Wavemakers ?

[Rich-n-poor]

Anyone using ocean current wavemaker/pulsing products and whats your opinion ?

Also who here uses wavemaker powerhead cpntrollers and how happy with them are you ?

What brand modle do you use and what size tank ?

thx

rich

_________________
Television message board

 

[Mac1]

hey Rich,

I use a 1" Sea Swirl on my 90 gal, and absolutely love it. I balked at the price for several years. Finally after moving I succumbed and bought one (wanted two, but couldn't afford 300 clams!), and it was one of the best damned things I've ever done for my tank. Highly recommend them, even at their current price.

- Mac

 

[esmithiii]

I have a 1" sea swirl and a red sea wavemaker. I love both of them.

Ernie

 

[NoriMuncher]

I've heard that the oscillators clog up fast, but have no personal experience there. I use the Red Sea wavemaker. Works fine except most powerheads make a lot of noise when starting up, so there was a loud chatter every 20/30 seconds when the wavemaker turned one on. Until I switched to Maxi Jets, which run silently. So if you don't currently use Maxi Jets make sure you factor new pumps into the cost of an on/off type wavemaker.

 

[esmithiii]

forgot to mention that when I first installed the wavemaker the difference in the health of my tank was quite noticible over the fixed positioned powerheads.

If I could do 100% sea swirls I would for aesthetic reasons. They are dang expensive, though.

Ernie

 

[Bucktronix]

ok seaswirls and ocean currents things are not the same thing by any stretch. the ocean currents are absolute crap! i had mine for 6 months before it packed it in and ive spoken with other people that have taken ones outa the box broken. they are a substandard and the people at ocean currents won't return your phone calls when you call to complain.

whatever you do not waste anymore money on these pathetic products.

 

[FishHead1]

The Ocean Current products suck! I bought two and returned them both because I thought they were defective. The two new ones were the same. I then bought two Sea Swirls and they're great.
I have two band new Ocean Currents in the box. You can have them for free if you pay the shipping. They are not worth the $10 to ship them.

 

[Anonymous]

Wouldn't touch either with a ten foot poling stick...

 

[Rich-n-poor]

O.K. I'll take that as a no against the ocean currents

I know everyone on this board loves seaswirls, but what about the electric on/off timer controlled wavemakers ?
_________________
Caodaism Forum

 

[chapman_jim]

I liked the action from the sea swirls a lot but mine burned out pretty soon. One after about 9 months and the other after about 14 months. I expected longer life for the money.

-Jim

 

[esmithiii]

Galleon- are you a surge guy then? Haven't heard from you in a while.

E

 

[Anonymous]

I love my Tsunami Wavemaker. It has various setting from 1 - 40 minutes on each of the PH and a feed switch that can turn off all PH or all PH and return pump for feeding your tank and not your filters. It also has a light sesnor that will only keep the return and 1 pump on at night making a calming effect. I'll agree with E that i definaltey noticed an general increase in health of the tank over the fixed position/pattern.

 

[Anonymous]

Ernie,
yep, that'd be me, surge and unidirectional overall laminar flow dispatched by oh, say, a trolling motor or bilge pump... Considering most reef swells are unidirectional and not chaotic (it isn't necessary to generate the chaotic flow with gizmos, as the microenvironments created by coral and reef structure cause the swirling and direction changes), and each swell hits the reef with an average 500,000 horsepower, all in that one, laminar, non-chaotic direction

.

 

[Anonymous]

bump ^

 

[esmithiii]

Galleon,

Wouldn't chaotic movement be a good second best? At least better than constant flow?

Ernie

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Ernie,

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

Wouldn't chaotic movement be a good second best?

I couldn't pass judgement, I've never done any work or seen data that would compare and contrast <shrug>, and I haven't tried the chaotic motion equipment, sorry

, I mean, it very well could be, however, I will tell you that the choatic motion these wavemakers and seaswirls create stimulate growth of algae such as Bryopsis. In general, reefs do almost get constant, lateral flow in one direction in most tidal situations, however the energy of this flow is ramped by a passing swell. The swell that has just passed continues to pull water behind it, often well into the next swell.

Chris

 

[esmithiii]

Chris,

So if I understand you correctly, most corals on a reef would experience a near constant flow in two directions (based on direction of tide) but they may also experience "pulses" in the same or opposite direction due to passing swells. Typically water in a wave does not move laterally but rather up and down unless the wave breaks.

Now I guess the question is really about where on the reef we are talking about. Some parts of the reef I am sure have rather chaotic water movement; I have experienced it while snorkeling, while others have more constant, lateral flow.

I think in a microcosm which is a reef aquarium the question is this: Is it better to have chaotic movement or constant flow (not necessarily unidirectional flow) that circulates well through all parts of the aquarium?

My experience is that when I induced some chaotic water motion in my tank, certain corals seemed better in a short period.

Good food for though. I would appreciate more ideas/info.

Ernie

 

[Anonymous]

I think in a microcosm which is a reef aquarium the question is this: Is it better to have chaotic movement or constant flow (not necessarily unidirectional flow) that circulates well through all parts of the aquarium?

I don't know

. It would be my personal guess (and guess alone), that by virtue of the way the mechanics operate, that it would be very difficult to quantify, and depend on the organism. Some organisms dwell in the micro-environments of chaotic water movement created by topography, like what you experienced while snorkeling, exclusively, others only change their morphology to adapt to this micro-environment.

Typically water in a wave does not move laterally but rather up and down unless the wave breaks.

Actually, waves are an equivocal combination of transverse and longitudinal waves. Water molecules in a swell move in an elliptical/circular vertical orbit (transverse), but are constantly moving (transferring their energy) in a horizontal and thus longitudal manner, "thus"

forward, and not up and down.

Waves break when swells (waves that have traveled long distances) approach shallow water. The molecules of waves are orbiting in a circular fashion as the wave is “pushed” towards the continental shelf, or the intrusive topography of a reef being rushed by the swell. When the orbit of those molecules is no longer facilitated by the shallow water, the orbit changes shape. The wave length decreases while the altitude increases. As the molecules encounter further resistance from the substrate topography, their orbit becomes elliptical and the frictional drag from the sea floor slows down the bottom of the orbit (occurs when depth is less than half of the wave length). This throws the top of orbit forward and it “breaks” from the bottom orbit as gravity pulls it down while it continues to travel forward.

Chris

 

[esmithiii]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

Actually, waves are an equivocal combination of transverse and longitudinal waves. Water molecules in a swell move in an elliptical/circular vertical orbit (transverse), but are constantly moving (transferring their energy) in a horizontal and thus longitudal manner, "thus" forward, and not up and down.

Actually, not to bicker, but I was referring to the movement of the water molecules, not the energy of the wave. It is up and down (yes, rather eliptical) movement, not forward/back. In other words, The water molecules that are far from the shore do not move in towards the shore with the waves; they move up and down (slightly forward and back to create the eliptical movement you describe) but for the most part stay in their place, unlike the flow created by a powerhead or pump, which does move forward and back.

The reason I bring this up is to better understand water movement from the point of view of a coral. Do most corals experience a constant flow of water moving across them, or do they experience the up/down and slightly eliptical movement of water near them? Obviously as the tides change, certain areas on the reef will feel a definite unidirectional flow of water that is accompanied by pulses as waves pass.

Finally, is a set of powerheads on a wavemaker that pulses a closer approximation to nature than a sea-swirl? (Wife won't let me plumb in a surge device)

Ernie

 

[Anonymous]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Actually, not to bicker, but I was referring to the movement of the water molecules,
not the energy of the wave.<hr></blockquote>

aahh... okeydokey, my apologies.

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

Do most corals experience a constant flow of water moving across them, or do they experience the up/down and slightly eliptical movement of water near them?

Think back to a time when you were diving or underwater while snorkeling. Remember what a surge/swell felt like? A slight shift in vertical position, but barely noticeable, the main transfer of energy was longitudinal/lateral. Corals feel the same thing.

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

Finally, is a set of powerheads on a wavemaker that pulses a closer approximation to nature than a sea-swirl?

I get to say "I don't know" again, heheh. Honestly, I would say a combination. Powerheads (not necessarily those of water cannon-esque output velocity) to provide the constant lateral flow, and seaswirls with a higher volume/velocity output than the powerheads that face the same direction as the powerheads to provide the feeling of the actual surge impact as they sweep by. Just taking a guess, Ernie.

Chris