DIY Wavebox Tutorial from start to finish!
- Thread starter xtm
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prop-frags
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five.five-six
Well-known member
it's probably a timing issue, it's all about matching the box pulse duration to the time a wave takes to go down your tank and back
once you match it up, you will get a wave
five.five-six
Well-known member
I am considering building a nano, I have a tank, it's 24X17X10 12.5 gallons display portion. I am thinking any pump that tunze makes is too big, is there something else that has been working for people? I don't really want to read through 23 pages
You need a controllable DC pump. The only ones I'm aware of are the Koralia and the Tunze. I'm not sure if anyone has successfully done this with a Koralia as I stopped reading about 10 pages ago. You don't need to run it full bore though so you can get a bigger pump and just oscillate 0-30% or something.
FWIW, I run 2 MP10s on my 3 foot tank and I can get a pretty big wave out of one if I set it in pulse mode and adjust it. For your tank, I'd just get an MP10 and be done with it.
FWIW, I run 2 MP10s on my 3 foot tank and I can get a pretty big wave out of one if I set it in pulse mode and adjust it. For your tank, I'd just get an MP10 and be done with it.
Very cool project. I love it as much for the electronics lesson as for the wave-making diy.
The only thing I have a concern about is the frequency of the wave.
I notice the wave from this box, as seen on the video, seems very fast. I've been scuba diving for coral and fish watching many times, and while I've seen and felt some very strong currents and tides, I don't recall any of them pulsing so quickly. I know our tanks are artificial environments, but How fast is too fast?
Are there any write-ups about the impact of the pacing of the wave on the tank inhabitants that anyone would recommend?
Cheers, and thanks again XTM and everyone else for the cool build and shared info.
The only thing I have a concern about is the frequency of the wave.
I notice the wave from this box, as seen on the video, seems very fast. I've been scuba diving for coral and fish watching many times, and while I've seen and felt some very strong currents and tides, I don't recall any of them pulsing so quickly. I know our tanks are artificial environments, but How fast is too fast?
Are there any write-ups about the impact of the pacing of the wave on the tank inhabitants that anyone would recommend?
Cheers, and thanks again XTM and everyone else for the cool build and shared info.
My understanding is that one of the benefits of the wavemaker over pumps/waveconteollers is that the entire water column moves rather than a a stream from the pumps. This is a more 'thourough' wave motion. I don't have one so I can't say from experience.
five.five-six
Well-known member
well, I do have a 6501.... that's going to make one heck of a wave in a 13 gallon tank 
Sig45
New member
I am able to generate over 2" wave in my 72Lx18Wx20H tank with a 6205 & 6100.1 on 7096 controller in pulse mode on opposite power sequence. My tank resonance is .45sec.
I get pulse flow at bottom with my 6205 5 inches from top and 6100.1 8 inches from bootom at opposite end of tank.
Not the cheapest setup but still works and very cool!
I get pulse flow at bottom with my 6205 5 inches from top and 6100.1 8 inches from bootom at opposite end of tank.
Not the cheapest setup but still works and very cool!
just made one of these controllers, put my bros 6100.1 in my 75g and got a nice 3/4" standing wave @ 65% power, and a 1.25" wave at full power.
heres a short vid of the standing wave.
http://www.youtube.com/user/kotu100#p/a/u/1/mnIHW1kwnVU
heres a short vid of the standing wave.
http://www.youtube.com/user/kotu100#p/a/u/1/mnIHW1kwnVU
xtm
Active member
Hi,
Thanks for the comment. It will be impossible to emulate the natural ocean current in a closed tank, but I can tell you that this is probably the closest to the "real thing" as I've seen. In 2006 I took my family to Catalina Island for a vacation. We rode in this submersible and I got to experience what the wave was like under 20 ft of water near the shore, and in fact it was THAT gentle sweeping back and forth motion that inspired me to create this DIY. The only difference between the DIY and the real ocean is that in the wild, the water sweeps gently back and forth because of the WIDE open spaces, and since I only had a 4-ft tank, there was just no way I could emulate this "effect". Close but not quite. I'm sure the animals couldn't tell either way
I'm sure that if the tank was longer (around 10 ft or more) I could emulate that smooth sweeping motion. Unfortunately I don't have the funds to buy such a tank.The surface of the tank is very deceiving because it looks like it's racking back and forth rapidly-- but when you put your hand IN the tank, you will notice that this is not the case. The displacement that occurs in the wavebox pushes the water column UP and DOWN, not left and right- and this is what creates the "push" that clears up suspended detritus beneath rocks and also "massages" polyps that are typically hidden from regular stream pumps.
So to answer your question, I personally don't think the animals know the difference. In fact I think they experience way more turbulent waves in the wild. When I dove in the Philippines, the current was much MUCH stronger than the Tunzes.
xtm
Active member
This was a 75g (48x18x24)
Definitely a timing issue. Set it up and wait, sometimes it takes about 5 minutes to build up the waves.
Thank you
btw,
I've been toying about the idea of using four (4) 6100's in one massive wavebox being controlled at the same time by a single controller. We'll call this the "Tsunamibox".
Anybody want to let me borrow 4 6100's for this project? Maybe we can set up an old 55g AGA tank and destroy it with the Tsunamibox. That would be a sight to behold.is there a math equation to figure out the volume needed for the wavebox to work with certain pumps? I would like to build one big box and put two tunze 6100.10's in it. Both would be working together on one controller.
Kuto100, controller works like a charm!! Thanks again
Kuto100, controller works like a charm!! Thanks again
also, my tank will be a 60x30x18. the wavebox will be on the left side. The tank will be rimless. I'm a little worried about that. Should I set my overflow at 16". That would give me 2" to play with. What size wave should I expect with two 6100.10's?
XTM, help me out brother!!
XTM, help me out brother!!
also, my tank will be a 60x30x18. the wavebox will be on the left side. The tank will be rimless. I'm a little worried about that. Should I set my overflow at 16". That would give me 2" to play with. What size wave should I expect with two 6100.10's?
XTM, help me out brother!!
XTM, help me out brother!!
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