# Found cheap powerheads



## 50seven (Feb 14, 2010)

Just thought I'd share my good fortune...

$20 for a pair of Koralia 3 clones. I placed an order for these about a month ago and recieved them yesterday. They look and work the same as my Koralia 3. The suction cup (Which I acutally preferred so I could mount it on the back of the tank) is actually a single large cup with a locking lever for a tight fit. I'm quite pleased with my purchase. Check it out...

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/2pcs-lot-Submersible-6W-Circulating-Vibration-Fish-Aquarium-Tank-Waver-Wave-Maker-Pump-Max-3000L/1101053674.html


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## Bayinaung (Feb 24, 2012)

wow good find!


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## vaporize (Apr 10, 2006)

a LFS in Mississauga used to bring and sell alot of these until the CSA shut them down and get them to do a recall. It leaks electricity but no worries, not enough to kill you, just your corals


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## 50seven (Feb 14, 2010)

Great for mixing saltwater...


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## wildexpressions (May 3, 2010)

vaporize said:


> a LFS in Mississauga used to bring and sell alot of these until the CSA shut them down and get them to do a recall. It leaks electricity but no worries, not enough to kill you, just your corals


That is the problem with a lot of the cheap stuff, even some of the not so cheap stuff.

I know when Marineland took over the Maxijet powerhead and started getting them built in China I started seeing a large number of such issues. They work fine for a while, even maybe a year, and then one day you stick your hand in the tank and get a jolt.

I'm not sure if they fixed the problem or not as I stopped carrying them and switched to Cobalt who sells a perfect clone of the original Maxijet ( it is made by the original manufacturer so all of the "old" accessories fit and the impellers are interchangeable)

The degree of shock you get has more to do with what you are standing on/holding onto or touching. The closer to true ground it is the bigger the shock you will get. Luckily for most people there is nothing resembling a good ground around their aquarium. Bare feet on a cement floor sure tingles pretty good though 

I was surprised that leached current could kill corals. I've experienced leached current dozens and dozens of times over the last 30 years and never saw it seemly effect anything in an aquarium until I started doing corals.

It doesn't seemingly effect softies, zoa's, etc but sps's, well that is a different story. Lost several $1000 in a day though so lesson learned. No more cheap shit in my tanks.


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## 50seven (Feb 14, 2010)

Sounds interesting. I'll have to find a way to test for leaking voltage.


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Use a multi-meter, one end in the aquarium, the other ground.

Last Nov I was mucking around in a clients reef on a step stool fishing for a dropped coral. My forehead touched the light fixture. That was the last I remember. Turns out the MJ1200 he bought was the culprit.

Without going into details, I was EXTREMELY fortunate to walk away with just a sore back.


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## vaporize (Apr 10, 2006)

wtac said:


> Use a multi-meter, one end in the aquarium, the other ground.
> 
> Last Nov I was mucking around in a clients reef on a step stool fishing for a dropped coral. My forehead touched the light fixture. That was the last I remember. Turns out the MJ1200 he bought was the culprit.
> 
> Without going into details, I was EXTREMELY fortunate to walk away with just a sore back.


Real Marineland MJ1200 Italian or the China version?


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

It was the China made version for sure. I remember the box w/the interchangeable prop pump option.

Should have made that clear. I must have fried more than a few brain cells than usual...LOL!


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## wildexpressions (May 3, 2010)

That is scary. I've touched my head to the odd light as well and taken some pretty decent shocks but I've been lucky until now.


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## vaporize (Apr 10, 2006)

wtac said:


> It was the China made version for sure. I remember the box w/the interchangeable prop pump option.
> 
> Should have made that clear. I must have fried more than a few brain cells than usual...LOL!


Not to only bash Marineland, but that Italian Hydor company made its own share of electroque products, one of the MACNA our club decided to do a "hydro attack" and hang all of those faulty hydors on our necks and get them exchange for us ... there must be 60 of their pumps


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