Anyone have a DIY surge that doesn't fill the tank with bubbles?

JonezNReef

JonezNReef

Member
I am planning on adding a surge tank to my 180 and have been looking into different DIY plans and of course watching how different ones work on YouTube. The thing that bothered me most was most of them make a crazy amount of bubble which I can live with but was wondering if there was anyone that has one with minimal or no bubbles?

So if you could share your DIY surge build or experience I would appreciate it since I haven't decided on what I want to go with yet?

Also Im not interested in buying a wave maker or a power head of some sort as I am trying to minimize the over all cost and have less equipment in the tank.
Thanks
 
I do

:D

unfortunately, I didn't keep it all in one thread. sorry.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2217933&highlight=surge&page=6

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2229274&highlight=surge&page=25

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2232726&highlight=surge&page=2

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2509674&highlight=surge

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2529953&highlight=surge

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2503552&highlight=surge&page=3

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2519480&highlight=surge

and my current tank coral thread

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2545088&highlight=surge&page=5

and some other key contributors too

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1869655&highlight=surge&page=36
 
karimwassef said:
I do

:D

unfortunately, I didn't keep it all in one thread. sorry.
Click to expand...

would you mind posting a video showing it working, I'd like to see how few bubbles are introduced and understand a bit more about it, sorry but it was hard to follow it through the thread as it evolved so much, great bit of work !!!
 
What's the point of a surge tank? Is it just for flow? Adding oxygen? Do you put a tide reef in the surge holding container? I just don't really get the point of it.
 
The point is coral health. Corals need sudden high flow for short bursts from multiple directions.

If you snorkel or scuba... our reef tanks are nothing like nature. The result is weak corals with frail skeletons, poor PE, accumulation of debris, dead tissue due to low flow, dead tissue due to constant flow, ...

Hope that helps. The videos are good too
 
LobsterOfJustice said:
Finally, a surge tank without the noise, bubbles, space, or plumbing!

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?ur...share_tid=2516780&share_fid=1489&share_type=t

I am on my phone now but will check back later to discuss more.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I remember reading your thread a while back. I always wanted to see it in action in both the DT and the sump. I have been considering doing something similar to the concept you are using but instead I was considering using a DC pump like the Vectra M1 or L1 in a closed loop and have it set to the closed loop reef crest random setting. This wouldn't mess with the overall level of the tank or sump but would function somewhat similar. The only thing I have against a closed loop is that you are just moving the water in the display rather that moving a lot of water through the display tank at random times.

But I am very interested in how its been working for you. Have you kept things the same for the past 2 years? Please share all you can because I am in the process of setting up a new system and would love to incorporate this into my new set up.
 
My surge is a real surge and has no bubbles or noise. The videos are self-explanatory.

It wouldn't be possible to set up a variable speed pump to generate a peak flow even close to what my surge achieves.
 
My surge is in my build thread (link in my signature). No bubbles. But still working on a little sound from the motors on the valves.
 
karimwassef said:
My surge is a real surge and has no bubbles or noise. The videos are self-explanatory.

It wouldn't be possible to set up a variable speed pump to generate a peak flow even close to what my surge achieves.
Click to expand...
I have seen quite a few videos of your tank and really like the surge you have. I just don't know if I want to spend the money on knife valves and the works when my tank is only a 180g tank.
 
JonezNReef said:
I have seen quite a few videos of your tank and really like the surge you have. I just don't know if I want to spend the money on knife valves and the works when my tank is only a 180g tank.
Click to expand...

Maybe it's a conditional design... if you're small, you can go with an over-sized pump to emulate a surge. if you're big, you can use an actuated valve.

In my next tank, I have 6 actuated valves - 2 surge and the other 4 are actually normal returns
 
karimwassef said:
Maybe it's a conditional design... if you're small, you can go with an over-sized pump to emulate a surge. if you're big, you can use an actuated valve.

In my next tank, I have 6 actuated valves - 2 surge and the other 4 are actually normal returns
Click to expand...

I have been keeping up with that dream build of yours and can't wait to see it become a reality
 
jrhupp said:
My surge is in my build thread (link in my signature). No bubbles. But still working on a little sound from the motors on the valves.
Click to expand...

I have also been following your build since you started. Its because of your build I have been looking into 3D printing. I really like your surge device and can't wait to see more video of everything in action, I am even more impressed with the skimmer you have been working on building and fine tuning
 
JonezNReef said:
I remember reading your thread a while back. I always wanted to see it in action in both the DT and the sump. I have been considering doing something similar to the concept you are using but instead I was considering using a DC pump like the Vectra M1 or L1 in a closed loop and have it set to the closed loop reef crest random setting. This wouldn't mess with the overall level of the tank or sump but would function somewhat similar. The only thing I have against a closed loop is that you are just moving the water in the display rather that moving a lot of water through the display tank at random times.

But I am very interested in how its been working for you. Have you kept things the same for the past 2 years? Please share all you can because I am in the process of setting up a new system and would love to incorporate this into my new set up.
Click to expand...

I've been using the method continuously since setup and love it! Never going back. For whatever reason, when I posted that thread nobody else seemed that excited about it, but it's completely changed my tank forever and I still think it's amazing. I've kind of gotten over defending my practices in the hobby, I've been at this too long... so I'm not going to try to talk anybody into it.

I've found the variation in the sump level to be no issue. I use my apex to top off and it's an easy work around. Also, any surge system is going to cause variation in the sump... and my system results in less variation, because the sump level only changes when the surge flow is active.

Several people online have said "no way it can make as much flow as my surge" but it makes enough flow to topple rocks at the other end of a 6' tank if I don't have it programmed carefully... so it's certainly as strong as it needs to be.

I love the control of being able to have 10 second, 30 second, 1 minute, 3 minute, etc surges, and I can control the timing buy simple changing some code. You could use the variable in a closed loop as you suggested, but as you noted, it's not the same effect as introducing a large volume of water into the tank over a short period of time...

EDIT: Actually, I have made one change in the system. The Jebao pump died on me and I switched out that pump with an Apex Ready Waveline DC12000 - flow is noticeably improved. When I plugged the new pump in and I hadn't changed my code, rocks started falling over...
 
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