4" the flow is less forceful on my hand than my Maxi-Jet 1200, but I am sure the volume of water its moving is much greater. My neons have been blasted across the tank by the flow but they seem to be the only ones not swimming right into it. I am wondering why they haven’t really used propeller shaped pumps before... they seem ridiculously more efficient. Then I thought, well up until recently most 'power heads' were specifically designed to work with UG filter tubes and such, and thus needed an intake that could be hooked to a tube. Well this one is more like a boat, with water being drawn in freely from all around the propeller and pushed out into the open unrestricted. The main part of the pump is about the size of my fist and is slotted all over for the intake. Placing 1 or two finger across the intake I cannot feel any suction, it takes 3 or 4 fingers wide for me to feel some suction. So fish getting stuck on it shouldnt be a problem. It would take a lot for this to clog, which is one of the problems I run into with my Maxi-Jets and plants. Even on my 75G the K4 isn’t too too powerful, but I dont know if I would put one on a tank much smaller.
Noise is uncertain. For some reason my canopy is resonating when closed. With the canopy open I really cannot hear the Koralia run over the gentle hum of two other powerheads and two XP3's below. In which case I would call it very quite. But when my hood is closed the pump makes a fairly loud hum. I'll call it an issue with my hood since when open the pump runs very quiet, and I'll try later to move the pump around and see if I can figure out why my canopy wants to amplify the hum.
The K4 is their biggest BTW, for smaller tanks they do make smaller pumps. These are intended for my 240G were I will have at least 2 of them for supplemental movement. I will soon be making a screen to cover the intake, and I'll post that info when I do.
I happened upon these while searching for some good circulation pumps for my new tank I'll be setting up for my clowns and freshwater fish. I looked at many, Seio, Tunze, and others. But the Koralia caught my eye and was the most reasonably priced. The openeness of the pump was a concern; adventurous fish might be able to actually get inside the unit. But I figured I could make a screen to go over it if needed so I went ahead and got a pair of Koralia 4's. After having them in the tank today I figure I'd right up a brief review seeing how they haven’t been talked about much here.
One of the first things I noticed is the specs on the box are different than what’s on the literature inside. That makes me wonder about their quality but I'll give em the benefit of the doubt.
Technical Data from sheet:
1200gph 8.5W (115V 60Hz)
4600l/h 11W (230-240V 50Hz)
On the box it says:
1200gph 12W (115V 60Hz)
4600l/h 11W (230-240V 50Hz)
FWIW other websites I have seen them advertised on have had even different specs yet, perhaps they have changed them once or twice and this is causing confusion, I dont know.
I took some pictures and compared it to the common Maxi-Jet, which I have several of. I used a MJ600 since I wasn’t using it in the tank, but the bigger MJ1200's also have the same identical housing. FWIW the MJ1200 is rated at 295gph and 20W. Here are the pics, click on them for 800 pixel wide versions.
Side view:
Front view:
Disassembled view of motor, note that the Koralia motor housing is smaller than the MJ in all dimensions:
Mounting, suction cups for the MJ and a magnetic holder for the Koralia:
Here are the impellers, MJ on left, and Koralia's propeller-like impeller on right. Note the permanent magnet is even smaller on the Koralia:
And finally, a view of the Koralia with the front piece aside:
My first impressions are very good. The design is very similar to the Tunze Turbelle Nano Streams (just from what I have heard and see on the net - I dont have one). I think it was the model 6045 that most similarly matched the Koralia4. But it costs double. I purchased the K4 from Drs Foster & Smith for $48. Even in my 75G which I am testing 1 out now the flow isn’t to severe for my plants (atleast my big pile of Java Fern sitting right where the flow is) or blowing substrate away (but I am not going to leave it in there long term). The flow seems to spread out a great deal, but still pushes water for a good distance. At about 4" the flow is less forceful on my hand than my Maxi-Jet 1200, but I am sure the volume of water its moving is much greater. My neons have been blasted across the tank by the flow but they seem to be the only ones not swimming right into it. I am wondering why they haven’t really used propeller shaped pumps before... they seem ridiculously more efficient. Then I thought, well up until recently most 'power heads' were specifically designed to work with UG filter tubes and such, and thus needed an intake that could be hooked to a tube. Well this one is more like a boat, with water being drawn in freely from all around the propeller and pushed out into the open unrestricted. The main part of the pump is about the size of my fist and is slotted all over for the intake. Placing 1 or two finger across the intake I cannot feel any suction, it takes 3 or 4 fingers wide for me to feel some suction. So fish getting stuck on it shouldnt be a problem. It would take a lot for this to clog, which is one of the problems I run into with my Maxi-Jets and plants. Even on my 75G the K4 isn’t too too powerful, but I dont know if I would put one on a tank much smaller.
Noise is uncertain. For some reason my canopy is resonating when closed. With the canopy open I really cannot hear the Koralia run over the gentle hum of two other powerheads and two XP3's below. In which case I would call it very quite. But when my hood is closed the pump makes a fairly loud hum. I'll call it an issue with my hood since when open the pump runs very quiet, and I'll try later to move the pump around and see if I can figure out why my canopy wants to amplify the hum.
The K4 is their biggest BTW, for smaller tanks they do make smaller pumps. These are intended for my 240G were I will have at least 2 of them for supplemental movement. I will soon be making a screen to cover the intake, and I'll post that info when I do.
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