Circular flow in home aquarium?

[JoelA7]

Hello.

Large public aquaria main display tanks are often cylindrical in nature with a current that periodically changes direction. Putting aside the change in direction has anyone tried this in a rectangular tank? My sense is that with the programability of MP 40's etc today such a circular current might be possible with plenty of variability.

Specifically I'm considering this for a 48x24x27" tank.

Thoughts an experiences much appreciated.

 

[lakeviewink]

Yup, its a gyre. I offset my MP40's a few inches from each other and have one on the back wall too. but my tank is 48"x36"x27" and it works really well for me. Every once in a while I switch it to go the other way.

 

[JoelA7]

Do your fish swim around in a circle?

 

[JoelA7]

No other comments on this?

 

[Sk8r]

YOu can even get round tanks.

I had a setup on a wedge-corner that used 2 sea swirls (nodding slowly) on the straight walls, facing each other. Sometimes they'd hit, most times miss each other, and the flow was chaotic. Corals and fish liked it.

 

[JoelA7]

I might try it. Mp 40 long way across the front. Another across the back at opposite corner. Variable flows from both. Plus program quiet periods too.

 

[CyclistMT]

Of course there are many ways to accomplish this and I took the simple route. I'm using dual return pumps and appliance timers to alternate the flow every 6 hours. My tank is 5' long by 4' wide and I am able to achieve a gyre flow throughout the tank. I'm not sure an MP-40 will be enough to get this done for you even in a smaller tank due to it's wide flow pattern. It may not have enough velocity. I started with 1.5" return output and found that I needed to get more velocity to really get the gyre going so I reduced it to 1". However, I am thinking of backing that off to 1.25" and I think I'll still get the gyre but with reduced flow at the end. Here is a video I did to show my surge but you can also see the way the gyre works. At 2:15 the return pumps are back on and at 3:45 I specifically show how the gyre is working. One thing to note, I have replaced the Sicce Voyagers with Jeabo Wp-40s.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/sBO-rLht7RA?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[cesare]

wow nice flow your tank looks great.

 

[JoelA7]

CyclistMT that's nice! If one mp 40 won't get it going I could scratch the direction reversal and just program in a lot of variety of flow with both in the same "direction" but on opposite corners.

What kind of bike? I ride a Colnago C50. Way more bike than rider but I do ride 3,500 miles a year or so.

 

[Mike S]

I have powerheads in each corner of my tank. My apex set up to run a pair in opposite corners for 6 hours and then switch over to the other pair for another 6 hours to reverse the flow. Works great.

 

[CyclistMT]

CyclistMT that's nice! If one mp 40 won't get it going I could scratch the direction reversal and just program in a lot of variety of flow with both in the same "direction" but on opposite corners.

What kind of bike? I ride a Colnago C50. Way more bike than rider but I do ride 3,500 miles a year or so.

Give it a try, you've got nothing to lose and maybe you can make it work. I do think that gyre flow is beneficial for a tank you just need to get the entire mass of water moving for it to be effective.

OT: Always wanted a Colnago. Currently have a Sampson Ti with carbon seat stays for my roadie (way more bike than rider here too) and a Gary Fisher Fat Possum for my MTB (yeah they're both a bit long in the tooth but I don't ride enough anymore to justify new bikes). I've had a lot of different steeds in the stable though. For past roadies I've had Bianchi and Schwinn steel and a Kestrel 4000. For MTB I've had Specialized M2, a custom Schwinn Project Underground thermoplastic, a K2 Proflex 5000, a K2 Razorback (original aluminum with Ti springs on the shock, and a custom K2 Evo 4.0 still kicking around in the garage as a spare.

 

[JoelA7]

That's a lot of bikes!

Definitely going for a gyre.

 

[JoelA7]

Aquarium is built and curing. Here's a photo:

 

[guserto4]

Cyclist I like the ribbon idea to check flow on tank setup! Think I'll do the same when I get mine set back up in the next few months. What did you use for the ribbon, regular old craft ribbon or something else?? Thanks!

 

[CyclistMT]

Yep, regular old craft ribbon. Whatever I could find in my wife's stockpile.

 

[d2mini]

Dream Theater!!!! :beer: :thumbsup:

 

[JoelA7]

Just read interesting article-apologize I've already closed window on iPhone so lost link. Author examined laminar vs random flow. Gyre is laminar. By using a circulation pump(s) for a longer period in one direction less pump will still get a gyre going. Once started the water has it's own momentum and there's much more total flow. Then shut off one direction and start the other. Cool. The downstream side of the corals is where greater turbulence is.

 

[Crush Coral]

I have two JBJ 1600 gph pumps on my 75. They are at the top and front of my tank on each side. I have a wave timer they are connected to and it set to turn one on for 6 mins and then the other one on for 6 mins ... It is a great set up. My red sea finger leather (12" high and 12" wide) loves the flow changes. It seems to stimulate it.

 

[guserto4]

I have a 300 that I can't setup right now cause it's too darn big (shallow 300) but I've been dreaming about an apex controlling the heck out of all 38 sq. ft with a series of closed loops with DC pumps and many different programs for gyres, cocaphanies of motion, etc.

I love the idea of creating cycling water directions and plan to test the theory out small scale closed loop with my 100g 48x30x16. It would be soo cool.

It WILL be so cool.

 

[JoelA7]

guserto4 - let us know how it goes! I think that there is something here. Many tanks are deep enough now relative to length so that some kind of gyre or more laminar flow can be created. We don't have to duplicate the ocean. Can't anyway. But getting good flow across our organisms is a fine goal. Can't wait for my tank to arrive to get this started.