The WaV pump from Neptune Systems was first unveiled at MACNA in Denver and the new device has undergone a whole lot of refinement in the intervening months. The first units to be displayed were made of a very delicate 3D printed prototyping material but the new near-production models demoed at ReefAPalooza NY are molded in a classic grey color and show that the WaV is almost ready for prime time.
First of all, the WaV pump is so much more than a simple controllable pump. Like other devices Neptune has released in recent years such as the Automatic Feeding System and the DoS controllable dosing pump, the WaV is packed with cool features that are not immediately visible when looking at it.
Besides being a very high quality, controllable DC pump, the WaV is a standout product for using a single cable called the 1Link module to both power and control the motor driving it. The cable on the newest versions of the still-in-development WaV pump is much thinner than what we first saw at MACNA and we are told that it will get even thinner in the final version.
The other really cool feature of the WaV pump is the very unique way in which the WaV offers up directionality to its outflow. A slightly curved base-mount serves as a cradle for the WaV and offers approximately 30 degrees of freedom – the pump can be angled up and down within this cradle and simply adjusting the magnetic base opens up the side to side directional flow.
The other feature of the WaV pump which takes a keen eye to spot is the hidden vibration-absorbing system that makes this already smooth-running pump even more whisper-quiet. Just between the internal magnet mount and the swiveling pump cradle is a system of thick rubber feet and o-rings which isolate the pump from the glass so that the vibrations of the pump don’t get amplified by the WaV’s motor.
While the Neptune Systems WaV pump might have initially born a lot of similarity to the Sicce Voyager pump series, a bevy of new features have really differentiated this new pump well past the OEM product category. Of course what truly will make the WaV pump a water mover in its own league is the integration with the Fusion software for Apex aquarium controllers.
Fusion has become an incredibly powerful and networkable solution for driving so much more than just the monitoring and controlling features of the Apex, and it is sure to be an equally great tool for fine-tuning the performance and function of the WaV pump. Neptune Systems is still some months off from an official release of the WaV pump but the close look we got for this new device at Reefapalooza NY has greatly upped our excitement and anticipation of the latest addition to the Apex ecosystem of aquarium devices.
