karimwassef
Active member
4. LAMINAR
This is the opposite of turbulent/chaotic. So the glass-clear fountains of water are excellent examples of laminar. This happens when the water molecules don't rub against each other causing them to change directions. This water-water friction steals energy away from the current flow. It also creates local loops of current flow.
Chaotic flow can be stressful on living creatures. Compare a smooth stream flowing over and around you to a jacuzzi... Turbulence is good sometimes, but not all the time.
To get true laminar flow at the flow rates needed here, we need 1/8" straws that are 3" long stacked into a box. Each straw straightens the flow and 'removes the rough edges' so that the water molecules come out together without rubbing up against each other.
For this to work well, the straws need pressure behind them.
This is desirable but not the most critical feature. If the flow is uniform and directional and bulk at the output/input, some minor turbulence is probably ok.
The 1/4" channels that are 2" long try to help laminarize the flow but they're not really enough.
The rockwork and corals will naturally break up a laminar flow anyway, so being perfectly laminar is a waste. It just has to not be too turbulent.
5. HIGH FLOW
With a large cross sectional area 32" x 15", a very high flow is needed just to get enough motion. The 40K gph is really just at the peak but it needs to last a few seconds to do the job. The job is to remove debris, oxygenate the surface or rocks and corals, etc...
Bulk motion for a large area without high flow is pretty weak - won't even make a gorgonian sway a little.
6. ALTERNATING
So this one caused me to completely scrap a lot of great ideas just so I wouldn't give it up. The purpose of alternating flow is that nature never pushes in one direction indefinitely. It always pushes and pulls... Etc...
This is important in flow because it's basic functions- oxygenation, debris removal, etc... Is worthless in one direction (imho). That just biases one side vs. the other and exhausts living things.
While this is just my opinion (strongly held), the reversal of flow direction is a key need to simulate nature.
This is the opposite of turbulent/chaotic. So the glass-clear fountains of water are excellent examples of laminar. This happens when the water molecules don't rub against each other causing them to change directions. This water-water friction steals energy away from the current flow. It also creates local loops of current flow.
Chaotic flow can be stressful on living creatures. Compare a smooth stream flowing over and around you to a jacuzzi... Turbulence is good sometimes, but not all the time.
To get true laminar flow at the flow rates needed here, we need 1/8" straws that are 3" long stacked into a box. Each straw straightens the flow and 'removes the rough edges' so that the water molecules come out together without rubbing up against each other.
For this to work well, the straws need pressure behind them.
This is desirable but not the most critical feature. If the flow is uniform and directional and bulk at the output/input, some minor turbulence is probably ok.
The 1/4" channels that are 2" long try to help laminarize the flow but they're not really enough.
The rockwork and corals will naturally break up a laminar flow anyway, so being perfectly laminar is a waste. It just has to not be too turbulent.
5. HIGH FLOW
With a large cross sectional area 32" x 15", a very high flow is needed just to get enough motion. The 40K gph is really just at the peak but it needs to last a few seconds to do the job. The job is to remove debris, oxygenate the surface or rocks and corals, etc...
Bulk motion for a large area without high flow is pretty weak - won't even make a gorgonian sway a little.
6. ALTERNATING
So this one caused me to completely scrap a lot of great ideas just so I wouldn't give it up. The purpose of alternating flow is that nature never pushes in one direction indefinitely. It always pushes and pulls... Etc...
This is important in flow because it's basic functions- oxygenation, debris removal, etc... Is worthless in one direction (imho). That just biases one side vs. the other and exhausts living things.
While this is just my opinion (strongly held), the reversal of flow direction is a key need to simulate nature.
